Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.

Desmond O'Regan

Robert C Fitzpatrick

Matthew K Benson

Markus Uhlig

Fabrice Aycoberry

Brian R Dexter

Matthew Benson

A deployable working surface is provided for use in a reconfigurable passenger cabin of a personal automotive vehicle. The vehicle includes a first seat that can rotate to an inwardly-rotated position. The working surface is provided by a panel that is mounted on a second seat for movement between a stowed position and a working position. This movement includes vertical movement and rotational movement about a vertical axis. When the panel is in the working position, the working surface extends in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the direction the first seat is facing when in the rotated position and is positioned higher that an occupant seating surface of the first seat and in front of a backrest of the first seat.

Vehicle with seat and deployable working surface

A vehicle seat with a seat bottom and backrest is configured for movement between a forward-facing position and an inwardly-rotated position in a reconfigurable vehicle passenger cabin. The movement includes rotation about a vertical axis located along an inboard side of the seat and a rear side of the seat bottom. The vertical axis can be located within an inboard quarter of the seat, rearward of an occupant seating surface of the seat bottom, forward or rearward of a rear side of a bottom end of the backrest, and various combinations of these locations. In addition to providing a seat occupant with additional freedom of movement within the passenger cabin, the inwardly-rotated position of the seat can also provide a safer condition for the seat occupant with respect to structural portions of the vehicle body.

Vehicle with inwardly rotating seat

A personal automotive vehicle includes a door with a door panel that partly defines a reconfigurable passenger cabin. The door panel presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin at an upper section of the door panel below the window. A seat is mounted in the passenger cabin and can be rotated inwardly to increase the available range of movement of the seat occupant. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is located to prevent scuff-related damage to the door panel when the seat occupant crosses his legs. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel can be selectively covered and uncovered by a moveable portion of the door panel, which may include an armrest.

Vehicle with abrasion-resistant door panel

A foot rest for use in a reconfigurable passenger cabin of a personal automotive vehicle is moveable between a first position and a second position. In the second position, a resting surface of the foot rest is inclined to face toward a seat when the seat is moved away from a forward-facing position to a rotated position. In the first position, the resting surface can be level with a floor of the passer cabin, facing toward a different seat, or facing toward the same seat as in the second position. The foot rest provides stability to a seat occupant when the seat is moved into unconventional positions, such as rotated or extreme rearward positions.

Growing community of inventors

Bad Homburg, Germany

Desmond O'Regan