Ford Motor Company has filed a patent application (Publication no. US 20230121069 A1) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a movable in-vehicle table that can be placed among the seats in a vehicle cabin.
The patent application, which was published by the USPTO on April 20, 2023, describes a table mounted on a base affixed to the floor, with a pivoting arm that allows it to be positioned either parallel or perpendicular to a vehicle’s center line. The table surface can also flip up, revealing a screen mounted on the underside, with footrests included. The drawings in the patent application show tables in the back of an SUV and in place of the front passenger seat, with back seats mounted longitudinally in the vehicle to face the table.
This patent is part of Ford Motor Company’s larger effort to make vehicle interiors more like living rooms. Ford Motor Company has also patented other interior design features, including a dashboard desk and lay-down front seats, but whether these features will make it into production vehicles remain to be seen.
