Ford Releases a Cutting Edge Patent About Seat Reconfigurations

Photo Source: Ford

Numerous recent Ford patent filings reimagine vehicle interiors. As a matter of fact, in recent months (2023), the automaker has filed no less than nine patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) covering a range of features, including a retractable steering column, swiveling seats, and a fold-out work station that could permit truck cabs to be reconfigured into a workspace or a hangout while stationary. 

The Latest Patent

Ford Authority, the first to report on the patent, noted how the filing represents a much wider trend for the company. Many of the patent applications deal with reconfigurable seats. Among the ideas presented are rear seats that swivel to face a fold-out table mounted to the back wall of a crew cab and ottomans that pop out of the backs of the front seats, a characteristic that describes a luxury car better than a pickup truck. 

Ford Motor Company’s latest patent was filed on March 21, 2022, and published on September 21, 2023. As described in the application, the vehicle would include a passenger compartment with a “wall” positioned within said compartment. In addition, a support structure would be positioned on the wall. To clarify, the support structure defines a series of slots, while a seating assembly engages at least one of the slots in such a way that the seating assembly is suspended above the floor of the passenger compartment. 

The Practicality of Adjustable Seating Arrangements

A more versatile type of seating arrangement could develop into a useful component for future Ford automobiles. It is worth noting that the notion could go “far beyond Ford’s existing Max Recline Seat feature and even the aforementioned patents, some of which depict ideas for seats that swivel or can be configured to face in different directions.” 

In the 20-page filing, the seats are illustrated to accommodate an almost 360-degree pivoting motion. As such, users would have the ability to move the front seats forward and establish leg rests for the rear passengers, fold down the rear seats to create more storage capacity, turn the front seats around to face the rear occupants, or recline the front seats completely, to mention just a few.

Safety Possibilities

Patented ideas do not always reach production, but reconfigurable seating has been a theme of recent Ford patent filings. A handful of Ford patent applications surfaced in September 2023, covering in-bed-seating, a retractable steering wheel, swivel seating, and an in-cab work station. Another patent application for a movable in-vehicle table also appeared earlier this year (2023).

As it stands, vehicles are often provided with one or more seating solutions. Seating configurations offered within the passenger compartment of an automobile can be a determining factor in customers’ purchase decisions. While all modern manufacturers of passenger vehicles currently warn occupants against sitting in the bed of a pickup truck while the truck is moving and against lying down while a vehicle is moving due to safety concerns, it is anticipated that the regulatory framework and technology might evolve in the future to where such an activity is permissible and safe. 

Ford is pushing the envelope in terms of how the production and use of automobiles can be facilitated. Granted, it is a notion that is still in progress, but if you believe the Blue Oval holds promise, please come visit us at NYE Ford. In fact, are you excited about getting a new Ford? So are we. We are more than excited to help our customers find what they are looking for. Check out our new vehicle inventory or browse our quality pre-owned vehicles. We provide suggestions like auto financing to help make paying for a vehicle simpler. Stop by and see what we can do for you today.