An extendable outdoor seat from the running board of a vehicle, and a vehicle equipped with the same.

Abstract

Extendable outdoor seat (3) from a running board (1) of a vehicle (2), - with a seat element (4) for sitting when the vehicle (2) is stationary and an extension mechanism (5) arranged on the seat element (4) and the running board (1), by means of which the seat element (4) can be moved back and forth between an extended operating position (6) and a retracted transport position (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an external seat extendable from a running board of a vehicle according to claim 1. The invention relates in particular to a vehicle equipped with such an external seat.

[0002] People spend a significant portion of their lives in a vehicle, traveling from place to place. They leave the vehicle for breaks, excursions, or vacations. This often results in the unpleasant problem that there are no seats available anywhere, preventing them from enjoying a beautiful landscape or something similar in peace.

[0003] DE 10 2007 014 075 A1 discloses a foldable step for a motorhome, but it is not comfortable to sit on. Furthermore, WO 2015 / 132345 A2 discloses a vehicle with a foldable outside seat. However, the majority of the seating is located at the rear of the vehicle in a trunk and underneath a trunk lid, making it difficult to enjoy a beautiful landscape or the like.

[0004] JP 2002 166 779 A discloses a retractable step device in which a step can be used as a space for setting up a foot section. The retractable step device is provided with a locking mechanism for maintaining the retracted position. The device includes a lock release portion configured to release the locking mechanism; and a deployment operation portion configured to be actuated when a deployment operation is performed from the retracted position to the use position.

[0005] US 2022 / 0348 142 A1 describes a motor vehicle having a storage compartment with a controllable integrated storage compartment assembly located adjacent to the cabin, behind a rearmost seat of the motor vehicle, and in front of the set of rear wheels. This assembly has a door with a step element having a horizontal step surface when opened, with at least a portion of the controllable integrated storage compartment positioned in front of a front wall of the cargo space.

[0006] DE 10 2018 101 118 A1 discloses a tailgate assembly having an interior storage insert. A table and seat subassembly can be slid back and forth between a stowed position held within this interior storage insert and a use position unfolded from this interior storage insert.

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide an improved or at least a different embodiment for an exterior seat. In particular, a vehicle with such an exterior seat is to be specified.

[0008] In the present invention, this object is achieved in particular by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims and the description.

[0009] The basic idea of ​​the invention is to integrate an extendable outdoor seat into a running board of a vehicle so that a user can sit on the side of the vehicle and observe a beautiful landscape or the like.

[0010] For this purpose, an external seat is specifically proposed that can be extended from a running board of a vehicle. The seat has a seating element for sitting when the vehicle is stationary and an extension mechanism arranged on the seating element and the running board. The seating element is designed to be operable back and forth using the extension mechanism between an extended use position, in which the external seat is expediently intended for use by a user of the vehicle, and a retracted transport position, in which the external seat is expediently stowed away safely on the vehicle. This allows the user of the vehicle to sit on the side of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked and the external seat is extended and, for example, observe a beautiful landscape or the like. Carrying bulky seats in the vehicle can therefore be eliminated in the future.A corresponding outdoor seat is also ready for use relatively quickly, as it only needs to be extended from the transport position into the use position.

[0011] The invention defines a running board as a vehicle structural component that is mounted as a step-like projection beneath the side doors of a vehicle. It expediently extends more or less parallel to a longitudinal axis (x-axis) of the vehicle and is intended to facilitate entry into the vehicle.

[0012] It is expedient if the seat element is arranged next to one side of the vehicle in the use position. In the use position, it can further be provided that the seat element extends in its main direction of extension parallel to the longitudinal axis (x-axis) running through the vehicle, for example over part of the vehicle side or over the entire vehicle side. To provide a user of the outer seat with a comfortable seating experience, it can be provided that a seat surface of the seat element is aligned horizontally, substantially horizontally, or tilted at an angle relative to the horizontal by a predeterminable seating angle.

[0013] It is also useful if the seat element, in the transport position, is retracted into a storage area defined between the underside of the running board facing the ground and the surface of the ground facing the vehicle. In other words, the seat element is retracted beneath the running board in the transport position. This securely stows it and is not visible to the user from the outside, so the overall visual appearance of the vehicle is not affected by the retracted outer seat. Furthermore, the seat element can be relatively easily protected from damage and weather-related influences.

[0014] The outer seat can be equipped with locking devices that can be operated manually or remotely by a user, preventing inadvertent operation of the seat element from the use position and / or from the transport position. For example, the seat element can be locked in the use position by the locking devices. This prevents it from being inadvertently operated from the use position. Likewise, the seat element can be locked in the transport position by the locking devices. This prevents it from being inadvertently operated from the transport position.

[0015] It is expedient if the extension mechanism has a hinge mechanism by means of which the seat element can be pivoted back and forth between the use position and the transport position. It is expedient if the hinge mechanism has a hinge joint that defines a pivot axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis (x-axis) running through the vehicle. The hinge mechanism can also comprise a first leg and a second leg that are connected by means of the hinge joint and are pivotable relative to one another. The first leg is formed, for example, by a housing part of the running board and is therefore immovable relative to the vehicle. The second leg is expediently formed by a flat body that forms a trough-like receptacle for the seat element and a height adjustment mechanism for the seat element, described below.The second leg is expediently pivotable relative to the first leg or the vehicle, wherein in the transport position it is pivoted completely into the said storage area and rests, for example, flatly or selectively on the underside of the running board. In the use position, the second leg is pivoted out of the storage area in a terrace-like manner next to a said side of the vehicle, wherein it is aligned horizontally or essentially horizontally so that the seat element can be optimally extended using the height adjustment mechanism. It is further expedient if, in the use position, the said receptacle of the second leg points away from the ground, while in the transport position it faces the ground.

[0016] It is further expedient if the extension mechanism has a height adjustment mechanism arranged on the seat element for adjusting the height of the seat element in the use position. This allows a user of the outer seat to set the optimal height of the seat element in the use position, so that the outer seat can also be used optimally by users of different heights. It goes without saying that the "height" in this case refers to a vertical axis (z-axis) of the vehicle. It is expedient if the height adjustment mechanism, as mentioned, is arranged on the seat element on the one hand, while on the other hand it is arranged in the said receptacle of the second leg on the second leg.

[0017] It is advantageous if the height adjustment mechanism is a scissor mechanism. The invention defines a scissor mechanism, also known in practice as a scissor lever, as a mechanism comprising two or more crossed and hinged rods. By fixing one rod and operating the other, the height of the seat element can be adjusted.

[0018] It is also expedient for the outer seat to have a backrest support element formed by the vehicle's outer skin, in particular a closed side door of the vehicle. This allows the user of the outer seat to support their back against the vehicle, which improves seating comfort.

[0019] According to a further basic concept of the invention, a vehicle, in particular a passenger car, is provided which is equipped with at least one running board and at least one outer seat attached to the at least one running board, the latter being designed as described above. This means, in particular, that two outer seats can also be provided, arranged on running boards located on two opposite sides of the vehicle. This allows users of the vehicle to sit on the left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0020] In summary, the present invention relates to an exterior seat that can be extended from a running board of a vehicle, comprising a seat element for sitting when the vehicle is stationary and an extension mechanism arranged on the seat element and the running board, the extension mechanism allowing the seat element to be moved back and forth between an extended use position and a retracted transport position. The invention particularly relates to a vehicle with at least one such exterior seat.

[0021] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

[0023] Showing schematically: Fig. 1 an exemplary vehicle equipped with at least one outer seat according to the invention, wherein the same is actuated in the transport position under the running board and is therefore not visible, Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of the vehicle Fig. 1 looking towards a Fig. 1 arrow A, whereby the outer seat is moved under the footboard into the transport position and finally Fig. 3 the cross-sectional view of the vehicle Fig. 2, whereby, in deviation from Fig. 2 the outer seat is moved into its use position next to one side of the vehicle.

[0024] In Fig. 1 shows an exemplary vehicle, designated overall by 2, which is to be equipped with at least one outer seat 3 according to the invention. Defined on the vehicle 2 in the direction of travel are a longitudinal vehicle axis 10 (x-axis), a transverse vehicle axis 29 (y-axis) perpendicular thereto, and a vertical vehicle axis 30 (z-axis) perpendicular to the two previous axes. The vehicle 2 has vehicle sides, each designated 8, opposite one another in the direction of the transverse vehicle axis 29, which in this case each have two conventional vehicle side doors 9, so that users of the vehicle 2 can easily enter and exit the vehicle 2 from the side.The vehicle 2 has a running board 1 on each side 8 of the vehicle, which serves as an entry and exit aid. This running board is arranged as a step-like projection below a side door 9 of the vehicle 2 and which, in its main direction of extension, extends essentially parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 10 (x-axis) running through the vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 is parked in the usual manner on a non-specified surface 12, and the outer seat 3 according to the invention is, as mentioned, actuated into its transport position 7. In the transport position 7, the outer seat 3 is located in a storage area 15, which is delimited between a running board underside 13 of the running board 1 facing the surface 12 and a surface 14 of the surface 12 facing the vehicle 2, i.e., so to speak, under the running board 1.As a result, the outer seat 3 is essentially not visible from the outside in the transport position 7 and the overall visual impression of the vehicle 2 is not influenced by the outer seat 3.

[0025] The Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the vehicle 2 from Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow A. The outer seat 3 is still moved under the running board 1 into the transport position 7. The cross-sectional view now reveals individual functional components of the running board 1 and the outer seat 3.

[0026] Accordingly, the running board 1 has a tread element 31 visible from the outside, on whose tread surface 33 facing away from the ground 12 a user can step when getting in or out. To provide support for the tread element 31, the tread element 31 is connected to a substructure 32 of the running board 1 on an underside of the tread element 31 facing the ground 12. The substructure 32 can be firmly connected to a base support (not illustrated here) or to a bodyshell of the vehicle 2. The substructure 32 has a bottom surface 34 facing the ground 12, which in this case forms the underside 13 of the running board 1.

[0027] The outer seat 3 according to the invention has a seat element 4, indicated by a simple box, for sitting when the vehicle 2 is stationary. It can be formed by a simple flat body or be of a more elaborate design. In order for the outer seat 3 to be positioned as described between the Fig. 3 shown use position 6 and the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the outer seat 3 is provided with an extension mechanism, designated here as a whole by 5. The operation of the extension mechanism can be carried out by the user. One can imagine, for example, a manual operation by hand or, alternatively, a convenient automatic operation by means of a motorized actuating device. The extension mechanism 5 is, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, at one end to the seat element 4 and at the other end in the area of ​​the footboard underside 13 of the footboard 1, for example, specifically to the substructure 32. In order to be able to move the seat element 4 back and forth between the extended use position 6 and the retracted transport position 7, the extension mechanism 5 has a so-called hinge mechanism 16, by means of which the seat element 4 can be moved in a Fig. 3 can be pivoted back and forth between the use position 6 and the transport position 7 by a pivoting movement 27 indicated by an arrow. The hinge mechanism 16 has, for example, a hinge joint 17 which defines a pivot axis 18 indicated by a simple cross, which runs essentially parallel with respect to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 10 (x-axis). The hinge mechanism 16 further comprises a first leg 19 and a second leg 20, which are connected to one another by means of the hinge joint 17 and can be pivoted relative to one another. The first leg 19 is formed in the present case by the substructure 32 or the step element 31 and is therefore rigid and immovable with respect to the vehicle 2. The second leg 20 is formed in the present case by a flat body 21 which has a trough-like receptacle 22 in which the seat element 4 and a height adjustment mechanism 23 of the extension mechanism 5, described below, can be accommodated.The second leg 20 is pivotable relative to the first leg 19 or the substructure 32 or the step element 31 such that, in the transport position 7, it is pivoted completely into the aforementioned storage area 15 and is supported, for example, flatly or selectively on the underside 13 of the step board 1. In the use position 6, the second leg 20 is moved out of the storage area 15 as part of the pivoting movement 27 and pivoted in a terrace-like manner next to the aforementioned vehicle side 8 of the vehicle 2. The extension mechanism 5 further comprises the aforementioned height adjustment mechanism 23 arranged on the seat element 4 and in the receptacle 22 of the flat body 21 of the second leg 20, which in this case is formed by a scissor mechanism. It serves to adjust a height 26 of the seat element 4 in the use position 6 in the direction of the vehicle's vertical axis 30 (z-axis) by the user.This allows the user of the outer seat 3 to adjust the seat element 4 to an optimal height 26 in the use position 6. This allows the outer seat 4 to be optimally used by users of different body sizes.

[0028] The Fig. 3 shows the cross-sectional view of vehicle 2 from Fig. 2, whereby, in deviation from Fig.2 the seat element 4 of the outer seat 3 is now actuated into the use position 6 next to the vehicle side 8 of the vehicle 2 using the hinge mechanism 16. The user has further adjusted the height 26 of the seat element 4 in the direction of the vehicle's vertical axis 30 (z-axis) using the height adjustment mechanism 23, so that he can now sit comfortably on the seat element 4. An outer vehicle skin 25 of the vehicle 2 in the area of ​​the vehicle side 8, in particular a closed side door 9 of the vehicle 2, can serve as a back support element 24, whereby the user of the outer seat 3 can lean against the vehicle 2, which improves seating comfort.

Claims

[1] External seat (3) extendable from a running board (1) of a vehicle (2), - with a seat element (4) for sitting when the vehicle (2) is stationary and an extension mechanism (5) arranged on the seat element (4) and the running board (1), by means of which the seat element (4) can be actuated back and forth between an extended use position (6) and a retracted transport position (7). [2] Outer seat (3) according to claim 1, characterized by , that - the seat element (4) is arranged in the use position (6) next to a vehicle side (8) of the vehicle (2). [3] Outer seat (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that - the seat element (4) in the transport position (7) is actuated into a storage area (15) defined between a running board underside (13) of the running board (1) facing a ground (12) and a surface (14) of a ground (12) facing the vehicle (2). [4] Outer seat (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the extension mechanism (5) has a hinge mechanism (16) by means of which the seat element (4) can be pivoted back and forth between the use position (6) and the transport position (7). [5] Outer seat (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - the extension mechanism (5) has a height adjustment mechanism (23) arranged on the seat element (4) for adjusting a height (26) of the seat element (4) in the use position (6). [6] Outer seat (3) according to claim 5, characterized by , that - the height adjustment mechanism (23) is formed by a scissor mechanism. [7] Outer seat (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - the outer seat (3) has a back support element (24) which is formed by an outer vehicle skin (25) of the vehicle (2), in particular a closed side door (9) of the vehicle (2). [8] Vehicle (2), in particular a passenger car, - with at least one footboard (1), - with at least one outer seat (3) attached to at least one footboard (1), which is designed according to the preceding claims 1 to 7.

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