FR2876637A1 - Removable partition for commercial vehicle, has pivot bolts whose positions are determined so that rear arm remains vertical during pivoting of seat base around front base and partition remains vertical during passage between two positions - Google Patents

Abstract

The partition has springs forcing upper tubes (20) of telescopic structural units towards a roof (24) of a vehicle. Positions of pivot bolts (A, B, C, D) are determined so that a rear arm (10a) of a rear base (6) remains constantly vertical during a pivoting of a seat`s base (7) around a front base (5) and the partition remains constantly vertical during its passage from rear to front position. A glass pane is supported by the units.

Description

2876637 1

  The present invention relates to the field of commercial vehicles which comprise, internally, a front area provided with seats, a rear loading area and between the front and rear zones a seat and a rear area for loading and unloading. partition wall. It relates more particularly to a removable partition wall which is secured to the back of a folding seat and which is movable between a first rear position in which the seat is in normal position and a second forward position in which the seat is folded down.

  In a commercial vehicle, we try to optimize the internal volume for both the transport of people and the transport of goods. In addition to ensuring the safety of passengers, there is a partition wall between the rear area reserved for goods and the front area reserved for passengers, behind the driver's seat and passenger. In certain commercial vehicles, there is also a seat or bench seat behind the driver's seat to accommodate two or three more passengers. The partition wall is then mounted immediately behind this additional seat.

  In this search for optimization, it is known that the complementary seat is foldable forward and that the partition is removable that is to say is movable forward so that the rear loading area occupies the maximum volume when the complementary seat is in its folded position.

  In the document FR.2.663.270, an upper panel is pivotally articulated between the upper end of the seat back and an anchor tab in the vehicle ceiling. In the normal position of the additional seat, the partition wall is formed by the rear face of the seat back and the top panel which has a substantially vertical disposition. The folding of the seat forward is performed around a pivot axis located under the front of the seat cushion. In the folded seat position, the partition wall is formed by the rear faces of the seat and 2876637 2 of the seat back, having a substantially aligned and vertical arrangement and, at the top, by the upper panel having an inclined disposition, the along the ceiling.

  A disadvantage of this partition wall system is that it prevents any visibility of the driver from his rear view mirror, especially when the partition is in its most advanced position, folded down additional seat.

  In the document FR.2.668.990, there is provided a passenger protection element with a perforated part by grids or bars allowing the visibility backwards. The support arms of this protective element are integral on the one hand, in the lower part of the seat back and on the other hand, in the upper part of the body by means of rails. The arms of the protection element have a telescopic construction in two elements entering one into the other. One is articulated to the seat back in the lower third of said folder and the other is equipped with a roller adapted to slide inside the guide rail and constituting the articulation with the body. When the seat is folded forward, the backrest is folded over the seat and the assembly formed by the backrest and the seat tilts around the pivot axis located under the front of the seat so that the back of the backrest is lodged against the back of the driver's seat back. During this folding, the protective element has moved forward by sliding the rollers in the guide rail.

  It should be noted that the protective element which constitutes the upper part of the partition wall is then towards the front of the folded seat, which is in practice the lower part of the partition, thus being in the rear zone of the partition. loading.

  In the two aforementioned documents, the loading zone is raised, the seat and its pivot axis being substantially at the floor of this loading area.

  The purpose of the present invention is to provide a removable partition wall which does not necessarily require the implementation of guide rail 2876637 in the top of the vehicle body and / or is suitable for a vehicle whose area of ?? load is not raised and the seat of the additional seat is mounted on a base.

  In a manner known from the document FR.2.668.990, it is a removable dividing partition for a utility vehicle between a rear loading area and a folding complementary seat, said partition being integral with the seat back and movable between a first rear position in which the seat is in normal position and a second position in which the seat is folded down. This partition comprises telescopic construction structure elements, able to cash the length variations of said structural elements during the passage of the partition from the first to the second position.

  Typically, according to the present invention: a) the complementary seat comprises: a vertical front base rigidly fixed to the floor structure of the vehicle, a rear base supporting the seat back and comprising a vertical rear upright, - a pivotally attached seat front and rear legs by pivoting transverse axes, b) the telescopic construction structure elements of the partition comprise first upper tubes whose free end is provided directly or indirectly support rollers on the roof of the vehicle and whose other end is slidably mounted relative to second lower tubes rigidly fixed to the rear base, springs being provided so as to push the first tubes to the roof of the vehicle, c) the location of the pivot axes on the front and rear legs is determined so that the amount up re vertical rear base remains constantly vertical during the pivoting of the seat back around the base and, therefore, so that the partition remains constantly vertical when passing from the first to the second position.

  Thus, according to the particular arrangement of the present invention, during the folding of the complementary seat, by pivoting about the transverse axis to the vehicle located at the front base of the seat, the rear base tilts back upward while remaining vertical. The same displacement is obtained for the telescopic tubes, with a vertical component which is made possible by the compression of the springs and the displacement of the first upper tubes with respect to the second lower tubes and with a horizontal component which is made possible by the rotation casters against the flag.

  In an alternative embodiment, the partition comprises a window or a grid, mounted at the top, on a transverse spacer whose ends bear two support rollers and in the lower part on a plurality of first upper tubes. The window provides perfect visibility for the driver from his rear view mirror. The fact that the partition remains constantly vertical during its movement from the first to the second position avoids any possible risk of breakage of the window, the structural elements constituting the frame of said window pane thus undergoing no deformation during this displacement .

  According to an alternative embodiment, the folding of the complementary seat is achieved thanks to four transverse pivoting axes, substantially delimiting a deformable parallelogram whose four sides are formed by: a portion of the vertical front leg, between the first axis A and the second axis B, a portion of the structure of the seat, between the second axis B and the third axis C, a portion of the rear leg, between the third axis C and the fourth axis D, and a link rod s' extending between the rear base and the front base, respectively between the fourth axis D and the first axis A. Preferably in this same embodiment, the passage of the partition from the first to the second position is obtained by actuating a cylinder which is pivotally connected to the floor of the vehicle and the other to the rear leg.

  Advantageously, in this case, the rear base comprises a transverse stiffening bar which is mounted between two side plates on which are mounted the third C and fourth D pivoting axes thus connecting the rear base respectively to the seat and to the stem. link. At least one actuating cylinder is pivotally connected to a side plate.

  This crossbar is the stiffening frame of the rear base. Preferably the rear base comprises two arms, namely a front arm constituting the structure of the seat back and the rear foot of said seat and a rear arm on the upper vertical portion of which are fixed the second lower tubes, the stiffening bar being arranged between the two said front and rear arms.

  In this same embodiment, on the two side plates, the third C and fourth D pivoting axes are mounted in front of the stiffening bar while the cylinder is connected behind said bar. In addition, the cylinder is connected, under the seat, substantially perpendicular to the third and fourth pivot axes, when the seat is in the first position.

  The connection between the cylinder and the rear base is made at the rear arm of said base; the passage from the first to the second position corresponds to an angular pivoting of the jack relative to the floor of the vehicle of the order of 60 to 70 and a displacement of the rear arm which is raised and comes substantially at or slightly in front of the front legs. By this movement the partition remains constantly in a vertical configuration, while the structure of the seat tilts and adopts, in the second position, a vertical configuration just in front of the front and rear legs. Thanks to this particular arrangement, the space between the partition and the driver's seat is reduced to the maximum, occupying only the space between the front base and said driver's seat.

  In an alternative embodiment, removable fixing means are provided for fixing the base of the rear leg on the floor in the first position.

  The present invention will be better understood on reading the description of a preferred embodiment of a removable dividing wall for a utility vehicle, said partition being integral with the backrest of a folding additional seat and other movable portion, while remaining constantly vertical, between a first rear position and a second forward position in which the seat is folded, illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a partial schematic side view of the interior of a utility vehicle equipped with a partition wall and a complementary seat on which said partition is fixed, the seat being in the first rear position of use: Figure 2 illustrates an intermediate position of the partition and the folding of the seat between the first rear position and the second forward position; 3 illustrates the partition and the complementary seat in the second forward position, folded seat and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view, from behind, of the partition wall, equipped with a window, in the first rear position.

  The partition wall which will be described in detail equips a commercial vehicle in which it separates a front area 2 equipped with seats and a rear cargo area 3. More specifically, the front zone 2 comprises the driver's and passenger's seats, not shown in the figures and, behind them, a seat or additional bench seat 4 on the back of which is fixed the partition wall 1.

  This additional seat 4 is foldable and the partition wall 1 is removable between a rear position shown in Figure 1 and a front position shown in Figure 3, the displacement of the partition 1 being made concomitantly with the folding of the complementary seat 4.

  During this movement, the partition wall 1 remains constantly vertical as will be explained below.

  The additional seat 4 consists of a front base 5, a rear base 6 and a seat 7.

  The front base 5 is fixed, vertically, to the floor structure 7 of the vehicle by means of a base 8.

  The rear base 6 comprises two arms 9, 10, a front arm 9 and a rear arm 10 which meet at the top at an upper portion 11, corresponding to a headrest. The front arm 9 has a lower portion 9a vertical forming the rear leg of the seat 4 and an upper portion 9b slightly inclined rearwardly relative to the lower vertical arm 9a, said upper arm 9b and its coating 11 constituting the litigation file.

  The rear arm 10 has an upper vertical part 10a and a lower part also vertical b, both said parts 10a, 10b being separated by an intermediate portion 10c slightly oblique.

  Between the two front arms 9 and rear 10 of the rear base 6 is mounted a transverse stiffening bar 12, making the entire width of the complementary seat 4.

  At the ends of the transverse stiffening bar 12 two side plates 13 are fixed rigidly, which are also preferably fixed to the front arm 9 and to the rear arm 10 of the rear base 6.

  The folding of the seat 4 is obtained through four transverse pivoting axes, referenced A, B, C, D in the figures. These four pivot axes delimit a geometric shape close to a parallelogram, the first side AD being formed by a portion of the vertical front leg 5, the second side BC being formed by the lower portion 7a of the seat 7, the third 2876637 8 side CD being formed by a portion of the rear leg 6, more specifically, in the example shown, by a portion of the side plate 13 and the fourth side DA being formed by a connecting bar extending between said side plate 13 and the base before 5.

  An actuating jack 16 is pivotally attached to the floor structure 27 of the vehicle, by means of a bracket 17 and secondly to the side plate 13.

  The partition wall 1 is mounted vertically on the rear of the rear arm 10 of the rear base 6.

  This partition 1, in the example shown in Figure 4, comprises in the upper part a window 18 supported by telescopic construction structure elements 19, three in the example shown. Each telescopic construction structure element consists of a first upper tube 20 which is slidably mounted within a second lower tube 21. These second lower tubes 21 are rigidly attached to the rear leg 6.

  The window 18 is mounted, at the top, on a spacer 22 whose ends are equipped with wheels 23.

  Springs are provided within the second lower tubes 21 so as to constantly urge the upper upper tubes 20 upwards, and consequently, to push the rollers 23 against the roof 24 of the vehicle.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, the partition wall 1 also comprises an outer frame 25 fixed to the stiffening transverse bar 12 and connecting the lower tubes 21 at the bottom.

  Between the window 18 and this outer frame 25, can be stretched a flexible grid 26.

  The displacement of the partition wall 1 from its rear position (FIG. 1) to its front position (FIG. 3) is ensured by the actuation 30 of the jack 16.

  As is clear from the figures, the fixing lug 17 of the rod 16a of the jack 16 is, in the first rear position of the partition 1, substantially perpendicular to the third and fourth pivot axes C, D , which themselves are on the side plate 13, opposite the attachment point 25 of the body 16b of the cylinder 16 on said side plate 13. In this first position, the cylinder 16 is inclined towards the rear of the an angle which, in the illustrated example and in a nonlimiting manner, is of the order of 30. When actuating the cylinder 16, the rod 16a exits the body 16b, which tends to push the side plate 13 and thus the rear base 6 to which said plate 13 is fixed. Given the inclination of the cylinder 16 relative to the vertical vertical direction of the rear base 6, the action of the cylinder is reflected on the one hand by lifting the rear base 6 and by a displacement of said frame forward , as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, this forward displacement being made possible thanks to the angular pivoting capacity of the jack 16 with respect to the fixing lug 17.

  The lifting of the rear base 6 should normally cause the lifting of the partition 1 attached to the rear of said base 6 but the uprising is thwarted by the presence of the flag. In fact the lifting of the rear base 6 causes compression of the springs contained in the second lower tubes 21 and thus a partial penetration of the first upper tubes 20 into said second lower tubes 21 without causing any vertical displacement of the pane 18.

  During the actuation of the jack 16, the folding of the seat 4 is obtained thanks to the progressive deformation of the parallelogram ABCD. During this deformation, the opposite sides of said parallelogram remain substantially parallel so that the rear base 6 which had in the first rear position a vertical direction, parallel to the front base 5, constantly keeps this vertical direction during the displacement of the partition 1 from its back position to its forward position. During this movement, and during the compression of the springs, it is the rollers 23 - 10 - which apply to the roof 24 and which make possible this movement without risk of degradation of said roof 24.

  At the end of stroke of the jack 16, the rod 16a being completely out, the seat 4 is folded down, with its seat 7 substantially vertical.

  In this second front position, the lower portion 10b of the rear arm 10 of the rear base 6 is at or slightly in front of the vertical front base 5. Thus the folded seat 4 is housed entirely in the space 26 between the base vertical front 5 and the driver's seat not shown.

  In the second forward position, the jack is inclined forwards by about 30 to 40, so that its total angular pivoting between the first rear position and the second forward position is of the order of 60 to 700.

  During the passage from the first to the second position, the window 18 has not undergone any stress likely to cause any degradation. The variation in length of the telescopic construction structure elements 19 was encased by the flexible grid 26 which has been deformed accordingly.

  Removable fixing means (not shown) may be provided for attachment to the floor structure 27 of at least the base of a lower portion 9a, 10b of the front arm 9 or rear 10 of the rear pivoting 6.

  The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment which has been described in a non-exclusive manner. In particular, even if the presence of a window is interesting because it increases the comfort of users it is not completely necessary. The first upper tubes 20 could be extended to the spacer 22 and a flexible grid could be stretched instead of the window 18.

2876637 - 11 -

Claims (9)

  1. A removable dividing partition for a utility vehicle between a rear loading area (3) and a folding supplementary seat (4), said partition (1) being secured to the seat back and movable between a first rear position in which the seat is in the normal position and a second forward position in which the seat is folded down, said partition comprising telescopic structural structure elements, able to cash the length variations of said structural elements during the passage of the partition from the first to the second position , characterized in that: a) the complementary seat (4) comprises: - a vertical front base (5) fixed rigidly to the floor structure (27) of the vehicle, a rear base (6) supporting the seat back and comprising a rear vertical upright (10a), a seat (7) pivotally secured to the front legs (5) and rear (6) by transverse pivot axes (A, B, C, D), b) the telescopic construction structure elements of the partition comprise first upper tubes (20) whose free end is provided directly or indirectly with support rollers (23) on the roof (24) of the vehicle and whose other end is slidably mounted relative to second lower tubes (21) fixedly fixed to the rear base (6), springs being provided so as to push back the first tubes (20); ) to the roof (24) of the vehicle, and (c) the location of the pivot axes (A, B, C, D) on the front (5) and rear (6) legs is determined so that the vertical rear pillar ( 10a) of the rear base (6) remains constantly vertical when pivoting the seat (7) around the front base (5) and, consequently, so that the partition (1) remains constantly vertical during the passage of the first in the second position.   2876637 - 12 - 2. Partition according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a window or a grid, mounted at the top, on a transverse spacer (22) whose ends bear two support wheels (23) and in the lower part on a plurality of first upper tubes (20).   3. Partition according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the folding of the complementary seat (4) is achieved through four transverse pivot axes, substantially defining a deformable parallelogram whose four sides are formed by: a portion of front vertical leg (5), between the first axis A and the second axis B, a portion of the seat structure (7a), between the second axis B and the third axis C, a portion of the rear leg (6) between the third axis C and the fourth axis D, and a connecting bar (15) extending between the rear leg (6) and the front leg (5) respectively between the fourth axis D and the first axis A. 4. Partition according to claim 3 characterized in that the passage of the partition (1) from the first to the second position is obtained by actuating a jack (16) which is pivotally connected to the floor (27) of the vehicle and on the other hand to the rear base (6).   5. Partition according to claim 4 characterized in that the rear leg (6) comprises a transverse stiffening bar (12) which is mounted between two side plates (13) on which are mounted the third C and fourth D pivoting axes connecting thus the rear base (6) respectively to the seat (7) and the connecting rod (15), and in that at least one actuating cylinder (16) is pivotally connected to a side plate (13). ).   6. Partition according to claim 5 characterized in that the rear base (6) comprises two arms, namely a front arm (9) constituting the structure of the seat back and the rear foot of said seat and a rear arm 2876637 - 13 - (10) on the upper vertical portion (10a) of which are fixed the second lower tubes (21), the stiffening bar (12) being disposed between said two front arms (9) and rear (10).   7. Partition according to claim 6 characterized in that on the two side plates (13), the third C and fourth D pivot axes are mounted in front of the stiffening bar (12) while the cylinder (16) is connected behind said bar (12), and in that the jack (10) is connected, under the seat (4), substantially vertically above the third and fourth pivot axes C, D, when the seat (4) is in the first position.   8. Partition according to claim 7 characterized in that the connection between the cylinder (10) and the rear base (6) being formed at the rear arm (10) of said base (6), the passage from the first to the second position corresponds to an angular pivoting of the cylinder (16) relative to the floor (27) of the vehicle of the order of 60 to 70 and a displacement of the rear arm (10) which is raised and comes substantially at or slightly forward of the front legs (5).   9. Partition according to one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that removable fixing means are provided for fixing the base of the rear leg (6) on the floor (27) in the first position.