Patent Publication Number: US-11034414-B1

Title: Convertible leaning post seating system for marine vessels

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/786,702, filed Oct. 18, 2017, which &#39;702 application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/086,677, filed Mar. 31, 2016, which are both incorporated herein by reference in entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to marine vessels and watercraft, and more particularly, pertains to a convertible seating system for marine vessels and watercraft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,073,608, which is herein incorporated by reference in entirety, discloses a seating system for watercraft having a base supporting a seating surface and a backrest pivotably attached to the base. The backrest pivots about the seating surface to provide a plurality of selectable seating positions. The backrest is pivotably attached to the base by an arm attached to the side of the backrest. The arm engages a guide member attached to the base, the guide member having one or more positional slots corresponding to the plurality of selectable seating positions. The backrest can be positioned upright, at an angle, or flat with respect to the seating surface to provide a plurality of seating configurations including simultaneous forward and aft seats, an aft-facing lounge seat and a sunpad. The seating surface comprises hingeable seat cushions permitted access to storage compartments inside the base. The seating system can be installed adjacent to a bulkhead on a watercraft to provide an aft-facing lounge seat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,021,975, which is herein incorporated by reference in entirety, discloses a seating system for marine vessels and watercraft including a chair having a backrest, a seat bottom and a lounge extension element wherein a first end of the extension element is hingeably attached to and extends from the seat bottom and wherein a second end of the extension element is configured to be hingeably attached to a first rigid structure such as a bulkhead on a watercraft. The seating system is convertible between a forward-facing seat configuration and an aft-facing lounger configuration. In the aft-facing lounger configuration, the extension element and the seat bottom are substantially parallel to one another. In the forward-facing seat configuration, the extension element is substantially upright and at an acute angle with respect to the seat bottom. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described herein below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     According to one example of the present disclosure, a seating system for a marine vessel includes a frame and a seat mounted on the frame and defining a first support surface. A backrest is configured for movement relative to the seat and the frame between a first position and a second position. In the second position, the backrest defines a second support surface lying generally parallel and vertically displaced relative to the first support surface. 
     According to another example of the present disclosure, a seating system for a marine vessel includes a frame and a seat fixed on the frame and having a front surface, a rear surface and an upper surface defining a primary seating surface. A backrest is adjustably connected to the frame for movement rearwardly of the seat between at least one raised position oriented angularly relative to the seat, and a lowered horizontal position extending behind and beneath the seat to provide a plurality of selectable seating positions. The lowered horizontal position of the backrest defines a supplementary seating surface, and the rear surface of the seat defines a supplementary backrest. 
     According to a further example of the present disclosure, a seating system for a marine vessel includes a frame having opposed side members, and a seat fixed on the frame and having a front surface, a rear surface and an upper surface defining a primary seating surface. A backrest is pivotally attached within the frame by a pair of pivot arms configured for movement into and out of the rear surface of the seat. The backrest is pivotable between at least one raised position extending above the seat, and a lowered position behind and beneath the seat to provide a plurality of selectable seating positions. In the lowered position, the backrest defines a supplementary seating surface which is generally parallel to the primary seating surface, and the rear surface of the seat defines a supplementary backrest. The backrest is configured to convert the seating system between a forward-facing seat and an aft-facing seat. A positioning plate is secured to an inside surface of each of the opposed side members of the frame, and is configured with a curved portion provided with at least one positional aperture. Each of the pivot arms is provided with a spring-biased retaining pin arrangement which is engagable with the at least one positional aperture in the positioning plate in the at least one raised position of the backrest, and is disengagable from and movable out of the at least one positional aperture and away from the positioning plate in the lowered position. A release handle is mounted for sliding vertical movement in an upper medial portion of the backrest, and is operatively connected by cables to the spring-biased retaining arrangement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boat provided with a convertible seating system in accordance with the present disclosure and showing a first seating configuration. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the convertible seating system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the convertible seating system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the convertible seating system shown in  FIG. 2  with parts of a backrest removed to illustrate an actuator used in adjusting the position of the backrest. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged detail view of a release handle of the actuator of  FIG. 4  shown in a locked position. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged detail view similar to  FIG. 5  illustrating actuation of the release handle from the locked position. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged fragmentary view of various details of the convertible seating system of  FIG. 1  taken from beneath the seat. 
         FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the convertible seating system showing the backrest moved rearwardly of the seat to a lowered horizontal position and illustrating a second seating configuration. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the backrest in the lowered horizontal position as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of various elements of the convertible seating system shown in the second seating configuration of  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a partial rear perspective view of the convertible seating system illustrating a deployable work table extended from the backrest. 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the deployable work taken on line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a boat  10  equipped with a seating system  12  defining a convertible leaning post seating arrangement in accordance with an exemplary preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. The seating system  12  is designed to be installed on a deck  14  of the boat  10 , and is configured to provide sitting and leaning surfaces as well as a number of other useful functions as will be described below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , seating system  12  is generally comprised of a frame  16 , a seat  18  formed by one or more cushions and an adjustable backrest  20 . 
     The frame  16  is constructed of rigid structural elements for supporting the seat  18  and the backrest  20 , and includes a front end with a pair of front legs  22 , and a rear end with a pair of rear legs  24  provided with support brackets  26 . A pair of upper side rails  28  includes side braces  30  and a pair of lower side rails  32  extend between the front legs  22  and the rear legs  24 . A pair of cross members  34  interconnect the front legs  22 , and a set of feet  36  is provided at the bottom ends of the front legs  22  and the rear legs  24  for fixing the frame  16  to a support surface, such as formed by the deck  14  of the boat  10 . As seen in  FIG. 10 , the top of the frame  16  includes a pair of tubes  38  which form a mounting surface for a portion of the seat  18 . As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the frame  16  is configured to define a storage space  40  which is accessible rearwardly from between the rear legs  24  for receiving a removable storage unit such as a cooler or live well. The present disclosure also contemplates molding in the storage unit within the storage space  40  formed by the frame  16 . The storage space  40  may be also be used to store other accessories therein. 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the seat  18  includes a first cushion in the form of a seat base  42 , an optional second cushion in the form of a first bolster  44  and an optional third cushion in the form of a second bolster  46 . The first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  define a bolster arrangement used to provide sitting and leaning capability during use of the seating system  12  as will be better understood hereafter. The seat base  42  has an upper surface  48 , a front surface  50 , a rear surface  52 , a pair of opposed side surfaces  54 ,  56 , and a lower surface  58  ( FIG. 7 ) which is fixed to the frame  16 . The rear surface  52  of the seat base  42  is provided with a pair of spaced apart recesses  60  for enabling movement of a pair of pivot arms connected to the back rest  20  into and out of the seat  18  as will be more fully explained below. The first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  each have a front surface  62 , a back surface  64 , a top surface  66 , a pair of side surfaces  68 ,  70  and a bottom surface  72 . In addition, the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  each include an arm  73  (one being seen in  FIG. 9 ) which is pivotally mounted to the seat base  42 . 
     The first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  are configured in a seating mode to extend forwardly from the front surface  50  of the seat base  42  such that the top surfaces  66  of the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  are generally coplanar with the upper surface  48  of the seat base  42  as shown in  FIG. 9 . Together, the upper surface  48  of the seat base  42  and the top surfaces  66  of the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  define a first support surface in the form of a primary seating surface. In the seating mode, the cross members  34  may be used as foot rests for the occupants of the seating system  12 . Alternatively, the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46  are configured to flip up 90 degrees as depicted by the arrow in  FIG. 3  such that a boat operator may lean against the bottom surface  72  of at least the second bolster  46  to operate the boat in a standing leaning post mode rather than the seating mode. It should be understood that the bolster arrangement is an optional feature, and that the seat  18  can be formed by the seat base  42  alone without the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46 . In the example shown, the seat  18  is normally configured as a bench for the seat occupants such that each occupant may configure the seat  18  in either the seating or the leaning post mode as desired. The particular size and shape configuration of the seat  18  is not limited, however, to those embodiments shown therein. 
     The backrest  20  includes a back-engaging cushion  74  which is secured to a rear cover  76  optionally provided with a deployable work table  78 . Referring to  FIGS. 2, 11 and 12 , the work table  78  is normally held in a raised storage position within a recess  80  formed in the rear cover  76  by a pair of retaining devices, such as a pair of overcenter locking mechanisms  82 . The work table  78  is pivotally connected by a hinge  84  extending across a lower end of the rear cover  76 . Releasing the overcenter locking mechanisms  82  enables the work table  78  to pivot downwardly about the hinge  84  to a lowered working position which is generally parallel to the deck  14  of the boat  10 . In the lowered working position, it can be seen that the work table  78  is formed with circular recessed areas  86 , such as for holding cups, and raised surfaces  88 , such as for retaining various items. The work table  78  is provided with a handle  90  for facilitating movement between the raised and lowered positions. 
     The backrest  20  is adjustably connected by a pivot arrangement including a pair of pivot arms  92  to the frame  16 , and is configured for pivot movement rearwardly of the frame  16  and the seat  18  between at least one raised position ( FIGS. 2-4 ) above the seat  18 , and a lowered horizontal position ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) beneath the seat  18  to provide a number of selectable backrest and seating positions. As the backrest  20  is moved between the at least one raised position and the lowered horizontal position, the pivot arms  92  move into and out of the recesses  60  in seat base  42 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , each of the pivot arms  92  has a curved contour, and has one end  94  fixed to and within the rear cover  76 , and an opposite end  96  pivotally connected by a pivot connection  98  relative to one of the side braces  30 . Portions of the pivot arms  92  extending into the rear cover  76  are interconnected by transverse crossbeams  100 ,  102 , and a vertical brace  104  is joined between the transverse crossbeams  100 ,  102 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 4, 7 and 8 , in order to establish and control selective positioning of the backrest  20 , the pivot arrangement also includes a pair of tubular retainers  106  which are attached to outside surfaces of the pivot arms  92  for holding retaining elements such as spring-biased retaining pins  108 . Together, the tubular retainers  106  and the retaining pins  108  define a retaining arrangement. The retaining pins  108  are connected to cables  110  which are routed through the pivot arms  92  and the rear cover  76 , and secured to a release handle  112  defining an actuator. The retaining pins  108  are designed for selective engagement with one of a number of positional apertures  114  formed in curved portions  116  of positioning plates  118  (one being seen in  FIG. 4 ) fixed to the frame  16  to normally retain the pivot arms  92  and the backrest  20  in the at least one raised position ( FIGS. 2-4 ). In addition, the retaining pins  108  are designed for selective disengagement with and movement away from the positional apertures  114  on the positioning plates  118  to enable pivoting of the backrest  20  to the lowered horizontal position ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). Smooth controlled pivoting motion of the backrest  20  and the pivot arms  92  to their desired selectable position is provided by a motion assistance arrangement, such as formed by a pair of extendable and retractable gas struts  120 . 
     As can be further understood from  FIG. 10 , each positioning plate  118  is secured on an inside surface of one of the side braces  30 , and receives a tubular element  122  projecting therefrom to which the opposite end  96  of each pivot arm  92  is pivotally connected using connector elements  124 ,  126 . In the exemplary embodiment, the curved portion  116  of each positioning plate  118  is formed with three positional apertures  114  which provides for three different raised positions of the backrest  20  that are oriented at different angles relative to the seat  18 . More or less positional apertures  114  may be provided on the positioning plates  118  to provide the raised positioning of the backrest  20  as desired. Each retaining pin  108  projects through a guide bracket  128  provided on a respective pivot arm  92  before engagement and disengagement with one of the positional apertures  114 . Each gas strut  120  has a base end  130  which is pivotally connected to a tubular element  132  projecting from each positioning plate  118 , and a rod end  134  which is pivotally attached to an extension  136  on each pivot arm  92 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the release handle  112  is slidably mounted for vertical movement between a locked position and an unlocked position in an upper medial portion  138  of the rear cover  76 . A spring-biased trigger device  140  is pivotally mounted to the upper medial portion  138  and is configured for selective engagement with and disengagement from a notch  142  formed in the release handle  112  to enable locking and unlocking thereof. In the position shown in  FIG. 5 , the backrest  20  is normally held in the at least one raised position ( FIGS. 2-4 ) by the spring-biased engagement of the retaining pins  108  in the selected positional apertures  114 . Movement of the release handle  112  is prevented by the positioning of the trigger device  140  in the notch  142 . 
     To adjust the position of the backrest  20 , the release handle  112  is accessed rearwardly of the seat  18  such that a user manually grasps the release handle  112  and disengages the trigger device  140  from the notch  142  as depicted by the arrow in  FIG. 6 . The user then pulls the release handle  112  upwardly along with the cables  110  which retracts the retaining pins  108  from the selected positional apertures  114 . While continuing to pull upwardly on release handle  112 , the user then pivots the backrest  20  to align the retaining pins  108  with different positional apertures  114  if it is desired to establish a different raised angular position of the backrest  20 . At this point, the release handle  112  is released causing the retaining pins  108  to extend into the desired positional apertures  114  to retain the backrest  20  in the desired raised position. Upon release, the release handle  112  is pulled downwardly by the spring force on the cables  110 , and the trigger device  140  is reset to the position of  FIG. 5 . Alternatively, with the release handle  112  pulled upwardly to retract the retaining pins  108 , the backrest  20  can be pivoted to the lowermost horizontal position ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) beneath and behind the seat  18  after which the release handle  112  can be released to the position of  FIG. 5 . It should be appreciated that the present disclosure contemplates the use of alternative actuators and engagement devices other than the release handle  112  and the trigger device  140  such as an electronic or solenoid arrangement, and/or various detent mechanisms for releasing and retaining backrest  20  in a desired position. 
     In certain embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 2-4 , the backrest  20  is adjusted to provide the seating system  12  with a first seating configuration facing in a first direction such as a forward-facing seat in the boat  10 . In the first seating configuration, the backrest  20  is normally placed in the raised position to provide proper body support for seat occupants, such as during boat operation. If desired, the backrest  20  may be adjusted to alternative positions which can provide more comfortable lounging angular seat positions in the first seating configuration. 
     In accordance with the present disclosure, the backrest  20  can be adjusted to the lowered horizontal position as depicted in  FIGS. 8 and 9  wherein the seating system  12  is conveniently converted to a second seating configuration facing in a second direction opposite the first direction, such as an aft-facing seat for an occupant in the boat  10 . In the second seating configuration, the backrest  20  lies rearwardly of and below the seat  18  with the pivot arms  92  resting on the support brackets  26  provided on the rear legs  24  of the frame  16 . Smooth controlled movement of the backrest  20  to the lowered horizontal position is adjusted by the motion assistance arrangement, such as provided in the exemplary embodiment by the gas struts  120  positioned on each of the pivot arms  92 . The gas struts  120  are particularly useful in preventing free fall of the backrest  20  to the lowered horizontal position if the release handle  112  slips from a user&#39;s grasp. Other suitable motion assistance arrangements such as gas tension springs, or electric, hydraulic or tension devices are further contemplated by the present disclosure. 
     In the second seating configuration, the back-engaging cushion  74  of the backrest  20  defines a second support surface in the form of a supplementary seating surface which lies generally parallel to and vertically displaced beneath the first support surface defined by the primary seating surface formed by the seat base  42  and the first bolster  44  and the second bolster  46 . In addition, the rear surface  52  of the seat  18  defines a supplementary backrest. It should be understood that the present disclosure also contemplates that the second support surface provided by the backrest  20  in the lowered horizontal position could also form a work support surface. Thus, it should be understood that the seating system  12  provides the user with a variety of flexible seating options and useful features. 
     In the present disclosure, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different systems and methods described herein may be used alone or in combination with other systems and devices. Various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.