Patents by Inventor Marcel C. Ban

Marcel C. Ban has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6123380
    Abstract: A foldable seat assembly for an automotive vehicle including a base mounted by rollers in a track in a floor structure of a vehicle passenger compartment including support legs at the forward end of the vehicle seat assembly, the upper end of the forward legs being mounted pivotally to a lower frame of the vehicle seat portion and the lower end of the forward leg being assembled in a track in a foot well of the floor structure. Rear legs supporting the lower seat portion are joined to a roller assembly in a track located in the passenger compartment at a level above the level of the foot well. A driver-operated linkage mechanism at the rearward end of the lower seat portion unlocks the seat back portion, allowing it to fold over the lower seat portion. The driver-operated linkage mechanism at the forward end of the lower seat portion allows the seat assembly to move forward pivoting at the lower end of the front leg and downwardly for storage in the foot well as the forward legs pivot at their lower ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Sturt, Marcel C. Ban, William F. Best, Jr., Iris Drew
  • Patent number: 6099072
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle including a seat back portion pivotally mounted on a lower seat portion. The lower seat portion has a frame that forms the base of a parallelogram linkage riser for the lower seat portion. A seat back panel for the seal back portion is supported by a parallelogram linkage secured to a seat back frame. The riser and the seat back portion linkages are lowered as the seat back portion is folded forward. A mounting bracket is secured to a seat track that forms a part of the floor pan of the passenger compartment including rollers for permitting adjustment of the seat assembly along the seat track. Adjustable legs at the forward margin of the lower seat portion permit the seat assembly to be lowered and stored in a foot well area of the floor pan structure as the legs are moved to a collapsed position and as the seat assembly moves forward in the seat track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Sturt, Marcel C. Ban, Iris Drew
  • Patent number: 5947542
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a one-piece base adapted for mounting in a vehicle floor recess. First and second riser legs are pivotally attached to the base and include attachment features. Each riser leg is pivotable between upright and collapsed positions. A seat frame is removably connected to the attachment features. The riser legs are pivotally collapsible against the base to increase vehicle storage capacity when the seat frame is removed from the riser legs. The direct attachment of the riser legs to the one-piece base provides accurate location of the attachment features for attachment of the seat frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Donald A. Lux, Andrew J. Massara, Marcel C. Ban, Alan Sturt
  • Patent number: 5879053
    Abstract: A collapsible vehicle seat assembly includes a lower seat with a seat back pivotally connected to the lower seat. The seat back is pivotable between upright and collapsed positions. An inflatable air cell is positioned against the seat back and configured to cover the seat back when inflated to act as a one-piece seat back cushion. A plurality of flexible plastic fingers extend about the periphery of the air cell for preventing the air cell from extending peripherally beyond the seat back when deflated to prevent pinching of the air cell when the seat back is collapsed against the lower seat. The seat back is configured to collapse closely against the lower seat when the seat back air cell is deflated to partially compress the lower seat cushion such that the overall thickness of the collapsed seat assembly consists of a thickness less than the thickness of the lower seat alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Donald A. Lux, Andrew J. Massara, Marcel C. Ban, Alan Sturt