WO1989002375A1

WO1989002375A1 - Open-air vehicle with reclining seat backs

Info

Publication number: WO1989002375A1
Application number: PCT/FR1988/000460
Authority: WO
Inventors: François Wardavoir
Original assignee: Wardavoir Francois
Priority date: 1987-09-16
Filing date: 1988-09-16
Publication date: 1989-03-23
Also published as: FR2620395A1; FR2620395B1

Abstract

The vehicle comprises a body (1) open at the top, and including seats with reclining backs (7). Said backs are fixed to the internal face of the doors (28a, 28b) thereby allowing, with an extensible table (32), to sealingly close the top of the vehicle. The windshield (9), held at the bottom by a block (21), remains in an operating position or, on the contrary, is tilted with the block (21) about an axis (38) to bear on the seating portion (6) of the front seats, whereafter the front door (28a) and a table (32) may be closed to the windshield. A completely planar top is thereby obtained and may be used as a loading floor. The vehicle may then be telecontrolled at low speed to manipulate bulky loads.

Description

Outdoor vehicle with folding seatbacks

The present invention relates to an outdoor vehicle with foldable seat backs which may or may not include a removable roof system.

A vehicle of this type is known from US-A-2 923 268. The height of the body barely exceeds the level of the occupants' hips. The seat backrests are foldable to limit the overall height of the vehicle during transport of the vehicle, and to provide a loading floor. The vehicle also has an amphibious vocation.

This kind of vehicle has drawbacks. In amphibious use, it can easily fill with water and lose its buoyancy. Whatever the use, it is impossible to close the vehicle to protect the passenger compartment from rain and dirt, or to protect personal items from theft.

To solve this kind of problem, we know the systems of removable pavilions such as hoods or removable rigid roofs (hard-top). However, these only partially solve the problem. The condoms are not particularly effective, neither with regard to water ingress, nor with regard to theft. Removable rigid roofs are particularly bulky to store, and the need to transport them at the same time as the vehicles for which they are intended would almost nullify the advantage offered by the foldable backrests relative to the bulk.

The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with foldable backrests which offers particularly effective protection against theft and ingress of water.

The invention thus relates to an outdoor vehicle comprising a box on wheels delimiting a passenger compartment in which seats with foldable backs are mounted, the box having a top behind a windshield open by which the space offered to the occupants of the vehicle is extended towards the outside of the body.

According to the invention, the vehicle is characterized in that it further comprises means for sealingly closing the top of the vehicle, these means comprising doors each fixed against a rear face of a respective one of the seat backs, each door being movable between an open position in which the corresponding backrest is in a service position, and a closed position in which the door contributes to the sealed closing of the top of the box.

It is thus created according to the invention a vehicle whose doors are located on the top of the body and each associated with one of the seat backs. Thus, not only can the seal be made as good, or even better, than on a vehicle with a rigid fixed roof, but also the protection against theft is improved since, on the condition generally fulfilled that the body and the doors are opaque , it is impossible to distinguish what is in the vehicle.

We knew certainly vehicles equipped with the device called "spider". In these vehicles, the rear seats were provided in a compartment similar to a luggage compartment, the tilting cover of which carried a seat back on its inner face. However, these were still convertible type vehicles, the front seats of which were accessible by side doors and could only be protected by a folding hood. The problems of sealing and protection against theft were not better solved there than in any other convertible vehicle. Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description below. In the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle according to the invention, doors open and windscreen raised;

- Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but after closing the doors; ^' - Figure 3 is a perspective view of detail showing the operation of the front complementary closing hatch;

- Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the vehicle dashboard; - Figure 5 is _. a perspective view of the vehicle when the windshield is in the supine position and the front doors are open;

- Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the windshield in the supine position; - Figure 7 is a side view of the vehicle of Figure 6;

- Figure 8 is a top view of the vehicle of Figure 6;

- Figure 9 is a perspective view of a detail of the vehicle of Figure 6;

- Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the vehicle with a removable roof;

- Figure 11 is a perspective view of the vehicle with only front roof and rear loading platform;

- Figures 12 to 14 are sectional views of the front part of the vehicle according to the plane XII-XII of Figure 8, at three stages of movement of the windshield from its raised position to its lowered position; - Figure 15 is a sectional view along the plane XV-XV of Figure 14;

- Figure 16 is a sectional view along the plane XVI-XVI of Figure 8;

- Figure 17 is a view similar to Figure 16 after deployment of the arch;

- Figure 18 is an exploded partial perspective view illustrating the assembly of the elements hoop; and

- Figure 19 is a partial sectional view along the plane XIX-XIX of Figure 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the open-air vehicle comprises a body 1 resting on the ground by means of four wheels 2 and delimiting inside it a passenger compartment 3 in which are mounted two front seats 4a and two rear seats 4b.

Each seat has a seat 6 retained in a horizontal position inside the body 1, and a backrest 7 which is movable relative to the body 1 between a service position (FIG. 1) in which it stands upwards, and a folded position (Figure 2) in which it extends horizontally a short distance above the corresponding seat 6. For this, each folder 7 is articulated relative to the body 1 about an axis 8 perpendicular to a median longitudinal plane of the vehicle. The front seats 4a are mounted facing a windshield 9, and the rear seats 4b are mounted back to back with the seats 4a, so that their occupants look towards the rear of the vehicle. Between the seats 4a and 4b is reserved a compartment 11 which extends over the entire width of the vehicle and which is occupied by the power train of the vehicle, arranged transversely. As shown in Figure 8, the powertrain includes a transverse motor 12 offset laterally and a gearbox 13 on either side from which start, forward and backward, two drive shafts 14 leading to front and rear differentials 16 respectively. These control the movement of the front and rear wheels respectively. The gearbox is controlled by a lever 17 (Figure 1) mounted on a central console 18 disposed between the front seats 4a. The body 1 has an open top, and more particularly has three upper openings. A front opening 19 extends so continues above the seats 6 of the two seats 4a and above the interval between these seats, occupied by the console 18. The opening 19, of generally rectangular shape, extends rearward from a dashboard unit 21 located at the base of the windshield 9. The open top of the body 1 further comprises, on the other side of the engine compartment 11, two rear openings, one for each seat 4b, separated by a central box 23 extending in the median longitudinal position between the engine compartment 11 and a transom 24 (see FIG. 2). Between the block. dashboard 21 and the engine compartment 11, and between the latter and the rear panel 24, the passenger compartment is closed laterally by lateral boxes defining thresholds 26 which, to facilitate accessibility, are lowered to the maximum permitted by the wheel arch dimensions 27.

According to the invention, the vehicle comprises means for substantially sealingly closing the top of the body 1. These means include two doors 28a and two doors 28b fixed against the rear faces of the backrests 7 of the two seats 4a and the two seats 4b respectively. The rear side of the backrests means the side which faces away from the back of the seat occupant. Each door 28a or 28b is movable between an open position, shown in FIG. 1, in which it releases the associated opening 19 or 22, the backrest 7 then being drawn up in the service position, and a closed position in which the door contributes to the sealed closure of the associated opening 19 or 22 (see FIG. 2).

In the example shown, the doors 28b are in one rigid piece, and therefore comprise a single panel capable of completely closing the associated opening 22. Given the larger free dimension that it is necessary to provide above the front seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the doors 28a would have in the open position excessive height if they were in one piece. This is why each door 28a comprises a panel 29 rigidly fixed to the corresponding backrest 7, and a sliding extension 31. This is movable between a retracted position shown in FIG. 1, in which it is superimposed on the associated panel 29, and a deployed position (Figure 2) in which it extends the associated panel 29 so as to increase the total surface of the door, and in particular its longitudinal dimension in the closed position. Thus _r in the closed position, each door 28a extends from the engine compartment 11 to a joint line 40 provided along the dashboard unit 21 (Figure 4), on the inside of the windshield 9. Each door 28a or 28b has a U-shaped profile open downwards when the door is closed. In this position, as shown in Figure 2, the substantially planar upper surface of each door 28a or 28b is substantially in the same plane as the top of the engine compartment 11 and the top of the box 23 and the transom 24. These elements therefore all form a substantially horizontal plane together when the doors are closed and the vehicle is level.

However, the front doors 28a are adapted to close the opening 19 only above the associated seat 6, not above the console 18. To close this interval, it is provided above the console 18 a hatch 32 produced in two parts (see also FIG. 3), namely a pivoting part 33 articulated to the body in the vicinity of the engine compartment 11 around an axis 34 perpendicular to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle, and a retractable part 36. The pivoting part 33 extends above the console 18 from the engine compartment 11. The retractable part 36 can be either retracted by sliding under the pivoting part 33 to release the opening 19 above the gear lever 17 and from there to the windshield, be deployed to come to bear against the joint line 40 of the windshield block 21 so as to complete the closing of the opening 19 when the doors 28a are themselves in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 2, the hatch 32 completes in this position the upper plane formed by the doors 28a, 28b, the top of the engine compartment 11, the box 23 and the transom 24.

In this position, a certain seal is obtained by contact between the edges of the movable closure elements either with the edges of the adjacent movable closure elements or with the edges delimiting the openings 19 and 22. Of course, this seal can be reinforced with ¹ seals seal along different lines of joints. Of course also, locks can be provided to prevent unauthorized opening of the vehicle. Preferably the different closing elements 28a, 28b, 32 are all controlled by the same. central locking system, not shown. The vehicle may include a steering wheel 137 associated with a steering column 138 which is of the telescopic type and swivels around an axis 139, so that the steering wheel 137 can take the position shown in FIG. 7 in which it allows the closing the driver's door 28a.

When the doors 28a are open and the retractable part 36 of the hatch 32 is in the retracted position, the hatch 32 pivots down to come to rest freely on the console 18 so as not to hinder the movements of the driver.

According to another important feature of the invention, the windshield 9 (FIG. 5) is foldable towards the rear of the vehicle by pivoting about an axis 38, perpendicular to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle, defined by two ears 39 between which the dashboard block 21 is pivotally mounted. Folding the windshield 9 backwards is only possible when the doors 28a are in the open position and the hatch 32 has been pivoted upwards around its axis 34. The windshield is thus brought to bear on the seats 6 of the front seats 4a and / or on the console 18. At the same time, the joint line 40 has moved downward with the block 21, and another joint line, or outer joint line 42, formed on the block 21 at the base of the windshield of the outer side of it, got into position. It is then possible to pivot the hatch 32 downwards and deploy the retractable part 36 until its front edge 41 comes to bear watertight against the line of external seal 42. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the doors 28a can in turn be closed around the windshield 9 while the front edge of. extensions 31 also come to bear against the joint line 42.

In this configuration, the vehicle has a loading plane extending over almost its entire upper surface, and its windshield is fully protected. The vehicle can be equipped with remote control receiving means, making it possible to control it remotely, at. low speed, for example exclusively on the first transmission ratio, by means of a remote control unit 142 -comportant a manipulator lever 143 the four actuation directions of which correspond respectively to positive and negative acceleration and to right and left turns . It is thus possible, for example, to handle bulky loads. On the other hand, the vehicle has in this configuration a very small overall height allowing convenient transportation of a large number of such vehicles stacked on top of each other. In addition, the vehicle thus "compacted" can, in particular if it is intended for amphibious use, be dropped by parachute. Figures 7 and 8 show, like Figure 6, the fully compacted vehicle with the windshield interposed between the seats 6 and the seat backs 7 before 4a. Figure 9 shows the detail of the assembly along the joint line 42 in this configuration.

In addition, as shown in Figure 10, the windshield 9 is retractable by sliding downwards from its raised position (shown in solid lines) to a lowered position (shown in phantom) behind a front panel 43 of the box, in a housing 44.

For this, as shown in Figure 12, the _Q 21i block has a transverse housing 53 occupied by a lower region of the windshield 9 when it is raised. The housing 53 opens outwards from above through a slot 54, and downwards, into the housing 44, through a slot 49. From the housing 53, the windshield 9 extends upwards through the slot 54, possibly provided with seals.

In the housing 53, two upper slides 47, situated on either side of the windshield 9, are mounted to pivot freely along an axis 48 o perpendicular to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle and adjacent to the slot 54.

As shown in FIG. 15, the lateral edges 46 of the windshield 9, shown in the lowered position, are permanently engaged in the slides - upper 47.

When the windshield is in the raised position, the slides 47 are thus movable between the inclined position shown in FIG. 12, in which their lower end 48 is adjacent to a bottom 52 of the housing 53, at a distance from the slot 49, and the substantially vertical position shown in FIG. 13, in which they are aligned with the lower slot 49 and with fixed lower slides 51 provided on either side of the housing 44.

When the slides 47 are in the inclined position, the windshield rests on the bottom 52 of the housing 53, with a desirable inclination for aerodynamics. When the slides 47 are in the vertical position, the windscreen can slide freely downwards, guided by the slot 49 and the slides 51, to the lowered position shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, and vice versa.

As shown in phantom in FIG. 12, when the windshield 9 is raised and inclined, the block 21 e = fc the windshield 9 which it carries can freely pivot around the axis 38, the apex enlarged 56 slides 51: es year, located low enough not to hinder movement. The windshield 9 can, as shown, be placed at a level below the thresholds 26 since it engages between them.

In the lowered position (FIG. 14), the upper region of the windshield 9, which carries a rear-view mirror 57 and a wiper 58, protrudes alone from the block 21.

As shown in FIG. 16, the body 1 defines above the engine compartment 11 a transverse housing 59 occupied by elements 61, 62 of a support arch 63 (FIG. 1) intended to serve as an armature for a movable roof 64.

The hoop elements comprise two uprights 651 each articulated by one end 63 at one end of the housing 59, and a crosspiece 62 adapted to extend 'between two other ends 64 of the uprights 61 in the upright position. The articulated uprights 61 when they are lowered form a cover above the crosspiece 62.

It is further articulated at the end 64 of each upright 61 a frame 66 (Figure 18) movable between the folded position against the upright 61, shown in Figure 18, allowing the frame to occupy a minimum of space in the housing 59, and a service position (Figure 11) in which the free end of the frame is hooked to the top of the windshield 9 so as to extend longitudinally on one side of the vehicle between the roll bar and the windscreen -broken. Each hoop element 61, 62 further carries a reel 67 on which is wound a flexible panel 68 (Figure 11) for closing the passenger compartment above the opening 19. Preferably, the side panels 68 are transparent.

Each side panel 68 slides in two slides, one 69 provided in the corresponding threshold 26, the other 71 in the corresponding frame 66 (see FIG. 19). 0 The upper panel 68 slides between two runners 72 of the members 66.

The cross-member 62 can carry a second reel making it possible to close the passenger compartment behind the front seats, by means of a flexible panel sliding in 5 unrepresented slides provided on the faces directed towards each other of the uprights 61. This is useful when, as shown in Figure 11, the rear doors 28b are used as the loading floor.

Another housing 59 is provided in the upper region o of the transom 24. It contains an assembly quite similar to that contained by the housing 59, so as to close the passenger compartment above the rear seats and, by means of 'a second reel carried by the cross member, at the rear of the vehicle. Slides 73 are provided for the rear side panels in the thresholds 26 associated with the rear seats.

Of course, the windshield and the central arch 63 are provided with the hooking means necessary to retain the members 66 and the panels 68 coming from the central arch 63 or respectively from the rear arch 74 shown in FIG. 10 .

The slides are of the constricted section type and the flexible panels have thickened edges 76 (FIG. 19) to be retained behind the constriction. At the end adjacent to the corresponding reel, each slide has a widening of its opening, to allow the engagement of the thickened edge. Alternatively, the rear seats could be turned forward, so that the rear occupants are facing the windshield.

Claims

1. Open-air vehicle comprising a body (1) on wheels (2) delimiting a passenger compartment (3) in which seats (4a, 4b) with folding backrest (7) are mounted, the body (1) having behind a screen -brise (9) an open top by which the space offered to the occupants of the vehicle is extended towards the outside of the body (1), characterized in that it further comprises means for closing the top in a substantially sealed manner of the vehicle, these means comprising doors (28a, 28b) each fixed against a rear face of a respective one of the seat backs (7), each door being movable between an open position in which the corresponding backrest (7) is in a service position and a closed position in which the door (28a, 28b) contributes to the sealed closing of the top of the box.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1,

^• characterized in that at least some of the doors (28a) comprise a panel (29) fixed to the associated backrest (7) and an extension (31) movable between a retracted position, adapted to reduce the height of the door (28a) in open position, and a position in which said extension (31) extends the panel (29) so as to increase the total area of the door (28a) in the closed position.

3. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the vehicle comprises a row of front seats (4a) and a row of rear seats (4b), the two rows being arranged back to back on the side and d other of an engine compartment (11).

4. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a windshield (9) foldable towards the rear of the vehicle by pivoting about an axis (38) transverse to a median longitudinal plane of the vehicle, while there are provided in the vicinity of a lower edge of the windshield two lines of seal (40, 42) integral with the windshield relative to the aforementioned pivoting and positioned so as to allow the sealed support of a front door (28a) when said front door is in the closed position while the windshield (9) is raised in the service position and respectively when the windshield is folded down in the supine position backwards.

5. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a windshield (9) which can be folded down from a service position to a position lying towards the rear of the vehicle by pivoting about a transverse axis (38). to a median longitudinal plane of the vehicle, characterized in that the windshield (9) can pass from the operating position to the lying position when a front door (28a) is in the open position, the front door ( 28a) which can then be closed on the windshield (9) - so that the windshield (9) is interposed between a seat (6) and the backrest (7) of a front seat (4a) associated with the front door (28a).

6. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the windshield (9.) is retractable by sliding downwards behind a front panel 0 (43) of the body (1).

7. Vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the windshield (9) has side edges (46), a lower region, when the windshield (9) is raised, is engaged in slides (47) 5 movable by pivoting between an inclined position, in which the windshield (9) is in the service position, and a substantially vertical position aligned with fixed lower slides (51) in which the windshield (9) is guided during of its retraction by _Q sliding downwards.

8. Vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the movable slides (47) are mounted in a block (21) for folding the windshield, this block being itself pivotally mounted relative to the body to allow fold the windscreen (9) backwards to a lying position.

9. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising two front seats (4a) and a gap between them, the vehicle body (1) having a continuous opening (19) above the front seats (4a) and the gap, characterized by a hatch (32 ) movable between an open position in which it releases the opening (19) above the gap, and a closed position in which it closes said opening (19) in addition to two front doors (28a) fixed each in the backrest (7) of one of the front seats (4a).

10. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to

9, characterized in that in the closed position, at least some of the doors (4a, 4b) contribute to constituting a vehicle loading floor.

11. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to

10, characterized by remote control means (142) operational for controlling the running of the vehicle when the top of the body is completely closed and transformed into the loading floor.

12. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to

11, characterized by a steering wheel (137) movable between a service position and a retracted position allowing the doors (28a, 28b) to be closed.

13. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the body (1) has on top at least one transverse housing (59) occupied by elements (61, 62) of at least one support arch (63) intended to serve as a frame for a mobile pavilion (64).

14. Vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the hoop elements comprise two uprights (61) each articulated by one end (63) at one end of the housing (59), and a crosspiece (62) adapted to s' extend between two other ends (64) of the uprights (61) in the upright position.

15. Vehicle according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the housing (59) also contains members (66) intended to be arranged longitudinally between the roll bar (63) and the windshield (9), on each side of the vehicle.

16. Vehicle according to claim 15, characterized in that the frames (66) are articulated to at least some of the hoop elements (61).

17. Vehicle according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the hoop elements (61, 62) porte.des reels (67) on which are wound flexible panels (68) for the constitution of the removable roof (64) .

18. Vehicle according to claim 17 _r characterized in that the flexible panels (68) have longitudinal edges (76) adapted to be engaged and to circulate in slides (69, 71, 72, 73) provided respectively in the top of the body and in members (66) mounted longitudinally and removably between the roll bar (63, 74) and the windshield (9) on each side of the vehicle.