Transit seat with contoured plastic shell

Claim 2

In a transit seat comprising a plastic shell having at least one contoured seat recess for receipt of a seat insert panel, saiD recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall defining a peripheral outline substantially corresponding to the peripheral outline of said seat recess; spacing means having a predetermined height and extending below the bottom of said insert panel, adjacent said peripheral side wall, and between said panel bottom and recess bottom portion for positioning portions of said insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess; said spacing means providing an air gap between the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess; at least one of said peripheral recess wall and panel peripheral side wall being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said recess at a predetermined angle; attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of fasteners spaced inwardly of said peripheral spacing means and extending between said insert panel and recess bottom portion; said attachment means providing an attachment of said insert panel to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess such that as said spacing means contacts said recess bottom portion said air gap, provided by said spacing means, and the said predetermined angle of said one tapered wall cooperate to accommodate any deviations or undulations in the insert panel or seat shell recess and yield a tight uniform fit of the periphery of said insert panel with the periphery of said recess and space the top of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel top is substantially flush with the top edge of said recess peripheral wall.

Claim 3

The transit seat according to claim 1 wherein said spacing means comprises a peripheral, depending bead formed on the underside of said insert panel from the same material as said insert panel.

Claim 4

A transit seat according to claim 2 including a plurality of nuts for cooperating with said threaded fasteners, one of each of said cooperating nuts and threaded fasteners being embedded in depending bosses on the underside of said insert panel inwardly of said bead, the height of said depending bosses being less than the height of said bead, and the other of each of said cooperating nuts and threaded fasteners engaging said one of each of said nut and threaded fasteners through apertures in the contoured seat recess portion of said transist seat so that the cooperating nuts and threaded fasteners can be selectively adjusted.

Claim 5

A transit seat according to claim 3 wherein said plastic shell has raised portions at least adjacent the rear sides of said seat recess which blend with and continue the contour of said recess above the top periphery of said recess.

Claim 6

A transit seat according to claim 1 wherein said peripheral spacing means comprises a strip of resilient material separate from said insert panel and recess between the underside of the periphery of said insert panel and the periphery of said recess.

Claim 7

In a transit seat comprising a plastic shell having at least one contoured seat recess for receipt of a seat insert panel, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall, a contour substantially corresponding to the contour of said seat recess, and a peripheral, integral, depending bead formed from the same material as said seat insert panel and extending below the bottom of said seat insert panel a predetermined distance, said depending bead being adjacent said seat insert panel peripheral wall and between said panel bottom and recess bottom portion for positioning portions of said seat insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess providing an air gap between the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess; said peripheral side wall oF said insert panel extending along the edges of both said panel and said depending bead and being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said recess at a predetermined angle; said peripheral wall of said recess also being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said recess at a predetermined angle; and attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of threaded fasteners spaced inwardly of said depending bead and extending between the bottom of said insert panel and said recess bottom portion whereby when said insert panel is attached to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess with said threaded fasteners such that depending bead contacts said recess bottom portion, said air gap is reduced, and said extending distance of said depending bead and said predetermined angles of said tapered insert side wall and said tapered, recess peripheral wall cooperate to both yield a tight uniform fit of the periphery of said insert panel with the periphery of said recess to substantially eliminate spaces therebetween and to space the top of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel top is substantially flush with the top of said recess peripheral wall.

Claim 8

In a transit seat comprising a plastic shell having at least one contoured seat recess for receipt of a seat insert panel, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall, a contour substantially corresponding to the contour of said seat recess, and a peripheral, integral, depending bead formed from the same material as said seat insert panel and extending below the bottom of said seat insert panel a predetermined distance, said depending bead being adjacent said seat insert panel peripheral wall and between said panel bottom and recess bottom portion for positioning portions of said seat insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess providing an air gap between the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess; said peripheral side wall oF said insert panel extending along the edges of both said panel and said depending bead and being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said recess at a predetermined angle; said peripheral wall of said recess also being tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said recess at a predetermined angle; and attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of threaded fasteners spaced inwardly of said depending bead and extending between the bottom of said insert panel and said recess bottom portion whereby when said insert panel is attached to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess with said threaded fasteners such that depending bead contacts said recess bottom portion, said air gap is reduced, and said extending distance of said depending bead and said predetermined angles of said tapered insert side wall and said tapered, recess peripheral wall cooperate to both yield a tight uniform fit of the periphery of said insert panel with the periphery of said recess to substantially eliminate spaces therebetween and to space the top of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel top is substantially flush with the top of said recess peripheral wall.

Claim 9

In a transit seat comprising a plastic shell having at least one contoured seat recess for receipt of a seat insert panel, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, said recess peripheral wall tapering inwardly and downwardly toward the center of said recess, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall and a contour substantially corresponding to the contour of said seat recess; a separate strip of resilient material having a predetermined thickness and positioned adjacent said insert panel side wall below the bottom of said insert panel and between the bottom of said panel and said recess bottom portion for positioning portions of said insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess providing an air gap between the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess inwardly of said separate strip; and attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of threaded fasteners spaced inwardly of said panel side wall and separate strip toward the center of said panel and extending between said insert panel and recessed bottom portion whereby when said insert panel is attached to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess with said threaded fasteners such that said seperate strip contacts said recessed bottom portion, said air gap is reduced and said predetermined thickness of said separate strip and said predetermined angle of said tapered recessed peripheral wall cooperate to both yield a tight uniform fit of the periphery of said insert panel with the periphery of said recess to substantially eliminate spaces therebetween and to space the top of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel top is substantially flush with the top of said recess peripheral wall.

Claim 10

In a transit seat comprising a plastic shell having at least one contoured seat recess for receipt of a seat insert panel, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, said recess peripheral wall tapering inwardly and downwardly toward the center of said recess, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall and a contour substantially corresponding to the contour of said seat recess; a separate strip of resilient material having a predetermined thickness and positioned adjacent said insert panel side wall below the bottom of said insert panel and between the bottom of said panel and said recess bottom portion for positioning portions of said insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess providing an air gap between the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess inwardly of said separate strip; and attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of threaded fasteners spaced inwardly of said panel side wall and separate strip toward the center of said panel and extending between said insert panel and recessed bottom portion whereby when said insert panel is attached to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess with said threaded fasteners such that said seperate strip contacts said recessed bottom portion, said air gap is reduced and said predetermined thickness of said separate strip and said predetermined angle of said tapered recessed peripheral wall cooperate to both yield a tight uniform fit of the periphery of said insert panel with the periphery of said recess to substantially eliminate spaces therebetween and to space the top of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel top is substantially flush with the top of said recess peripheral wall.

Claim 11

In a transit seat comprising a rigid plastic shell having at least one contoured seat surface with a recess provided for receipt of a seat insert panel having a contoured seat surface merging with said contoured seat surface of said shell, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a contoured bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall defining a peripheral outline substantially corresponding to the peripheral outline of said seat recess; peripheral spacing means having a predetermined height and extending below the bottom of said insert panel, adjacent said peripheral side wall, and between said panel bottom and recess bottom portion for positioning the remaining inwardly located major portions of the bottom of said insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess; said spacing means providing an air gap between the said major portions of the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess; attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of fasteners spaced inwardly of said peripheral spacing means and extending between said major portions of said insert panel and said recess bottom portion, said attachment means providing an attachment of said insert panel to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess such that as said spacing means contacts said recess bottom portion, the air gap provided by said spacing means functions to accommodate any deviations or undulations in the said major portions of the bottom of such insert panel or in the contoured bottom portion of said seat shell recess and to space the contoured seat surface of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel seat surface is substantially flush in the area where it merges with the contoured seat surface of said shell.

Claim 12

In a transit seat comprising a rigid plastic shell having at least one contoured seat surface with a recess provided for receipt of a seat insert panel having a contoured seat surface merging with said contoured seat surface of said shell, said recess having a peripheral wall of a predetermined height and a contoured bottom portion adjoining and adjacent at least said peripheral wall, the improvement comprising: a seat insert panel having a peripheral side wall defining a peripheral outline substantially corresponding to the peripheral outline of said seat recess; peripheral spacing means having a predetermined height and extending below the bottom of said insert panel, adjacent said peripheral side wall, and between said panel bottom and recess bottom portion for positioning the remaining inwardly located major portions of the bottom of said insert panel in spaced relationship to said seat recess; said spacing means providing an air gap between the said major portions of the bottom of said insert panel and said seat recess; attachment means for securing said insert panel in said recess including a plurality of fasteners spaced inwardly of said peripheral spacing means and extending between said major portions of said insert panel and said recess bottom portion, said attachment means providing an attachment of said insert panel to said shell within said recess by drawing said panel into said recess such that as said spacing means contacts said recess bottom portion, the air gap provided by said spacing means functions to accommodate any deviations or undulations in the said major portions of the bottom of such insert panel or in the contoured bottom portion of said seat shell recess and to space the contoured seat surface of said insert panel above said bottom portion of said recess such that said panel seat surface is substantially flush in the area where it merges with the contoured seat surface of said shell.