SEAT ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A seat assembly for a vehicle, in particular a public transport vehicle such as a bus or train, comprises a transversely positioned bench seat in front of which there is a wheelchair space. In front of the transversely positioned bench seat in the travel direction of the vehicle is arranged a barrier device comprising at least one barrier element and a rotation axis, about which the barrier element can be moved between a tilted-down position extending in front of the transversely positioned bench seat and a tilted-up position which leaves the wheelchair space free.

Claims

1. Seat assembly for a vehicle, in particular a public transport vehicle such as a bus or train, with a transversely positioned bench seat in front of which there is a wheelchair space, such that in front of the transversely positioned bench seat in the travel direction there is arranged a barrier device, the said barrier device comprising at least one barrier element and a rotation axis about which the barrier element can be moved between a swiveled-out position extending in front of the transverse bench seat and a swiveled-in position which leaves the wheelchair space free.

2. Seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transversely positioned bench seat is a double folding seat.

3. Seat assembly according to claim 2, wherein, when in its swiveled-out position, the barrier device is arranged in front of only part of the width of the double folding seat.

4. Seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one barrier element comprises a frame and a plate arranged in the frame.

5. Seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein in front of the transversely positioned bench seat in the travel direction of the vehicle, there is arranged a longitudinally positioned bench seat.

6. Seat assembly according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinally positioned bench seat is a double folding seat.

7. Seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the barrier device comprises a connection element for connecting the rotation axis to a structural component of the vehicle.

8. Seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein the connection element is bolted onto the structural component of the vehicle.

9. Seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein the rotation axis is a distance away from the connection element.

10. Seat assembly according to claim 9, wherein a further barrier element is provided between the connection element and the rotation axis.

11. Seat assembly according to claim 1, with a locking device for locking the barrier element in its swiveled-out position and/or in its swiveled-in position.

12. Seat assembly according to claim 11, wherein the locking device can be released by means of a release device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The figures show:

[0020] FIG. 1: A perspective view of a seat assembly according to the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 2: Another perspective view of a seat assembly according to the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 3: The seat assembly of FIG. 1 with the barrier element in another position;

[0023] FIG. 4: A further view of the seat assembly with the barrier element in the position shown in FIG. 3;

[0024] FIG. 5: The seat assembly of FIG. 4 with a wheelchair occupying the wheelchair space;

[0025] FIG. 6: An alternative embodiment of the barrier device according to the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 7: The barrier device according to the present invention, with a locking device for locking the barrier element in its swiveled-out position and/or in its swiveled-in position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a seat assembly 1 for a vehicle (not shown as a whole), in particular a public transport vehicle such as a bus or train. Of the vehicle, in FIG. 1 and some other figures a sidewall 2 is shown.

[0028] In the present case the seat assembly 1 comprises a bench seat 3 positioned transversely, i.e. across a travel direction of the vehicle denoted by the index x, in front of which there is a wheelchair space. A wheelchair occupying the said wheelchair space is shown in FIG. 5 and is indexed 4. In addition the seat assembly in this case comprises a bench seat 5 arranged longitudinally in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3, in the travel direction x of the vehicle, which in what follows will be called the longitudinal bench seat 5. Whereas the passengers (not shown) on the transversely positioned bench seat 3 face toward the travel direction x, the passengers sitting on the longitudinal bench seat 5 face transversely to the travel direction x.

[0029] Particularly in FIG. 2 it can be seen that the transversely positioned bench seat 3 is in this case a double folding seat, i.e. a seat with two individually tilting seat surfaces. The longitudinal seat too is a double folding seat comprising two individual seat areas with tilting seat surfaces. The seat surfaces of the two seats, the transversely positioned bench seat 3 and longitudinally positioned bench seat 5 that form the double folding seats, are tilted upward in the conditions shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, leaving free the wheelchair space in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 for the wheelchair 4.

[0030] In the travel direction x of the vehicle, in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 there is arranged a barrier device 6 which in the present case comprises two barrier elements 7 and 8 and also a rotation axis 9. The barrier elements 7 and 8 are arranged on either side of the rotation axis 9; in what follows, the barrier element facing away from the sidewall 2 will be called the outer barrier element 7 while the barrier element facing toward the sidewall 2 will be called the inner barrier element 8.

[0031] The outer barrier element 7 can be moved between a swiveled-out position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which it extends in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3, and a swiveled-in position shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, in which the said outer barrier element 7 is pivoted through approximately 90 relative to its swiveled-out position, leaving the wheelchair space in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 free. In addition, FIG. 2 shows that the barrier device 6 and in particular the outer barrier element 7 thereof, in its swiveled-out position, extends across only part of the width of the double folding seat.

[0032] Thus, by swiveling in the outer barrier element 7 a free space for receiving the wheelchair 4 is created on the wheelchair space, as shown in FIG. 5. On the other hand, the arrangement of the outer barrier element 7 in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 provides protection for any passengers sitting on the seat, since if a sharp deceleration of the vehicle occurs the passengers can support themselves against the barrier device 7. In particular, a passenger sitting on the longitudinal bench seat 5 can also support himself against the inner barrier element 8, for example if the vehicle accelerates sharply or if it is moving uphill.

[0033] To prevent misuse of the transverse bench seat 3, it can be provided that the two individually tilting seat surfaces thereof can only be tilted down to the horizontal position when the barrier element 7 is in front of the transverse bench seat 3, or that the barrier element 7 is moved to its swiveled-out position extending in front of the transverse bench seat 3 when the two individual tilting seat surfaces are moved to the horizontal position. In both cases, both a mechanical and also an electrical coupling of the barrier element 7 with the two seat surfaces of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 are conceivable. Furthermore, in the area of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 a notice can be posted to make it clear that when both seat surfaces of the transversely positioned bench seat 3 are in use, the barrier element 7 must be brought to its swiveled-out position extending in front of the transversely positioned bench seat 3. Obviously, the aforesaid also applies when only one of the two seat surfaces is brought to its horizontal position.

[0034] In the embodiment form illustrated, both the outer barrier element 7 and the inner barrier element 8 each have a frame 7a and 8a respectively, and preferably in each case two plates 7b and 8b arranged in the frames 7a, 8a parallel to one another. However, the plates 7b and 8b can also be omitted.

[0035] The barrier mechanism 6 comprises a connection element 10, which serves to connect the rotation axis 9 to a structural component of the vehicle and thus to hold or support the barrier mechanism 6 on the structure of the vehicle. In the present case the structural component of the vehicle is a rail 11 extending along the sidewall 2. In the present case the connection element 10 is bolted by bolts (not shown) to the structural component of the vehicle, i.e. to the said rail 11. For that purpose the connection element 10 comprises a bar 10a and a flange 10b attached to the bar 10a, which flange is provided with holes 10c through which the bolts (not shown) extend in order to attach the flange 10b and thus the connection element 10 to the rail 11. Above the rail 11 there extends a further rail 12, to which the two bench seats 3 and 5 are attached.

[0036] In a manner not illustrated, it would also be possible to attach the connection element 10 to the transversely positioned bench seat 3 and/or to the longitudinal bench seat 5. An embodiment of the barrier mechanism 6, in which it has two further connection elements 13 and 14, is shown in FIG. 6. In this case the two connection elements 13 and 14 are attached to the upper rail 12 and can be fixed thereto in a manner similar to that of the connection element 10.

[0037] In the figures, especially FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, it can also be seen that the rotation axis 9 is a distance away from the connection element 10 and that the inner barrier element 8 is arranged between the connection element 10 and the rotation axis 9. However, it would also be possible to do without the inner barrier element 8. In such a case the rotation axis 9 could be attached directly to the connection element 10. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, however, by virtue of the distance of the rotation axis 9 from the sidewall 2 the outer barrier element 7 can be swiveled in front of the tilted-up seat surfaces of the longitudinal bench seat 5.

[0038] FIG. 7 shows a locking device 15, which serves to lock the barrier element 7 in its swiveled-out position and in its swiveled-in position. The locking device 15 comprises a rod 16 which extends between the two plates 7b (not shown in this case) and engages in a bore (not shown) in the rotation axis 9. The rotation axis 9 has two such bores, so that the rod can lock the barrier element 7 to the rotation axis 9 both in the swiveled-out position and in the swiveled-in position, in order to prevent any movement of the barrier element 7. Furthermore, the locking device 15 comprises a spring element 17 that acts in the closing direction of the rod 16 and pushes it into the bore concerned when the rod 16 is aligned with the said bore. If necessary the locking device 15 could also be designed such that the barrier element 7 can be locked only either in its swiveled-out position or in its swiveled-in position.

[0039] FIG. 7 also shows a release mechanism 18, with which the locking device 15 can be released in order to enable the barrier element 7 to be pivoted. The release mechanism 18 comprises an actuation element 19 that acts upon the rod 16 or is connected thereto. By pulling the actuation element 19 the rod 16 is pulled out of the bore concerned against the force of the spring element 17, so that the locking of the barrier element 7 to the rotation axis 9 is released and the barrier element 7 can be moved between its swiveled-out position and its swiveled-in position. To then engage the rod 16 in the desired bore and thereby to lock the barrier element 7 to the rotation axis 9, it is only necessary to let go the actuation element 19.

[0040] The components of the barrier device 6, i.e. the outer barrier element 7, the inner barrier element 8, the rotation axis 9 and the connection element 10 and their individual parts can consist of a suitable plastic or a suitable metal. Of course, plastic can be used for certain individual parts and metal for others.