WO2008096054A2

WO2008096054A2 - Device for attaching a vehicle seat and reconfigurable vehicle with such device

Info

Publication number: WO2008096054A2
Application number: PCT/FR2007/002119
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacky Jacquemont; Christian Noel
Original assignee: Nexter Systems
Priority date: 2006-12-28
Filing date: 2007-12-19
Publication date: 2008-08-14
Also published as: WO2008096054A3; FR2910852B1; FR2910852A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for attaching a seat for a vehicle that comprises a carrier structure (12) on which the seat is attached, said structure including a rear face (17) on which is provided a means (18) for removably attaching the structure (12) to a wall of the vehicle at a distance from the vehicle floor. The invention also relates to a reconfigurable vehicle that uses such a seat attachment device. Application in armoured vehicles.

Description

SEAT FASTENING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE AND RECONFIGURABLE VEHICLE USING SUCH A DEVICE

The technical field of the invention is that of reconfigurable vehicles and in particular devices for fixing the seats in the vehicle.

Reconfigurable vehicles are vehicles in which the interior can be modified as needed. It is known in the civil field to make vehicles whose cockpit has a flat floor on which are arranged grooves for fixing seats.

These vehicles (often called "minivan") can thus receive a variable number of seats and having a different orientation with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

In the military field it may be useful to arrange the internal space of an armored vehicle to meet different operational needs. However, such an arrangement is most often made impossible by the floor structure which can not receive the conventional fastening rails.

In addition, the protection of an armored vehicle vis-à-vis the mines forbids to fix the seats on the floor. This is to reduce the effects of shock received at the floor during the initiation of a mine.

It is the object of the invention to provide, on the one hand, a fixing device enabling the reconfiguration of the passenger compartment, and on the other hand a reconfigurable vehicle structure implementing such a fixing device.

Thus, the subject of the invention is a device for fixing seats in a vehicle, and in particular in an armored vehicle, a device characterized in that it comprises a support structure on which the seat is fixed, a structure comprising a rear face on which is disposed means for a removable attachment of the structure on a wall of the vehicle and away from the floor of the vehicle. Preferably, the structure may carry a footrest.

The invention also relates to a reconfigurable vehicle implementing such a seat attachment device, which vehicle is characterized in that it comprises a passenger compartment delimited by two side walls and a rear wall, each side wall and back comprising at at least one location that can cooperate with at least one rear face of a seat-supporting structure, a seat can thus be fixed indifferently at a side wall or at the rear wall.

According to a particular embodiment, the side walls of the passenger compartment may each comprise at least one door, the rear wall also comprising at least one door, at least one side or rear door carrying a location for fixing one of the supporting structures seat.

The vehicle may comprise a reconfigurable rear zone, an area comprising at least two attachment locations on each side wall and at least three attachment locations on the rear wall, the area being thus able to receive, as desired, three seat supports fixed to the rear wall or well two seat supports on each side wall. The vehicle may in particular have two mounting locations at each rear side door. It may also include at least one mounting location at the rear door.

The vehicle may include a front area at which will be disposed at least one seat integral with a supporting structure, the bearing structure being secured to the passenger compartment by at least one beam fixed at the roof of the passenger compartment.

The vehicle may also include at least one location for fixing one of the seat-carrying structures at at least one front side door.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of a particular mode of embodiment, description made with reference to the accompanying drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 represents, in a side view and very schematically, a reconfigurable vehicle according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but a front door has been removed with part of the wall to show a front part of the passenger compartment,

FIG. 3 is a rear view of this vehicle, FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a seat, view showing the supporting structure for fixing the seat,

FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are orthogonal views of the carrier structure alone, FIG. 5a being a side view, FIG. 5b a rear view, and FIG. 5c a view from above,

FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c finally show, in plan view (the roof being partially removed), different possible configurations of the passenger compartment of the vehicle according to the invention, FIG. 6a being a configuration in which the rear part of the passenger compartment 6b shows a vehicle in which the rear part of the passenger compartment has three seats in the direction of travel and in Figure 6c the vehicle has four seats perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a passenger compartment integral with a frame (not shown) carrying wheels 4. A motor 3 is disposed at the front of the frame. This vehicle is an armored vehicle. The walls of the passenger compartment are therefore made of a material having a certain resistance to perforation (such as steel) or bear ballistic overprotection.

The passenger compartment 2 is in particular delimited by two side walls 5a and 5b and a rear wall 6. Each side wall 5a and 5b is provided with two doors: a front door 7a and a rear door 7b. The doors are pivotally mounted on hinges 8 and carry armored windows 9. The rear wall 6 is also provided with a door 10 which is disposed substantially in the middle of the wall 6.

The cockpit is intended to be equipped with a number of seats. Figure 4 shows such a seat 11 in perspective.

The seat 11 is fixed to a supporting structure 12, for example by screwing the seat of the seat on the supporting structure. The seat back 11 may be mounted tilting relative to the seat. Seats as such are well known to those skilled in the art, they are not part of the present invention and it is not necessary to describe them in detail.

Figures 5a to 5c show in three orthogonal views the carrier structure 12 alone. This structure comprises a horizontal base 12a and a back 12b perpendicular to the base 12a. The base carries at its lower face 13 slides 14 in which slides a footrest 15. The latter is simply formed of a horizontal bar 15a secured to two rods 16 slidably mounted in the slides 14.

The structure 12 has a rear face 17 which is substantially flat. This face carries a fastening means which is constituted here by four threaded rods 18 intended to be positioned in holes carried by a wall of the vehicle 1. The fastening will be provided by nuts (not shown) cooperating with the threaded rods.

Alternatively we can provide nuts that will be welded at the desired locations on the walls of the vehicle. Screws 18 will then cross the back 12b of the structure 12 to engage in the nuts and ensure the attachment to the wall.

It is also possible to provide fastening rails secured to the wall and cooperating with profiles integral with the rear face 17. Thus the fastening means 18 makes it possible to ensure a removable attachment of the structure 12 (and therefore of the seat) to a wall of the vehicle and away from the vehicle floor. Such a type of attachment is particularly well suited to armored vehicles since the seats must not be in contact with the floor to increase the protection of users vis-à-vis the effects of the detonation of a mine.

This removable attachment allows to reconfigure the vehicle while maintaining a fixation of the seats ensuring the protection of users.

The vehicle will advantageously incorporate a provision of screws / nuts for reconfiguring the seats in the field. The tools required are conventional tools for screwing / unscrewing.

Figures 6a to 6b show different types of configurations. Figure 6a shows a vehicle 1 in which the rear portion 2a of the passenger compartment 2 is devoid of seats.

This figure shows by means of mixed lines 19 the axes of the threaded rods 18 which delimit fixing locations for the supporting structures 12. It is thus noted that it is possible to fix such structures at each side wall 5a, 5b and more particularly on two locations 20a and 20b which are arranged on each of the rear side doors 7b.

It is also possible to fix the structures 12 at three locations 21a, 21b and 21c at the rear wall 6. Two locations 21a and 21c are arranged directly on the rear wall 6 while the central location 21b is arranged on the door rear 10.

Figure βb shows a configuration of the vehicle 1 in which three structures 12 are fixed at the rear wall 6. In this case the rear door 10 is locked. The locking can be done by simply bolting the door on its frame with the appropriate brackets (not shown). Access to the rear portion 2a of the passenger compartment 2 is then through the two rear side doors 7b. Figure βc finally shows a configuration of the vehicle 1 in which two structures 12 are fixed at each of the side walls 5a, 5b.

The structures 12 are fixed at the rear side doors 7b which are both condemned. Again the conviction can be made by simply bolting the doors 7b on their chassis with the appropriate brackets (not shown).

Access to the rear part 2a of the passenger compartment 2 is then exclusively through the rear door 10.

In addition to the provision of screws / nuts for the reconfiguration of the seats in the field, there will also be a kit for locking the doors (locking tabs and screws). It is of course possible, depending on the needs, to set a different number of seats. It will thus be possible to fix only two structures 12 at the rear locations 21a and 21c. Such an arrangement allows to leave operational the rear door 10 and the two side doors 7a and 7b.

It is possible to fix two structures 12 at a single rear side door 7b and to fix another structure 12 at the location 21c or 21a which remains accessible once the other structures attached to the side door considered.

Such an arrangement allows with three seats at the rear of the passenger compartment to leave two functional doors: the rear door 10 and one of the two side doors 7b. It can be seen in FIGS. 6a to 6c, as well as in FIG. 2, that the passenger compartment also comprises a front zone 2b at the level of which two seats are arranged (only the supporting structures 12 of these seats are shown).

This front zone 2b is accessible through the two front side doors 7a.

In order to isolate the front seats of the floor 22 (FIG. 2), their supporting structures 12 are fixed to a panel 24 which is itself fastened to the roof 23 of the passenger compartment 2 by two 25. It is therefore possible to use the same carrier structures 12 for the front seats and for the rear seats.

Such an arrangement increases the possibilities of reconfiguration of the vehicle 1. In fact it is then possible to dismantle a front structure and leave only the seat of the driver.

Such a configuration will allow the transport of bulky equipment. Finally, it is possible to provide attachment locations for seat structures 12 at one of the front side doors 7a. The front passenger seat can then be replaced by two seats oriented perpendicular to the step. The vehicle can then take five or six people in addition to the driver. Depending on the distribution of the seats chosen for the rear zone 2a access to the passenger compartment will be through the rear side doors 7b or through the rear door 10.

Before fixing seats at a front door, if necessary dismantle panel 24 and beams 25.

Claims

1. Device for fixing seats in a vehicle (1), and in particular in a armored vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a support structure (12) on which the seat (11) is fixed, structure comprising a rear face (17) on which is disposed means (18) for a removable attachment of the structure (12) on a vehicle wall and away from the floor of the vehicle (1).

2. Seat fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure (12) carries a footrest (15).

3. vehicle (1) reconfigurable and implementing a seat fixing device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a passenger compartment (2) defined by two side walls (5a, 5b) and a rear wall (6), each side wall and rear having at least one location (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b, 21c) engageable with at least one rear face (17) of a structure (12) carrying the seat, a seat can be fixed indifferently at a side wall (5a, 5b) or at the rear wall (6).

4. reconfigurable vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the side walls (5a, 5b) of the passenger compartment (2) each comprise at least one door (7b), the rear wall (6) also comprising at least one door (10), at least one side door (7b) or rear (10) carrying a location (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b, 21c) for fixing one of the structures (12) carrying seat.

5. reconfigurable vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a rear zone (2a) reconfigurable area having at least two locations

(20a, 20b) for fixing on each side wall (5a, 5b) and at least three locations (21a, 21b, 21c) for fixing on the rear wall (6), the zone can therefore optionally receive three supports (12). of seats attached to the rear wall (6) or two seat supports (12) on each side wall

(5a, 5b).

6. Reconfigurable vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises two locations (20a, 20b) of attachment at each rear side door (7a, 7b).

7. Reconfigurable vehicle according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one location (21b) of attachment at the rear door (10).

8. reconfigurable vehicle according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a front zone (2b) at which is disposed at least one integral seat of a carrier structure (12), this bearing structure being rendered secured to the passenger compartment (2) by at least one beam (25) fixed at the level of the roof (23) of the passenger compartment (2).

9. Reconfigurable vehicle according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one location for fixing one of the structures (12) carrying seat at at least one front side door (7a).