Abstract:
A seat support for use with a vehicle seat and adapted to engage a track provided on the floor of a vehicle. The track can have two inwardly-directed lips on opposed sides of a slot, the lips providing first alternating protrusions and recesses along the length of the track. The alternating protrusions are spaced apart by a spacing distance and the first and second protrusions define shoulder surfaces on each side thereof. The track defines a bearing surface formed on the inner face of each first protrusion. The seat support also includes an interface portion that has a profile having second alternating protrusions and recesses. The second protrusions are spaced apart by the same spacing distance as the first protrusions. The seat support also has a retaining mechanism that engages with the track and secures the seat support in the desired position. The retaining mechanism can have multiple securing members.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to co-pending United Kingdom Patent Application No. 1314388.8, filed Aug. 12, 2013, which is herein incorporated by referenced in its entirety. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a seat support and, more specifically, relates to a seat support suitable for use in a vehicle such as a motor vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    It has been proposed previously to provide seats in a motor vehicle that are mounted in position on rails, or which are adapted to engage a track on the floor of a vehicle and lockable in place by way of a pair of spaced apart plates that may be moved apart to bias the plates in a locking position, as set out in EP1034969. 
         [0004]    However, previously proposed seat mounting systems are relatively complex and require adjustments to be usable in different vehicle types, and are not always capable of being ‘universal.’ 
         [0005]    The art would benefit from an improved, simpler, universal seat support that may be used in many different vehicles without substantial modification to the seat support or vehicle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The disclosed vehicle seat fittings, seat supports, and seats and other vehicle systems with such fittings and/or seat supports are adaptable and provide a low-cost, lightweight, improved, universal seat support that may be used in many different vehicles without substantial modification to the seat support or vehicle and is easy to operate. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, the disclosed seat fitting provides a seat support for use with a vehicle seat and adapted to engage a track provided on the floor of a vehicle, the track comprising two inwardly-directed lips on opposed sides of a slot, the lips providing first alternating protrusions and recesses along the length of the track, the protrusions being spaced apart by a spacing distance, the first and second protrusions defining shoulder surfaces on each side thereof, and the track defining a bearing surface formed on the inner face of the or each of the first protrusion(s), the seat support including an interface portion that has a profile comprising second alternating protrusions and recesses, the protrusions being spaced apart by the same spacing distance, and a retaining mechanism to engage with the track and secure the support in the desired position, wherein the retaining mechanism includes a first securing member and a second securing member that is moveable with respect to the seat support, the seat support being configured such that the second protrusions may be aligned with the first recesses so that the interface portion may be placed within the slot in an engagement position, the seat support being moveable with respect to the slot, from the engagement position into a locking position in which the first and second protrusions are substantially aligned, preventing the interface portion from being removed from the slot, and in the locking position, the first securing member is engaged with a first pair of shoulders on the track and the second securing member may be engaged with a second pair of shoulders on the track, thereby preventing movement of the seat support with respect to the track. 
         [0008]    In an example embodiment, the first protrusions and/or the second protrusions can have any combination of a rounded profile, a square profile, and an angled profile. For example, the first protrusions and the second protrusions have a rounded profile. In another example, the first protrusions have a rounded profile and the second protrusions have a square or angled profile. In yet another example, the first protrusions have a square or angled profile. 
         [0009]    The first retaining mechanism can take the form of a hook. The first retaining mechanism can alternatively include a planar surface against which the first pair of shoulders may bear. 
         [0010]    The second retaining mechanism is pivotable with respect to the seat support, in some examples. In other examples, the second retaining mechanism is slidable with respect to the seat support. Further, the second retaining mechanism can include a planar surface against which the second pair of shoulders may bear. Optionally, the second retaining mechanism may be locked in place by way of a third locking mechanism, such as a drop lock or a spring or detent lock. 
         [0011]    When the seat support is in the first position, the first retaining mechanism is positioned such that when the second protrusions on the interface portion are aligned with the first recesses on the track, the first retaining mechanism is aligned with a first recess. Alternatively, when the seat support is in the first position, the first retaining mechanism is positioned such that when the second protrusions on the interface portion are aligned with the protrusions on the track, the first retaining mechanism is aligned with a set of shoulders of the track. 
         [0012]    In some examples, when the seat support is in the locking position, the second protrusions bear against the bearing surface. Alternatively, when the seat support is in the locking position, the second protrusions do not bear against the bearing surface. The seat support defines a plane substantially parallel with and above the second protrusions, the first protrusions lying in or near the plane when the seat support is in the engagement position and the locking position, and when the second locking member is in the first position, it does not pass through the plane, and when the second locking member is in the second position, it does pass through the plane. The first locking mechanism can be fixed with respect to the seat support. 
         [0013]    The first locking mechanism passes through the plane in both the engagement position and the locking position. Alternatively, the first locking mechanism is moveable with respect to the seat support between a first position and a second position. 
         [0014]    The seat support defines a plane substantially parallel with and above the second protrusions, the first protrusions lying in or near the plane when the seat support is in the engagement position and the locking position, and when the first locking member is in the first position, it does not pass through the plane, and when the first locking member is in the second position, it does pass through the plane. In some embodiments, when the seat support is in the locking position, the first and second recesses overlap. Alternatively, when the seat support is in the locking position, the first and second recesses are generally aligned. 
         [0015]    A second aspect of the disclosure provides seat support in combination with a track that comprises two inwardly-directed lips on opposed sides of a slot, the lips providing first alternating protrusions and recesses along the length of the track, the protrusions being spaced apart by a spacing distance, the first and second protrusions defining shoulder surfaces on each side thereof, and the track defining a bearing surface formed on the inner face of the or each of the first protrusion(s). 
         [0016]    A further aspect of the disclosure provides a seat including any embodiments of the disclosed seat supports. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a track adapted to be mounted in a motor vehicle; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a seat support in a first condition in accordance with aspects of the disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a seat support in a second condition, according to the disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a view of part of a seat support in accordance with the disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a seat support in accordance with the disclosure; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a view of the front end of a seat support in the engagement position according to aspects of the disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a view of the rear end of a seat support in the engagement position according to aspects of the disclosure; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a view of the front end of a seat support in the locking position, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a view of the rear end of a seat support in the locking position, according to aspects of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a track  1  adapted to be mounted in the floor of a motor vehicle is shown, which comprises an extrusion  2  of an appropriate material, in an example embodiment. The track  1  defines a planar under surface  3  adapted to be secured to the floor of a vehicle and an upper surface  4  that may be substantially flush with the surface of the vehicle. A central slot  5  is provided in the track  1  that communicates with an under-cut channel  6 . The track  1  thus defines two inwardly directed lips  7 ,  8  on either side of the slot  5 . 
         [0027]    Each of the inwardly directed lips  7 ,  8  includes a series of first alternating protrusions  9  and recesses  10  along the length of the track. These protrusions  9  and recesses  10  may have a rounded profile, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or may have a more square or angular profile, depending upon the application or vehicle being used. The protrusions  9  and recesses  10  on the two lips  7 ,  8  are substantially aligned with each other. 
         [0028]    The first protrusions  9  define shoulder surfaces  11  on each side thereof, and the profile of the shoulder surfaces  11  will depend upon the profile of the protrusions  9  and recesses  10 . 
         [0029]    As shown in the example embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the underside of each of the first protrusions  9  provides a bearing surface on  12  its inner face. The bearing surface  12  extends to the entire surface of the undersides of each of the lips  7 ,  8 . The area of the bearing surface  12  will depend upon the application, vehicle or track  1  being used. 
         [0030]    This type of track has become widely used in vehicles, particularly in passenger vehicles such as coaches or buses. 
         [0031]    A seat support  20  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The seat support  20  comprises an interface portion  21  and a mounting portion  22  and is generally elongate, having a front end  30  and a rear end  31 . The interface portion  21  includes second alternating protrusions  23  and recesses  24  along its length. These protrusions  23  and recesses  24  may have a rounded profile, as shown in  FIG. 2 , or may have a more square or angular profile, depending upon the application, vehicle or track  1  being used. The second protrusions  23  and recesses  24  have a profile that is generally complementary to the profile of the first protrusions  9  and recesses  10  that are formed in the lips  7 ,  8  of the track  1  with which the seat support  20  is to be used. 
         [0032]    The seat support  20  also includes two locking portions, a first locking portion  25  and a second locking portion  26 . The first locking portion  25  may be fixed with respect to the seat support  20 , or may be formed as part of the seat support  20 , dependent upon the intended application and size of the seat support  20 . In  FIG. 2 , the first locking portion  25  is formed as part of the seat support  20 , and is provided at the front end  30  of the seat support  20 . The first locking portion  25  includes an elongate part  27  and a bearing part  28 . The bearing part  28  may be shaped such that it fits against, or takes the profile of, the shoulders  11 . 
         [0033]    The second locking portion  26  is provided at the rear end  31  of the seat support  20  and is moveable with respect to the seat support  20 . It is intended that the second locking portion  26 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is pivotable with respect to the seat support  20 . However, the second locking mechanism  26  could be slidable with respect to the seat support  20 , or may take any suitable form dependent upon the application, vehicle or track  1  being used. 
         [0034]    The second locking portion  26  shown in  FIG. 2  preferably has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the protrusions  9  and recesses  10  formed in the track, and is therefore complementary to the shape of the shoulders  11  formed in the track  1 . To ensure good contact between the second locking portion  26  and the shoulders  11 , the shapes of both can be complementary or at least configured such that there is a substantial surface area of the shoulders  11  against which the second locking portion  26  may bear. The second locking portion  26 , moveable with respect to the seat support  20 , may be moved between a first position and a second position. The significance of these two positions will be discussed in more detail later. 
         [0035]    Operation of the seat support  20  will now be described. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the seat support  20  may be placed in the track  1  such that the first protrusions  9  of the track  1  are aligned with the second recesses  24  of the seat support  20 , and vice versa. In this engagement position, the bearing part  28  of the first locking portion  25  may be placed within a first recess  10 , or may be located at or near a pair of shoulders  11 . The seat support  20  may be placed in, or removed from the track  1  freely when the first and second recesses and protrusions  9 ,  10 ,  23 ,  24  are aligned in this way. 
         [0036]    The second locking portion  26  may be in the first position when the seat support  20  is in the engagement position, such that the second locking portion  26  substantially does not make contact with any portion of the track  1 . When the seat support  20  is in the engagement position, the seat support  20  may be substantially freely lifted from the track  1 . Additionally, the seat support  20  may be slid with respect to the track  1 , along the axis of the slot of the track  1 , with the second protrusions  23  passing under the first protrusions  9 . This configuration is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    As discussed above, the bearing part  28  of the first locking portion  25  may be positioned at or near a pair of shoulders  11  to ensure that the seat support  20  may be slid in only one direction with respect to the track  1 . One face of the bearing part  28  may bear, in the engagement position, against a pair of shoulders  11  that face towards the seat support  20 . When the seat support  20  is slid with respect to the track  1  in a direction passing from the front end  30  to the rear end  31 , the other face of the bearing part  28  may come into contact with and bear against a further pair of shoulders  11 , facing away from the seat support  20 . 
         [0038]    When the bearing part  28  comes into contact with these shoulders  11 , the seat support  20  is in the locking position, and may not be slid any further with respect to the track  1 . In the locking position, the second locking portion  26  may be moved from the first position to the second position, and in the second position, the second locking portion  26  may bear against a third pair of shoulders  11 , facing away from the seat support  20  and may, if the second locking portion  26  is shaped appropriately, grip or pass around the third shoulders  11 . 
         [0039]    To prevent the second locking portion  26  from being moved from the second position to the first position when the seat support  20  is in the locking position, a third locking portion  40 , shown in  FIG. 4 , may be employed. The third locking portion  40  may be configured, when the second locking mechanism  26  is moved into the second position, to substantially prevent the second locking mechanism  26  from being moved back into the first position. 
         [0040]    The third locking portion  40  is useful to prevent the accidental release of the seat support  20  from the locked position to the engagement position. The third locking portion  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , may be a drop lock, which must be released prior to moving the second locking portion  26  from the second position to the first position. It is, however, to be understood that the third locking portion  40  may take any suitable form dependent upon the intended application and may, for instance, be a spring lock or a detent lock. 
         [0041]    In the locking position, when the bearing part  28  of the first locking portion  25  bears against the further pair of shoulders  11  and when the second locking portion  26  is moved into the second position and therefore bears against the third pair of shoulders  11 , the seat support  20  may not be lifted from the track  1 . Additionally, the seat support  20  may not be slid with respect to the track  1 , along the axis of the slot of the track  1  because the first and second locking portions, respectively, bear against shoulders that face away from the seat support  20 . The seat support  20  is therefore locked longitudinally in place between these shoulders  11 . 
         [0042]    The seat support  20  may not be lifted from the track because, in the locking position, the first protrusions  9  are at least partially aligned with the second protrusions  23  so that these protrusions  9 ,  23  at least overlap with each other. In some configurations, the upper surface of the second protrusions  23  may bear against the bearing surface  12  formed on the underside of the first protrusions  9 , although, as mentioned above, the second protrusions  23  may not bear against the bearing surface  12  in some configurations. Alternatively, the first and second locking members may have a shape which, when both locking members are in contact with the shoulders  11 , may prevent the seat support  20  from being lifted out of the track  1 . 
         [0043]    The seat support  20  and the first locking portion  25  may be dimensioned such that when the seat support  20  is placed in the track  1  and the first protrusions  9  are accommodated by the second recesses  24 , the bearing part  28  of the first locking portion  25  may bear against a pair of shoulders  11  as set out above. Therefore, when the seat support  20  is moved with respect to the track  1 , the bearing part  28  may bear against a second pair of shoulders  11 , again as set out above. Due to this, when the seat support  20  is moved into the locking position, the first protrusions  9  and the second protrusions  23  are aligned to provide strong securement of the seat support  20  within the track  1 . 
         [0044]    The support mechanism  10  may also be formed as part of a vehicle seat or may, alternatively, be formed separately and attached to a vehicle seat. In use, the seat support  20  may be placed in the track  1  (the seat support  20  in the engagement position) and slid with respect to the track until the bearing part  28  of the first locking portion  25  makes contact with a pair of shoulders  11 , such that the seat support  20  is in the locking position. At this point, the second locking portion  26  would be moved from the first position to the second position, such that it bears against the third pair of shoulders  11  formed by the first protrusions  9 . 
         [0045]    When the second locking portion  26  is moved into the second position, the third locking portion  40  may then move or be moved into position, preventing the second locking portion  26  from being moved with respect to the seat support  20 . At this point, the seat support  20  is secured within the track  1 . To remove the seat support  20  from the track  1 , the user must disengage the third locking portion  40  and move the second locking portion  26  back into the first position, move the seat support  20  back into the engagement position and remove the seat support  20  from the track  1 . 
         [0046]    The first locking portion  25  described above is fixed in place with respect to the seat support  20 . However, the first locking portion  25  may be moveable in a similar fashion to the second locking portion  26  described above. Thus, unlocking both allows the seat support  20  to be slid rapidly along the track  1  to move a seat a large distance without having to remove the seat from the track  1  or to lift the seat. 
         [0047]    If large upward forces or forces that would tend to cause a seat attached to the seat support  20  to pitch or roll with respect to the vehicle floor were experienced by the seat fitting  20 , the seat fitting  20  (when in the locking position, by way of its engagement with the track  1  and therefore the vehicle floor) would prevent movement of the seat with respect to the vehicle floor. 
         [0048]    When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components. 
         [0049]    The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.