Seating in a vehicle

Abstract

A seating arrangement arranged in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the passenger compartment of the vehicle having a first surface (44) and a second surface (66), the second surface (66) being vertically offset from the first surface (44), the seating arrangement comprising: a first support (12) disposed on the first surface (44) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a first hole opening (46) arranged on the first carrier (12); a second hole opening (48) arranged on the first carrier (12) such that the first hole opening (46) and the second hole opening (48) are located on opposite ends of the first carrier (12); a modified first support (52) disposed on the second surface (66) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a third hole opening (62) arranged on the modified first carrier (52); a fourth hole opening (64) arranged on the modified first carrier (52) such that the third hole opening (62) and the fourth hole opening (64) are located on opposite ends of the modified first carrier (52); a first rod (68) disposed in the first hole opening (46) on the first carrier (12) and the third hole opening (62) on the modified first carrier (52) and extending between the first carrier (12) and the modified first carrier (52); a second rod (74) disposed in the second hole opening (48) on the first support (12) and the fourth hole opening (64) on the modified first support (52) and extending between the first support (12) and the modified first support (52); characterized by at least one first seat module (14) having a first end support (76) and a second end support (86), each including a fifth hole opening (118) for receiving the first rod (68); and an opening (122) each arranged on an end of the end supports (76, 86) opposite the fifth hole opening (118) for receiving the second rod (74), wherein the end supports (76, 86) have an L-shaped configuration with a horizontally oriented seat portion (78), a vertically oriented back portion (82) and a bending portion (84) which connects the seat portion (78) and the back portion (82) as an integral part, and the end supports (76, 86) have a surface (96) on the left side and an opposite surface (98) on the right side, along which opposite groove surfaces (106, 108) with U-shaped or semi-circular cross-sectional configurations extend for connection to a frame (112).

Description

Area

[0001] This application concerns a seat in a vehicle.

[0002] More specifically, this application relates to a seat in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the seat having parts that can be used interchangeably regardless of a side of the vehicle. background

[0003] In means of transport such as a bus, an aircraft and other passenger-carrying means of transport that can accommodate a large number of people, a large number of seats are required to accommodate the large number of people.

[0004] Structures, buildings or other similar environments such as theaters, auditoriums, classrooms, etc. that accommodate a large number of people require a large number of seats to accommodate the large number of people.

[0005] When a large number of seats are provided for a large number of people, whether in a means of transport or an environment that accommodates the large number of people, this often contributes significantly to the costs associated with manufacturing the means of transport or the environment. Current seat designs are disadvantageous in that a large number of different parts are required in their manufacture. The large number of different parts required in the manufacture of a seat results in increased complexity and difficulty in assembling the large number of different parts in the manufacture of a seat. Increased complexity and difficulty in assembling the large number of different parts results in more time being required to assemble the different parts, which increases the cost of manufacturing the seat.The large number of different parts also requires a large inventory of parts, which also increases the cost of manufacturing a seat.

[0006] From KR 10 2004 0 022 274 A a fastening structure for a seat for a bus has become known, which deals in particular with any height adjustment of the seat.

[0007] US 11 014 676 B2 discloses a seating set for an aircraft which is particularly lightweight and can meet increased comfort requirements.

[0008] A generic seating arrangement is known from US 2019 / 0 118 951 A1. Summary

[0009] This application relates to a seating arrangement for a vehicle. According to one embodiment, a seating arrangement in a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprises a first support in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. First and second hole openings are arranged at opposite ends of the first support. A modified first support having third and fourth hole openings is located adjacent to the first support. A first rod is arranged in the first and third hole openings. A second rod is arranged in the second and fourth hole openings.Furthermore, there is at least one first seat module which has a first end support and a second end support, each including a fifth hole opening for receiving the first rod; and an opening each arranged on an end of the end supports opposite the fifth hole opening for receiving the second rod, wherein the end supports have an L-shaped configuration with a horizontally oriented seat portion, a vertically oriented back portion and a bending portion which connects the seat portion and the back portion as an integral part, and the end supports have a surface on the left side and an opposite surface on the right side, along which opposite groove surfaces with U-shaped or semi-circular cross-sectional configurations extend for connection to a frame. Short description of the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of seating modules set forth herein; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of elements of a seating module of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of other elements of a seating module of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another element end support of a seating module of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of the element of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a front elevation view of the element of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an assembly of seat modules set forth herein; and Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view of assembled seating modules set forth herein. Detailed description

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a seating arrangement described herein arranged in a passenger compartment of a vehicle such as a bus and the like. The embodiment of Fig. 1 comprises a first support 12, which supports a first seat module 14, a second seat module 16, and a third seat module 18, which are arranged substantially side by side. A second support 22 supports a fourth seat module 24 and a fifth seat module 26. The second support 22 is longitudinally spaced from the first support 12 and, starting from the first seat module 14, the second seat module 16, and the third seat module 18, supports both the fourth seat module 24 and the fifth seat module 26 longitudinally. The first support 12 has a construction and configuration that are identical to a construction and configuration of the second support 22. These identical constructions and configurations of both the first support 12 and the second support 22 allow the first support 12 and the second support 22 to be used interchangeably.In other words, the first carrier 12 has a first dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like, and the second carrier 22 has a second dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like, and the first dimension and the second dimension are identical.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first support 12 of Fig. 1. The construction of the first beam 12 in Fig. 2 includes a front post 28 and a rear post 32 that are vertically aligned and longitudinally spaced from each other. The front post 28 and the rear post 32 are connected by a support beam 34, which is horizontally oriented in the figures, which extends longitudinally between and is connected to ends of the front post 28 and the rear post 32. A surface of the support beam 34 defines a surface of the first beam 12. A diagonal post 36 connects the front post 28 and the rear post 32 together and provides structural rigidity to the first beam 12. The front post 28 has a front post bottom surface 38, and the rear post 32 has a rear post bottom surface 42, both configured to engage a surface 44 that is Fig. 1, which supports the first support 12 in a vertical orientation with respect to the surface 44. In some embodiments, the surface 44 corresponds to a floor surface of a passenger compartment of a vehicle. A surface of the support beam 34 is vertically offset from the front stand floor surface 38 and the rear stand floor surface 42. A configuration of the first support 12 shown in Fig. 2 may be constructed as a single piece, such as by injection molding, compression molding, other equivalent types of molding, and the like. The first carrier 12 may comprise any suitable material, such as plastic, a composite material, other similar types of material, and the like.

[0012] A first hole opening 46 is provided in the first support 12. The first hole opening 46 is positioned adjacent to one end of the rear post 32 of the first support 12 and one end of the support beam 34. The first hole opening 46 may be substantially cylindrical and extend through one end of the first support 12. In some embodiments, the first hole opening 46 may have a different cross-section and may extend partially through one end of the first support 12.

[0013] A second hole opening 48 extends through the first beam 12. The second hole opening 48 is positioned toward one end of the front post 28 of the first beam 12 and adjacent the support beam 34. The second hole opening 48 is disposed on the first beam 12 on the end thereof opposite the first hole opening 46 such that the first hole opening 46 and the second hole opening 48 are located on opposite ends of the first beam 12. The second hole opening 48 may be substantially cylindrical and extend through one end of the first beam 12. In some embodiments, the second hole opening 48 has a different configuration and may extend partially through the first beam 12.

[0014] There is also a modified first carrier 52 which is Fig. 2. In one embodiment, the modified first support 52 has a configuration substantially similar to a portion of the first support 12. The modified first support 52 has a third dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like, and a portion of the first support 12 has a fourth dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like. The third dimension and the fourth dimension are identical.

[0015] The modified first support 52 includes a shortened front support post 54 and a shortened rear support post 56. A support beam 58 connects the shortened front support post 54 and the shortened rear support post 56. A third hole opening 62 and a fourth hole opening 64 are arranged on the modified first support 52 such that the third hole opening 62 and the fourth hole opening 64 are located on opposite ends of the modified first support 52. In some embodiments, such as those where a height of the first support 12 is not required, the modified first support 52 can be used instead of the first support 12. In these embodiments, the modified first support 52 engages a second surface 66 which is Fig. 1, which is offset from the first surface 44 that engages the first support 12. In one embodiment, the second surface 66 is disposed adjacent to another structure, such as a wall and the like, located within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0016] The modified first support 52 may be positioned adjacent to the first support 12, with the first support 12 and the modified first support 52 positioned substantially side by side. In this embodiment, the first support 12 and the modified first support 52 support a first seat module 14 or a first seat module 14 and a second seat module 16 arranged substantially side by side in a row of seat modules.

[0017] A first rod 68 is disposed in the first hole opening 46 of the first carrier 12. The first rod 68 has a cylindrical outer surface that completes a cylindrical inner surface of the first hole opening 46 in the first carrier 12. Essentially, an inner surface of the first hole opening 46 in the first carrier 12 completes an outer surface of the first rod 68. The first rod 68 is disposed in the third hole opening 62 of the modified first carrier 52. The first rod 68 is positioned in the first hole opening 46 of the first carrier 12 and in the third hole opening 62 of the modified first carrier 52. With the first carrier 12 and the second carrier 22 positioned longitudinally spaced from each other, as in Fig. 1, the first rod 68 is positioned horizontally through the first hole opening 46 in the first support 12 and a second rod 72 is positioned horizontally in the first hole opening 46 on the second support 22.

[0018] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the second rod 74 is horizontally positioned in the second hole 48 of the first support 12. The second rod 74 is horizontally positioned in the fourth hole 64 of the modified first support 52. The second rod 74 is supported by the first support 12 and the modified first support 52 and is arranged parallel to the first rod 68.

[0019] While the following application specifically discusses the first seat module 14, it is understood that this discussion applies to the first seat module 14, the second seat module 16, and the third seat module 18. As in Fig. 3, there is a first end support 76 on the first seat module 14. The first end support 76 is inserted into the Fig. 4-6 separated from the first seat module 14. The first end support 76 includes a first seat bottom portion 78 that is horizontally oriented, a first back portion 82 that is vertically oriented, and a first bending portion 84 connecting the first seat bottom portion 78 and the first back portion 82. A second end support 86 is present on the first seat module 14. The second end support 86 includes a second seat bottom portion 88 that is horizontally oriented, a second back portion 92 that is vertically oriented, and a second bending portion 94 connecting the second seat bottom portion 88 and the second back portion 92. The first end support 76 has a fourth dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like, and the second end support 86 has a fifth dimension, such as a length, height, width, thickness, and the like.The fourth dimension and the fifth dimension are identical. The first end support 76 and the second end support 86 may comprise a plastic material that may be injection molded, compression molded, or formed in another equivalent manner. In some embodiments, the first end support 76 and the second end support 86 comprise a composite material, other equivalent materials, and the like.

[0020] With the first end support 76 and the second end support 86 having identical dimensions, the following discussion of the first end support 76 applies similarly to the second end support 86. The first end support 76 has an L-shaped configuration with a horizontally oriented seat portion 78, a vertically oriented back portion 82, and a bending portion 84 connecting the seat portion 78 and the back portion 82 as an integral part. As shown in the Fig. 4-6, the first end support 76 has a left-side surface 96 and an opposite right-side surface 98. The first end support 76 has a top surface 102 extending between the left-side surface 96 and the right-side surface 98, and an opposite bottom surface 104 extending between the left-side surface 96 and the right-side surface 98. The left-side surface 96 and the right-side surface 98 are mirror images with respect to each other.

[0021] As in Fig. 5, the first groove surface 106 is recessed into the surface 96 on the left side. The first groove surface 106 has a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration or a semicircular cross-sectional configuration. The first groove surface 106 extends along the surface 96 on the left side of the first end support 76 over the first seat portion 78, over the first back portion 82, and over the first bending portion 84 of the first end support 76. As shown in Fig. 4, the right-side surface 98 of the first end support 76 includes a second groove surface 108 recessed into the right-side surface 98. The second groove surface 108 has a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration or a semicircular cross-sectional configuration. The second groove surface 108 extends along the right-side surface 98 of the first end support 76 across the first seat portion 78, the first back portion 82, and the first bending portion 84 of the first end support 76.

[0022] Fig. Figure 4 shows the first end support 76 and the second end support 86 spaced laterally apart. The second groove surface 108 in the surface 98 on the right side of the first end support 76 is opposite the first groove surface 106 in the surface 96 on the left side of the second end support 86.

[0023] A frame 112 is connected to the first end support 76 and the second end support 86. In one embodiment, the frame 112 is a tube formed in a rectangular loop configuration. The frame 112 has a first side 114 of the frame 112 positioned in the second groove surface 108 of the first end support 76, which connects the frame 112 to the first end support 76. The frame 112 has a second side 116 of the frame 112 positioned in the first groove surface 106 of the second end support 86, which connects the frame 112 to the second end support 86. A fifth hole opening 118 is disposed in the first end support 76 through the first bending portion 84.In the illustrated embodiment, the fifth hole opening 118 corresponds to the first hole opening 46 on the first seat module 14 in that the first rod 68 can extend through the fifth hole opening 118, thereby connecting the first end support 76 and the second end support 86 of the first seat module 14 to the first rod 68. The fifth hole opening 118 receives the first rod 68 to thereby connect the first seat module 14 to the first support 12. In this way, the first seat module 14 is connected to the first surface 44, and thereby to the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0024] At the first rod 68, which connects the first seat module 14 to the first support 12, the first seat module 14 is rotatable relative to the first support 12 about the first rod 68. The first rod 68 is horizontally movable to insert the first rod 68 through the fifth hole 118 in the first seat module 14 and through the first hole 46 in the first support 12, thereby connecting the first seat module 14 to the first support 12. The first rod 68 is horizontally movable to retract the first rod 68 from the fifth hole 118 in the first seat module 14 and from the first hole 46 in the first support 12, thereby separating the first seat module 14 from the first support 12.

[0025] Fig. 5 shows an opening 122 in the first end support 76 of the first seat module 14. The opening 122 in the first seat module 14 receives a portion of the second rod 74, thereby connecting it to and supporting the first seat module 14. In some embodiments, the opening 122 may receive a portion of the second rod 74, thereby mating the second rod 74 to the first seat module 14, allowing the first seat module 14 to rotate about the second rod 74.

[0026] Fig. 7 illustrates a method for assembling the first seat module 14, the second seat module 16, and the third seat module 18 to the first support 12 and to the modified first support 52. The second rod 74 is inserted through the second hole opening 48 in the first support 12 and the fourth hole opening 64 in the modified first support 52. The seat module 14, the seat module 16, and the seat module 18 are disposed substantially side by side on the second rod 74. An opening 122 on each of the first end supports 76 of the seat module 14, the seat module 16, and the seat module 18 is moved toward the second rod 74, whereby each opening 122 engages adjacent portions of the second rod 74. If desired, the first seat module 14, the second seat module 16 and the seat module 18 can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction from positions of the seat module 14, the seat module 16 and the seat module 18 shown in Fig. 7, are rotated about the second rod 74. The seat module 14, the seat module 16, and the seat module 18 can be rotated about the second rod 74 until the fifth hole opening 118 in the end supports 76 of the seat module 14, the seat module 16, and the seat module 18 is aligned with the first hole opening 46 on the first support 12 and the third hole opening 62 through the modified first support 52, as shown in Fig. 8 is shown.

[0027] The first rod 68 is inserted through the aligned fifth hole opening 118 in each of the end supports 76 of the seat modules 14, 16, 18, the first hole opening 46 in the first support 12 and the third hole opening 62 in the modified first support 52, thereby completing an assembly of the seat modules 14, 16, 18 with the first support 12 and with the modified first support 52. Although the Fig. 7 and Fig.8 illustrates three seat modules, namely the first seat module 14, the second seat module 16, and the third seat module 18, connected to the first carrier 12 and the modified first carrier 52. These can comprise any desired number of seat modules, possibly with suitable modification, for seating in a vehicle. A substantially similar assembly method can be used to connect a single seat module 14 or a pair of seat modules 14, 16, or any combination of seat modules 14, 16, or 18 to the first carrier 12, the modified first carrier 52, or any combination of a first carrier 12 and a modified first carrier 52.

Claims

[1] Seating arrangement located in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, wherein the passenger compartment of the vehicle has a first surface (44) and a second surface (66), wherein the second surface (66) is vertically offset from the first surface (44), wherein the seating arrangement has the following: a first support (12) which is arranged on the first surface (44) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a first hole opening (46) which is arranged on the first support (12); a second opening (48) arranged on the first support (12) such that the first opening (46) and the second opening (48) are located at opposite ends of the first support (12); a modified first support (52) which is arranged on the second surface (66) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a third hole opening (62) which is arranged on the modified first support (52); a fourth hole opening (64) arranged on the modified first support (52) such that the third hole opening (62) and the fourth hole opening (64) are located at opposite ends of the modified first support (52); a first rod (68) which is arranged in the first hole opening (46) on the first support (12) and the third hole opening (62) on the modified first support (52) and extends between the first support (12) and the modified first support (52); a second rod (74) which is arranged in the second hole opening (48) on the first support (12) and the fourth hole opening (64) on the modified first support (52) and extends between the first support (12) and the modified first support (52); characterized by at least one first seat module (14) comprising a first end support (76) and a second end support (86), each including a fifth hole opening (118) for receiving the first rod (68); and Each end support (76, 86) has an opening (122) opposite the fifth hole opening (118) for receiving the second rod (74), wherein the end supports (76, 86) have an L-shaped configuration with a horizontally oriented seat section (78), a vertically oriented backrest section (82) and a bending section (84) which connects the seat section (78) and the backrest section (82) as an integral part, and the end supports (76, 86) have a surface (96) on the left side and an opposite surface (98) on the right side, along which opposing groove surfaces (106, 108) with u-shaped or semicircular cross-sectional configurations extend for connection with a frame (112). [2] Seating arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a second seating module (16), wherein the first seating module (14) and the second seating module (16) are identical. [3] Seating arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a second seat module (16) having a second end support (86) which includes a fifth hole opening (118) for receiving the first rod (68); and a second opening (122) which is arranged on the second end support (86) for receiving the second rod (74). [4] Seating arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the first seat module (14) and the second seat module (16) are arranged side by side within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. [5] Seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a bus.

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