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EP-3918953-B1 - SEAT USAGE PREVENTION DEVICE

EP3918953B1EP 3918953 B1EP3918953 B1EP 3918953B1EP-3918953-B1

Inventors

  • McKEE, Jefferey M
  • Finlay, Travis
  • JOHNSON, GLENN A.
  • VANINETTI, TRAVIS J.
  • HANSSON, CHARLES MARTIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210514

Claims (4)

  1. A seat usage prevention device, comprising: a first seat (100) with a seatback (145), a sash (220) couplable to at least one of the seatback (145) of the first seat (100); at least one device component (120, 305, 405, 505, 605, 705, 805) being couplable to the sash, the at least one device component configured to prevent usage of at least one of a seat pan (140) or the seatback (145) of the first seat, the at least one device component configured to separate a second seat (102) from at least a third seat (104), when the at least third seat being proximate to at least one of the first or the second seat and when the first seat is located between the second seat and the third seat, wherein the sash is couplable to a top and a bottom of the seatback and wherein the at least one device component is slidably attached to the sash.
  2. The seat usage prevention device of claim 1, the at least one device component including a cushion (120) and a surrounding enclosure (135), the surrounding enclosure configured to couple to a seat belt via at least one coupling point.
  3. The seat usage prevention device of any preceding claim, the first seat including a headrest (147).
  4. The seat usage prevention device of claim 3, the at least one device component including a cushion and a surrounding enclosure, the surrounding enclosure configured to couple to the headrest via at least one coupling point.

Description

PRIORITY BACKGROUND Social distancing is a method to prevent or reduce transmission of disease by creating space between people who have the disease from people that do not, whether the people with disease realize that they have the disease or not. Social distancing within a vehicle is difficult, as there is a limited area or volume within the vehicle by which to create space between each passenger. Both passengers and commercial transportation companies desire some form of physical barrier that creates separation between individual travelers during epidemics, particularly epidemics of airborne diseases. Reduced seating arrangements within a vehicle is one method to increase social distancing within a vehicle. For example, removal of seats within a vehicle may create extra space between passengers, however, removal of seats is labor intensive, and storage of removed seats may be cost prohibitive. In another example, posting of signs or warnings on seats that the seats are not to be used may increase social distancing, however, passengers may still decide to sit upon the seat regardless of the sign or warning. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system or method that avoids the shortcomings of conventional approaches. Ways of preventing seat usage are disclosed in US 10 086 724 B2. SUMMARY A seat usage prevention device is provided as defined by claim 1. Features of embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. This Summary is provided solely as an introduction to subject matter that is fully described in the Detailed Description and Drawings. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description are example and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the subject matter claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments or examples ("examples") of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In general, operations of disclosed processes may be performed in an arbitrary order, unless otherwise provided in the claims. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with the invention;FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 7B is a diagram of a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure;FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure; andFIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating three passenger seats with a seat usage prevention device, in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments, numerous specific details may be set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are use