US-12616304-B2 - Seat mounting clip system

US12616304B2US 12616304 B2US12616304 B2US 12616304B2US-12616304-B2

Abstract

A seat assembly including a frame and a seat mounted to the frame via one or more clips. In one example, the clips include a lock assembly configured to extend through an opening in a seat support. The lock assembly includes a T-lock with one or more tabs configured to lock the clip within the opening without the use of tools and/or other fasteners. In another example, the lock assembly is inserted into the opening and the clip is rotated 90 degrees from an unlocked to a locked position. In yet another example, the clip includes a retention assembly with a snap button configured to snap-fit within an aperture to prevent accidental rotation and/or removal of the clip from the opening.

Inventors

Kegan McKinney Crawford
Jonathan Austin DuBois
Robert A. Kester, JR.

Assignees

INDIANA MILLS & MANUFACTURING, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230825

Claims (15)

1 . A system, comprising: a seat component; wherein the seat component includes a seat support; wherein the seat support defines an opening; a clip manually coupled to the seat component without fasteners; wherein the clip has a bearing with one or more lugs extending from the bearing; wherein the bearing extends through the opening in the seat support; wherein the clip is configured to rotate from an unlocked position to a locked position; wherein the lugs are coupled to the seat support in the locked position; a frame including a crossbar; wherein the clip has a jaw; wherein the jaw is hook-shaped; wherein the jaw defines a jaw opening; wherein the jaw opening opens in a transverse direction relative to the bearing; wherein the crossbar is inserted through the jaw opening during assembly; wherein the jaw is resilient to bend as the crossbar is inserted through the jaw opening of the clip; wherein the jaw is clipped to the crossbar; wherein the crossbar is disposed between the jaw and the seat support when clipped; and wherein the crossbar rests against the seat support when clipped.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the opening is shaped to allow the lugs of the clip to be inserted into the opening at a single orientation.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the seat support defines one or more notches configured to receive the lugs of the clip.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the clip has a grab fin to facilitate rotation of the clip.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the clip includes a detent to inhibit rotational movement of the clip.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the seat support defines an aperture where the detent of the clip engages to inhibit the rotational movement of the clip.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the detent includes a tongue with a button engaging the aperture in the seat support.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein: the seat support defines an aperture; the clip has a tongue with a button; the tongue extends opposite to the jaw; and the button is received in the aperture to inhibit rotational movement of the clip.
9 . A system, comprising: a frame; a seat component including a seat support, wherein the seat support defines an opening; and a clip having a body, a jaw extending from the body, wherein the jaw is hook-shaped, wherein the jaw defines a jaw opening, wherein the jaw is clipped to the frame, wherein the jaw is resilient to bend as the frame is inserted through the jaw opening of the clip, a grab fin extending from the jaw, one or more lugs extending from the body, wherein the lugs are configured to lock to the seat component, wherein the clip is locked in the opening of the seat support via a rotational movement, wherein the jaw extends in a parallel manner relative to the seat support when the clip is coupled to the seat support, and wherein the grab fin extends from the jaw in a direction opposite to the jaw to brace the jaw.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the clip includes a detent to inhibit rotational movement of the clip.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the detent includes a tongue with a button.
12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the lugs are positioned to allow the clip to be installed in a single orientation.
13 . A method, comprising: inserting one or more lugs of a clip into an opening of a seat support structure, wherein the lugs extend from a bearing of the clip, wherein the bearing is positioned in the opening of the seat support structure during the inserting, wherein the clip has a jaw, wherein the jaw is hook-shaped, wherein the jaw defines a jaw opening, wherein the jaw opening opens in a transverse direction relative to the bearing; rotating the clip to lock the lugs to the seat support structure; clipping the seat support structure to a crossbar of a frame by inserting the crossbar through the jaw opening of the clip, wherein the jaw is resilient to bend during the clipping wherein the crossbar is disposed between the jaw and the seat support structure as a result of the clipping; and pivoting the seat support structure via the clip to rest the seat support structure on the crossbar of the frame.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said inserting includes orienting the lugs to an orientation corresponding to one or more notches around the opening of the seat support structure.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising: retaining the clip at a locked position by engaging a retention assembly of the clip with the seat support structure.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of International Patent Application Number PCT/US2022/071837, filed Apr. 21, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference. International Patent Application Number PCT/US2022/071837, filed Apr. 21, 2022, claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/201,264, filed Apr. 21, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND Most vehicles have seats where passengers typically sit as the vehicle moves. In addition to comfort, the seats are generally designed to help protect the safety of passengers. As compared to consumer passenger vehicles, commercial grade passenger vehicles, like buses and vans, require a larger number of seats to accommodate passengers. As a result of the large number of seats required, installing and/or retrofitting seats in commercial grade vehicles can be a time consuming and expensive process. Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field. SUMMARY Installing and/or retrofitting seats into commercial grade passenger vehicles, such as school buses, can be a laborious and time-consuming process. For example, it was discovered that securing a seat cushion base of the seat to a frame that is mounted to the floor of the vehicle can be difficult. In school buses for example, conventional P-clips or P-clamps are commonly used to secure the seat cushion base to the frame. Conventional P-clips are commonly in the form of a strap or band with a loop that is bent to give the P-clip an overall shape similar to the letter “P”. The ends of the strap forming the P-clip have fastener openings to which a screw or other fastener is secured. When securing seat cushion bases on school buses and other vehicles, the P-clip is wrapped around the frame such that the frame is received in the closed loop of the P-clip. Typically, two or more P-clips are required to secure an individual seat base to the frame. Seat cushion bases typically include seat cushion foam that is supported by a cushion support structure such as in the form of a plywood or fiberwood board. The cushion foam is usually covered by a cover made from fabric or water proof material such as vinyl. To secure the seat cushion base to the frame, the fastener openings of the multiple P-clips are aligned so as to receive wood screws which are then screwed into the plywood forming the support structure. As should be recognized, multiple assembly workers may be required to properly hold and align the seat base, P-clips, and frame during mounting to the frame. Safety issues can also arise if the seat base is not properly secured to the frame. If great care is not taken when installing the seat base, the screws and P-clips may not be properly secured. For instance, the screws or the wood forming the cushion support structure can be stripped or broken. Screws may be dropped or lost, and similarly, the screwdrivers used to drive the screws may be dropped or lost as well. Moreover, the locations where the P-clips are secured to the plywood board can be inconsistent between seats. A unique vehicle seat mounting system and assembly technique have been developed to address these as well as other issues. Through this vehicle seat mounting system, a single assembly worker may be able to mount the seat base to the frame without the need of tools, additional fasteners, and/or even outside assistance. The system includes clips that are able to be secured to the cushion support structure manually without the need of tools. In one form, the clips are inserted into openings in the support structure and secured to the seat cushion base by rotating the clip by a quarter turn. In one example, the cushion support structure is in the form of a plywood or fiberwood board, and the clips are made from plastic that is injection molded to form the overall shape of the clip. In one version, a computer numerical control (CNC) machine is used to cut openings in the plywood board forming the cushion support structure where the clips are secured, but these openings can be formed in other manners. By having the openings in the support structure, the location of the clips can be kept consistent. The openings are shaped such that the clips can only be installed in one orientation which helps to simplify assembly. The clips have lugs that are inserted into the openings, and once the clip is turned, the lugs lock the clip to the cushion support structure. The clip and opening form a stop structure that prevent over-rotation of the clip, and the clip includes a detent-type mechanism that engages the seat cushion support structure to prevent the clip from rotating back and releasing from the opening in the support structure. The detent mechanism in one example is in the form of a lock or snap button on a pre-loaded member that is biased to engage the lock button into an alignment aperture in the seat cushion support structure. In contrast to conventional P-clips where the strap forms a clos