Seat Back Mounted Fold Down Auto Office

This invention generally relates to a mobile auto office system and, more particularly, to a storage and work surface module mounted to a vehicle seat back which can be moved to a generally horizontal position.

With the ever increasing use of cellular phones and lap top computers, more people are conducting business from their vehicles. While automotive manufacturers are providing more power outlets for such devices, there is currently a need within the industry to provide adequate and convenient storage and work surfaces within the vehicle to properly utilize these tools of business. Presently, most available devices that provide work surfaces are after market devices temporarily attached to either the windshield or instrument panel by suction cups or hook and loop fasteners. Further, many mobile office users improvise support surfaces by placing a briefcase or notebook on the seat cushion.

These piecemeal and improvised solutions to the problem of providing an adequate work surface within the vehicle often fail to position the work surface in a convenient location and do not provide solid surfaces upon which a significant amount of work can be conducted. Further, each of these solutions fails to provide adequate and secure storage for paper files, computers, cellular telephones or other items which are regularly used by people conducting business from their vehicles.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a mobile auto office system is disclosed which provides storage and work surfaces for a user to conduct business from his or her vehicle. The system also provides conveniences which can be readily utilized for personal, non-business type uses during personal travel. The office system is generally mounted in a seat back which can be folded to a generally horizontal position and which is located adjacent to the user's seating position. The office system includes a bin portion for storing articles which are to be used and a cover to retain the items within the bin. The cover also provides storage for smaller items, or items that the user wishes to separate from the main storage area. The cover further provides a work surface when the seat back is in the folded down position and the cover is closed. Other amenities of the office system include a flip out notepad support panel which provides a writing surface on a first side and provides a cellular phone carriage bracket on a second side. The office system further includes connections for power to any devices used with the office system, as well as cellular phone connections, computer modem connections, and lights to illuminate the work surfaces or storage areas.

The various advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following specification and by reference to the drawings which include:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle front seating row with a seat assembly having the auto office of the present invention included therein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat back in the folded forward position with the cover of the auto office system in the open position allowing access to the storage bin;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the cover of the auto office in the closed position with the support panel positioned to expose the cellular phone carriage bracket.

The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or uses.

Referring to the Figures, a passenger side front seat assembly 4 is shown and spaced from a driver seat assembly 5. A floor console 6 is located between the seat assemblies 4, 5. The two seat assemblies 4, 5 form a vehicle front seating row. The seat assembly 4 includes a generally horizontal seat cushion 7 and a seat back 8 extending upwardly from the rear end of the seat cushion 7. A head rest 9 extends from the seat back 8.

The auto office system of the present invention generally indicated at 10 and is secured to the rear of a seat back 8. The seat back 8 can be either raised to an occupant use position as shown in FIG. 1 or folded forward to an auto office use position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. While the present embodiment is being described in relation to a seat back, office system 10 can be incorporated in a fold down armrest or other movable structure which is positioned generally adjacent to the user. The seat assembly 4 further includes a fore and aft adjuster in the form of tracks 14. The adjuster is used to move the seat cushion 7 and the seat back 8 fore and aft within a vehicle as is well known in vehicle seating.

Office system 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a storage bin portion 20, a cover 22, and a notepad support panel 24. The cover 22 is pivotally connected to the bin portion 20 by a hinge 25 along one side of the cover 22. The cover 22 may be hinged along any side but is preferably hinged along the forward edge 26, as determined when the seat back 8 is in the forward folded use position, or along the edge 28 opposite the user in FIG. 1.

The cover 22 includes a first portion 29 of a latch 30 which is coordinated with a second portion 32 of the latch 30 which is attached to the bin portion 20. The latch 30 is intended to secure the cover 22 in the closed position when the seat back 8 is in the occupant use position as well as when the cover 22 is in the closed position and the seat back 8 is in the office use position. As shown, the cover 22 provides an inner surface 36 and an outer surface 38. The inner surface 36 provides attachments for storage pouches or bins 34 (either flexible or fixed in position) for storing items the user wishes to separate from the main storage area of the bin portion 20. Such items will typically include pens, pencils, computer disks, pads of paper, or file folders. The pouches or bins 34 may be removable to create greater storage space within the bin portion 20 or to allow the user to conveniently remove the pouches or bins 34 and carry the stored items with them in a convenient fashion. The cover 22 also provides a pen or pencil holder clip 40, and a light 44 to locally illuminate the storage area and the support panel 24 when the cover 22 is in the open position. The light 44 will generally be switchable and only activated when the cover 22 is in the open position. The outer surface 38 of the cover 22 can provide a smooth work surface for the user to write or work upon, or as shown in FIG. 3, can include an insert 46 (either carpet or fabric) to improve the aesthetic appearance of the seat back 8. The carpet or fabric insert provides a surface which readily interfaces with a hook and loop fastener (such as VELCRO.RTM.) which is attached to the bottom surface of a lap top computer to secure the computer and prevent sliding. When the office system 10 is incorporated in a seat assembly adjacent to a child, a variety of game or activity boards can be secured by the same hook and loop type fasteners. Particularly, checker or chess boards, interlocking block boards (such as those used with LEGO.RTM. blocks) or hand held video games can be secured as well as a wide variety of similar items.

The support panel 24 is pivotally attached to the bin portion 20 and is located in a position such that a notch or recess 48 in the cover 22 allows the support panel 24 to be in the laterally extending use position when the cover 22 is closed. The support panel 24 includes a clip 50 for holding a notepad and a pen holder 52 on a first surface 54. The support panel 24 further includes a phone carriage bracket 56 on a second surface 58 shown in FIG. 3. The second surface 58 can be accessed by pivoting support panel 24 to a semi-upright intermediate use position which locates the phone 60 in a convenient location for the user to dial and use the phone 60 in a hands-free manner if desired. The support panel 24 can alternately be attached to the cover 22 instead of to the bin portion 20. Further, the notch or recess 48 can be provided in the bin portion 20 instead of the cover 22 with equal results.

The head rest 9 is mounted to the seat back 8 such that when the seat back 8 is moved to a folded forward position shown in FIG. 3, the head rest rotates rearward 90.degree. relative to the seat back and extends upwardly from the now horizontal seat back 8. The head rest body 61 is mounted on support posts 62. The posts 62 move through slots 64 in the seat back 8 to allow the head rest to rotate. The head rest body 61 can also include a pouch that is covered by a closure 72 and retained by a three-sided zipper 74 or other fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners, snaps, etc. The closure 72 forms a portion of the rear surface 66 of the head rest body 61. The pouch can serve as a storage area for the cellular phone 60. The pouch on the rear of the head rest 9 can be easily accessed by the vehicle driver both when the seat back 8 is folded down and when it is in the upright use position shown in FIG. 1.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications, and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.