WO1997041000A1

WO1997041000A1 - Public transport vehicle seat convertible into sleeping berth

Info

Publication number: WO1997041000A1
Application number: PCT/FR1997/000762
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benoît Lambert
Original assignee: Renault Vi
Priority date: 1996-04-29
Filing date: 1997-04-29
Publication date: 1997-11-06
Also published as: FR2747968A1; FR2747968B1

Abstract

The invention discloses a public transport vehicle seat (10) convertible into a sleeping berth, comprising a leg (14) to fix the seat on the vehicle floor (12), which supports a substantially horizontally oriented cushion element (16) and a substantially vertically oriented back (18), characterised in that it comprises a carrier bearing the cushion element (16) and the back (18) and which is movably mounted with respect to the leg (14) between a low seating position and a high position, in that the back (18) is pivotably mounted on the carrier, about a first horizontal axis (X-X) located substantially at the level of the cushion element (16) such that, the carrier being in a raised position, it is tiltable towards the rear in the extension of the cushion element (16), for the seat to be used as an upper sleeping berth (10s).

Description

COMMUTE VEHICLE SEAT MAY BE TRANSFORMED INTO A Berth

The present invention relates to the layout of public transport vehicles. Whether it is a coach or an airplane, it is desirable to be able to equip the cabin of the public transport vehicle with seats capable of being transformed into berths.

According to most of the known arrangements, in particular in the field of coaches, the transformation of the seats or benches equipping the cabin into berths requires simultaneously transforming all of the seats equipping the cabin, or at least all of the seats or benches belonging to a same row. Examples of such arrangements are for example described and represented in documents FR-A-2,692. 122 and FR-A-2.721 .266.

The document FR-A-1. 450.283 describes and represents in its figure 3 a design of seats for public transport vehicles allowing their transformation into berths without having to transform all the seats belonging to the same row, but it is at least necessary to transform at least two consecutive seats in the row simultaneously to constitute an upper berth and a lower berth.

The object of the present invention is to propose a new design for an individual seat of a public transport vehicle, capable of being transformed into a berth, which allows the transformation of a single seat belonging to a row into an upper berth without having to transform the two immediately adjacent seats in the same row. For this purpose, the invention provides a seat of a public transport vehicle capable of being transformed into a berth, of the type comprising a foot, for fixing the seat to the floor of the vehicle, which supports a seat element of substantially horizontal orientation and a substantially vertical orientation file, characterized in that it comprises a carriage which carries the seat element and the file and which is mounted movable relative to the foot between a low position of use of the seat in the seated position and a high position, and in that the backrest is pivotally mounted on the carriage, around a first horizontal axis situated substantially at the height of the seat element so, in the high position of the carriage, able to be tilted backwards as an extension of the seat element, for the use of the seat in the upper berth

According to other features of the invention

- The foot has a hollow body inside which the carriage is slidably mounted and has, in its front face which extends opposite the backrest in the seated position, a vertical slot through which extends horizontally an arm of the carriage the ibre end of which carries the seat element and the horizontal axis on which the backrest is pivotally mounted,

the body of the foot is a telescopic body comprising a hollow lower body inside which is slidably mounted a hollow upper body inside which the carriage is slidably mounted,

the seat comprises means for locking the seat in the high position,

the locking means comprise means for blocking the carriage in the high position relative to the foot,

the locking means comprises means for blocking the upper body in the deployed position relative to the lower body, - The seat includes means for controlling the movement of the carriage between its low and high position;

- The seat includes removable means for hanging the seat element and / or the backrest from the ceiling of the vehicle cabin when the seat is in the upper berth position;

- The seat includes means for angular locking of the backrest around the first horizontal axis;

- the foot is mounted articulated, in the vicinity of its base, around a second horizontal axis, so that, in the low position of the carriage, it can be tilted horizontally backwards, simultaneously with the backrest, and the element d 'seat is pivotally mounted on the carriage, around the first horizontal axis, so that it can be tilted horizontally forward in the extension of the backrest, for the use of the seat in lower berth;

- The seat comprises means of angular locking of the foot around the second axis of articulation and means of angular locking of the seat element around the first axis of articulation;

- The seat has a pair of armrests which are pivotally mounted on the carriage around the first horizontal axis between a position of use, when the seat is in the seated position and a retracted position, angularly offset by 180 °, when the seat is transformed, in particular into an upper berth to free access to the latter and constitute a step for access to the berth;

- The seat element comprises a main cushion carried by the carriage and an auxiliary cushion mounted movable relative to the main cushion between a retracted position in which it extends under the main cushion and an unfolded position. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic elevation view which illustrates three consecutive seats of the same row of seats produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention and which are all three represented in a seated position;

- Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 in which the central seat is illustrated transformed into an upper berth;

- Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 in which the left seat is illustrated in a seated position with its partially inclined backrest and the right seat transformed into a lower berth;

- Figure 4 is a schematic rear three-quarter view illustrating a seat according to the teachings of the invention shown in the high position before tilting its backrest for the transformation of the seat into upper berth;

- Figure 5 is a front three-quarter perspective view of a seat according to the teachings of the invention during movement to its upper position;

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of the design of the telescopic leg of the seat according to the teachings of the invention which is here shown during deployment to its high position;

- ia Figure 7 is a sectional view through a median transverse plane of the foot illustrated in Figure 6, with the carriage shown in the lower position; and

- Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 in which the carriage is shown in the high position and the foot is fully extended. There is shown in Figure 1 three seats 10 installed in a row on the floor 12 of the cabin of a transport vehicle (not shown in detail) which is for example a coach or an airplane Each of the seats 10 is shown in its normal position of use, called sitting position.

Each seat essentially consists of a foot or support 14 which carries a seat cushion 16 and a backrest 1 8 As will be explained in more detail below, the seat cushion 16 and the backrest 1 8 are mounted pivoting about a first horizontal axis XX so as to be able to occupy different relative angular positions

Each of the seats 1 0 comprises a pair of armrests 20 which are also pivotally mounted around the first geometric axis X-X

The foot 14 forming a support is itself articulated and pivoting, about a second horizontal axis YY parallel to the horizontal axis XX and located in the vicinity of the base of the support, relative to a base 22 fixed on the floor 12 so, as will be explained later, to be able to pivot the assembly constituted by the support leg 14, the seat cushion 16, the backrest 18 and the armrests 20 around the axis YY The three seats are identical and are separated from each other by the same distance intended in particular to allow passengers to access the seats 10 by passing between two seats, that is to say between the front edge of a cushion d '' seat 16 and the back of the backrest 1 8 of the seat located immediately in front

In FIG. 2, the central seat is illustrated transformed into an upper berth 10s, while the seats 10 of left and right are always in their normal use position called the sitting position.

As can be seen in Figure 2 and as will be explained later in more detail, the support leg 14 is of general telescopic design so as to allow its deployment to vertically move the seat cushion 16, the backrest 18 and the armrests 20 vertically upwards, substantially above the upper part of the backs 18 of the other two seats. In order to arrange the central seat in a berth 10s, after deployment of the telescopic leg 14, the tilting was carried out towards the rear, that is to say counterclockwise, considering FIG. 2, of the backrest 18 around the axis XX to bring it into a substantially horizontal orientation in the extension of the seat cushion 16 which has retained its horizontal orientation during the translational movement 14.

As can be seen in the figures, the seat cushion 16 is essentially constituted by a main cushion 16A constituting the actual seat of a seat 10 and by an auxiliary seat cushion 16B which is mounted mobi the relative to the cushion n 16A, which is normally retracted under the main cushion 16A, as can be seen for example in Figure 1 for the three seats 1 0, and which can be unfolded, according to a known technique, for extend horizontally in the extension of the main cushion 16A as it is glossy on the central seat in the sleeper position 10s in FIG. 2.

In order to improve the resistance of the assembly in the upper berth position, provision is made to hang the backrest 1 8 and the seat cushion 16 in two parts by straps 24 which, according to a known technique, are hung from the ceiling of the cabin of the transport vehicle. To free access to the upper berth 10s, it is planned to rotate the armrests by 180 ° relative to their normal position of use, illustrated for example in FIG. 1, the armrests 20 thus oriented downwards. advantageously constituting a step for accessing the seat transformed into an upper berth 10s, in association with the armrests of the seat 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2

We will now refer to FIG. 3 in which the central seat is in the upper berth position 10s while the left seat is in the slightly inclined seated position and the right seat is transformed into the lower berth 10ι

To tilt the seat 10 on the left slightly backwards, and in particular its backrest 18, it suffices to pivot the entire seat with its support 14 around the horizontal axis YY relative to the base 22, then to rotate the seat cushion 16 forwards to bring it back in a substantially horizontal orientation This relative angular position of the cushion 16 can be obtained simultaneously with the rearward tilting of the support 14 around the axis YY by means of a known design mechanism which is not shown in the figures

Each seat is of course equipped with means for locking the angular position of the support 14, around the axis Y-Y, relative to the base 22, these means being able to be of any known type.

Likewise, angular locking means are provided in various relative positions of the backrest 1 8 and of the seat cushion 16 around the axis XX. All these angular locking means being of known design, they will not be described. I CI more in detail

To transform the right seat of Figure 3 into a lower berth 10ι, simply rotate the entire seat, that is to say the support 14 around the axis YY to bring the latter, simultaneously with the backrest 18, in the substantially horizontal orientation, then to rotate the seat cushion 16 forwards to also bring it in a horizontal orientation in the extension of the backrest 18.

According to a known design, it is also possible to hang the backrest 18 and the seat cushion 16 of the right seat transformed into a lower berth 10i, by means of straps 24 or, as a variant, by crutches. Thanks to the design of each of the seats 10 according to the invention, it is therefore understood that it is possible to transform each seat into a lower or upper berth according to the wishes of the passengers occupying them, all the combinations being practically possible. We will now describe in detail the design of a seat, and in particular of its foot 14 forming a support with a telescopic structure and comprising a carriage 26 which carries the backrest 1 8, the seat cushion 16, the armrests 20, referring to Figures 4 to 8. The foot 14 which supports the seat 1 0 via the carriage 26 is, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, a telescopic foot constituted by a hollow lower body 141 which is mounted articulated, around the axis YY, on the base 22 and which receives a hollow upper body 14S mounted telescopically with respect to the lower body 141 to slide longitudinally inside the latter between a folded position in which it is entirely housed at the inside the lower body 141 and a deployed position, it is glossy in FIGS. 4 and 8, in which it extends substantially entirely outside the hollow lower body 141, in the longitudinal extension l of the latter.

The hollow lower 141 and upper 14S bodies are for example produced in the form of section boxes complementary rectangular, each delimited by a rear face 281, 28S, by a front face 301, 30S and by small lateral faces 321, 32S

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the large front faces 301 and 30S each have a vertical central slot 341, 34S whose width is slightly greater than the transverse width of the carrying arm 36 belonging to the carriage 26 which extends transversely towards outside

The support arm 36 carries at its free end 38, located outside of the foot 14, a shaft 40, of geometric axis X-X, used for the rotational mounting of the seat cushion 16, the backrest 1 8 and the armrests 20

The rear transverse end 42 of the support arm 36, which is located inside the hollow upper body 14S, is slidably mounted in the latter

The sliding movements of the carriage 26 inside the hollow upper body 14S and the deployment and folding movements of the telescopic leg 14 are for example controlled and / or assisted by means of a telescopic jack 44 whose end lower 46 is articulated on a plate 48 while the free end 50 of its rod is fixed, with articulation, on the lower face of the carriage 26

The plate 48 can be fixed to the base 22 or to the lower part of the hollow lower body 141 at the level of the yokes 23 of the latter serving for the articulation of the foot 14 on the base 22

There is shown schematically in the figures various stop and locking means in high position of the two parts of the telescopic leg 14 and the carriage 26 relative to the hollow upper element 14S

Thus, the upper element 14S comprises, at its lower part, two lugs 52 which cooperate with lugs facing each other 54 arranged at the upper part of the lower body 141 to define the fully extended position of the telescopic leg 14

This high position can be locked by automatic locking devices, of known design, which comprise, for example, pins 56 linked to the upper body 14S which are housed in opposite holes 58 formed both in the lateral faces. 32 I than in the rear face 28I of the lower body 141

Likewise, the rear part 42 of the carriage 26 situated inside the upper hollow body 14S may comprise retractable fingers 60 which, when the carriage 26 is in its maximum high position relative to the hollow upper body 14S, are received in holes 62 formed in the lateral faces 32S and in the rear face 28S, the high position of the carriage 26 being also delimited by pins 64, agencies in the vicinity of the upper edge of the upper body 14S, which cooperate with the upper face of the arm carrier 36

FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 show schematically lateral reinforcement elements 70 belonging to the backrest 18 and allowing it to be mounted in rotation on the shaft 40, as well as reinforcement elements 72 belonging to the seat cushion main 16A for its rotational mounting on the shaft 40

On the other hand, the angular locking means of the seat cushion 16, of the backrest 18 and of the armrests 20 in respective and varied angular positions around the axis X-X are not shown in the figures

Starting from the low position illustrated in FIG. 7, the complete deployment aiming to bring the carriage 26 to the high position, which is glossy in FIG. 8, is carried out for example by means of the jack 44 which acts on the carriage 26

The vertical stroke upwards of the carriage 26 continues until its upper face engages the lugs 64 of the hollow upper element 14S to then cause the latter to deploy outwards relative to the hollow lower element 141 and this until the lugs 52 come into abutment against the stops 54 In the high position i ll ustrée in Figure 8, it is then possible to tilt backwards, that is to say counterclockwise by considering Figure 8, the backrest 18 around the axis XX up 'to bring it into a substantially horizontal position in the extension of the seat cushion 16, this tilting movement being made possible by the clearance 1 9 made at the lower part of the rear face of the backrest 1 8 (see Figure 4)

According to a variant embodiment, not shown in the figures, it is possible to provide for the movement of the carriage 26 relative to the lower part of the foot 14 to be ensured by means of an articulated mechanism, for example of the paral type. the lelogram or of the knee type it loosens (that is to say comprising two parallel axes of articulation), this second type of movement which can moreover be combined with a telescopic movement, and this so as to obtain a more complex kinematics seat up position 1 0, before backrest tilting 1 8

Claims

1 seat (10) of a public transport vehicle capable of being transformed into a berth, of the type comprising a foot (14), for fixing the seat to the floor (12) of the vehicle, which supports a seat element ( 16) of substantially horizontal orientation and a backrest (18) of substantially vertical orientation, characterized in that it comprises a carriage (26) which carries the seat element (16) and the backrest (18) and which is mounted movable relative to the foot (14) between a low position for using the seat (10) in the seated position and a high position, and in that the backrest (18) is pivotally mounted on the carriage (26), around a first horizontal axis (XX) located substantially at the height of the seat element (16) so that, in the high position of the carriage, it can be tilted backwards in the extension of the element seat (16), for using the seat in the upper berth (10s)

2 seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the foot (14) comprises a hollow body (14S) inside which the carriage (26) is slidably mounted and comprises, in its front face (30S) which extends opposite the backrest (18) in the seated position, a vertical slot (34S) through which extends horizontally an arm (36) of the carriage (26) whose free end (38) carries the seat element ( 16) and the horizontal axis (40, XX) on which the backrest (18) is pivotally mounted

3 seat according to claim 2, characterized in that the leg body (14) is a telescopic body comprising a hollow lower body (141) inside which is slidably mounted a hollow upper body (14S) inside which the carriage (26) is slidably mounted

4 Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (52 to 64) for locking the seat in the high position

5 Seat according to claim 4 taken in combination with one of claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the locking means comprises means (60, 62, 64) for locking the carriage (26) in the high position relative to the foot (141)

6 seat according to claim 5 taken in combination with claim 3, characterized in that the locking means comprises means (52, 54, 58, 60) for locking the upper body (14S) in the deployed position relative to the lower body (141)

7 Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (44) for controlling the movements of the carriage (26) between its low and high position. 8 Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes removable means (24) for hanging the seat element (16) and / or the backrest (18) from the ceiling of the vehicle cabin when the seat is in the upper berth position (10s) 9 Seat according to one that lconque of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for angular locking of the backrest (18) around the first horizontal axis (XX)

10 Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foot (14) is mounted articulated, in the vicinity of its base, around a second horizontal axis (YY), so, in the low position of the carriage (26), able to be tilted horizontally backwards, simultaneously with the backrest (1 8), and in that the seat element (16) is pivotally mounted on the carriage (26), around the first axis horizontal (XX), so that it can be tilted horizontally forward in the extension of the backrest (1 8), for the use of the seat in the lower berth (1 0ι)

1 1. Seat according to one of Claims 9 or 10, characterized in that it includes means for angular locking of the foot (14) around the second articulation axis (YY) and means for locking the angular alignment of the element seat (16) around the first articulation axis (XX).

12. Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pair of armrests (20) which are pivotally mounted on the carriage (26) around the first horizontal axis (XX). Between a position d 'use, when the seat is in the seated position (10), and a retracted position, angularly offset by 180 °, when the seat is transformed, in particular into an upper berth (10s) to free access to the latter and constitute a access step to the berth.

1 3. Seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat element (16) comprises a main cushion (16A) carried by the carriage (26) and an auxiliary cushion (16B) mounted movable relative to to the main cushion (16A) between a retracted position in which it extends under the main cushion (16A) and an unfolded position.