FR2695085A3 - Strapontin for road vehicle. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a jump seat which is suitable for installation in a minibus. The jump seat has a backrest that sits over a wheel arch and a single pair of legs (13) as well as respective struts (20) extending down and rearward to the rear. 'a cushion support (16) up to the feet. The lower end portions of the struts are guided as they move along the legs.

Description

The present invention relates to a folding seat comprising a backrest, a

  cushion support, a cushion mounted on the support, a foot and a means defining an axis of articulation, on which the support and the cushion can rotate relative to the foot The invention has been designed mainly for use in road vehicles , for example minibuses. Folding seats, or folding seats, are necessary in minibuses which are occasionally used to transport passengers in wheelchairs To provide space for wheelchairs, seats, permanently installed in the vehicle, must be able to be folded up according to a

compact configuration.

  A known seat of the appropriate type has two fixed rear legs which remain stationary during folding and a substantially shaped front leg.

  of U which is rotatably mounted on the support intended for the cushion A rod respect-

  tive extends from each rear foot to the front foot When the seat cushion swings up from its operating position, the links cause the front foot to fold back towards the cushion support, so that the front foot does not not significantly protrude from the cushion support and the cushion when the latter is

in its folded position.

  This type seat has a resistant and stable structure which has given

  satisfaction for many years.

  The folding seat of the type which has just been described offers a certain space between the rear feet. Consequently, this seat is suitable for being installed on a wheel arch of a vehicle, insofar as the height of the wheel arch is

  less than the height of the bottom of the cushion support.

  The vehicles currently available have, in the passenger compartment, a relatively low floor, and the installation of the folding seat which has just been described above the wheel arch in such a vehicle is difficult to implement because of the height between the top of the wheel arch and the floor Another type of seat has been installed in such vehicles, above the wheel arch, in which the cushion support is cantilevered and does not

  has no front leg When in the extended position, i.e.

  say of use, the cushion of this other type of seat is in front of the passage

wheel.

  It will be understood that the reference here made at the front and at the rear is

  relates to the seat, not to the vehicle.

  The cantilever seat of known type is not satisfactory, because the large loads which are imposed on the elements constituting the seat during its use cause the deformation of these components, and the cushion support

  is not stable enough when using the seat.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a folding seat comprising a backrest, a cushion support, a cushion mounted on the support, a foot, a means defining an articulation axis on which the support and the cushion can rotate relative to the foot. , from a deployed position, that is to say of use, to a retracted position, that is to say of storage, a counter-plug rotatably mounted in the vicinity of one of its ends on the support , and a guide means for guiding the opposite end part of the strut during its movement the

  along the foot during the rotation of the support.

  The preferred seat further includes a stop serving to limit the

  downward movement of the guide means along the foot.

  The articulation axis can be located above the level of the upper part of the strut, when the support is in the extended position, and it can be moved backwards with respect to the foot. Thus, the seat suitable for installation so that the hinge pin is above a relatively high wheel arch, the seat cushion being in front of the wheel arch, at least partially below the level of the upper part of the wheel arch. There is therefore produced, according to the invention, a road vehicle comprising a passenger compartment and having a wheel arch which projects into the passenger compartment, the vehicle being provided with a seat, according to the invention, which is mounted in the passenger compartment so that the seatback is above the wheel arch and the top of the wheel arch

  wheel is located above the level of the lowest part of the cushion support.

  The following description, intended to illustrate the invention, aims

  to give a better understanding of its characteristics and advantages; it is based on the appended drawings, among which: FIG. 1 schematically represents a front elevation view of the seat; FIG. 2 schematically represents a view in partial cross-section along the line II-II of FIG. 1, the seat being in its configuration of extension; and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, which shows the seat

in its folded configuration.

  The seat illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a frame 10 sensi-

  completely horizontal, on which a backrest 11 is mounted, the backrest rising upwards from the frame The seat is intended to be installed in a road vehicle having a passenger compartment in which a wheel arch makes

  projection, the back 11 being available on the wheel arch.

  The frame 10 is preferably fixed to the wheel arch or to a wall of the vehicle, and lugs provided with openings, one of these lugs being shown in

  12 are provided for this purpose at the rear of the frame 10.

  The seat further comprises a left foot 13 and a right foot 14.

  Each of these feet is rectilinear and vertical, and it is rigidly connected to the frame 10 on the front part of the frame and extends downward, from the frame, to the floor of the passenger compartment A tab provided with openings, or another suitable means for fixing the foot to the floor is provided at the lower end of

each foot.

  The feet 13 and 14 are preferably arranged a little in front of the backrest 11 The wheel arch is immediately behind the feet when

  the folding seat is installed in the vehicle.

  The folding seat further comprises a cushion 15 and a support 16 intended for the cushion. When the support and the cushion are arranged in the extension position shown in FIG. 2, the support is below the cushion, which is fixed to the latter. The support comprises right and left bent arms, 17 and 18, which move away from the cushion 15 between the feet 13 and 14 to reach the frame 10 Respective pins are provided to connect the arms 17 and 18 to the frame in order to allow rotation relative thereto on a hinge pin 19 which is

  spread backwards from the feet and which may be above the wheel arch.

  When the cushion 15 is in the extended position, it is at least partially below the level of the axis 19 and is moved forward from the

  wheel arch and feet 13 and 14.

  The cushion 15 and the support 16 can rotate relative to the feet 13 and 14 to the folded position shown in Figure 3, where the cushion 15 is located above the frame 10 and can be at least partially above wheel arch As shown in Figure 3, when the support is in the folded position, it does not extend forward for a significant distance beyond

feet 13 and 14.

  The folding seat further comprises two struts 20 and 21, which each start from one, respectively, of the feet 13 and 14 to go to the cushion support 16. In the example shown, the struts are straight and are connected to the support so that they can rotate relative to the latter on a common axis 22 which is located in the vicinity of the corresponding ends of the struts. The opposite end portions of the struts are provided with guide means serving to guide these parts. opposite terminals of the struts in the top and bottom direction along the feet 13 and 14 The means of

  guides are preferably intended to slide on or in the feet.

  In a particular example of a seat shown in the drawings, the guide means comprises an elongated rectilinear guide element 23 which goes from foot 13 to foot 14 Each of the feet defines a groove having an opening facing the other foot, and the parts opposite ends of the guide element

  23 are received in these grooves so as to be able to slide there with a certain play.

  The end parts of the guide element 23 which are received in the grooves of the feet are circular, as can be seen on the element 23, and can rotate on the longitudinal axis of the element relative to the feet Consequently , the struts 20 and 21 are rigidly fixed to the element of

  guide 23, for example by welding.

  A stop is provided to limit the downward movement of the guide element 23 relative to the feet 13 and 14 In the example shown, the stop is a rail 24 which extends between the feet 13 and 14 and is rigidly fixed to these When the cushion and the support are in the extended position shown in FIG. 2, the guide element 23 rests on the rail 24 over substantially the entire length of the guide element When the support is in such a position, each of the struts 20 and 21 is inclined downward and backward between the axis 22 and a lower part of the corresponding foot On

  note that the rail 24 is separated, upwards, from the lower ends of the feet.

  It will also be noted that the axis 22 is closer to the front end of the

support 16 as of axis 19.

  The cushion 15 and the support 16 can be rotated from the extension position to the folded position by applying to the support 16, on the front of the seat, a force directed upwards. The guide element 23 is pulled towards the high along

  feet 13 and 14 by the counter-sheets 20 and 21, which tilt on the support 16.

  Retention means may be provided to engage the counter

  plugs when the folded position has been reached, which allows to maintain,

  releasably, the support in the folded position.

  Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to imagine, from the

  folding seat whose description has just been given for illustrative purposes only and

  in no way limiting, various variants and modifications not departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

  1 Strapontin, characterized in that it comprises a backrest (11), a cushion support (16), a cushion (15) mounted on the support, a foot (13, 14), a means defining an axis of articulation (19) on which the support and the cushion can rotate relative to the foot from an extension position to a folded position, a strut (20, 21) rotatably mounted in the vicinity of one of its ends on the support, and guide means (23) for guiding the opposite end portion of the strut in its movement along the foot during the rotation of the support.   2 Strapontin according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a stop (24) intended to limit the displacement of the guide means down along the foot.   3 Strapontin according to claim 2, characterized in that the stop is   found above the lower end of the foot.   4 Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 3, character-   laughed in that the strut is straight.   folding seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, charac-   terized in that the articulation axis is above the level of the interface between the   cushion and support, when these are in the extended position.   6 Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, charac-   terized in that the articulation axis is spread backwards with respect to the foot.   7 Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 6, charac-   terized in that the foot is spread backwards with respect to the cushion, when this   the latter is in the extended position.   8 Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 7, charac-   terized in that the strut is connected to the support in a position which, when the support is in the extended position, is closer to the end   front of the support only of the hinge pin.   9 Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 8, charac-   in that the foot is behind the cushion, when the cushion is in the extension position.   Strapontin according to any one of claims 1 to 9, charac-   terized in that it includes another foot and in that the feet (13, 14) are separated laterally from each other.   11 Strapontin according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises another strut and in that the struts (20, 21) extend from the support to the respective feet.   12 Road vehicle defining a passenger compartment and having a wheel arch which projects into the passenger compartment,   characterized in that a folding seat according to any one of claims 1 to 11   is mounted in the passenger compartment, the backrest is above the wheel arch, the wheel arch is behind the cushion when the cushion is   in the extended position and the upper part of the wheel arch is then   above the level of the lower part of the support.   13 Vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the one or more   feet are substantially vertical when the vehicle is standing on horizontal ground.