Ford patents movable in-vehicle desk

Ford desires to make car interiors extra like residing rooms.

A current patent utility from the automaker revealed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) April 20, 2023, however initially filed October 14, 2021, exhibits a movable in-vehicle desk positioned among the many seats in a car cabin.

Ford movable in-vehicle desk patent picture

In line with the patent utility, the desk can be mounted to a base affixed to the ground, and have a pivoting arm that may permit it to be positioned both parallel or perpendicular to a car’s heart line. The movable floor might additionally flip up, revealing a display screen mounted on the underside. Ford included footrests as properly.

The drawings present tables at the back of what would seemingly be an SUV and instead of the entrance passenger seat. Additionally they present again seats mounted longitudinally within the car as an alternative of latitudinally like typical to face the desk.

This isn’t the primary time an automaker has designed an in-vehicle desk. The Chrysler City & Nation and Dodge Grand Caravan as soon as supplied a fold-out desk as a part of an non-obligatory swiveling-seat configuration. This allowed seats within the rear two rows to face one another with the desk in between. That characteristic went away with the introduction of the Chrysler Pacifica for the 2017 mannequin 12 months.

Ford movable in-vehicle desk patent picture

Ford hasn’t bought minivans within the U.S. in years, however it does appear involved in including furnishings to the cabins of different autos. It already presents fold-flat seats within the F-150 pickup truck, in addition to a folding shifter that turns the middle console right into a flat workspace.

Ford has additionally tried to patent a dashboard desk and lay-down entrance seats. The previous describes a small desk that pops out from a recess below the dashboard, whereas further patent functions talk about reclining seats packaged with a retractable steering wheel and pedals to make in-car naps extra snug. Whether or not any of those options make it into manufacturing autos stays to be seen, nonetheless. Automakers typically patent concepts to safe mental property earlier than locking in manufacturing plans.