GB2251374A

GB2251374A - Displaceable vehicle seats

Info

Publication number: GB2251374A
Application number: GB9027343A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Lord
Original assignee: ELAP ENG Ltd
Current assignee: ELAP ENG Ltd
Priority date: 1990-12-18
Filing date: 1990-12-18
Publication date: 1992-07-08
Also published as: GB9027343D0

Abstract

A vehicle seat is moved from the position shown at 12A to the position shown at 12B by pivoting the seat about an axis 14 in an anti-clockwise direction until the front edge is in the position shown by 12B. The seat is then slid outwardly to the position shown at 12C and then the seat is pivoted about a further axis in an anti-clockwise direction until the seat reaches the position shown by the numeral 12D. Return of the seat from the position shown at 12D to that shown at 12A is a reversal of the above described operations. The seat is particularly for use by disabled persons, to assist in transfer from the vehicle to a wheelchair. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO VEHICLE SEATS.

The present invention relates to vehicles including seats, a seat assembly and to a method of moving a seat on a vehicle. The invention is particularly applicable to seats which are arranged to be occupied by disabled persons.

In U.K. Patent No. 1 426 428 a pivotally mounted vehicle seat is described which is able to pivot from its normal position to a position in which the normally front edge of the seat protrudes over the adjacent sill to the seat. However with such a seat it is not possible to get a wheelchair adjacent to the sides of the seat as the sides remain inboard of the vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes a seat pivotally mounted thereon about an upwardly extending axis and the seat being translationally movable relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the upwardly extending axis, the seat being movable between a first position in which the seat is inboard of the vehicle and the front edge of the seat extends forwardly and transversely of the vehicle to a second position in which the front edge is out of the vehicle and faces at least partially rearwardly with respect to the vehicle, the seat being movable from the first to the second position by causing relative translational movement of the seat relative to the vehicle and relative pivotal movement of the seat about the upwardly extending axis.

The upwardly extending axis, when the seat is in the position in which it is arranged to be located when the vehicle is being driven, may be located in the corner region of the seat, the corner region being defined by the part of the seat bounded by the rear edge of the seat, the side of the vehicle adjacent to the seat and the longitudinal and lateral centre line of the seat.

The seat may be arranged to be substantially completely or completely out of the vehicle when the seat is in the second position. The front edge of the seat may be able to extend rearwardly and transversely to the vehicle when the seat is in the second position.

The seat may be arranged to pivot through 900 or more and may be arranged to pivot through 1200, 1500 or 1800 or more than 1800 when moving from the first to the second position.

The seat may be arranged to pivot about two upwardly extending axis when moving from the first to the second positions.

The, or one of the upwardly extending axes about which the seat is arranged to pivot may be translationally movable relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the pivotal axis, and may be movable to a position located outside of the vehicle.

The seat may be translationally movable in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Alternatively or additionally the seat may be translationally movable on a support, which support is pivotally movable about an upwardly extending axis. The seat may be pivotally mounted on the support.

Control means may be provided to lock the seat against pivotal movement from the first position.

Alternatively or additionally, control means may be arranged to lock the seat against pivotal movement from the second position. Alternatively or additionally control means may be provided to lock the seat against relative translational movement either in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or in a direction transverse thereto or both. The control means may be able to be biased towards a position in which one or more degrees of movement may occur. Alternatively or additionally the control means may be arranged to be retained in a position in which one or more degrees of movement may occur.

Separate control means may be provided to control each degree of movement. Alternatively one control means may be arranged to control movement in both a translational and pivotal sense.

The present invention also includes a seat assembly as herein referred to arranged to be mounted in a vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of moving a seat from a first position which the seat is arranged to occupy when the vehicle is travelling to a second position in which the front edge of the seat is located outside of the vehicle and faces at least partially rearwardly with respect to the vehicle comprises pivoting the seat about an upwardly extending axis and moving the seat translationally in a direction transverse to the upwardly extending axis.

The method may comprise moving the seat substantially completely out of the vehicle when moving the seat to the second position.

The method may comprise pivoting the seat through 900 or more or through 1200, 1500 or 1800 or more when moving the seat from the first to the second position.

The method may comprise pivoting the seat about two upwardly extending axes.

The method may comprise causing the or one of the upwardly extending axes to move translationally relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the pivotal axis when moving the seat from the first to the second position, and may comprise moving the axis outside of the vehicle.

The method may comprise the seat moving in a translational direction in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally the method may comprise moving the seat on a support, and pivotally moving the support about an upwardly extending axis. The method may comprise pivotally moving the seat on the support.

The method may comprise locking the seat against pivotal movement and may comprise locking the seat against pivotal movement from the first position or from the second position or from a position intermediate the first and second position or any combination thereof.

The method may comprise locking the seat against translational movement either from the first position or from the second position or a position intermediate the first and second position or any combination thereof.

The method may comprise manually holding a release to permit pivotal or translational movement or both.

The method may comprise locking control means to enable the seat to pivot or to move translationally or both.

The method may comprise moving the seat from the second position to the first position.

The method may comprise moving the seat from the second to the first position by locking control means to enable pivotal movement or translational movement in more than one sense at one time when moving from the second to the first position.

The present invention includes a seat assembly including any of the features or limitations herein referred to.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein described features or limitations.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but two embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the forward part of a vehicle 10 in which the left hand seat 12 is shown in four different positions 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D; Figure 2 is a rear view of the seat shown inboard of a vehicle; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the seat out of the vehicle; Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3; Figures 5 and 6 are side and plan views respectively of a locking arrangement, and Figure 7 is an end sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 6.

In the position 12A the seat is located completely inboard of the vehicle, and the front edge 15 extends transversely to the vehicle. In the position 12D the seat is located outside of the vehicle with the edge 15 extending rearwardly and partly facing the longitudinal centre line 16 of the vehicle.

In the position 12D, the normally rear edge 17 of the seat is spaced from but parallel to the open door 19 of the vehicle. Accordingly a wheelchair is able to be manoeuvred such that it is against the side edge 21 of the seat in order that a person may be transferred between the wheelchair and seat with a minimum of effort either on their own behalf or on behalf of a helper.

In order to move the seat from the position shown at 12A to the position shown at 12D, the seat is first pivoted about an axis 14 in an anticlockwise direction until the front edge is in the position shown by 12B. It can be seen that there is ample room for the legs of a person on the seat to clear the door post 23 of the vehicle during pivoting. The seat is then slid outwardly to the position shown at 12C. The seat is then pivoted about a further pivot axis 18 in an anticlockwise direction until the seat reaches the position shown by numeral 12D. The pivoting and sliding movements may be sequential or partially or completely simultaneous.

The seat is returned to the position shown at 12A from that shown at 12D by reversing the above sequence.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seat 12 is mounted on the vehicle 10 via an upper frame 24, an intermediate frame 25 and a lower frame 26.

The lower frame 26 rests on the floor of the vehicle but is able to slide longitudinally of the vehicle on a pair of spaced runners 27. The lower frame 26 carries with it the pivot axis 14 on which is mounted the intermediate frame 25. Thus the intermediate frame 25 is able to pivot relative to the lower frame 26.

The upper frame 24 is slidably mounted on the intermediate frame 25 on a pair of spaced parallel runners 28. The seat 12 is mounted on the upper frame 24 via the pivot axis 18.

In the normal inboard position of the seat, shown in Figure 2, the seat is prevented from moving about the pivot axis 18, the intermediate frame is prevented from moving about the pivot axis 14, and both of the frames 24 and 26 are restrained from sliding movement. The restraint of such movement may be provided by four separate locking mechanisms or may be provided by less than four such mechanisms, in which case one mechanism'may control more than one restraint.

To move the seat from the inboard position shown in chain lines in Figure 3 to the outboard position shown in solid lines in that figure, the lower frame slides forwardly on the runners 27 from the position shown in solid lines in Figure 4 to the position shown in chain lines. Sliding movement of the lower frame 26 on the runners 27 is then prevented. The intermediate frame 25 is then pivoted through approximately 900 about the pivot axis 14 before that pivotal movement is prevented. The upper frame is then slid on the runners 28, which extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, out of the vehicle. At the same time, or subsequently the seat is then pivoted through approximately 900 about the axis 18 until the seat is located outside of the vehicle, as shown in chain lines in Figure 4.

When the seat is located completely outside of the vehicle all further relative pivotal or sliding movement may be prevented, if desired, when transferring a person onto the seat, or manoeuvring a person off the seat.

In order to return the seat to the inboard position, the seat may be free to slide on both sets of runners and to pivot about both axes. Alternatively, these degrees of movement may be controlled in any desired manner.

Although the pivot axis 14 has been shown as being beneath the seat in the outer rear quarter of the seat (when the seat is inboard), it will be appreciated that the axis could be located outside of the boundary of the seat when the seat is inboard. Alternatively or additionally, the pivot axis 18 could be located such that it does not extend up through the seat.

Figures 5 to 7 illustrate the locking mechanism which can be used to control the sliding movement of the lower frame 26 on the runners 27 or the upper frame 24 on the runners 28. A control lever 29 is pivotally mounted on the frame 26 at 30. The control lever is supported on a plate 31 which includes a slot 32 through which a spigot 33 fast with the frame 26 extends. The slot 32 extends radially with respect to the pivot 30 and serves to guide pivotal movement of the lever 29.

In the position shown in Figure 6, the lever 29 is in the locked position and is biased into that position by a spring 34 which extends between the plate 31 and the frame 26. A lug 35 extends through a side wall 36 into one of a plurality of slots (not shown) in the runners to retain the frame in the required position on the runners.

In order to release the lug 35 the lever 29 is moved upwardly (when viewing Figure 6) or to the left (when viewing Figure 7) to cause the lug 35 to move about the pivot 30 out of engagement with the slot in the runner.

When the lever is in the position 29a, the lever has to be held manually against the action of the spring 34. The lever can be held in a locked position by moving the lever downwardly around a plate 37, against the action of spring means (not shown), until it occupies the position 29b. In that position, the spring 34 biases the lever against the plate 37.

The lever may also be arranged to control the pivotal movement by having a lug which is able to extend into one of a plurality of castallations which extend around the pivots 14 or 18. That lug may be provided on a lever having the lug 35, or on a different lever.

In one of the release positions, the helper must hold the lever against the bias and in the other release position the lever is retained in the release position, without a helper having to hold the lever, thereby freeing both hands of a helper.

Either or both of the pivot mountings may extend upwardly and slightly rearwardly relative to the vehicle or, alternatively or additionally, the runners may be inclined upwardly slightly towards the front of the vehicle to allow the weight of the invalid to assist in the movement during at least part of the movement of the chair into the vehicle either during the pivotal movement or the sliding movement or both.

It will be appreciated that the driver's seat or any other passenger seat could also be manoeuvrable in the same manner as the seat 12.

Claims

1. A vehicle including a seat pivotally mounted thereon about an upwardly extending axis, the seat being translationally movable relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the upwardly extending axis, the seat being movable between a first position in which the seat is in-board of the vehicle and the front edge of the seat extends forwardly and transversely of the vehicle to a second position in which the front edge is out of the vehicle and faces at least partially rearwardly with respect to the vehicle, the seat being movable between the first and the second position by causing relative translational movement of the seat to the vehicle and relative pivotal movement of the seat about the upwardly extending axis.

2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 in which the upwardly extending axis, when the seat is in the position in which it is arranged to be located when a vehicle is being driven, is located in the corner region of the seat, the corner region being defined by the part of the seat bounded by the rear edge of the seat, the side of the vehicle adjacent to the seat and the longitudinal and lateral centre line of the seat.

3. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seat is arranged to be substantially completely out of the vehicle when the seat is in the second position.

4. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 3 in which the seat is completely out of the vehicle when the seat is in the second position.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the front edge of the seat extends rearwardly and transversely to the vehicle when the seat is in the second position.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seat is arranged to pivot through 90" or more when moving from the first to the second position.

7. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 6 in which the seat is arranged to pivot through 1200 or more when moving from the first to the second position.

8. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 in which the seat is arranged to pivot through 1500 or more when moving from the first to the second position.

9. A vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 8 in which the seat is arranged to pivot through 1800 or more when moving from the first to the second position.

10. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seat is arranged to pivot about two upwardly extending axes when moving from the first to the second position.

11. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the axis, or one of the upwardly extending axes about which the seat is arranged to pivot is translationally movable relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the pivotal axis.

12. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 11 in which the axis is movable to a position located outside of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seat is translationally movable in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seat is translationally movable on a support.

15. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 14 in which the support is pivotally movable about an upwardly extending axis.

16. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 14 or 15 in which the seat is pivotally mounted on the support.

17. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim including control means arranged to lock the seat against pivotal movement from the first position.

18. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim including control means arranged to lock the seat against pivotal movement from the second position.

19. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim including control means arranged to lock the seat against relative translational movement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

20. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim including control means arranged to lock the seat against relative translational movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

21. A vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 20 in which the control means are able to be biased towards a position in which one or more degrees of movement may occur.

22. A vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 21 in which the control means are arranged to be retained in a position in which one or more degrees of movement may occur.

23. A vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 22 in which separate control means are provided to control each degree of movement.

24. A vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 18 to 22 in which one control means are arranged to control movement in both a translational and a pivotal sense.

25. A vehicle including a seat pivotally mounted thereon substantially as herein described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

26. A seat assembly adapted to be incorporated into a vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 25 to provide a pivotally mounted seat thereon.

27. A seat assembly substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

28. A method of moving a seat including moving the seat between a first position which the seat is arranged to occupy when the vehicle is travelling and a second position in which the front edge of the seat is located outside of the vehicle and faces at least partially rearwardly with respect to the vehicle comprising pivoting the seat about an upwardly extending axis and moving the seat translationally in a direction transverse to the upwardly extending axis.

29. A method as claimed in Claim 28 comprising moving the seat substantially completely out of the vehicle when moving the seat to a second position.

30. A method as claimed in Claim 28 or 29 comprising pivoting the seat through 900 or more when moving the seat between the first and the second position.

31. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 30 comprising pivoting the seat through 1200 or more when moving the seat between the first and the second position.

32. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 31 comprising pivoting the seat through 1500 or more when moving the seat between the first and the second position.

33. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 32 comprising pivoting the seat through 1800 or more when moving the seat between the first and the second position.

34. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 33 comprising pivoting the seat about two upwardly extending axes.

35. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 34 comprising causing the axis or one of the upwardly extending axes to move translationally relative to the vehicle in a direction transverse to the pivotal axis when moving the seat from the first to the second position.

36. A method as claimed in Claim 35 comprising moving the axis or one of the axes outside of the vehicle when moving the seat from the first to the second position.

37. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 36 comprising the seat moving in a translational direction in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

38. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 37 comprising moving the seat on a support, and pivotally moving the support about an upwardly extending axis.

39. A method as claimed in Claim 38 comprising pivotally moving the seat on the support.

40. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 39 comprising locking the seat against pivotal movement.

41. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 40 comprising locking the seat against pivotal movement from the first position.

42. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 41 comprising locking the seat against pivotal movement from the second position.

43. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 42 comprising locking the seat from a position intermediate to the first and second position.

44. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 43 comprising locking the seat against translational movement.

45. A method as claimed in Claim 44 comprising locking the seat against translational movement from the first position.

46. A method as claimed in Claim 44 or 45 comprising locking the seat against translational movement from the second position.

47. A method as claimed in any of Claims 44 to 46 comprising locking the seat against translational movement from a position intermediate the first and second positions.

48. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 47 comprising manually holding a release to permit pivotal movement.

49. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 48 comprising manually holding a release to permit translational movement.

50. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 49 comprising locking control means to enable the seat to pivot.

51. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 50 comprising locking control means to enable the seat to move translationally.

52. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 51 comprising moving the seat from the second position to the first position.

53. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 52 comprising moving the seat from the second to the first position by locking control means to enable pivotal movement in more than one sense at one time when moving from the second to the first position.

54. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 53 comprising moving the seat from the second to the first position by locking control means to enable translational movement in more than one sense at one time when moving from the second to the first position.

55. A method of moving a seat from a first position to a second position substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

56. A method as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 54 when moving a seat of a vehicle as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 25.