Vehicle interior

Abstract

The invention relates to a passenger compartment (20) of a vehicle (10) comprising at least one seat (14, 15, 16, 17) and comprising a console (18) that can be placed laterally adjacent the seat. The particularity is that at least one seat (14, 15) is designed to be adjustable such that it can be moved out of a first position in which it faces in the travel direction, and into a second position, and that at least part of the console (18) is mounted so as to be movable out of a primary position in which it is laterally adjacent the seat, into a secondary position in which it is outside the movement path of the seat during movement of the seat between the first position and the second position.

Claims

1. A passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising: a seat; a console; a seat drive for moving the seat out of a first front-facing position in which the seat faces in the travel direction and into a second position facing in another direction; a console drive connected to the console for moving a part of the console out of a primary position in which it is laterally adjacent the seat and in a movement path of the seat on movement between the respective positions into a secondary position in which it is outside the movement path of the seat during movement of the seat by the seat drive between the first forward-facing position and the second position; and a controller connected to the drives for, prior to movement of the seat by the seat drive from the first front-facing position into the second position, moving the console from the primary position into the secondary position.

2. The passenger compartment of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide on which the console travels on movement between the respective positions.

3. The passenger compartment of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the seat pivots when moving between the respective positions.

4. The passenger compartment of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the console moves in a straight line between the respective positions.

5. The passenger compartment of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein adjacent the seat there is another seat in a front region of the compartment and there are two of the seats in a back region of the compartment, the part of the console being between the seats of the front region in the primary position and is within reach of the seats of a back region in the secondary position.

6. The passenger compartment of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the console comprises a frame and a container, and the container is mounted so as to be movable relative to the frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further advantages of the invention can be found in the description of an exemplary embodiment that is shown in the schematic figures. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle comprising a front region and comprising a back region,

(3) FIG. 2 is a view according to arrow II in FIG. 1, seats of the front region being located in a first forward-facing position and a console being in a primary front position,

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vehicle like FIG. 2 where the seats of the front region are in the primary forward-facing positions and the console is in a secondary rear position, and

(5) FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vehicle like FIG. 2 where the seats of the front region are in a second rearward-facing position and the console is in the primary front position.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) A vehicle as a whole is shown in the figures by reference character 10. The same reference characters in the different figures refer to the same parts, even if small letters follow or are omitted.

(7) FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle 10. A body 11 of the vehicle 10 is indicated by a dashed line. The forward travel direction is denoted by x.sub.1. The vehicle 10 has a passenger compartment 20 comprising a front region 12 and a back region 13.

(8) According to FIG. 2, the front region 12 holds two seats 14 and 15. The back region 13 holds two seats 16 and 17. According to FIG. 2, the seats 14, 15, 16 and 17 face in the forward direction x.sub.1, i.e. a seat occupant is facing in the forward travel direction x.sub.1. Each seat comprises a seat part 25 and a backrest part 26. A gap a is formed between the seats 14, 15 of the front region 12 to allow for a console 18 to be in the intermediate space.

(9) The seats 14 and 15 can be pivoted out of the first front-facing positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and into the second rearward-facing positions shown in FIG. 4 and vice versa. In the second position, the seats 14 and 15 are for example pivoted by 180°. That is to say that they face in the rearward direction x.sub.2. However, according to an alternative, it is also possible for example for the seats 14 and 15 to be pivotable about any other desired angle. The seats could in addition be movable in a straight line, for example in the directions x.sub.1 or x.sub.2, and/or in the directions y.sub.1 or y.sub.2. It can be seen according to FIG. 2 that the console 18 is located in the movement path of the seats 14 and 15.

(10) The console 18 is mounted so as to be movable between a primary position shown in FIG. 2, and a secondary position that can be seen in FIG. 3. In the secondary position, the console 18 is between the seats 16 and 17. In order to move the console 18, a guide 19 is provided that is fastened to a floor 21 of the passenger compartment 20. The guide 19 allows for straight-line movement of the console 18 out of the primary front position, in the direction x.sub.2 and into the secondary rear position. From the secondary rear position, the console 18 can be moved in the direction x.sub.1 into the primary front position.

(11) The seats 14 and 15 and the console 18 can be pivoted by respective drives 27 and 28 comprising electric motors. These drives 27 and 28 are controlled by a controller 29. A vehicle occupant transmits, for example via a control panel on the console 18, the signal to the controller 29 that autopilot should be switched on and the seat 14 or 15 should be moved out of the first forward-facing position and into the second rearward-facing position.

(12) The controller 29 then controls a drive 30 of the console 18 such that the console 18 is moved into the secondary rear position according to FIG. 3. If the console 18 is in the secondary rear position, the controller 29 controls the drive 28 for example such that first the seat 15 is pivoted in the direction u.sub.1 into the second rearward-facing position, and subsequently the seat 14 is pivoted by the respective drive 27 into the rearward second position. Prior to pivoting the seats 14 and 15, they can for example be brought into a compact position in that a backrest part 26 is brought into a vertical position and an armrest is lowered into a stowage position in a recess of the backrest part 26. Thereafter, the drive 30 is controlled by the controller 29 such that the console is moved back into the primary position (see FIG. 4).

(13) If the vehicle is to be manually driven again, an occupant can again send a signal to the controller 29 via the control panel, which signal triggers a reverse algorithm. That is to say that the controller 29 makes the console 18 move out of the primary front position and into the secondary rear position. Subsequently, the seat 15 is pivoted in the direction u.sub.2 by the respective drive 28, and then the seat 14 is pivoted in the direction u.sub.1 out of the second rearward facing position and into the first front-facing position by the respective drive 27. Before this movement of the seats 14 and 15 also, they can be brought into the compact position again. Thereafter, the console 18 is moved back into the primary position by the respective drive 30.

(14) According to FIG. 1, the console 18 is C-shaped. It comprises a frame 22 and a container 23. The frame 22 forms a tunnel 24 in which the container 23 can be arranged in a nested position. The frame 22 comprises an opening (not shown) through which the container 23 can be moved out of the nested position shown in FIG. 1 in the direction x.sub.2 and into a separated position in which the container is between the seats 16 and 17. During movement, the container 23 is guided by the guide 19 and driven by the drive. In other words, if the seat position of the seats 14 and 15 is not intended to be changed, the container 23 can be moved separately into the separated position while the frame 22 remains in the primary position. The occupants of the seats 16 and 17 then also may access the container.

(15) It may be possible for the entire console 18 or the container 23 alone to be able to be locked by a latch in defined positions or in each set position.