Laterally Extensible Patents (Class 297/107)
  • Patent number: 10172469
    Abstract: An extendible sofa has a base assembly, a slide out assembly and a seat assembly. The base assembly has a base assembly frame that forms a seat, and the base assembly frame has a guide. The slide-out assembly is slidably connected to the base assembly by way of the guide. The guide facilitates movement of the slide-out assembly between a compact position and an extended position in which the slide-out assembly extends out away from the base assembly to provide additional seating. The slide-out assembly has a seat guide. The seat assembly has a seat frame slidably connected to the seat guide, and the seat guide facilitates movement of the seat assembly between a stowed position in which the seat assembly is housed within the slide-out assembly and a seat position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: David E. Wallis
  • Patent number: 9888781
    Abstract: An extendible sofa has a base assembly, a slide out assembly and a seat assembly. The base assembly has a base assembly frame that forms a seat, and the base assembly frame has a guide. The slide-out assembly is slidably connected to the base assembly by way of the guide. The guide facilitates movement of the slide-out assembly between a compact position and an extended position in which the slide-out assembly extends out away from the base assembly to provide additional seating. The slide-out assembly has a seat guide. The seat assembly has a seat frame slidably connected to the seat guide, and the seat guide facilitates movement of the seat assembly between a stowed position in which the seat assembly is housed within the slide-out assembly and a seat position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: David E. Wallis
  • Patent number: 9370456
    Abstract: A chair assembly includes a chair portion and an armrest portion coupled to the chair portion movable between an upright position and an extended position. The armrest portion includes a body. A support is attached to the body disposed adjacent to the seat. In the upright position, the support is disposed generally perpendicular to the seat. In the extended position, the support is disposed generally parallel to the seat. A structure includes a rod being pivotably attached to the support. The structure also includes a brace pivotably attached to the rod and the chair portion movable between a storage position and a load bearing position. In the storage position, the rod is disposed generally parallel to the support with the armrest portion in the upright position. In the load bearing position, the rod is disposed generally perpendicular to the support with the armrest portion in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Robert J. Balderson
  • Patent number: 8894095
    Abstract: A leg restraint for side-seated vehicle occupants that includes a leg-restraining member for being mounted in proximity to a side-facing vehicle seat and selectively moveable between a deployed, laterally-extending leg-protecting position and a retracted, non-leg interfering position, and a sensor for detecting abrupt movement in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle incident to an abrupt deceleration of the vehicle and outputting a signal. A gas-inflatable bag is positioned operatively proximate the leg-restraining member and is responsive to the signal output by the sensor for inflating and deploying the leg-restraining member upon the occurrence of the abrupt deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Pete C. Meister, Michael J. Farvet
  • Patent number: 8764062
    Abstract: An external airbag cushion including: an outer cover that inflates to cover the front of a bumper of a vehicle; a plurality of separation walls that are disposed inside outer cover to divide the inside into a plurality of chambers in the transverse direction of the vehicle; and low-pressure variable vents and high-pressure variable vents that are disposed for the chambers, respectively, and selectively open, depending on the internal pressure of the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Tae Wook Chung, Yong Sun Kim, Seoung Hoon Lee, Jin Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 8449028
    Abstract: A vehicle seat can be configured to include a variety of types of cushions. The seat may include primary and secondary cushions that are joined together such that the secondary cushion has a stored position under the seating surface of the primary seat cushion and a deployed position where the secondary seat cushion is positioned adjacent the primary seat cushion. The effective width of the seat may be greater when it is in one position than when it is in the other position. The back cushion may include first and second portions and a third portion intermediate the first and second positions. A vehicle may include left, right, and middle seats, the middle seat being configured to have two positions, the effective width of the middle seat in one position being greater than in the other position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kyogoku, Daiju Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8444218
    Abstract: A vehicle seat can be configured to include a variety of types of cushions. The seat may include primary and secondary cushions that are joined together such that the secondary cushion has a stored position under the seating surface of the primary seat cushion and a deployed position where the secondary seat cushion is positioned adjacent the primary seat cushion. The effective width of the seat may be greater when it is in one position than when it is in the other position. The back cushion may include first and second portions and a third portion intermediate the first and second positions. A vehicle may include left, right, and middle seats, the middle seat being configured to have two positions, the effective width of the middle seat in one position being greater than in the other position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kyogoku, Daiju Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8308238
    Abstract: In a seatbelt device for a sub seat, a retractor to wind up a webbing is attached to a sub-seat back support member. A buckle to detachably hold a tongue provided at the webbing is provided on a side of the sub-seat cushion which is opposite to a disposition side of the main seat in a vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the seat device for a vehicle which can ensure the sufficient sitting rigidity of the sub seat and the proper support rigidity of the retractor can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Naohiro Imaoka
  • Publication number: 20120146366
    Abstract: A vehicle seat can be configured to include a variety of types of cushions. The seat may include primary and secondary cushions that are joined together such that the secondary cushion has a stored position under the seating surface of the primary seat cushion and a deployed position where the secondary seat cushion is positioned adjacent the primary seat cushion. The effective width of the seat may be greater when it is in one position than when it is in the other position. The back cushion may include first and second portions and a third portion intermediate the first and second positions. A vehicle may include left, right, and middle seats, the middle seat being configured to have two positions, the effective width of the middle seat in one position being greater than in the other position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kyogoku, Daiju Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8152233
    Abstract: A transfer bench and methods for using same to facilitate movement of a person into and out of an enclosure are disclosed. The transfer bench comprises a first seating section that at least partially lies in a horizontal plane. A second seating section rotatably coupled to the first seating section is configured to rotate between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position. Each seating section can be supported by one or more legs. The transfer bench can be positioned in the enclosure. A user sits on the second seating section, moves to the first seating section, and can rotate the second seating section to a vertical position such that the transfer bench is disposed within the enclosure. The enclosure may be a wet/dry environment and can be enclosed by means such as a shower curtain, door, or other enclosure means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Brian J. Wechter
  • Patent number: 7578551
    Abstract: An aircraft seat assembly comprises a continuous row of a plurality of seats including a convertible aisle seat at one end of the row and one or more other seats. The seats are moveable between (i) a first configuration in which all of the seats are positioned in a useable position and a second configuration in which (a) the convertible seat is positioned in an unusable position in the row, (b) said one or more other seats are positioned in a useable position, and (c) the row of seats has a length, along the row, that is less than the length of the row in the first configuration for example by a distance of more than half the width of the convertible seat in the first configuration. The width of said one or more other seats may remain unchanged as between the first and second configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Airbus UK Limited
    Inventor: Luis Gonzalez LiƱero
  • Patent number: 5231710
    Abstract: A convertible sofa-bed which includes a bed support frame which is shiftable with respect to the sofa frame to convert the sofa-bed between sofa and bed positions. The bed support frame is attached to one of the arm supports and is extended into a bed position by pulling on the sofa arm. The sofa-bed may also include a unique two-piece bed support frame connected by an over-center pivot linkage which locks the bed support frame into the bed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Coachmen Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David Markel, David G. Sheely
  • Patent number: 5147713
    Abstract: A single ply convertible top fabric comprising a sateen woven fabric using a blend of solution dyed polyester and cotton yarn coated with a PVC vinyl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Milliken Research Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Dalbec, Marshall S. Hobson
  • Patent number: 4134613
    Abstract: A furniture structure which converts into a bed comprised of a pair of rectangular frame members, one slidably supported on top of the other, so that the top frame member can be moved relative to the bottom frame member from a position whereby the frame members are coincident to an expanded position whereby the top frame member has one end thereof supported on an end of the bottom frame member. A rectangular cushion is attached to the top frame member and a second rectangular cushion is removably positioned on top of the first cushion. The second cushion is of a thickness equal to the thickness of the first cushion plus the thickness of the top frame member whereby when the frame members are moved to the expanded position and the second cushion is disposed on the bottom frame member, the top surfaces of the cushions are positioned at equal heights above the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1979
    Inventor: Clifford K. Logan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3972079
    Abstract: A seating unit which is convertible to a bed and comprises an outer seating section which is supported on a floor surface and which forms a slideable unit, and an inner section positioned within the outer seating section and supported on the same floor surface independently of the outer seating section. The inner section remains stationary as the outer section is slid longitudinally of the inner section so that the outer seating section forms a continuation of the stationary inner section to convert the unit to a bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1976
    Assignee: Mak-Kraft Creations, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Shellow, Urban A. Weidner