Footrest system for a seating arrangement in a passenger transport vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a footrest system for a seating arrangement (1, 4) in a passenger transport vehicle with a first seat (1) and a second seat (4) arranged behind the first seat, wherein the footrest system comprises a footrest (2) movable between an extended position and a retracted position, which is connected to the first seat and faces the second seat, and wherein the footrest system includes a self-locking electric swivel drive (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21). Furthermore, a swiveling movement of the footrest can be coupled with a vertical movement of the front seat.

Description

The invention is in the field of mechanics and mechanical engineering and is particularly advantageous for use in motor vehicle construction. However, use in other passenger transport means such as, for example, aircraft and ships is equally conceivable.In the construction and interior fitting of passenger vehicles, higher demands are constantly being made on safety and comfort. This applies not only to the driver and the passenger who, according to the current design of motor vehicles, are seated in front seats, but also to passengers who are seated in places that are behind the front seats. In high-class passenger vehicles, it has already been known to provide variable footrests for passengers on the rear seats for increased comfort.For example, it is known from British publication GB2617822A to arrange a movable foot support on a front seat. This is pivotably mounted by means of a retrieval unit. By using rectal guides for the pivotable mounting, the footrest is held stably even under considerable load. According to the aforementioned document, the footrest can be folded upwards onto the backrest of the front seat, if it is not required, for reasons of spaceThe known solution has various disadvantages, for example that the footrest still takes up space between the front seat and the rear seat even in the state in which it is pivoted to the front seat.Against the background of the prior art, the present invention is based on the object of providing a footrest which can be used flexibly with little structural complexity.The object is achieved with the features of the invention according to the independent claim. The dependent claims present possible implementations.Accordingly, the invention relates to a footrest system for a seat arrangement in a passenger transport means, comprising a first seat and a second seat arranged behind the first seat, wherein the footrest system comprises a footrest which is movable between an extended position and a retracted position and is connected to the first seat and faces the second seat, and wherein the footrest system comprises a self-blocking electric pivot drive and the footrest is pivotable between the extended position and the retracted position about a pivot axis by an electric pivot drive motor, and wherein the footrest is at least partially below the first seat in the retracted position.In this connection, the self-blocking electric swing drive, if provided, includes both a motor or swing drive motor and a possible reduction gear. Reduction gears are known which have such a high transmission / reduction ratio that they themselves are already self-locking, i.e. cannot be adjusted in a direction from their output toward the drive. The self-locking can also be ensured in some cases by a drive motor connected to the footrest, if it is not powered, not being movable from the output side. Overall, the drive train of the pivot drive is intended to be self-locking by one of its elements or by interaction of a plurality of elements. The design according to the invention has the advantage that by means of a drive the footrest can be brought into any desired position between the retracted and the fully extended position and can be left there and used without having to fear that the footrest is moved unintentionally by parking a passenger's feet or another load. By means of a stable configuration of the footrest mechanism or corresponding provided gears, a load capacity of the footrest of a few 10 kg, for example 40 kg, can be permitted without a substantial movement of the footrest occurring.By means of the electric pivot drive motor, the footrest can be moved very easily between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein an operating element for the pivot drive motor can be arranged such that it can be reached by a person located on the second seat. Such an operating element can be provided, for example, on the rear side of the first seat, for example on its backrest. This allows the user of the footrest to adjust himself into which position he would like to put it. In the retracted position, in which the footrest cannot be used, it can be moved under the first, front seat and under its seat part, for example by a pure pivoting movement about a fixed pivot axis. This allows the footrest to be moved out of the field of view of a person located behind the first seat and thereby be made almost invisible. For such a configuration, it is important that the drive of the footrest is self-locking, since in the extended position, when it is loaded, the footrest otherwise runs the risk of being moved into the retracted position by the weight loading it. Below the first seat, the footrest can be arranged in a space-saving manner without interfering with further possible movements of the first seat. The passenger located on the second seat behind the first seat is also not impaired in this way by the retracted footrest.A possible embodiment can provide that the footrest is pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein a drive shaft or output shaft of the pivot drive is coupled to a frame of the first seat at at least one or two positions spaced apart from one another along the pivot axis by means of a self-locking gear mechanism.A coupling of the drive shaft to the frame of the first seat ensures that the drive shaft and thus the footrest in this region, as soon as the drive is not actuated and a drive motor is possibly de-energized, develops its self-locking effect and the shaft and the footrest in this region are each held in place by a self-locking gear. If self-locking gears of this type are provided at two points along the drive shaft or the pivot axis, the footrest can be further reinforced.Advantageously, the footrest is connected to a seat portion of the frame of the first seat, such that a change in the inclination of a backrest of the first seat does not cause movement of the footrest.A further embodiment may be provided by a drive controller controlling the pivot drive of the footrest and a seat adjustment drive for vertical movement of the first seat.This embodiment can eliminate or reduce the risk that the footrest approaches or contacts the floor of the interior of the motor vehicle during its pivoting movement from the extended position into the retracted position, or in the worst case contacts the feet of a passenger resting in front of or under the first seat. By means of the drive control, it is possible, if necessary, first to move the first seat upwards in the vertical direction by means of the seat adjustment drive in order to provide enough space below the first seat for the movement of the footrest. Thereafter, the footrest can then be pivoted without risk. For this purpose, the common drive control can also implement, for example, complex combined movement sequences of the first seat in the vertical direction on the one hand and of the footrest on the other hand, which are either stored according to specific patterns, or the footrest can be controlled taking into account the current situation detected by sensors, in particular taking into account the position of the first seat and the position of a passenger located behind the first seat.In this context, it can be provided, for example, that the drive controller is configured to first cause the first seat to be raised by means of the seat adjustment drive and then the footrest to be pivoted from the extended position into the retracted position or vice versa.By raising the first seat, the footrest can be pivoted to the retracted position below the first seat, or can be pivoted upwardly from its position below the first seat to an extended position or the maximum extended position in which it can be used without abutting the floor of the interior of the motor vehicle or feet of a passenger.It can also be provided here that the drive controller is configured to bring about a lowering of the first seat by means of the seat adjustment drive after a movement of the footrest.For this purpose, it is expedient to store its position in all dimensions before the first seat is raised, in order to be able to restore the original state after the movement of the footrest.In a further embodiment, it can be provided that a sensor connected to the drive controller is provided, which sensor determines the vertical position of the first seat.The sensor can be designed, for example, as a proximity switch, proximity sensor or similar, for example also as an optical sensor in order to detect the position of the first seat in the vertical direction. A measurement value representing the position of the first seat in the vertical direction may be sent to the drive controller, which then decides, on the basis of the measurement value, whether or not the first seat needs to be raised before a movement of the footrest. A further sensor, for example an imaging sensor, can also be provided, which determines whether or not a passenger has extended his / her feet into the pivot range of the footrest. Corresponding control routines can then be called up by the drive control, whereby a drive for a vertical movement of the first seat and the pivot drive for a movement of the footrest can be addressed.It can further be provided, for example, that the footrest is pivotable by at least 90 or 135 or 160 degrees.Depending on the angle at which the footrest is in its extended position, it can be pivoted by such a pivot range as far as obliquely below the first seat or as far as a horizontal or nearly horizontal position below the first seat.A further embodiment can provide that at least one reduction gear is provided in the drive train of the electric swivel drive motor.By means of a reduction gear, a self-locking function can be realized in the drive train of the footrest in a particularly simple manner. Such a reduction gear may be constituted by, for example, a planetary gear that may have a large reduction ratio.It can also be provided, for example, that at least one reduction gear in the drive train of the electric swivel drive motor is formed by a seat tilt actuator.Known seat inclination adjusters, so-called reclins, are often provided in the region of the pivot axis of backrests of motor vehicle seats in order to adjust the inclination of the backrest manually or by means of an engine drive. Since a high reduction ratio is necessary for this purpose in order to adjust the inclination of the backrest by a few degrees by means of a motor or by means of a hand wheel, swash plate gearings are often used in such inclination adjusters, which enable a particularly high reduction ratio in a single-stage gearing. Such a transmission is already known, for example, from German laid-open specification DE 10157851A1, which is intended to be incorporated by this reference into the disclosure of this application.A further embodiment may provide that the electric pivot drive motor is fixedly connected to the footrest.In this case, the pivot drive motor moves with the footrest and is disposed below the footrest when in a horizontal position and is connected to the underside of the footrest.It can also be provided that the electric swivel drive motor is firmly connected to the frame of the first seat.In this case, the footrest moves without the pivot drive motor and is connected to a shaft of the footrest by means of a gear. Such a transmission can be formed, for example, by a tilt actuator as has been described above.In another embodiment, it can be provided that an input shaft of the motor is directly coupled to at least one planetary gear.This embodiment can be advantageous particularly when the pivot drive motor is directly connected to the footrest. The planetary gear / a plurality of planetary gears can then be arranged beneath the footrest and fastened to it, as can the pivot drive motor. It can also be provided in this context, for example, that the pivot drive motor is arranged in the middle of the footrest and has an output shaft at each of its two ends, which is connected to a planetary gear set. Beyond the planetary gears, viewed from the pivot drive motor, a second gear in the form of a tilt actuator can then be provided on each side of the motor in order to realize a greater overall reduction ratio.It can also be provided, for example, that at least one reduction gear in the form of a swashplate gear is provided in the drive train of the electric pivot drive motor.In many cases, the inclination actuator already mentioned above is designed as a wobble gear or wobble plate gear. However, any known other type of swash plate transmission may be used at this location.In the following, the invention is shown by way of exemplary embodiments in figures of a drawing and is described below. The following shows: FIG. 1 : schematically, a first seat and a second seat arranged behind the first seat in a motor vehicle, FIG. 2 : a first vehicle seat in a perspective illustration with the footrest extended, FIG. 3 shows a first vehicle seat in a perspective illustration with the footrest retracted, FIG. 4 : shows an illustration of a footrest as seen from the top side, FIG. 5 : shows an illustration of a footrest as seen from the underside, FIG. 6 is an exploded view of parts of a footrest, FIG. 7 : shows an illustration of a drive train of a footrest, FIG. 8 is a side view of a first seat with the footrest retracted, FIG. 9 is a side view of a first seat with the footrest extended, FIG. 10 is a top view of another embodiment of a footrest with a pivot drive motor attached to the frame of the first seat; and FIG. 11 : shows an illustration of the drive train of the footrest according to FIG. 10.FIG. 1 shows, on the left side in the interior of a passenger motor vehicle, a first seat 1, in which the footrest 2 is retracted and arranged obliquely below the seat 1 below the seat part. On the right side of FIG. 1, the first seat 1 is shown with an extended footrest 2, and the leg 3 with the foot of a passenger, which is seated on a schematically shown second seat 4 arranged behind the first seat 1. The reference numeral 5 designates the floor of the interior of the motor vehicle. In this context, the term "extended footrest" can refer to the footrest in any position in which it is pivoted out of the retracted position to such an extent that it can be comfortably used by a passenger to place a foot. A maximally extended position can be characterized in that the footrest has arrived at a mechanical stop and cannot be extended further.On the right-hand side of FIG. 1, a drive controller 22 is schematically shown, which serves as an electronic drive controller for the pivot drive motor 10, 18 not shown in this figure. The drive controller 22 may be programmable to allow it to control certain sequences of movement of the first seat and the footrest in combination. The drive controller 22 is connected by means of a first electrical connecting line 22 ato an operating element 24, which is fastened to the backrest 1 aof the first seat 1 and can consist, for example, of a button arrangement. The connecting lines 22 a, 22 b, 22 care illustrated as curved lines for the sake of clarity. The connecting line 22 bconnects the drive controller 22 to a sensor 23 which is arranged below the first seat 1 and serves to detect the vertical position of the first seat and / or to determine whether a passenger has parked his foot below the first seat 1 or in the pivot range of the footrest 2. For this purpose, the sensor 23 can also be designed, for example, as an imaging sensor, the captured image of which is evaluated digitally or electronically.The drive control is additionally connected to a seat adjustment drive 25 of the first seat 1 and can control the latter in such a way that the seat part 1 aand / or the seat 1 is moved vertically upward or downward in combination with a pivoting movement of the footrest.FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the frame of a first seat 1 with a footrest 2 which is in an extended position in which it can be used to rest the feet of a passenger. In FIG. 2, a pivot axis 6 is shown about which the footrest 2 can be pivoted between a retracted position and an extended position.FIG. 3 again shows the first seat 1 as in FIG. 2, wherein the footrest 2 is shown in the retracted state.FIG. 4 shows a footrest 2 with the top side viewed from above, which presents a storage surface for the feet of a passenger. Reference numeral 7 in FIG. 4 denotes the fastening profiles by means of which the footrest is fastened to the frame of the first seat 1. On the left and right sides of the footrest 2, reduction gears 8, 9 are shown, which are each designed as a swashplate gear. At this point, conventional inclination adjusters for backrests of seats, which are usually referred to as "rectal", can be used as reduction gearing. Also indicated in FIG. 4 is the pivot axis 6 of the footrest.FIG. 5 shows the underside of the footrest 2, wherein an electric motor 10 is arranged as a pivot drive motor coaxially with the pivot axis 6 and is fastened to the footrest 2. The swing drive motor 10 has output shafts 11, 12 on both sides of its rotor, each of which is coupled to a planetary gear 13, 14. In the planetary gears 13, 14, the rotational speed of the motor 10 is reduced. An output element of each of the planetary gears 13, 14 is connected to a downstream second reduction gear 8, 9 in the form of a swashplate gear, for example a reliner. The swash plate gears 8, 9 are each fixedly coupled at their output to the frame of the first seat 1. A rotation of the shaft of the pivot drive motor 10 thus causes a pivoting movement of the footrest 2 with the drive train, which comprises the motor 10, the shafts 11, 12, the planetary gears 13, 14 and the swashplate gears 8, 9.In order to compensate tolerances of the drive train during production or assembly and any movements during operation, the output shafts 11, 12 are designed as flexible shafts. They can each consist, for example, of a metallic stranded arrangement.FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the drive train of the footrest 2. More specifically, the pivot drive motor 10 is seen to include a flexible output shaft 12, a planetary gear 14, a swashplate gear 8, a mounting member 26 which forms part of the mounting of the foot rest to the frame of the seat and members 27, 28 which move with the foot rest 2.FIG. 7 shows an enlarged and more detailed representation of the drive train of the pivot drive motor 10. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5, the flexible output shafts 11, 12 are coupled to the planetary gears 13, 14.In the swash plate type gears, the input gear 8a of the transmission is offset from the output gear 8b by a certain distance, and the two gears have a slightly different number of teeth. This results in a strong reduction in the tumbling rotational movement of the input gear wheel in a manner known per se. The output gear of the tumbler gear 8, 9 is connected to the frame of the first seat 1 by means of a fixing leg 15, respectively.FIG. 8 shows a side view of a first seat 1 with a seat part and a backrest 1 b. The footrest 2 is connected to the side portions 1 aof the seat portion of the first seat 1, respectively, so that movement of the backrest 1 bdoes not cause a change in the inclination or extended position of the footrest 2. FIG. 8 shows a retracted position of the footrest 2, wherein a swashplate mechanism 8 can be seen on the outside.In FIG. 9, the footrest 2 is shown in an extended position in comparison to FIG. 8, in which it has an inclination downward by approximately 10-15° with respect to the horizontal line 16. In FIG. 8, the footrest 2 is inclined by approximately 20° relative to the horizontal line 16 in the retracted state. FIGS. 8 and 9 each show, in the transition region between the seat part 1 aand that of the backrest 1 b, an inclination adjuster 17 which serves for adjusting the inclination of the backrest 1 band can be constructed in the same way as the inclination adjuster which is arranged in the drive train of the footrest 2 and forms one of the swashplate mechanisms 8, 9.In Fig. 10 an embodiment of the footrest 2 is shown in which the pivot drive motor 18 is firmly fixed to the frame of the first seat 1. The swing drive motor 18 is connected to a first swash plate gear 8 by means of an output shaft 19. At the output of the swashplate mechanism 8 there is a pivot shaft 20 of the footrest which is directly connected to the footrest 2. At the end of the footrest 2 opposite the pivot drive motor 18 there is arranged a second swashplate mechanism 9, which is coupled to the pivot shaft 20 on the one hand and to the frame of the first seat on the other hand. As a result, the pivot angle of the footrest 2 is synchronized at its two ends in the region of the swashplate mechanisms 8, 9, respectively, so that stiffening of the footrest 2 is ensured and a mishandling is prevented.FIG. 11 shows the drive train of the footrest shown in FIG. 10, wherein 21 denotes a first reduction gear, which is coupled to the pivot drive motor 18, not shown in FIG. 11. In the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11, the pivot drive motor 18 is fastened to the side part 1 aof the frame of the seat 1 and does not move along when the footrest 2 is retracted and extended. The reduction gear 21 can be designed, for example, as a planetary gear with a bevel gear drive in order to realize a 90 degree deflection of the drive movement.By virtue of the configuration of the footrest system according to the invention, a footrest 2 can be easily adjusted and used even in extended intermediate positions, wherein, when not in use, it can be accommodated under a first seat 1 (front seat) in a very space-saving manner. During the pivoting movement of the footrest, collisions of the footrest with the floor of the passenger compartment or with other objects, for example with the feet of a passenger, can be avoided in that the first seat, on which the footrest is arranged, can be moved vertically upward and later again downward in the course of the adjustment of the footrest.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedGB 2617822A

[0003] DE 10157851A1

[0026]

Claims

A footrest system for a seat arrangement (1, 4) in a passenger transport means, comprising a first seat (1) and a second seat (4) arranged behind the first seat, the footrest system comprising a footrest (2) movable between an extended position and a retracted position, connected to the first seat and facing the second seat, the footrest system comprising a self-locking electric pivot drive (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21), and the footrest (2) being pivotable between the extended position and the retracted position about a pivot axis (6) by an electric pivot drive motor (10, 18), characterized in that the footrest is at least partially below the first seat (1) in the retracted position.Footrest system according to claim 1, characterised in that the footrest (2) is pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein a drive shaft or output shaft (11, 12, 29) of the pivot drive (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21) is coupled to a frame of the first seat (1) at at least one or two positions spaced apart from one another along the pivot axis by means of a self-locking transmission (8, 9, 13, 14) in each case.Footrest system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bya drive control (22) controlling the pivot drive (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21) of the footrest as well as a seat adjustment drive (25) for a vertical movement of the first seat (1).Footrest system according to claim 3, characterised in that the drive controller (22) is configured to first cause the first seat (1) to be raised by means of the seat adjustment drive (25) and then the footrest (2) to be pivoted from the extended position into the retracted position or vice versa.Footrest system according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the drive controller (22) is configured to bring about a lowering of the first seat (1) by means of the seat adjustment drive (25) after a movement of the footrest (2).Footrest system according to one of Claims 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that a sensor (23) which is connected to the drive controller (22) and which determines the vertical position of the first seat (1) is provided.Footrest system according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the footrest (2) can be pivoted by at least 90 or 135 or 160 degrees.Footrest system according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one reduction gear is provided in the drive train (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21) of the electric pivot drive motor (10, 18).Footrest system according to claim 8, characterised in that at least one reduction gear (8, 9) in the drive train of the electric swivel drive motor (10, 18) is formed by a seat tilt adjuster.Footrest system according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the electric pivot drive motor (10) is fixedly connected to the footrest (2).Footrest system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the electric pivoting drive motor (18) is rigidly connected to the frame of the first seat (1).Footrest system according to either of Claims 10 and 11, characterized in that a drive shaft (11, 12) of the motor is coupled directly to a planetary gear.Footrest system according to one of Claims 10, 11 or 12, characterized in that at least one reduction gear (8, 9) in the form of a swashplate gear is provided in the drive train (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21) of the electric pivot drive motor (10, 18).

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