Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a convertible center seat that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on January 4th, 2023, published on July 4th, 2024, and assigned serial number 0217414.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has toyed around with the idea of creating new, innovative seating in its future vehicles for some time now, filing patents for ideas like a versatile seating arrangement, a transformable rear seat for vehicles, an ergonomically adjustable seat assembly, and auto adjustable seats based on rear occupancy. Now, this newly published patent keeps that trend going by introducing an idea for a convertible center seat that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
The concept behind this new patent is to create a more flexible seating arrangement that can be configured in multiple ways, depending on the user’s needs or preference. In this case, it would accomplish that by utilizing multiple seat bases, assemblies, and armrests that can be positioned in different ways, allowing for the seating of two or three occupants – which is already possible in many vehicles these days. However, the system would also contain additional armrests for times when only two passengers are in the rear, too.
This type of flexibility would certainly be welcomed by consumers, who tend to purchase vehicles for different reasons and have families of various sizes. Even if consumers don’t have a need to haul a number of passengers around on a regular basis, there are times when they might be faced with that sort of task – and having a seat that can accommodate them would obviously be a popular feature in that case.
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Comments
A worthwhile idea. The number of seats available can be a dealbreaker if you need that one seat. When we bought our SUV, the Lincoln Navigator had a max of 7 seats. The Ford Expedition had 8 seats. We needed 8 and therefore never bothered to consider the Navigator and, indeed, purchased the Expedition. If you need 9, outside of a full sized van, only the Suburban will fit you. Point being you lose some market with every lost seat and, conversely, you gain some market with every seat you can add.
I really like this concept because I’d rather have a second row with two seats than the full sized bench because it is easier to get to the third row with just two seats but, if you need that middle seat, a split bench is the only way to go. This concept would help considerably.
My 2000 Mercury Sable and 2004 Ford Expedition had this handy feature. I used this a lot when I was raising my four kids. On the Expedition, the middle seat in the front made it a nine-passenger vehicle, which we used for many trips with the kids’ sports teams. This seat converted to a large armrest and storage console when someone wasn’t sitting there. On the Sable, the middle seat allowed all six of us to ride together. It also converted to an armrest when not used as a seating position.
I even had a very-rare 1966 Mustang convertible with a bench seat. I added seat belts to the front and rear center positions, so all six of us could cruise together.
The center front-seat is a very useful option and I’m happy to see Ford is considering it again.