Abstract
The present invention includes a rotating driver or passenger seat adjacent to a front dash of a car, truck, van or similar automotive vehicle having a first set/row of car seats facing forward in the position where a driver and passenger would typically sit and a second row of car seats (or a bench type) immediately behind the backs of the first row of car seats. The driver and/or passenger as seat of the first row of car seats can be adapted to rotate substantially 180 degrees and optionally be moved apart from the second row of car seats, thereby providing face-to-face interaction between the occupants of front row car seat and an occupant of the second row of car seats. Further, the face-to-face car seats are transformed into a horizontal bed surface adapted to provide a user with a flat surface upon which a user may lie on their back, side or stomach.
Claims
1. A method of installing a bed in an automotive vehicle, comprising providing an automotive vehicle having a floor and a plurality of seats fastened to the floor, wherein at least two seats each comprise a backrest, a sitting surface, and a support frame, wherein the sitting surface comprises a front edge and wherein the sitting surface tilts downward from the front edge to a rear portion of the sitting surface proximate the backrest, the front edge having a first elevation above the floor and the rear portion having a second elevation above the floor, wherein the first elevation is greater than the second elevation, and wherein the at least two seats are oriented such that a first seat is in front of a second seat, and further wherein the first seat is configured to alternate between a forward-facing orientation and a rearward-facing orientation; placing the first seat into the rearward-facing orientation, such that the first seat is facing the second seat, with an open space therebetween; placing, in the open space, a foundation block having a top surface, a bottom surface, two end walls and two side walls, wherein the bottom surface is supported by the floor between the two seats, the end walls and side walls rise to support the top surface at about the first elevation, the top surface having a width about that of the sitting surface of the seats, the top surface having a length from a top of one end wall to a top of another end wall which equals about a distance between opposing front edges of the sitting surfaces of the first and second seats, and wherein the entire foundation block is adapted to be collapsed in a stowage state and expanded in an installed state so that is capable of supporting on the top surface at about the first elevation a weight of a user.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: placing or deploying a sleeping pad comprising a top sleeping surface, the sleeping pad and sleeping surface having a length capable of extending from the backrest of the first seat to the backrest of the second seat.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sleeping pad comprises a substantially uniform thickness and is affixed to the top surface of the foundation block.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sleeping pad further comprises at least two filler pads fixed to the sleeping pad, each filler pad having a shape and size that is substantially complementary to the slope from the front edge of each sitting surface rear portion of each sitting surface, such that the filler pad supplies a support to the sleeping surface permitting the sleeping surface to be substantially horizontal throughout its area.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sleeping pad and filler pads are enclosed in a flexible fabric envelope and are rotatably connected by an integral fabric section.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein each filler pad has a width about equal to the sitting surface width and has a length about equal to a distance from the front edge to the rear portion.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the filler pads are adapted to be rotated upward and around their rotatable connection to the sleeping pad so that each filler pad lies on a top of the sleeping surface in the stowage state.
8. A device having the structural features recited in claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional forward-facing car seat.
[0037] FIG. 2 is a side and cutaway view of two forward-facing car seats fixed to a vehicle floor, defining a space between them and showing a steering wheel for a driver to interact with control of the vehicle.
[0038] FIG. 3 is a side and cutaway view of two conventional, forward-facing car seats fixed to an autonomous vehicle floor, defining a space between them and without a steering wheel for a driver to interact with control of the vehicle.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a side and cutaway view of two car seats fixed to an autonomous vehicle floor, similar to those of FIG. 3, but with a driver's seat rotated 180 degrees rearward and moved apart from a second row of car seats.
[0040] FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, top, side and bottom views of one embodiment of a foundation block with a top pad fixed to its top surface and two filler pads rotatably connected with the assembly of the foundation block and top pad.
[0041] FIG. 8 is the seats of FIG. 4 with a cross section view of the device of FIG. 5 showing a substantially planar bed surface capable of comfortably supporting a user in a lying down position.
[0042] FIG. 9 is a side cross section view of one embodiment of the foundation block having a flexible fabric exterior and a material filled interior.
[0043] FIG. 10 is a side view of an inflatable foundation block.
[0044] FIG. 11 is a side cross section view of the foundation block of FIG. 10.
[0045] FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are, respectively, top, side and end views of a preferred embodiment of the foundation block.
[0046] FIG. 15 is a partial view of section 61 of FIG. 13.
[0047] FIG. 16 is the view of FIG. 15 with the addition of a fabric covered top pad.
[0048] FIG. 17 shows the view of FIG. 8 with a reclining human shape on the bed surface.
[0049] FIG. 18 shows the view of FIG. 8 with two filler pads rotating about their connections to the top pad.
[0050] FIG. 19 shows the view of FIG. 8 with the two filler pads rotated so that their top surfaces lie upon a top of the top pad and the foundation block is deflated, providing a small volume storage size for the invention device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0051] The invention is now discussed with reference to the figures.
[0052] FIG. 1 shows a conventional, forward-facing car seat 100 comprising a bottom section 101 and having a top surface 102. A reclining or vertical back section 103 has a front surface 104, where section 101 and 103 connect by way of what is typically a pivoting connection 105. That form factor of a car seat has been known for decades, as well as the arrangement of car seats shown in FIG. 2, where seat 100 is fixed so that a person P1 may reach the steering wheel 113 with their arms and the floor controls with their legs L1. A first base 106 connects seat 100 to floor 107. Similarly, car seat 108 includes a bottom section 109 and having a top surface 110. A reclining or vertical back section 114 has a front surface 114, where section 109 and 113 connect by way of what is typically a pivoting connection.
[0053] FIG. 3 is a side and cutaway view of to two conventional, forward-facing car seats 100 and 108 fixed to an autonomous vehicle floor 107, defining a space between them and without a steering wheel for a driver to interact with control of the vehicle.
[0054] FIG. 4 is a side and cutaway view of to two car seats 100 and 108 fixed to an autonomous vehicle floor 107, similar to those of FIG. 3, but with a driver's seat 100 rotated 180 degrees rearward about path 117 and moved apart from a second row of car seats with car seat 108 by distance 119 by moving pivot pin 116 in track 115 to provide a total separation distance between seats 100 and 108 of distance 118 so the legs of persons P1 and P2 do not touch or interfere with each other. The arrangement 10 of seats 100 and 108 allows for face-to-face interaction between person P1 and person P2 while the autonomous vehicle drives itself.
[0055] FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, top, side and bottom views of one embodiment 21 of center section 22 comprising a foundation block 28 and a top pad 33 attached to cover a top surface 30 of the foundation block 28. Foundation block 28 includes a top surface 30, a bottom surface 31, end walls 32 and side walls 29. Filler pads 23 and 24 are connected by a rotatable connection 26 to a top edge zone of center section 22, where filler pads 23 and 24 are rotatable about an axis formed by connection 26. Connection 26 preferably includes a connection of fabric covering filler pads 23 and 24 to fabric covering top pad 33. Filler pads 23 and 24 each include a thickened back section 34 and a thinner front edge section 27. Filler pads 23 and 24 are about a width of seat cushions upon which they will be supported. Top pad 33 is about the width of the filler pads 23 and 24. Elevation 10a is a height from the bottom surface 31 of foundation block 28 to a substantially co-planar set of three top surfaces, i.e., a top surface of top pad 33 and top surfaces of filler pads 23 and 24. Elevation 10a is equal to or greater than the elevation of the top surfaces of the bottom sections of seats 100 and 108 from the top of floor 107.
[0056] FIG. 6 includes an optional inflatable pad 34a to be fixed to the underside of filler pad 23 so that if a top surface of seat 100 is lower than that of seat 108, or vice versa, it can be inflated so the tops of filler pads 23 and 24 are essentially at the same elevation and within the same plane as pad 33.
[0057] FIG. 8 shows the seats 100 and 108 of FIG. 4 with a cross section view of the embodiment 21 of FIG. 6 showing a substantially planar bed surface capable of comfortably supporting a user in a lying down position. Bottom surface 31 of foundation block 28 is supported on floor 15 between seats 100 and 108. End walls 32 preferably contact or about the front surfaces of the upper sections of seats 100 and 108, providing resistance to movement of the foundation block 28 in the direction of the seats 100 and 108. Filler pads 23 and 24 have undersides generally conforming to and supported by a top surface or surfaces of the bottom sections of seats 100 and 108. It is apparent from inspection of FIG. 8 that a bed surface comprising a substantially co-planar set of three top surfaces, i.e., a top surface of top pad 33 and top surfaces of filler pads 23 and 24, is fully supported from floor 15 and seat cushions 12. The foundation block 28 is adapted to support hundreds of pounds of weight of a human torso with relatively little depression on top surface 30 when a user reclines on the bed surface. Therefore, a user's head (supported on one filler pad) is maintained at about the same level as a user's torso and thighs (supported by the top pad 33 and foundation block 28) and legs and feet (supported by the other filler pad). Forming foundation block 28 as an inflatable air mattress with internal structure baffles provides sufficient structural strength to accomplish the objects of the invention.
[0058] FIG. 9 is a side cross section view of one embodiment of the foundation block 36 having a flexible fabric exterior with sides 37, 39 and 40 and a material 38 filled interior. Material 38 can be or include a memory elastomer foam block or similar structure to accomplish the objects of the invention.
[0059] FIG. 10 is a side view of an inflatable foundation block 41 with end walls 42, top surface 43, bottom surface 44, and side walls 45 with a removable cap 47 which allows for inflation and deflation of block 41. FIG. 11 shows baffles 46 extending to connect top surface 43 at connection 48, side walls 45 at connection 50 and bottom surface 44 at connection 49 to form an inflated structure capable of supporting hundreds of pounds of weight of a human user of the invention devices.
[0060] FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are, respectively, top, side and end views of a preferred embodiment of the foundation block 53. Block 53 is generally rectangular and is formed of four sheets of flexible polymer material adapted to be used in air mattresses, such as polyvinyl chloride, or the like, where each sheet is joined by thermal or radio wave welding to another sheet along an edge. Block 53 includes a top surface 54, end walls 55, bottom surface 62 and side walls 56, whose flexible sheets joined at their edges result in excess layers 59, 60, 64, and 63. More or less layers can be employed. Baffles 58 separate the internal space of block 53 into seven structural sections 57. More or less structural sections can be employed.
[0061] FIG. 15 is a partial view of section 61 of FIG. 13, where excess layer 59 is shown formed of joined sheets of top surface 54 and side wall 56 at sections 59a and 59b.
[0062] FIG. 17 shows the view of FIG. 8 with a reclining human shape on the bed surface, with a head and shoulders portion supported on filler pad 24, a torso and thighs section supported on top pad 33, and a legs and feet portion supported on filler pad 23. From this position, a user may lie comfortably on their side or stomach.
[0063] FIGS. 18 and 19 show collapsing and storage steps for the device of FIG. 17. FIG. 18 shows that pads 23 and 24 fold upward and over toward top pad 33 by connections 26. FIG. 19 shows foundation block 28 deflated into a compressed position and pads 23 and 24 folded on top of top pad 33 so that the entire device is stowable into small space.
[0064] The above design options will sometimes present the skilled designer with considerable and wide ranges from which to choose appropriate apparatus and method modifications for the above examples. However, the objects of the present invention will still be obtained by that skilled designer applying such design options in an appropriate manner.
