Vehicle comprising a rear seat with a backrest that can be adjusted to at least four positions

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle (1) comprising a rear seat (2) provided with a seat (3) and a backrest (4) pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation (9).According to the invention, the backrest (4) has a drive part (17) which is crossed by the rotation axis (9) and comprising a peripheral portion in an arc of a circle from which emerges a stud (18), said vehicle comprising two cams (15, 16) placed next to each other and each having at least two hollow indentations, said two cams (15, 16) being arranged relative to each other so that the two hollow indentations of one cam (15, 16) are offset relative to the two hollow indentations of the other cam (15, 16), a rotation of the backrest (4) causing a simultaneous rotation of the drive part (17) allowing the stud (18) to be inserted into a hollow indentation of one of said two cams (15, 16), the insertion of said stud (17) into a hollow indentation of one of the two cams (15, 16) locking the backrest (4) in a position corresponding to a given inclination. Figure for the abstract: Figure 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle comprising a rear seat with a backrest that can be adjusted to at least four positions

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle comprising a rear seat provided with a backrest which can be adjusted to at least four positions.

[0002] In order to better understand the positioning of the various parts involved in a vehicle according to the invention, the description is carried out with reference to a direct orthonormal reference frame XYZ in which X is a front-rear longitudinal axis of the vehicle oriented towards the rear, Y is a transverse axis oriented towards the right of the vehicle and Z is a vertical axis directed upwards.

[0003] A vehicle rear seat may, for example, consist of an individual seat or a two- or three-seater bench seat. Generally, a rear trunk is placed behind this rear seat, and in continuity with it. In other words, no wall or interposing space is placed between said rear seat and said rear trunk.

[0004] Currently, the backrest of the rear seats of vehicles can only be positioned in a limited number of positions, each characterized by a given inclination, solely intended to ensure a certain comfort for a passenger who would be seated on said seat. In other words, these backrest positions have the sole purpose of more or less inclining the back of the passenger who would be seated on said seat, to increase his seating comfort.

[0005] Thus, car manufacturers, for reasons of cost and regulation, only offer backrest orientations between 20° and 32° of bust angle relative to a vertical and transverse plane YZ of the vehicle, for rear passengers. Since each notch marking a particular position of the backrest with a given inclination, must withstand the crash tests imposed by the regulations, manufacturers reduce the number of notches available to the user.

[0006] A vehicle according to the invention comprises at least one rear seat provided with a backrest orientation mechanism allowing said backrest to occupy a plurality of discrete positions having varied inclinations to fulfill different functions, and each designed to withstand the crash test imposed by the regulations.

[0007] The subject of the invention is a vehicle comprising a rear seat provided with a seat and a backrest mounted to pivot about an axis of rotation.

[0008] According to the invention, the backrest has a drive part which is crossed by the axis of rotation and comprising a peripheral portion in an arc of a circle from which a stud emerges, said vehicle comprising two cams placed one next to the other and each having at least two hollow impressions, said two cams being arranged relative to each other so that the two indentations of one cam are offset relative to the two indentations of the other cam along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, rotation of the backrest causing simultaneous rotation of the drive part allowing the stud to be inserted into a hollow indentation of one of said two cams, the insertion of said stud into a hollow indentation of one of the two cams locking the backrest in a position corresponding to a given inclination of the backrest. The principle of a vehicle according to the invention is to create at least four distinct notches corresponding to the four hollow indentations of the two cams, allowing the backrest of the rear seat to be placed in at least four discrete positions, each corresponding to a given inclination of said backrest.To do this, a stud secured to the backrest can be inserted into four hollow indentations of two cams fixed to the vehicle and dissociated from said backrest. These four indentations are distributed over the two cams so that the stud, once it has been inserted into a hollow indentation of the two cams, places the backrest at a given inclination, each hollow indentation corresponding to a different inclination of the backrest. The two cams of a vehicle according to the invention cannot move relative to each other and form a resulting part whose overall shape does not vary over time. In the context of a vehicle according to the invention, the rear seat can represent an individual seat or a two-seater or three-seater bench seat. Once the stud has been placed in a given hollow indentation, it constitutes a locking notch fixing the backrest in a predefined inclination.

[0009] Preferably, the backrest is moved manually in rotation. The stud is secured to the backrest, either directly or by means of an interface part, and cannot move relative to said backrest. This stud constitutes an outgrowth of the backrest which can take any shape. Advantageously, the two cams are joined to each other to form a resulting cam with two components.

[0010] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the drive part is fixed to a lower zone of the backrest without the possibility of movement relative to said lower zone, each of the cams having a curved upper surface in which the two hollow impressions have been made. For this configuration, the drive part of the backrest is placed above the two cams, and when the backrest is rotated, the stud sweeps the upper walls of the two cams until the desired hollow impression is reached.

[0011] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the two cams are flat and of small thickness, said cams having the same contour and the same dimensions, said cams being placed against each other while being perfectly superimposed, and having a resulting curved upper face whose width is equal to the sum of the widths of the curved upper surfaces of the two cams. For this confi guration, the two cams represent the two components of a resulting cam having the same contour, but having a thickness twice as high as the thickness of one of the two cams. This resulting cam weighs at least twice the weight of each cam constituting said resulting cam. The thickness of the cam constitutes its dimension considered along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle.

[0012] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stud has a length which is greater than or equal to the width of the two upper faces of the two cams. In this way, the stud can indifferently penetrate into the hollow impressions of one or the other of the two cams without itself having to be moved.

[0013] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the two cams are pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation by means of at least one pre-stressed return element having a default tendency to maintain said cams in a raised position, and, when the backrest is rotated, the stud has a tendency to push said cams downwards when it moves along the upper faces thereof before inserting itself into the desired hollow impression. In this way, when the backrest is manipulated in rotation, the stud presses on the upper faces of the two cams, lowering said cams by rotation, this lowering being obtained by producing a force which is greater than that produced by the pre-stressed return element.Once the stud has reached the desired hollow imprint of the cam concerned, said cam rises abruptly under the effect of the pre-stressed return element, allowing good interaction to be established between said stud and said hollow imprint. The backrest is then in the desired inclined position, with good stability.

[0014] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the vehicle comprises an unlocking mechanism allowing the two cams to lower so that the stud can come out of the hollow impression in which it was inserted, said mechanism comprising an actuating lever, a wire and a relay part pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation, the movement of the actuating lever rotating the relay part via the wire, said movement inducing a lowering of said two cams under the effect of the relay part which exerts pressure on them when it is rotated. Indeed, once the stud has reached the desired hollow impression, since the cam concerned tends to be pushed upwards under the effect of the prestressed return element, it would no longer be possible to easily remove said stud from said hollow impression without external assistance.This external assistance takes the form of a mechanism allowing the lowering of the two cams despite the fact that the stud is inserted into a hollow impression of one of the two cams. This lowering is possible provided that the force produced by the pre-stressed return element associated with the cam is overcome. By default, the relay part is at . contact of the two cams or at a very close distance from them. This mechanism will cause the relay part to rotate under the effect of the actuation of the lever which will cause a mechanical tension force on the wire. Once the relay part begins its rotational movement, it will cause by contact a rotation of the two cams in a direction which will promote a lowering of the curved upper surfaces. Once the two cams have lowered, the stud can then circulate along the two upper walls of the two cams.

[0015] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stud has a parallelepiped shape and each hollow impression is of parallelepiped shape. These types of shapes make it possible to obtain a robust interaction between the stud and the hollow impression, said stud not being able to easily come out of said hollow impression. The backrest is found in a very stable inclined position.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the four hollow impressions are distributed over the two cams so that the back of the rear seat can occupy four distinct positions: a vertical position, a first position inclined backwards at 13°, a second position inclined backwards at 25° and a third position inclined backwards at 33°. This is a particular embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention, but which is in no way limiting within the scope of the present invention. Each of these four inclined positions has a very specific function: -The vertical position of the backrest allows the volume of the rear trunk to be increased, while serving as a stop for objects that would be stored in the rear trunk, -The first reclined position allows you to install a child seat on the rear seat, -the second reclined position corresponds to a normal position of the backrest for a person sitting on the rear seat, -the third reclined position corresponds to a position of improved comfort for a person sitting in the rear seat.

[0017] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, in the first position inclined backwards at 13° of the backrest of the rear seat, an element to be chosen from a child seat and a cosy is fixed on said rear seat. Indeed, such an inclination of the backrest is particularly suitable for the installation of a child seat or a cosy on the rear seat of a vehicle according to the invention. On the other hand, such a low inclination of the backrest is not suitable for ensuring good seating comfort for a passenger who would be seated on the rear seat.

[0018] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, when the backrest is placed in the vertical position, the backrest of the rear seat makes it possible to obtain a maximum volume for the rear trunk while constituting a stop for the objects stored in said rear trunk, preventing them from being thrown into the passenger compartment of the vehicle when of a sudden deceleration phase of the vehicle. Indeed, certain objects located in the rear trunk may have vertical walls. In this case, these vertical walls may come to bear against the back of the rear seat extending vertically. In addition, during a sudden braking phase of the vehicle or during an accidental frontal impact of the latter against an external obstacle, the back of the rear seat, which is placed in a vertical position, will be able to effectively stop the objects placed in the rear trunk, preventing them from being thrown into the passenger compartment.

[0019] A vehicle according to the invention has the advantage of having a rear seat whose back can occupy several discreet inclinations, thanks to a judicious mechanism involving parts of simple geometry and not bulky.This mechanism also has the advantage of being safe and reliable, while remaining light and easy to operate and natural, requiring no particular force or restrictive handling.

[0020] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention is given below, with reference to the following figures:

[0021] [Fig.l] [Fig.l] is a side view of a rear seat of a vehicle according to the invention, showing five discrete positions of the backrest of said rear seat,

[0022] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a side view of the mechanism allowing the back of a seat rear of a vehicle according to the invention, to occupy five discrete positions,

[0023] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of the mechanism of [Fig.2],

[0024] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a side view of a rear seat of a vehicle according to the invention, on which a child seat has been installed,

[0025] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a side view of a rear seat of a vehicle according to the invention, for which the backrest extends in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of the vehicle.

[0026] For the avoidance of doubt, [Fig.l] illustrates a rear seat back in five different positions.

[0027] Referring to [Fig.l], a vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a rear row of seats, located behind a front row of seats comprising a passenger seat and a driver's seat placed next to each other. The rear row of seats comprises at least one rear seat 2, which can be represented either by an individual seat or by a bench seat comprising two or three seats. This rear seat 2 conventionally comprises a seat 3 and a backrest 4, and is placed just in front of a rear trunk 5 of said vehicle comprising a spare wheel tray 6 extending under a floor of said rear trunk 5. This spare wheel tray 6 delimits a cylindrical housing in which a spare wheel is stored, said tray 6 being covered by a rigid and solid wall extending in a horizontal plane XY of the vehicle and serving as a floor of said rear trunk 5. The rear trunk 5 is in direct continuity with the seat rear 2, so that there is no wall or space separating said rear seat 2 from said rear trunk 5. In certain configurations, the seat 3 of the rear seat 2 has a front part 7 which is mounted in rotation about an axis 8 of rotation extending along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle. The presence of this front part 7 mounted in rotation is justified by the fact that the seat 3 of the rear seat 2 does not extend in a strictly horizontal plane XY of the vehicle but tends to rise at the level of its front part 7. Thus, when the backrest 4 of said rear seat 2 is completely folded against said seat 3 to increase the available volume of the rear trunk 5, it does not extend in a strictly horizontal plane either. Such a configuration of the backrest may be harmful to the objects 30, 31 which would be stored in the rear trunk 5, insofar as these could slide on said folded backrest 4 remaining inclined.By pivoting the front part 7 of the seat 3 forwards around the rotation axis 8, said front part 7 ends up retracting under the seat 3, allowing the backrest 4 to come to rest on a seat 3 extending in a horizontal plane.

[0028] It should be noted that in certain configurations, the backrest 4 of the rear seat 2 can encroach on the rear trunk 5 and reduce its available volume.

[0029] The principle of a vehicle 1 according to the invention is to have a rear seat 2 whose backrest 4, which is pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation 9 extending along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle, can occupy several discrete positions to meet specific needs. The term "discrete position" means a perfectly identified and repetitive position, which is marked by a notch. In other words, when the backrest 4 of the rear seat 2 pivots around its axis of rotation 9, it cannot stably occupy any position, but only a few clearly identified positions, each meeting a particular need.

[0030] Although this number is not limiting in the context of the present invention, the rear seat 2 is designed so that the backrest 4 can occupy five discrete positions, this number being able to be increased or reduced according to the needs encountered. These five positions correspond to a horizontal position 10, to a vertical position 11, to a first position 12 inclined backwards by 13° relative to the vertical position, to a second position 13 inclined backwards by 25° relative to the vertical position, and to a third position 14 inclined backwards by 33° relative to the vertical position.

[0031] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, to achieve this result, the vehicle 1 comprises two cams 15, 16, and a lower area of ​​the backrest 4 comprises a drive part 17 interacting with said two cams 15, 16. We assume in the present case that the horizontal position 10 of the backrest 4, i.e. folded against the seat 3, is not affected by this interaction. The drive part is a circular wheel 17 which is crossed in its center by the axis of rotation 9 of the backrest 4 and which has at its periphery, a stud 18 of parallelepiped shape. This circular wheel 17 has a certain thickness, which is its dimension considered along its axis of revolution, giving it a cylindrical shape. The stud 18 is elongated and extends over the entire thickness of the circular wheel 17. It projects from an external surface of the circular wheel 17 and towards the outside of the latter. This stud 18 is similar to a notch.

[0032] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the two cams 15, 16 have the same outline and are each delimited by: - two flat and parallel surfaces, having the same shape and the same dimensions, - a peripheral edge joining said two parallel surfaces and materializing the outline of the cam 15, 16.

[0033] These two cams 15, 15 are joined to each other while being perfectly superimposed on each other. In other words, a flat surface of one cam 15, 16 is in contact with a flat surface of the other cam 15, 16, said two cams 15, 16 forming a resulting cam having the same contour as each of the two cams 15, 16 and having a thickness which is twice the thickness of each of these. The two cams 15, 16 are mounted on a structural element of the vehicle which is completely separate from the backrest 4. Each cam 15, 16 has a curved upper surface 19 constituting a sector of the peripheral edge, said upper surface 19 being elongated and comprising two hollow imprints arranged along said upper surface 19.When the two cams 15, 16 are secured to each other to form the resulting cam, the two hollow indentations of the curved upper surface 19 of one cam 15, 16 are offset relative to the two hollow indentations of the curved upper surface 19 of the other cam 15, 16 along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. In this way, along the resulting curved upper surface of the resulting cam, there are on one side two first hollow indentations, and on the other side two second hollow indentations which are offset relative to said first hollow indentations. Each of the hollow indentations is parallelepipedal in shape and has dimensions which are greater than those of the stud 18.

[0034] The circular wheel 17 of the lower zone of the backrest 4 is arranged just above the two cams 15, 16 so that an outer surface of said circular wheel 17 comes to tangentially touch the curved upper surfaces 19 of the two adjoining cams 15. The two adjoining cams 15, 16 are mounted in the vehicle in a pivoting manner around an axis of rotation 25, by means of a pre-stressed return element which tends by default to maintain said cams 15, 16 in a raised position.

[0035] When the backrest 4 of the rear seat 2 is manually rotated around its axis of rotation 9 to allow the stud 18 to reach one of the four positions discrete data, the circular wheel 17 which is secured to said backrest 4 by being crossed by said axis of rotation 9, also pivots around this axis of rotation 9 with the same amplitude. The stud 18 will then move along the two upper surfaces 19 of the two cams 15, 16 by pushing said two cams 15, 16 downwards. This lowering of the two cams 15, 16 is carried out by rotation around their axis of rotation 25 and by producing a force which is greater than the force deployed by the pre-stressed return element. As soon as the stud 18 has reached the desired hollow impression belonging to one or other of the two cams 15, 16, the two cams 15, 16 will rise suddenly, under the effect of the pre-stressed return element which relaxes, allowing said stud 18 to come and closely occupy said hollow impression. This raising of the two cams 15, 16 is achieved by rotation around their axis of rotation 25.The stud 18 inserted into a hollow impression of one of the two adjoining cams 15, 16, constitutes a notch which will block the backrest 4 of the rear seat 2 in one of the four discrete positions mentioned above. The stud 18 is long enough so that it can be inserted both into the hollow impressions of one of the two cams 15, 16 and the hollow impressions of the other cam 15, 16.

[0036] A vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises an unlocking mechanism for lowering the two adjoining cams 15, 16 in order to release the stud 18 from the hollow imprint in which it is located. This unlocking mechanism schematically comprises an actuating lever, a wire and a relay part 20 placed in contact with the adjoining cams 15, 16, or in the immediate vicinity thereof. This relay part 20 is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation 21. A manual movement of the actuating lever puts the wire under mechanical tension which, by being connected to the relay part 20, causes said relay part 20 to rotate about its axis of rotation 21.This rotation of the relay part 20 will generate a thrust force on the two cams 15, 16 caused by said relay part 20 which is in contact with them, this thrust force resulting in a lowering of the two adjoining cams 15, 16, which will then release the stud 18 which was inserted into a hollow imprint of one of said cams 15, 16.

[0037] The four different positions of the backrest 4 made possible by the interaction between the drive part 15 and the two cams 15, 16, correspond: -in a vertical position 11, as illustrated in [Fig.5]. In this position, the backrest 4 of the rear seat tends to maximize the available volume of the rear trunk 5 and acts as a stopping barrier for the objects 30, 31 which would be stored in the rear trunk 5. Indeed, the backrest 4 of the rear seat will block said objects 30, 31 by preventing them from sliding forward or being thrown forward, during a phase of sudden deceleration of the vehicle, -at a first position 12 inclined backwards by 13° relative to the position vertical, as illustrated in [Fig.4]. For this position, which presents a certain discomfort for a passenger who would be seated on the rear seat 2, a child seat 22 or a cozy, can advantageously be installed on the rear seat 2. As a reminder, a cozy is a basket-shaped seat for use by babies or very young children, - to a second position 13 inclined backwards by 25° with respect to the vertical position. This is a position allowing a passenger to sit normally on the rear seat 2, with a certain comfort, - to a third position 14 inclined backwards by 33° compared to the vertical position. For this configuration, the comfort of the passenger who would be seated on the rear seat 2 is maximum.

[0038] It is obvious that the discrete positions of the backrest 4 can be greater than four, depending on the needs encountered. For this, it is sufficient to modify the location and the number of hollow impressions on the two adjoining cams 15, 16.

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle (1) comprising a rear seat (2) provided with a seat (3) and a backrest (4) pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation (9), characterized in that the backrest (4) has a drive part (17) which is crossed by the axis of rotation (9) and comprising a peripheral portion in an arc of a circle from which a stud (18) emerges, and in that said vehicle comprises two cams (15, 16) placed next to each other and each having at least two hollow indentations, said two cams (15, 16) being arranged relative to each other so that the two hollow indentations of one cam (15, 16) are offset relative to the two hollow indentations of the other cam (15, 16) along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, rotation of the backrest (4) causing simultaneous rotation of the drive part (17) allowing the stud (18) to be inserted into a hollow imprint of one of said two cams (15, 16),the insertion of said stud (18) into a hollow imprint of one of the two cams (15, 16) locking the backrest (4) in a position corresponding to a given inclination.,

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive part (17) is fixed to a lower zone of the backrest (4) without the possibility of movement relative to said lower zone, and in that each of the cams (15, 16) has a curved upper surface (19) in which the two hollow impressions have been made.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the two cams (15, 16) are flat and of small thickness, and in that they have the same contour and the same dimensions, said two cams (15, 16) being placed against each other while being perfectly superimposed and having a resulting curved upper face whose width is equal to the sum of the widths of the curved upper surfaces (19) of the two cams (15, 16).

4. Vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the stud (18) has a length which is greater than or equal to the width of the two curved upper faces (19) of the two cams (15, 16).

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the two cams (15, 16) are pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation (25) by means of at least one prestressed return element having a tendency by default to maintain said cams (15, 16) in a raised position, and in that when the backrest is rotated, the stud tends to push said cams downwards as it moves along the upper faces thereof before inserting into the desired hollow impression.

6. Vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the vehicle comprises an unlocking mechanism allowing the two cams (15, 16) to lower so that the stud (17) can come out of the hollow impression in which it was inserted, and in that said mechanism comprises an actuating lever, a wire and a relay part (20) pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation (21), the movement of the actuating lever rotating the relay part (20) via the wire, said movement inducing a lowering of said two cams (15, 16) under the effect of the relay part (20) which exerts pressure on them when it is rotated.

7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stud (18) has a parallelepiped shape and each hollow imprint is of parallelepiped shape.

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the four hollow impressions are distributed over the two cams (15, 16) so that the backrest (4) of the rear seat (2) can occupy four distinct positions: a vertical position (11), a first inclined position (12) towards the rear at 13°, a second inclined position (13) towards the rear at 25° and a third inclined position (14) towards the rear at 33°.

9. Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that in the first inclined position (11) towards the rear at 13° of the rear seat, an element to be chosen from a child seat (22) and a cosy is fixed on said rear seat (2).

10. Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that, when the backrest is placed in the vertical position, the backrest (4) of the rear seat (2) makes it possible to obtain a maximum volume for the rear trunk (5) while constituting a stop for the objects (30, 31) stored in said rear trunk (5) by preventing them from being thrown into the passenger compartment of the vehicle during a sudden deceleration phase of the vehicle (1).

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