# US 2014/0152040 A1 · Seating arrangement for a passenger vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152040 A1 - Document ID: US20140152040A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/076,928 - Filed: 2013-11-11 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: David Woodhouse; Torsten Gerhardt; Robert Spahl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152040A1 ## CPC - B60N 2/01: Arrangement of seats relative to one another - B60N 2/919: {Positioning and locking mechanisms (B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence)} - B60R 7/04: in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)} - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A vehicle seating assembly includes a front seat and a rear seat, each having a backrest and a squab. The front and rear seats are arranged in a staggered duplex overlapping relationship. A portion of a front edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of a rear edge of the front seat squab. An inboard edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of an inboard edge of the front seat squab. A longitudinal distance measured from a front edge of the front seat squab to a rear edge of the rear seat squab is less than the sum of the longitudinal lengths of the front and rear seat squabs. A transverse distance measured from an outboard edge of the front seat squab to an outboard edge of the rear seat squab is less than the sum of the widths of the front and rear seat squabs. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle seating assembly comprising: a front seat having a backrest and a squab; a rear seat having a backrest and a squab; the front seat and rear seat being arranged in a staggered duplex overlapping relationship wherein a portion of a front edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of a rear edge of the front seat squab; an inboard edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of an inboard edge of the front seat squab; wherein a longitudinal distance measured from a front edge of the front seat squab to a rear edge of the rear seat squab is less than the sum of the longitudinal lengths of the front and rear seat squabs; and wherein a transverse distance measured from an outboard edge of the front seat squab to an outboard edge of the rear seat squab is less than the sum of the widths of the front and rear seat squabs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a front inboard corner of the rear seat squab is relieved so as to allow a front edge of the rear seat squab to extend past a rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the front inboard corner of the rear seat squab has a cut-out so as to provide the relief to allow the front edge of the rear seat squab to extend past the rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein the front inboard corner of the rear seat has a tapered form so as to reduce the width of the front edge of the rear seat squab and provide the relief to allow the front edge of the rear seat squab to extend past the rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein the front inboard corner of the rear seat has a convex curved form so as to reduce the width of the front edge of the rear seat squab and provide the relief to allow the front edge of the rear seat squab to extend past the rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein front corners of the rear seat squab are relieved. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein at least a rear inboard corner of the front seat squab is relieved so as to allow the front part of the rear seat squab to extend past a rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6, wherein rear corners of the front seat squab are relieved. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein at least the front seat has a backrest that is cutaway at a lower inboard corner to provide space for a leg of a passenger seated on the rear seat. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a front seat having a squab that has convex curved inboard and outboard edges and a backrest that is cutaway at a lower inboard corner to provide space for a leg of a passenger seated on the rear seat and a rear seat having a backrest and a squab that has convex curved inboard and outboard edges, the front and rear seats being positioned laterally and longitudinally with respect to one another to produce the staggered duplex overlapping relationship. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the front seat has a seat pan structure and a backrest recline adjuster mechanism and the backrest recline adjuster mechanism includes a backrest adjuster that is narrower than the overall width of the seat pan structure to which the backrest adjustment mechanism is attached so as to provide space for a leg of a passenger seated on the rear seat to pass by one side of the front seat. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a backrest frame having a pair of uprights, each of which is connected at a lower end via a backrest recline adjuster mechanism to a seat pan of a seat frame assembly, the backrest recline adjuster mechanism including two pairs of arms pivotally connected together by means of a backrest adjuster, wherein one of the two pairs of arms is a pair of cranked arms arranged such that the distance between lower ends of the pair of uprights is less than the distance between positions where the backrest recline adjuster mechanism is attached to the seat pan. ### Claim 13 A vehicle seating assembly comprising: a front seat and a rear seat, each having a squab; the front and rear seats being arranged in a staggered duplex overlapping relationship, wherein a portion of a front edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of a rear edge of the front seat squab; and an inboard edge of the rear seat squab overlaps a portion of an inboard edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13, further comprising: a backrest frame having a pair of uprights, each of which is connected at a lower end via a backrest recline adjuster mechanism to a seat pan of a seat frame assembly, the backrest recline adjuster mechanism including two pairs of arms pivotally connected together by means of a backrest adjuster wherein one of the two pairs of arms is a pair of cranked arms arranged such that the distance between lower ends of the pair of uprights is less than the distance between positions where the backrest recline adjuster mechanism is attached to the seat pan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13, wherein at least a front inboard corner of the rear seat squab is relieved so as to allow a front part of the rear seat squab to extend past a rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 14, wherein the front inboard corner of the rear seat squab has a cut-out so as to provide the relief to allow the front part of the rear seat squab to extend past the rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the inboard edge of the rear seat has a convex curved form so as to reduce the width of the front edge of the rear seat squab and provide the relief to allow the front part of the rear seat squab to extend past the rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein front corners of the rear seat squab are relieved and rear corners of the front seat squab are relieved. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein at least a rear inboard corner of the front seat squab is relieved so as to allow the front part of the rear seat squab to extend past a rear edge of the front seat squab. ### Claim 20 A vehicle seating assembly comprising: a backrest frame having a pair of uprights connected at a lower end via a backrest recline mechanism to a seat pan structure; a backrest adjuster included in the backrest recline mechanism; two pairs of arms pivotally connected together by the backrest adjuster; and one of the two pairs of arms being a pair of cranked arms arranged such that the distance between lower ends of the pair of uprights is less than the distance between positions where the backrest recline adjuster mechanism is attached to the seat pan structure.