Automotive removable power seat

The subject invention is a vehicle seat assembly which is removably mounted to a floor of a vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat and an electrical device mounted to the seat. A riser is mounted to the seat and a latch mechanism is mounted to the riser for securing the seat to the vehicle floor. In the preferred embodiment, a first electrical connector is mounted to the latch mechanism for delivering power to the electrical component. A second electrical connector is mounted to the vehicle floor for delivering power to the first electrical connector wherein the first electrical connector automatically engages the second electrical connector when the latch mechanism secures the seat to the vehicle floor such that the first and second electrical connectors close a circuit to power the electrical device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The subject invention relates to a removable powered vehicle seat.
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
 Removable vehicle seats are common in the industry and are widely used.
 These seats usually include a seat mounted to a riser or set of risers
 which are used to mount the vehicle seat within the vehicle. These risers
 are equipped with mechanisms to removably mount the vehicle seat within
 the vehicle. Seats of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,836,597
 and 4,971,379.
 Vehicle seats are also commonly equipped with electrical components mounted
 within. Most commonly these seats include power adjustment mechanisms such
 as a powered six-way seat adjuster, or seat heaters. Vehicle seats of this
 type including seat heaters and power adjustment mechanisms are disclosed
 in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,958; 4,966,045 and 4,880,199.
 While removable vehicle seats have been developed which include power
 components, these type of seats require that the user manually connect a
 vehicle mounted electrical connector to a seat mounted electrical
 connector after the seat has been installed within the vehicle.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a vehicle
 seat assembly which is removably mounted to the floor of a vehicle and
 includes an electrical component mounted within the seat. The vehicle seat
 includes a riser mounted to the seat for releasably mounting the seat to
 the vehicle floor. The seat assembly includes a first electrical contact
 mounted to the seat for delivering power to the electrical component
 within the seat, and a second electrical contact adapted to be mounted to
 the vehicle floor for delivering power to the first electrical contact.
 The vehicle seat assembly is characterized by the first electrical contact
 fixedly mounted to the riser to automatically engage the second electrical
 contact when the vehicle seat assembly is mounted to the vehicle floor
 whereby the first and second electrical contacts provide a circuit to
 power the electrical component.
 Accordingly, the present invention will allow a removable vehicle seat to
 be removed from and installed within a vehicle while the electrical
 connection necessary to power electrical components within the vehicle
 seat is made automatically and simultaneously when the seat is installed
 within the vehicle. The subject invention will allow the operator to
 remove the seat without having to first disconnect the electrical
 connection, and to install the vehicle seat without having to manually
 connect a seat mounted electrical connector to a vehicle mounted
 electrical connector after the seat is installed.
 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a riser
 assembly for a vehicle seat assembly adapted to be removably mounted to
 the floor of a vehicle. The vehicle seat includes a seat and an electrical
 component mounted to the seat. The riser assembly is mounted to the seat
 for releasably mounting the seat to the vehicle floor. The riser assembly
 has a first electrical connector rigidly mounted to the riser for
 delivering power to the electrical component. A second electrical
 connector is adapted to be mounted to the vehicle floor for delivering
 power to the first electrical connector. The first electrical connector is
 positioned on the riser to automatically engage the second electrical
 connector when the riser assembly is mounted to the vehicle floor. The
 first and second electrical contacts close a circuit to power the
 electrical component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or
 corresponding parts throughout the several views, a vehicle seat assembly
 is generally shown at 10. The vehicle seat 10 includes a seat cushion 12,
 a seat back 13 and a pair of risers 14 for removably mounting the seat 10
 to a vehicle floor 16.
 Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the seat 10 includes a latching mechanism 18
 for removably securing the vehicle seat 10 to the vehicle floor 16
 provided on one or more of the risers 14. The risers 14 are preferably
 made of a strong rigid material such a steel or aluminum.
 In the preferred embodiment, the seat 10 is mounted to the vehicle floor 16
 by way of front seat attaching structures 20 and rear seat attaching
 structures 22. Each attaching structure 20, 22 includes a well 24 formed
 within the vehicle floor 16 and a striker pin 26 extending transversely
 across the well 24 and attached at opposite ends thereof to the vehicle
 floor 16 by fasteners, welding, or any suitable means. The risers 14
 engage the striker pins 26 to secure the vehicle seat 10 to the vehicle
 floor 16.
 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, each riser 14 typically includes a forwardly
 facing front locking hook 28 and a downwardly facing rear locking hook 30,
 each forming generally U-shaped grooves. Typically the seat 10 is
 installed into the vehicle by tipping the seat 10 and inserting front ends
 of the risers 14 into the wells 24 of the front attaching structures 20 so
 the grooves of the front locking hooks 28 receive the front striker pins
 26. The seat is then pivoted downward until the rear striker pins 26 of
 the rear attaching structures 22 contact the latching mechanism 18.
 The latching mechanism 18 includes a hook portion 32 at the lower end of
 the latching mechanism 18. The latching mechanism 18 pivots about a pivot
 bolt 34 and is typically spring biased into the locking position as shown
 in FIG. 3. The hook portion 32 of the latch mechanism 18 preferably
 includes a bevel 36 formed at the lower end thereof so that when the hook
 portion 32 contacts the striker pin 26 as the seat assembly 10 is forced
 downwardly, the latching mechanism 18 is forced to pivot counterclockwise
 about the pivot bolt 34 against the spring bias until the hook portion 32
 of the latching mechanism 18 clears the striker pin 26. When the hook
 portion 32 of the latching mechanism 18 clears the striker pin 26, the
 striker pin 26 is received within the groove of the rear locking hooks 30
 and the latching mechanism 18 is forced by the spring bias to pivot
 clockwise to the locking position to secure the striker pin 26 within the
 groove of the rear locking hook 30 thereby securing the vehicle seat 10 to
 the vehicle floor 16.
 To remove the vehicle seat 10 from the vehicle floor 16, the latching
 mechanism 18 preferably includes an actuating lever 38 for actuating the
 latching mechanism 18 against the spring bias thereby releasing the hook
 portion 32 from the striker pin 26 and allowing the vehicle seat 10 to be
 lifted out of the attaching structures 20, 22.
 The vehicle seat 10 is characterized by automatically providing an
 electrical a vehicle power source 40 of a vehicle and an electronic
 component 42 mounted within the vehicle seat 10 when the vehicle seat 10
 is mounted to the vehicle floor 16. This connection is made without
 requiring the user to independently attach or connect the power to the
 seat 10 after the seat 10 is installed. The electrical component 42 could
 be a seat heater or adjuster, such as a six-way power seat adjuster such
 as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,958; 4,966,045 and 4,880,199.
 The connection is preferably integrated into the seat riser 14 and a
 portion of the vehicle interior with which the riser 14 comes into close
 proximity, such as one of the floor mounted attaching structures 20, 22.
 The electric circuit is completed automatically and simultaneously when
 the seat riser latching mechanism 18 pivots to the locked position and the
 vehicle seat 10 is secured to the vehicle floor 16.
 Referring to FIG. 1, the passive electrical connection comprises a
 vehicle-mounted electrical connector 44 disposed proximate one of the rear
 attaching structures 22 which engages a seat-mounted electrical connector
 46 disposed proximate the groove of the rear locking hook 30 of the riser
 14. The vehicle mounted electrical connector 44 is connected by circuit 48
 to the vehicle power source 40. The seat-mounted electrical connector 46
 is connected by circuit 50 to one or more seat-mounted electrically
 powered components 42 represented schematically by hidden lines.
 Referring to FIG. 4, the latching mechanism 18 includes the seat-mounted
 electrical connector 46 whereby the seat-mounted electrical connector 46
 is a female-like socket connector 52. The female-like socket connector 52
 is mounted to the hook portion 32 of the latching mechanism 18 in a
 forwardly facing configuration. When the latching mechanism 18 engages the
 striker pin 26 of the rear seat attaching structure 22, the female-like
 socket connector 52 engages the vehicle-mounted connector 44. The
 vehicle-mounted connector 44 is a male-like pin connector 54 which
 connects to the circuit 48 of the vehicle power source 40. The male-like
 pin connector 54 is mounted to a supporting protrusion 56 extending from a
 forward wall portion 58 of the rear well 24 and is rearwardly facing so as
 to mate up to the forwardly facing female-like socket connector 52. When
 the hook portion 32 of the latching mechanism 18 clears the striker pin 26
 of the rear seat attaching structure 22, the latching mechanism 18 pivots
 to the locking position due to the force of the spring bias and the
 male-like pin connector 54 is received within the female-like socket
 connector 52, thereby providing a circuit to deliver power to the
 electrical components 42 within the vehicle seat 10. The female-like
 socket connector 52 and the male-like pin connector 54 are mounted such
 that the electrical connection is not made unless the latching mechanism
 18 is pivoted fully to the locked position. The male-like pin connector 54
 is mounted flexibly to facilitate the mating of the male-like pin
 connector 54 to the female-like socket connector 52 even if the two
 connectors 52, 54 are not perfectly aligned when they come into contact.
 Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 an alternative latching mechanism 62 is
 disclosed, whereby the latching mechanism 62 is mounted to the riser 14
 and a hook portion 64 of the latching mechanism 62 engages the striker pin
 26 of the rear seat attaching structure 22 from a side opposite to the
 arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. In this configuration, an
 electrical female-like socket connector 66 is mounted to the hook portion
 64 of the latching mechanism 62 in a rearwardly facing configuration and
 an electrical male-like pin connector 68 is mounted to a supporting
 protrusion 70 extending from a rear wall portion 72 of the well 24 in the
 rear seat attaching structure 22 in a forward facing configuration. As in
 the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the female-like socket
 connector 66 receives the male-like pin connector 68 to complete the
 circuit and provide power to the vehicle seat 10 when the latching
 mechanism 62 pivots to the locking position. However, in the embodiment
 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the latching mechanism 62 pivots in a clockwise
 direction to release and is biased to pivot in a counter-clockwise
 direction to the locking position.
 Referring to FIG. 7, another possible embodiment is shown where an
 electrical female-like socket connector 74 is mounted in a vertically
 downward facing direction from the bottom of the riser 14 and an
 electrical male-like pin connector 76 is mounted in a vertically upward
 facing direction. When the vehicle seat 10 is mounted to the vehicle floor
 16, the female-like socket connector 74 and the male-like pin connector 76
 engage as the seat is forced downward until the striker pin 26 of the rear
 seat attaching structure 22 is received within the groove of the rear
 locking hook 30 of the riser 14.
 As with the previous embodiments, the male-like pin connector 76 is mounted
 flexibly to allow the female-like socket connector 74 to engage the
 male-like pin connector 76 even when the two connectors 74, 76 are not
 perfectly aligned. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that
 this embodiment could be utilized with either of the two previously
 mentioned latching mechanisms 18, 62.
 Referring to FIG. 8, an additional embodiment is disclosed wherein a seat
 mounted electrical connector 78 is mounted to the bottom of the riser 14.
 A vehicle mounted electrical connector 80 includes an actuating lever
 portion 82 and a connector portion 84. The actuating lever portion 82 and
 the connector portion 84 are arranged in a substantially "L" shaped
 configuration and mounted pivotally to the vehicle floor 16. The vehicle
 mounted connector 80 pivots about a pivot point 86 between a non-operative
 position and an operative position. The vehicle mounted connector 80 is
 spring biased such that when the riser 14 is not present, the connector
 portion 84 is lying along the vehicle floor 16 in a non-operative
 position, as shown in phantom, and the actuating lever portion 82 of the
 vehicle mounted electrical connector 80 is elevated as shown in FIG. 8 in
 phantom. The riser 14 includes a canning portion 88, whereby when the
 riser 14 is lowered into position, the camming portion 88 of the riser 14
 protrudes downward contacting the actuating lever portion 82 of the
 connector 80 and forces the actuating lever portion 82 downward against
 the spring bias. The downward motion of the actuating lever portion 82
 forces the vehicle mounted connector 80 to pivot counterclockwise, causing
 the connector portion 84 to elevate and make contact with the seat mounted
 electrical connector 78 as shown in solid lines in FIG. 8.
 Referring to FIG. 9, another alternate embodiment is shown wherein a
 vehicle mounted connector 90 includes a retractable switch that is
 protectively covered with an insulated surrounding bellows 92 made of
 plastic or some other suitable flexible material. The protective bellows
 92 prevents foreign objects from entering the retractable switch thereby
 preventing possible damage to the switch and/or connector 90. The
 retractable switch is spring biased upward to keep the switch open as
 shown in hidden lines. When the vehicle seat 10 is mounted a lower
 extension 94 of the riser 14 contacts the connector 90 and forces it
 downward until it closes the switch. The lower extension 94 of the riser
 14 includes a conducting plate electrical connector 96 so when the switch
 is closed, the circuit is connected and power is supplied to the
 electrical components 42 within the vehicle seat 10.
 The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be
 understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in
 the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many
 modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in
 light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that
 within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced
 otherwise than as specifically described.