US 11,840,161 B2
Seat blocking system and method
Paul Donald Schmalenberg, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Ercan Mehmet Dede, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Mar. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/200,150.
Prior Publication US 2022/0289077 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. B60N 2/04 (2006.01); B60N 2/02 (2006.01); G06Q 10/20 (2023.01); G06Q 10/02 (2012.01)
CPC B60N 2/04 (2013.01) [B60N 2/0244 (2013.01); G06Q 10/02 (2013.01); G06Q 10/20 (2013.01); B60N 2/0268 (2023.08)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seat blocking system, comprising:
a seat, the seat including a seat understructure and an overlying seating surface, the seat understructure forming a seat base and a seatback arranged in a seating configuration, and the seating surface configured to morph between a sittable shape, in which the seating surface is coextensive with the seat understructure, and an unsittable shape, in which the seating surface is expanded over at least a portion of the seat understructure; and
a seat blocker integrated with the seat, the seat blocker operable to morph between a deactivated state, whereby the seat blocker leaves the seat understructure to impart the sittable shape to the seating surface, and an activated state, in which the seat blocker acts on the seating surface to impart the unsittable shape to the seating surface.