GB2412307A

GB2412307A - Twin tubular anti rotating seat support for invalid carriage.

Info

Publication number: GB2412307A
Application number: GB0406507A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Samuel Lin
Original assignee: Sunpex Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sunpex Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-03-23
Filing date: 2004-03-23
Publication date: 2005-09-28
Also published as: GB0406507D0

Abstract

A seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle includes a supporting unit (3) and a positioning unit (5). The supporting unit (3) includes an upright large sleeve tube (31) fixed on a vehicle frame (21), and a large insert tube (32) inserted into the large sleeve tube (31) and having an upper end connected fixedly to a seat member (22). The positioning unit (5) includes a small sleeve tube (51) connected fixedly to and parallel to the large sleeve tube (31), and a small insert tube (52) connected fixedly to and parallel to the large insert tube (32) and inserted into the small sleeve tube (51) so as to prevent rotation of the seat member (22) about the large insert tube (32). A connecting member (4) may be provided to link the tubes together. The member may be a horizontal plate and have cut-outs for the two tubes. Bushes may be provided to aid location of the tubes and the sleeves.

Description

1 2412307

SEAT-SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

This inventionrelatesto a seat-supporting device, and more particularly to a seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle suitable for a disabled driver.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional motor vehicle 1 is shown to include a vehicle frame 11, an insert tube 12, and a seat member 13 fixed on an upper end of the insert tube 12. The insert tube 12 is inserted into an upright sleeve tube 112 of the vehicle frame 11. A bolt 15 extends through two aligned holes 113 in the sleeve tube 112 and two selected ones of four positioning holes 121 in the insert tube 12 to engage a nut 16 so as to fix the insert tube 12 relative to the sleeve tube 112. Whenit is desired to serve the parts disposed under the seat member 13, it is only necessary to remove the bolt 15 and the nut 16 from the sleeve tube 112 and the insert tube 12 and separate the insert tube 12 and the seat member 13 from the sleeve tube 112. To facilitate the assembly of the insert tube 12 and the sleeve tube 112, the diameters of the holes 113 and the positioning holes 121 are slightly larger then that of the bolt15, thereby forming arelativelylarge clearance between the bolt 15 and the insert tube 12 and between the bolt15andthesleevetube112, which may resultin movement of the seat member 13 relative to the vehicle frame 11.

The object of this invention is to provide a seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle, which can prevent movement of a seat member relative to a vehicle frame.

According to this invention, a seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle is provided. The motor vehicle includes a vehicle frame and a seat member. The seat-supporting device is disposed between the vehicle frame and the seat member, and includes a supporting unit and a positioning unit. The supporting unit includes an upright large sleeve tube fixed on the vehicle frame, and a large insert tube inserted into the large sleeve tube end haying en upper end connected fixedly to the seat member The positioning unit includes asmall sleeve tube connected fixedly to and parallel to the large sleeve tube of the supporting unit, and a small insert tube connected fixedly to and parallel to the large insert tube. The small insert tube is inserted into the small sleeve tube so as to prevent rotation of the seat member about the large insert tube.

As such, the seat member can be fixed effectively relative to the vehicle frame.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments ofthisinvention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partly exploded perspective view of a conventional motor vehicle suitable for a disabled driver; Fig. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view of a motor vehicle that is provided with the first preferred embodiment of a seat-supporting device according to this invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of the first preferred embodiment; and Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the second preferred embodiment of a seat-supporting device according to this invention.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail in connection with the preferred embodiments, it should be noted that similar elements and structures are designated bylike reference numerals throughout the entire

disclosure.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the first preferred embodiment of a seatsupporting device for a motor vehicle 2 according to this invention is shown to include a supporting unit 3, an upper connecting member 4, and a positioning unit 5. The motor vehicle 2 is suitable for a disabled driver, and includes a vehicle frame 21 and a seat member 22. The seat-supporting device is disposed between the vehicle frame 21 and the seat member 22.

The supporting unit 3 includes an upright large sleeve tube 31 having a lower end welded to the vehicle frame 21, and a large insert tube 32 inserted into the large sleeve tube 31 and having an upper end connected fixedly to the seat member 22. A horizontal bolt 33 extends through the large sleeve tube 31 and the large insert tube 32 to engage a nut 30 so as to fix the large insert tube 32 relative to the large sleeve tube 31. A bushing 34 is disposed between the large sleeve tube 31 and the large insert tube 32 so as to reduce friction between the large sleeve tube 31 and the large insert tube 32 and noise resulting from rotation of the large insert tube 32 relative to the large sleeve tube 31. The large sleeve tube 31 includes a large-diameter upper tube portion 311 and a small-diameter lower tube portion 312 that has an inner diameter which is smaller than that of the large-diameter upper tube portion 311 and which is equal to that of the bushing 34.

The bushing 34 is disposed within the large-diameter upper tube portion 311 of the large sleeve tube 31.

The positioning unit 5 includes a small sleeve tube 51 parallel to the large sleeve tube 31 and having an inner diameter smaller than that of the large sleeve tube 31, a small insert tube 52 parallel to the large insert tube 32 and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the large insert tube 32, an upper bushing 53, and a lower bushing 54. The upper and lower bushings 53, 54 are connected respectively and fixedly to upper and lower ends of the small sleeve tube 51 by positioning pins 55. The small sleeve tube 51 is connected fixedly to the large sleeve tube 31 by a lower connecting member 511 that has two ends which are welded respectively to the large and small sleeve tubes 31, 51. The small insert tube 52 is connected fixedly to the large insert tube 32 by the upper connecting member 4, is inserted into the small sleeve tube 51, and is received fittingly within the upper and lower bushings 53, 54 so es to prevent rotation of the seat member 22 about the large insert tube 32, thereby providing enhanced comfort to the disabled driver.

The upper connecting member 4 is configured as a horizontal plate, and is formed with a large circular hole 41 and a small circular hole 42 having a diameter smaller than that of the large circular hole 41. The large insert tube 32 has an upper end portion 321 disposed within the large circular hole 41 in the upper connecting member 4 and welded to the upper connecting member 4. The small insert tube 52 has an upper end portion disposed within the small circular hole 42 in the upper connecting member 4 and welded to the upper connecting member 4.

Fig. 4 shows the second preferred embodiment of a seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle according to thisinvention, which is similar to the previous embodiment in construction except that a lower end of the small sleeve tube 51 is welded to the vehicle frame 21.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A seat-supporting device for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle

including a vehicle frame and a seat member, the seat-supporting device being disposed between the vehicle frame and the seat member and including: a supporting unit including an upright large sleeve tube fixed on the vehicle frame, and a large insert tube inserted into the large sleeve tube and having an upper end connected fixedly to the seat member; and a positioning unit including a small sleeve tube connected fixedly to and parallel to the large sleeve tube of the supporting unit, and a small insert tube connected fixedly to and parallel to the large insert tube, the smallinsert tube beinginsertedinto the smell sleeve tube so as to prevent rotation of the seat member about the large insert tube.
2. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 1, further including an upper connecting member interconnecting the large and small insert tubes fixedly.
3. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the small insert tube has an outer diameter smaller than that of said large insert tube, the upper connecting member being configured as a horizontal plate and being formed with a large circular hole and a small circular hole having a diameter smaller than that of the large circular hole, the large insert tube having an upper end portion disposed fixedly within the large circular hole in the upper connecting member, the small insert tube having an upper end portion disposed fixedly within the small circular hole in the upper connecting member.
4. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the upper end portions of the large and small insert tubes are welded to the upper connecting member.
5. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the positioning unit further includes a pair of upper and lower bushings mounted respectively and fixedly to upper andlower ends of the smalleleeve tube, the small insert tube being received fittingly within the upper and lower bushings.
6. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the positioning unit further includes a lower connecting member that has two ends which are welded respectively to the large and small sleeve tubes.
7. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the small sleeve tube has a lower end that is fixed on the vehicle frame.
8. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the supporting unit further includes a bushing that is disposed between the large sleeve tube and the large insert tube.
9. The seat-supporting device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein thelarge sleeve tube includes alarge-diameter upper tube portion and a smalldiameter lower tube portion that has en inner diameter whichis smeller then that of the large-diameter upper tube portion and which is equal to that of the bushing, the bushing being disposed within the large-diameter upper tube portion of the large sleeve tube.

lO.A seat-supporting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.