US5427426A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seat accessory
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1993-11-15
•
Granted: 1995-06-27
•
Expires: 2013-11-15
Abstract
Abstract A seat accessory is used to assist a user in entering and exiting a vehicle and includes a seat element mounted on a base element by a bearing, such as a lazy-susan bearing. The seat element includes a planar center section, a wall section and a leg support section. The seat is saddle shaped and tilts a user back toward a rear section of the wall which is sized and shaped to support that user in a comfortable traveling position. The accessory includes stops so the seat element will tend to remain in a transfer position or in a traveling position as desired without the user exerting force on the seat element. A second form of the seat accessory includes a front section that is nearly planar and has a back section that is higher than the back section of the first form of the seat accessory.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald T. Grappo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:02
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/02; B60N2/04; B60N2/14; B60N2205/00; B60N2205/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
301 words
A seat accessory for use in a vehicle to assist entry and exit of that vehicle, comprising: A) a base element having strap-receiving slots locate adjacent to two side edges of said base element, a front edge and a top surface; B) a bearing mounted on said base element to swivel with respect to said base element between a transfer position to initially receive a user and a traveling position oriented to face the user forward of vehicle motion; C) a seat element mounted on said bearing for movement therewith, said seat element including (1) a center section, (2) a wall extending around said center section for 180°, said wall having a top rim located above said center section, (3) an arcuate wall section connected to said wall, and (4) a front section which includes (a) two arcuate leg support sections which are curved in a plane different from the curvature of said arcuate wall section, and (b) an arcuate divider section connecting said arcuate leg support sections together and having a radius of curvature which extends in a direction different from the radii of curvature of said leg support sections; D) stop means for stopping said seat element in said transfer position and in said traveling position and including (1) a first depression in said top surface of said base element located adjacent to said front edge, (2) a second depression in said top surface of said base element located adjacent to one side edge of said two side edges, (3) a roller bearing attached to said seat element for movement therewith, (4) a spring cage biasing said roller element into rolling contact with said top surface of said base element, and (5) an arcuate track defined in said top surface of said base element and connecting said depressions together.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
301 words
A seat accessory for use in a vehicle to assist entry and exit of that vehicle, comprising: A) a base element having strap-receiving slots locate adjacent to two side edges of said base element, a front edge and a top surface; B) a bearing mounted on said base element to swivel with respect to said base element between a transfer position to initially receive a user and a traveling position oriented to face the user forward of vehicle motion; C) a seat element mounted on said bearing for movement therewith, said seat element including (1) a center section, (2) a wall extending around said center section for 180°, said wall having a top rim located above said center section, (3) an arcuate wall section connected to said wall, and (4) a front section which includes (a) two arcuate leg support sections which are curved in a plane different from the curvature of said arcuate wall section, and (b) an arcuate divider section connecting said arcuate leg support sections together and having a radius of curvature which extends in a direction different from the radii of curvature of said leg support sections; D) stop means for stopping said seat element in said transfer position and in said traveling position and including (1) a first depression in said top surface of said base element located adjacent to said front edge, (2) a second depression in said top surface of said base element located adjacent to one side edge of said two side edges, (3) a roller bearing attached to said seat element for movement therewith, (4) a spring cage biasing said roller element into rolling contact with said top surface of said base element, and (5) an arcuate track defined in said top surface of said base element and connecting said depressions together.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said center section is planar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 2 wherein said top rim curves outward from said wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 2 wherein said leg support sections are concave with respect to said top rim and said divider section is convex with respect to said top rim.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said transfer position and said traveling position are spaced apart from each other by 90°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said arcuate wall section has a circular radius of curvature.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said arcuate leg support sections are curved in at least two planes, including a first plane having an upright radius of curvature and a second plane having a radius of curvature extending at an angle with respect to said first plane's radius of curvature.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 7 wherein said leg support sections are hyperbolic-parabaloids.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said bearing is a lazy-susan bearing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said leg support sections are sloped back toward said center section to tilt a user toward said center section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1 wherein seat said element is saddle-shaped.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 1, wherein said front edge is sinuous.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 12 wherein said wall includes a rear portion that tilts at an angle to said base element at between 105° and 107°.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seat accessory defined in claim 13 wherein said center section tilts with respect to said base at an angle of 7°.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-06-26 | 1998-12-26 | 1999-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-06-26 | 2002-12-26 | 2003-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-06-26 | 2006-12-26 | 2007-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |