Seating arrangement with water drainage in the lower part and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a seating arrangement (16) for a motor vehicle (10), comprising a lower part (18) and a seat cushion (14) arranged on the lower part (18) in the vertical direction (z) of the seating arrangement (16). The lower part (18) has at least one retaining element (22) by means of which the lower part (18) can be fixed to a body component (12) of the motor vehicle (10). The lower part (18) has at least one drainage device (28) designed for draining water. The at least one drainage device (28) has at least one outlet opening (36, 38, 50, 52) formed on an edge (30) of the lower part (18), the edge (30) defining the lower part (18) in a circumferential direction around the vertical direction (z). The invention further relates to a motor vehicle (10) with the seating arrangement (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a seating arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a lower part and a seat cushion arranged on the lower part in the vertical direction of the seating arrangement. The lower part has at least one retaining element by means of which the lower part can be fixed to a body component of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the lower part has at least one drainage device designed for draining water. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with such a seating arrangement.

[0002] German patent DE 695 00 828 T2 describes a vehicle seat with a shell and a padded cushion. The shell has recesses for receiving nuts, which serve to connect the vehicle seat to a sliding mechanism. Screws can be used for this purpose, extending through holes formed in the recesses. In the center of the shell, near a junction between a seat section and a backrest section of the shell, a drainage hole is provided through which rainwater can drain away.

[0003] A disadvantage here is that water draining through the drain hole can reach vehicle components located under the seat. Such components can be sensitive to water or similar liquids. This necessitates individually protecting each component from water or other liquids, which is a costly and therefore disadvantageous measure.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to create a seating arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset, by means of which components sensitive to exposure to water can be protected particularly easily, and to provide a motor vehicle with such a seating arrangement.

[0005] This problem is solved by a seating arrangement with the features of claim 1 and by a motor vehicle with the features of claim 10. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and in the following description.

[0006] The seating arrangement according to the invention for a motor vehicle comprises a lower part and a seat cushion arranged on the lower part in the vertical direction of the seating arrangement. The lower part has at least one retaining element by means of which the lower part can be fixed to a body component of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the lower part has at least one drainage device designed for draining water. The at least one drainage device has at least one opening formed on an edge of the lower part. This edge defines the lower part in a circumferential direction around the vertical direction.

[0007] If water or another liquid enters the drainage device, it can flow towards the outlet opening located on the circumferential edge of the lower part. The water flowing from the outlet opening does not enter an area located vertically below the lower part. Instead, due to the placement of at least one outlet opening on the edge of the lower part, the water exiting the drainage device at the outlet opening flows into an area located perpendicular to the vertical direction of the seating arrangement, outside the lower part. This edge is preferably an outer or side edge of the lower part, which, in a top view of the seating arrangement along the vertical direction, corresponds to the outline of the lower part.

[0008] By diverting water or similar liquids into the external environment of the lower part, components located below the lower part can be easily protected from exposure to water or similar liquids. Consequently, this seating arrangement makes it particularly easy to protect components sensitive to water exposure.

[0009] This is particularly advantageous when such components are electrical and / or electronic components of the vehicle. In such cases, the available space beneath the lower section can be used to house these components in a particularly cost-effective manner. The components then do not need to be protected from water exposure by means of a shielding device assigned to or attached to each component, or by a waterproof housing. Instead, the existing lower section can advantageously fulfill this function.

[0010] The use of this seating arrangement is particularly advantageous when the vehicle is designed as an electric vehicle, battery-electric vehicle, and / or hybrid vehicle. This is because such vehicles typically require installation space for electrical and / or electronic components, as well as protection for these components against exposure to water or similar liquids. The necessary installation space is advantageously provided beneath the lower section. Furthermore, the protection can be easily achieved by the lower section, which incorporates the drainage system, when this seating arrangement is used in the vehicle.

[0011] For example, if a vehicle occupant sitting on the seat cushion spills a beverage containing water or supplied with water, the water can seep through the seat cushion and reach the base. Upon reaching the base, the drainage system advantageously directs the water towards the outlet opening and thus to the edge of the base. In this way, the base provides reliable protection for vehicle components located beneath it when the seat assembly is installed in the vehicle.

[0012] The lower section also offers extended functionality. Firstly, it serves to fix the seating arrangement to the body component, for example, in the form of a floor structure of the vehicle located beneath the lower section. Secondly, the lower section provides protection for components sensitive to water exposure. This is advantageous.

[0013] Preferably, the lower part is designed as a solid body, which includes at least one channel as a drainage device. This channel is formed on the upper surface of the solid body facing the seat cushion. This design is based on the understanding that the channel can be formed very easily in the material of the solid body, for example, by a subtractive process such as milling or the like. Additionally or alternatively, when manufacturing the solid body in a mold, the channel can be formed directly together with the rest of the lower part's shape. In particular, if the lower part is made of a foam such as expanded polypropylene (EPP), the channel can be very easily formed directly in a molding process. Furthermore, the drainage device can be provided on the upper surface facing the seat cushion in a particularly simple and cost-effective manufacturing process.

[0014] Preferably, at least one channel is designed to slope downwards towards at least one outlet opening. This allows the gradient of the channel to be used to direct the water or similar liquid towards the outlet opening by gravity.

[0015] It is further advantageous if at least one channel extends transversely in the vehicle in one installation position of the seating arrangement. This allows the water to be efficiently conveyed or flowed towards a lateral edge of the lower section that is transverse to the vehicle. The water can then exit the outlet at this lateral edge without affecting components located beneath the lower section. This is advantageous.

[0016] At least one channel can have a first channel section running from a crest of the channel to a first outlet. This channel also has a second channel section running from the crest to a second outlet. This design makes it particularly easy to provide a comparatively steep gradient along the entire length of the channel. In particular, the gradient of each channel section is greater than it would be in a channel with only one outlet, where the length of the channel is equal to the sum of the lengths of both channels. Therefore, this channel design ensures particularly reliable drainage through the channel sections.

[0017] It has proven advantageous if the lower part is designed as a solid body, which includes at least one channel as the drainage device. In this case, the at least one channel is bounded radially by a material of the solid body. This is based on the understanding that such a circumferentially closed channel can be provided very easily in the solid body, for example, by drilling or a material removal process. Additionally or alternatively, in a multi-part lower part, the at least one channel can be designed very simply by aligning the individual parts or sections and, in particular, fixing them to one another. Furthermore, a drainage network can be easily provided by a plurality of channels in the solid body, enabling very precise guidance of the water to be drained.

[0018] Because at least one channel is closed in the radial direction, i.e., perpendicular to the axial direction of the channel, or is bounded by the material of the solid body, the drainage device exhibits a high degree of robustness. This contributes to a correspondingly long service life for the drainage device. Furthermore, objects or dirt that could impede the flow of water cannot enter such a circumferentially closed channel from above.

[0019] Preferably, a recess is formed on the upper surface of the lower part facing the seat cushion, in which a lower portion of the seat cushion is received. The at least one drainage device has an inlet formed in the recess. This makes it particularly easy to ensure that water or similar liquid flowing into the recess enters the drainage device via the inlet. For example, the inlet can be designed as a collection point for the water located at the lowest point of the recess. This reliably prevents water from accumulating in the recess.

[0020] Preferably, the seat cushion belongs to a plurality of seats arranged side-by-side in the transverse direction of the vehicle for the respective vehicle occupants, with the lower part being designed as a common lower part for all seats. Such a large-area lower part advantageously allows water accumulating in the area of ​​several adjacent seats to be drained away through the drainage system of the common lower part towards the edge of the lower part. The large-area lower part thus provides correspondingly large-area protection for components arranged beneath it.

[0021] Furthermore, the common design of the base for multiple seats arranged side by side in a transverse direction is advantageous in order to prevent gaps between individual bases through which water could penetrate. This is avoided when the base is designed as a common base for all the adjacent seats.

[0022] In particular, the seat cushion can be used for three seats arranged side-by-side in the transverse direction of the vehicle, with the lower section being designed as a common base for all three seats. Accordingly, the seat cushion can, for example, be designed as a seat cushion for a rear bench seat of the motor vehicle, under which the lower section is arranged in the form of a large insert. This allows the space beneath the second row of seats or rear bench seat in the motor vehicle to be particularly well protected from exposure to water or similar liquids by means of the lower section, which is at least a single piece in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This is advantageous.

[0023] Preferably, the at least one retaining element is designed as a load-bearing device embedded in a matrix material of the lower part. This makes it particularly easy to ensure that the retaining element provides a very secure fixation of the seat assembly to the body component. In particular, this ensures that, in the event of an accident, the lower part is held in place on the body component by the retaining element. This is advantageous for a crash-resistant fixation of the seat assembly in the vehicle.

[0024] For example, the load-bearing device can be provided by a wire and / or wire mesh or the like, wherein the wire and / or wire mesh is embedded in the matrix material of the base. The matrix material can be a foam material, for example, in the form of expanded polypropylene (EPP). This allows the base to be advantageously lightweight. This is beneficial with regard to the low weight of the vehicle containing the seating arrangement.

[0025] Such a wire or wire mesh can, for example, be attached to a hook element on the bodywork to secure the lower part to the body component. Additionally or alternatively, the load-bearing device can include at least one hook, or be provided by at least one hook, which is attached to a tab on the bodywork to secure the lower part to the body component during the installation of the seat assembly.

[0026] Preferably, the lower part has at least one fixing device by means of which the seat cushion is secured to the lower part. This allows for reliable and simple fixing of the seat cushion.

[0027] In particular, if the lower part has at least one wire or wire mesh or the like, the wire and / or wire mesh can be used both to secure the lower part to the body component and to secure the seat cushion to the lower part. This advantageously achieves a high degree of functional integration.

[0028] The motor vehicle according to the invention features a seat arrangement according to the invention. In this arrangement, at least one electrical and / or electronic component of the motor vehicle is arranged on the body component to which the lower part is attached, in the vertical direction of the seat arrangement below the lower part. Accordingly, the at least one component is protected from exposure to water by the lower part of the seat arrangement in a particularly simple manner. This is because the arrangement of the at least one opening at the edge of the lower part ensures that water does not reach the at least one electrical and / or electronic component of the motor vehicle located below the lower part.

[0029] As electrical and / or electronic components, the motor vehicle may, for example, have a fuse box and / or a control unit and / or a battery component or similar parts. It is particularly advantageous for such components to be protected from exposure to water or similar liquids. This can be achieved particularly easily by the lower part with at least one opening formed at its edge.

[0030] The advantages and preferred embodiments described for the seating arrangement according to the invention also apply to the motor vehicle according to the invention and vice versa.

[0031] The invention therefore also includes further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention, which have features as already described in connection with the further developments of the seating arrangement according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention are not described again here.

[0032] The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus.

[0033] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also includes realizations that each exhibit a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.

[0034] The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention described. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1. A partial and schematic representation of a seating arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a seat cushion and a lower part arranged below the seat cushion, wherein the lower part protects components of the motor vehicle, which are arranged below the lower part, from exposure to water; Fig. 2 in a schematic top view a variant of the lower part in which a drainage device serving as a water drain is designed as a channel formed on an upper side of the lower part; Fig. 3 the variant of the lower part according to Fig. 2 in a schematic side view; Fig. 4 schematically a possible shape of the channel in which the channel has two channel sections which slope down from a vertex of the channel towards the respective outlet openings of the channel; Fig. 5 another variant of the lower part in which the drainage device serving as a water drain is designed as at least one channel incorporated into the lower part; Fig. 6 the variant according to Fig. 5 in a schematic side view; and Fig. 7 the lower part, in which inlets designed as openings are arranged in recesses which are assigned to the respective seats of the seat cushion.

[0035] The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently of one another and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0036] In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0037] Of a motor vehicle 10 is in Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a floor structure 12, which forms the underside boundary of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 10. A seat cushion 14, belonging to a seating arrangement 16 of the motor vehicle 10, is arranged in the area of ​​a rear or second row of seats. The seating arrangement 16 also includes a lower part 18 designed like an insert. When installed in the motor vehicle 10, the seating arrangement 16 is attached to the body component in the form of the floor structure 12 in the area of ​​the rear or second row of seats.

[0038] According to Fig. 1. The seat cushion 14 is arranged in the vertical direction z of the seat assembly 16 on the base 18. The vertical direction z, which can be parallel to the vehicle's vertical axis when the seat assembly 16 is installed in the motor vehicle 10, is in Fig. 1. This is illustrated by a coordinate system. Furthermore, the vehicle's longitudinal axis x and transverse axis y are illustrated by the coordinate system.

[0039] Out of Fig. In this respect, it is evident from Figure 1 that the seat cushion 14 belongs to three seats arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the vehicle (or in the direction of the vehicle's transverse axis y). The seat cushion 14 can therefore, in particular, be a component of a rear bench seat of the motor vehicle 10 if the seat arrangement 16 is installed in the motor vehicle 10. A backrest of the rear bench seat is in Fig. 1 not shown in detail for the sake of clarity.

[0040] In particular, if the motor vehicle 10 is designed as a battery-electric vehicle, there is installation space below the seat cushion 14 of the second row of seats which is not occupied by a fuel tank. Therefore, this installation space offers room for the accommodation of electrical and / or electronic components 20, which are Fig. 1 are shown schematically.

[0041] Such components 20 can, for example, be designed as components of a high-voltage battery of the motor vehicle 10, i.e., as components of a battery which has a nominal voltage of more than 60 volts and, in particular, of up to several hundred volts. Additionally or alternatively, the components 20 can, for example, comprise at least one control unit and / or a fuse box or similar components of the motor vehicle 10.

[0042] Particularly with components 20 of this type, it is advantageous to protect them from exposure to water or similar liquids from above. For example, vehicle occupants sitting on the seat cushion 14 of the rear seat may spill drinks, allowing these drinks to travel across the seat cushion 14 and onto the lower part 18. In this case, the lower part 18 prevents water or similar liquids that reach the lower part 18 from penetrating through it to the components 20 arranged vertically z below it. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide each individual component 20 with protection against exposure to water or similar liquids. Instead, the lower part 18 performs this function.

[0043] In this context, it is advantageous that the lower part 18, which is designed as a large-area insert for the seat assembly 16, is already provided to ensure the fastening of the seat assembly 16 in the motor vehicle 10. For this purpose, the lower part 18 has at least one retaining element 22, wherein in Fig. 1 Two retaining elements 22 are shown in a highly schematic way, resembling eyelets or loops. These eyelets or loops can be hooked into hooks 24, which are arranged on the floor structure 12 of the motor vehicle 10 and are thus fixed to the body.

[0044] For example, the retaining elements 22 can be designed as wire tabs or as parts of a wire mesh, which is embedded in a matrix material 26 of the lower part 18. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, the retaining elements 22 are shown in Fig. 1, however, are represented as separate elements.

[0045] The matrix material 26 of the lower part 18, which is designed in the manner of a large-area insert, can, for example, be provided by expanded polypropylene. A drainage device 28 of the lower part 18 can be provided particularly easily in the lower part 18, which is preferably designed as a solid body. The drainage device 28 is in Fig. 1 is only schematically indicated by its location. An exemplary variant of the drainage device 28 is to be shown with reference to Fig. 2 will be explained.

[0046] Accordingly, the drainage device 28 can be shaped as a channel 32, which extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle to an edge 30 of the lower part 18. Here, the edge 30 limits the lower part 18 in a direction circumferential around the vertical direction z. In other words, the edge 30 is designed as the outer edge of the lower part 18, i.e., as the outside of the lower part 18 in a plane which is spanned in the motor vehicle 10 by the transverse direction or transverse axis y and the longitudinal direction or longitudinal axis x.

[0047] According to Fig. 2. The drainage device 28 can be designed as a channel 32, which is formed on an upper surface 34 of the lower part 18 facing the seat cushion 14. The channel 32 has at least one outlet opening 36, 38. For example, the first outlet opening 36 can be formed on the left side edge of the lower part 18 when the motor vehicle 10 is traveling forwards. And the second outlet opening 38 of the channel 32 can be formed on the right side edge of the lower part 18 opposite in the transverse direction of the vehicle. According to Fig. 2. The channel 32 can extend in the installation position of the seat arrangement 16 in the motor vehicle 10 in the transverse direction of the vehicle, i.e. parallel to the transverse axis y of the vehicle or at least substantially parallel to the transverse axis y of the vehicle.

[0048] From the side view of the lower part 18 in Fig. 3 it is clearly evident that the channel 32 with the first outlet opening 36 extends to the left side edge of the lower part 18 in the transverse direction y of the vehicle.

[0049] According to Fig. 4. The channel 32 can be designed such that it slopes from a substantially central apex 40 of the channel 32 on the one hand towards the first outlet opening 36 and on the other hand towards the second outlet opening 38. Accordingly, the apex 40 of the channel 32 can be located in the area of ​​a central seating position according to Fig. 1 three seats with seat cushions 14 arranged.

[0050] For example, from a compilation of Fig. 1 with Fig. Figure 2 shows that the lower part 18 can have recesses 42 on its upper surface 34 facing the seat cushion 14, in which a respective part of the seat cushion 14 is received. In particular, the apex 40 of the channel 32 can be formed in the area of ​​the middle recess 42, from which a first channel section 44 extends towards the first outlet opening 36, while a second channel section 46 extends from the apex 40 of the channel 32 towards the second outlet opening 38.

[0051] In Fig. Figure 5 shows another variant of the lower part 18, in which the lower part 18 is designed as a solid body, wherein the drainage device 28 is designed as at least one channel 48 which is introduced into the material of the solid body, for example by drilling or the like.

[0052] According to Fig. 6. At least one channel 48 has an outlet opening 50, which is formed at the edge 30 of the lower part 18. This is analogous to the channel 32 with reference to... Fig. As described in section 4, channel 48 can also be routed from a (not shown) vertex to the one in Fig. The first opening shown in section 6 should be designed to slope downwards towards 50 and should also form a... Fig. 5 shown second mouth opening 52 of canal 48.

[0053] The first outlet opening 50 of the canal 48 can be according to Fig. 1. The second opening 52 of the channel 48 can be formed on the left side edge of the lower part 18 when viewed transversely to the vehicle. In contrast, the second opening 52 of the channel 48 can be formed on the right side edge of the lower part 18 when viewed transversely to the vehicle. Also in Fig. 5 are indicated by the recesses 42 formed in the lower part 18, which are assigned to the respective seats of the seat cushion 14.

[0054] Out of Fig. Figure 7 shows that an inlet 54 can be formed in the lower part 18 within the respective trough 42, which serves as a collection point for water accumulating in the respective trough 42. The water can easily reach the at least one channel 48 formed inside the solid body via the inlet 54, which is designed in the manner of a channel extending vertically.

[0055] Unlike the schematic representation in the figures, the lower part, which is designed as a solid body, can also have several channels 48, which have openings formed at the edge 30 of the lower part 18.

[0056] At the in Fig. 2 and Fig. In the variant of the drainage device 28 shown in Figure 3, the water drainage is provided by a shape on the upper side 34 of the lower part 18. And in the variant shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. In the variant of the lower part 18 shown in Figure 6, the drainage device 28 is provided by the at least one channel 48, which is bounded in a radial direction by a material of the solid body of the lower part 18.

[0057] In both cases, the space formed under the lower part 18 is well utilized for the electrical and / or electronic components 20 of the motor vehicle 10, without the risk of these components 20 being exposed to water from above. The drainage device 28, designed as at least one channel 32 and / or at least one duct 48, ensures the controlled drainage of water that enters the lower part 18 from above, i.e., through the seat cushion 14, towards its edge 30. This protects the components 20 located below the lower part 18 (see Figure 1). Fig. 1) well protected from exposure to water.

[0058] In Fig. Figure 7 also schematically shows that the lower part 18 can have a fixing device 56, for example in the form of a circumferential wire or the like, which serves to fix the seat cushion 14 to the lower part 18.

[0059] Overall, the examples show how the lower part 18 can provide a seat mounting with integrated water drainage for the protection of electrical and / or electronic components 20. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 695 00 828 T2

[0002]

Claims

[1] Seating arrangement (16) for a motor vehicle (10), comprising a lower part (18) and a seat cushion (14) arranged on the lower part (18) in the vertical direction (z) of the seating arrangement (16), wherein the lower part (18) has at least one retaining element (22) by means of which the lower part (18) can be fixed to a body component (12) of the motor vehicle (10), and wherein the lower part (18) has at least one drainage device (28) designed to drain water, characterized by , that the at least one drainage device (28) has at least one outlet opening (36, 38, 50, 52) which is formed on an edge (30) of the lower part (18), wherein the edge (30) limits the lower part (18) in a circumferential direction around the vertical direction (z). [2] Seating arrangement (16) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the lower part (18) is designed as a solid body which has at least one channel (32) as the drainage device (28), wherein the at least one channel (32) is formed on a top surface (34) of the solid body facing the seat cushion (14). [3] Seating arrangement (16) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the at least one channel (32), in particular extending in a transverse direction (y) of the vehicle in an installation position of the seat arrangement (16) in the motor vehicle (10), is designed to slope downwards towards the at least one outlet opening (36, 38). [4] Seating arrangement (16) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by, that the at least one channel (32) has a first channel section (44) which extends from a vertex (40) of the channel (32) to a first outlet opening (36), wherein the at least one channel (32) has a second channel section (46) which extends from the vertex (40) of the channel (32) to a second outlet opening (38). [5] Seating arrangement (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the lower part (18) is designed as a solid body which has at least one channel (48) as the drainage device (28), wherein the at least one channel (48) is bounded in the radial direction by a material of the solid body. [6] Seating arrangement (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that a recess (42) is formed on a top surface (34) of the lower part (18) facing the seat cushion (14), in which a lower part of the seat cushion (14) is received, wherein the at least one drainage device (28) has an inlet (54) formed in the recess (42). [7] Seating arrangement (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the seat cushion (14) belongs to a plurality of seats arranged next to each other in the transverse direction (y) of the vehicle, in particular three seats arranged next to each other in the transverse direction (y) of the vehicle, for the respective vehicle occupants, wherein the lower part (18) is designed as a lower part (18) common to the seats. [8] Seating arrangement (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one retaining element (22) is designed as a load-bearing device which is embedded in a matrix material (26) of the lower part (18). [9] Seating arrangement (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lower part (18) has at least one fixing device (56) by means of which the seat cushion (14) is fixed to the lower part (18). [10] Motor vehicle (10) with a seating arrangement (16) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the vertical direction (z) of the seating arrangement (16) below the lower part (18) at least one electrical and / or electronic component (20) of the motor vehicle (10) is arranged on the body component (12) to which the lower part (18) is fixed.

Images