American electric truck and SUV start-up Rivian has filed a patent for a seat to be used by first responders.
Discovered by Sebastian Blanco, and as reported on Forbes, the patent is for a seat to be used in specialised vehicles. It could be put to use by the police, firefighters and paramedics.
United States patent number 15/963,176 is for an ‘automotive vehicle seat with indented lower side portions’.
Rivian has ‘observed a need for improved vehicle seating for first responder and specialty automotive vehicles’, says the patent application.
‘In particular the present inventors have observed a need for a seat for an automotive vehicle that permits better access to gear worn by a first responder who is a vehicle occupant and that permits greater range of arm motion for such responders, while maintaining safety considerations for such vehicle occupants.’
Rivian’s first responder seats look like something you might find in a concept car, but they’re not designed for general use.
In short, the width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than the lateral width of the lower portion.
Rivian says first responders will benefit from increased comfort and convenience, improved safety and faster reaction times. This could be critical when under threat or dealing with an emergency.
Clothing worn by first responders tends to be cumbersome, making movement difficult, while the tools and equipment they carry are heavy and bulky. Saving a few seconds when leaving a vehicle could mean the difference between life and death.
Earlier this year, Ford invested $500 million in Rivian, with the car giant taking a minority stake in the firm. Ford will benefit from Rivian’s ‘skateboard’ chassis, which will be used to underpin its R1T truck and R1S SUV.
The investment from Ford followed a $700m injection from Amazon, announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in February. More recently, Amazon placed an order with Rivian for 100,000 electric delivery vehicles.