Vehicle equipped with means to prevent incorrect seat installation

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising: - a floor (10), and - a bench seat comprising three separate seats, including two different side seats located on either side of a central seat and each comprising a metal frame (210) equipped with anchoring means adapted to be removably attached to the floor. According to the invention, the metal frame of at least one of the two side seats comprises a keying wire (212) shaped to: - interfere with the floor when the first side seat is attached to one side of the central seat in order to prevent its anchoring means from being attached to the floor, and to - not interfere with the floor when the first side seat is attached to the other side of the central seat so that its anchoring means can be attached to the floor. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle comprising means for correcting the installation of its seats Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the habitability of motor vehicles.

[0002] It relates more particularly to a motor vehicle comprising a floor and a bench seat which includes three separate seats, each equipped with anchoring means adapted for removable attachment to the floor. Among these three seats, two different side seats are located on either side of a central seat. These two side seats each include a metal frame equipped with anchoring means adapted for removable attachment to the floor.

[0003] The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in three-row seat cars. State of the art

[0004] A car generally has two front seats and at least one rear bench seat. This rear bench seat may be a single unit or consist of separate seats.

[0005] When it includes separate seats, it is known to mount these seats in a removable manner, in particular to allow the user to remove them from the vehicle's passenger compartment in order to increase the space available for loading the vehicle's trunk.

[0006] In this context, it is generally planned to fix the seat belt systems directly onto the seats, so that the loop strands (which allow the locking of the seat belt bolts) do not remain on the floor once the seats are removed.

[0007] In practice, such a bench seat comprises a central seat flanked by two side seats.

[0008] Particularly for reasons of economies of scale, these side seats are similar.

[0009] However, they are not strictly identical since their loop strands are not arranged on the same side. The loop strand is in fact placed on the right on the left-hand side seat and on the left on the right-hand side seat.

[0010] The drawback is that if the user installs the two side seats in the reversed position, the passengers will not be able to properly fasten their seat belts. If this happens, the user will then have to remove the two side seats to reverse them, which can be tiring and irritating. Presentation of the invention

[0011] In order to remedy the aforementioned drawback of the prior art, the present invention proposes an inexpensive error-proofing system that prevents the user from installing the two side seats in an inverted position.

[0012] More particularly, the invention proposes a motor vehicle as defined in the introduction, in which the metal frame of at least one of the two side seats comprises a keying wire shaped to: - interfere with the floor when the first side seat is moved to one side of the central seat in order to prevent its anchoring means from being fixed to the floor, and to - not to interfere with the floor when the first side seat is brought to a second side of the central seat so that its anchoring means can be fixed to the floor.

[0013] A seat frame generally incorporates numerous metal wires, onto which the foam padding of the seat and backrest is attached. Here, the invention proposes to take advantage of the common use of these metal wires by adding one that butts against a part of the floor when the user attempts to install the side seat on the wrong side of the center seat.

[0014] Preferably, this metal wire is installed so as to abut against a part of the floor whose shape is already different on the right and left sides of the central seat in commercially available vehicles. Thus, the invention does not require modifying the vehicle floor, but only adding a metal wire to at least one of the two side seats of the vehicle.

[0015] Other advantageous and non-limiting features of the motor vehicle according to the invention, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations, are as follows: - the keying wire has a U-shape, with two arms fixed to the rest of the metal frame and a base adapted to interfere with the floor when the first side seat is brought to the first side of the central seat; - the anti-missing metal wire is welded to the rest of the metal frame; - said first side seat comprising a seat, a backrest and a fixed support on which the seat and / or backrest is movablely mounted, the anti-missing metal wire is fixed to the fixed support; - the fixed support comprising two fixed rails attached to the floor, the keying wire is attached to a metal crossbar which extends between the two fixed rails; - the floor comprising at least one hinge for each side seat, the keying wire is shaped to interfere with a part of one of said hinges when the first side seat is brought to the first side of the central seat; - said hinge comprising an axis which extends between two sides, said part is formed by one of the sides; - the two sides have different shapes; - the floor has a pair of hinges for each side seat, the hinges of the two pairs being arranged differently; - The frame of the other of the two side seats includes a keying metal wire shaped to: H may interfere with the floor when the other side seat is brought to the second side of the center seat in order to prevent its anchoring means from being fixed to the floor, and to H not to interfere with the floor when the other side seat is brought to the first side of the center seat so that its anchoring means can be fixed to the floor.

[0016] Of course, the various features, variants, and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. Detailed description of the invention

[0017] The following description, in relation to the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented.

[0018] On the attached drawings:

[0019] [Fig-1] is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle bench seat automobile conforming to the invention;

[0020] [Fig.2] is a schematic side view of the anchoring means of one of the seats of the bench seat of [Fig.1];

[0021] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective view of the keying wire of one of the seats of the bench seat of the [Fig.1], housed in a notch of a hinge side of the floor of the motor vehicle;

[0022] [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective view of the keying wire of one of the seats of the bench seat of the [Fig.1], interfering with a hinge side of the floor of the motor vehicle.

[0023] A motor vehicle (car, bus, truck, boat, airplane...) generally comprises a chassis and bodywork elements that define a passenger compartment.

[0024] In [Fig.1], a bench seat 20 is shown installed in the passenger compartment of such a motor vehicle and fixed to the floor 10 of this motor vehicle.

[0025] In the remainder of the description, the terms "front" and "rear" will be used in relation to the motor vehicle, the front part of an element designating the part of this element which is located on the hood side of the vehicle and the rear part designating the part of this element which is located on the opposite side.

[0026] The terms "lower" (or "bottom") and "upper" (or "top") shall be used similarly, the lower part of an element designating the part of that element which is located on the floor side of the vehicle and the upper part designating the part of that element which is located on the roof side of the vehicle.

[0027] The adjective "longitudinal" shall apply to a direction or axis oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle, parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle when the steering wheel is in the neutral position.

[0028] The adjective "transverse" shall apply to a direction or axis oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal and horizontal axes when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal road.

[0029] As shown in [Fig.1], the bench seat 20 comprises three separate seats 21A, 21B, 21C, i.e. three seats not sharing any components and which can be installed independently of each other in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0030] It thus comprises a central seat 21B and two side seats 21A, 21C located on either side of the central seat 21B.

[0031] Each seat typically comprises a seat 220, a backrest 221, and a headrest 229, each including a frame, upholstery attached to the frame, and a cover slipped over the upholstery. It should be noted that the backrest and headrest could share the same frame and / or upholstery and / or cover.

[0032] The frame 210 of each seat is therefore composed of at least a seat frame and a backrest frame. Each of these frames is, for example, formed of metal parts fixed together.

[0033] The frame of the seat 220 could be anchored to the floor 10 of the vehicle, but it is generally intended to be mounted mobilously on the floor, on the one hand, in translation along a longitudinal axis, and, on the other hand, in height.

[0034] As shown in [Fig.2], the frame 210 of each seat then includes, in addition to the seat and backrest frames, a fixed support 222 intended to be fixedly anchored to the floor 10 of the vehicle, and mounting means 226 of the seat 220 on this fixed support 222.

[0035] The fixed support 222 includes in particular two fixed rails 223 fixed to the floor 10 by anchoring means described below.

[0036] The mounting means 226 comprise: - two movable rails 228 adapted to slide along the fixed rails 223 along longitudinal axes, and - two pairs of parallel connecting rods 227 articulated, on one side, on the mobile rails 228 and, on the other, on the frame of the seat 220 to allow the latter to go up or down, according to a rotary translation movement.

[0037] These fixed rails 223, mobile rails 228 and connecting rods 227 being well known to the person skilled in the art, they will not be described here in more detail.

[0038] It can only be noted that the fixed support 222 includes metal crossbars 224 (figures 3 and 4) allowing the two fixed rails 223 to be connected together.

[0039] To fix the two fixed rails parallel to the floor 10, each seat is equipped with its own anchoring means 211.

[0040] We will focus here more specifically on the anchoring means of the two side seats 21A, 21C, which are strictly identical here.

[0041] These anchoring means 211 are configured such that the two side seats 21A, 21C are removable from the floor 10 independently of each other. They are described here as removable in the sense that they can be anchored to the floor in a fixed and robust manner, and then removed from the floor as many times as desired and without difficulty. They could be removable using tools. Here, they are removable without tools.

[0042] The anchoring means 211 could take very different forms from that illustrated in [Fig.2].

[0043] But here, these anchoring means 211 comprise two longitudinal members 21 IC in the form of elongated metal pieces above which the two fixed rails 223 are fixed, here by screwing.

[0044] They further comprise two hooking means 21 IB respectively located at the front of the two longitudinal members 21 IC, and adapted to hook onto metal axes 111 of the floor 10.

[0045] They also include two snap-on means 21 IA respectively located at the rear of the two longitudinal members 21 IC and adapted to clip onto the floor 10.

[0046] Of course, the picking means 21 IB and the ratcheting means 211A could be reversed, the picking means then being located at the rear of the ratcheting means.

[0047] We can briefly describe these hooking and latching means, as well as the floor to which these means can be anchored.

[0048] The floor 10 has two pairs of hinges 110 on which the hooking means can hook so as to form a joint between each side seat 21A, 21C and the floor 10.

[0049] Two hinges are thus provided at the front edge of each side seat.

[0050] In Figures 2 to 4, only one of these hinges 110 is shown.

[0051] Each hinge 110 is made from a metal blank folded into a U shape to present a base welded to the rest of the floor 10 and two parallel and longitudinal sides 112, 113 which rise in projection above the base.

[0052] Each hinge 110 further comprises a folded metal wire having at least one straight portion, which is cylindrical of revolution about a transverse axis, and whose ends are fixed, for example by welding, to the sides 112, 113. The metal axes 111 (to which the picking means are attached) are then formed by these straight portions of the folded metal wires of the hinges 110.

[0053] The metal axes 111 of the four hinges 110 are coaxial.

[0054] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 2], each of the hooking means 21 IB is in the form of a tab (not visible) extending in a vertical and longitudinal plane and having a recessed notch in its front edge. Each tab is then designed to hook onto one of the hinges 110 by engaging its notch on the metal axis 111 of that hinge.

[0055] Thanks to its two legs, each side seat 21A, 21C can be hooked from the front onto the two coaxial metal axes 111, and then tilted around these axes.

[0056] Such means of lock picking 21 IB are described for example in document FR2966398.

[0057] As further shown in [Fig.2], the latching means 21 IA provided at the rear of each longitudinal member 21 IC are here in the form of a vertical pin adapted to engage in a corresponding opening provided in the floor 10.

[0058] Each vertical pin is equipped with movable lugs which, once the vertical pin is engaged in the floor opening, retain the pin in that opening. They also include manual means for actuating the lugs to release the pin from the opening.

[0059] Such snap-on means 211A are described for example in document EP1663697.

[0060] Thanks to these hooking means 21 IB and latching means 211 A, each side seat 21A, 21C can be hooked onto the hinges 110 of the floor 10, then tilted backwards so that the vertical pins engage and lock into the openings in the floor 10.

[0061] Thanks to the means of operation, it is possible to release the vertical pins from the openings in the floor 10, then to tilt each side seat 21A, 21C forward (around the hinges 110) before unhooking this seat from the metal axes 111.

[0062] These picking means 21 IB and latching means 211A will not be described here in more detail, in particular because they could appear in different forms.

[0063] The two side seats 21A, 21C are almost identical.

[0064] In practice, their anchoring means 211 are strictly identical.

[0065] These seats differ primarily in the position of their buckle loops. A buckle loop is a device for receiving and locking the bolts threaded onto the seat belt straps. Here, such a buckle loop is attached to the metal frame of the seat (and not to the floor).

[0066] As clearly shown in [Fig. 1], the loop strand 22A of the right lateral seat 21A is indeed located on the left side of this seat, while the loop strand 22C of the left lateral seat 21C is indeed located on the right side of this seat.

[0067] In view of this difference, it is advisable to avoid mounting the two side seats 21A, 21C in reverse position on the floor 10 (the right seat on the left and vice versa).

[0068] For this reason, as shown in [Fig. 2], the metal frame 210 of at least one of the two side seats 21A, 21C includes a keying metal wire 212 shaped to: - to interfere with the floor 10 when the first side seat 21A, 21C is brought back from one side of the central seat 21B in order to prevent the fixing of its anchoring means 211 to the floor 10, and to - not to interfere with the floor 10 when the first side seat 21 A, 21C is brought from a second side of the central seat 21B so that its anchoring means 211 can be fixed to the floor 10.

[0069] By "interfere" it is meant that it comes into contact with a part of the floor 10, which prevents the user from placing this seat in a position such that it can anchor itself to the floor.

[0070] Only one of the two seats could be equipped with such a keying metal wire 212. But in practice, it is preferable that both side seats 21A, 21C be equipped with such a keying metal wire 212.

[0071] The keying metal wire 212 has an identical shape on both side seats 21A, 21C. However, the keying metal wire 212 is not placed in the same way on both seats.

[0072] Alternatively, the keying metal wires could have different shapes. In this variant, these wires could or could not be positioned in the same way on both seats.

[0073] In the embodiment illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the keying metal wire 212 has a U-shaped form, with two arms 213, 214 fixed to the rest of the metal frame 210 and a base 215 adapted to interfere with the floor 10 when the first side seat 21 A, 21C is brought from the first side of the central seat 21B.

[0074] This keying wire 212 is made from a straight steel wire of constant cross-section, which is bent into the desired shape and then welded to the metal frame 210 of the seat. Such a wire is commonly used in the manufacture of a seat frame, making its production very inexpensive.

[0075] In practice, the anti-mislead metal wire 212 is more precisely welded by its two ends onto one of the metal cross members 224 of the fixed support of the seat, which, it is recalled, extends between the two fixed rails 223 (and more precisely between the two longitudinal members 21 IC).

[0076] It is further oriented in such a way that, when the side seat 21 A, 21C is hooked onto two of the hinges 110 of the floor 10, its base 215 faces one of the sides 112 of one of these two hinges 110.

[0077] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the two sides 112, 113 of each hinge 110 have different shapes. In practice, one of these sides 113 has a substantially rectangular shape, and the other of these sides 112 has a shape similar to the first, except that it has a wide notch 114 in its upper rear corner.

[0078] The keying metal wire 212 is then placed and oriented so that, when a user hooks one of the side seats 21A, 21C onto two of the hinges 110 (those located on the correct side of the central seat 21B) and then tilts this seat backwards, the base 215 of this wire fits into the notch 114, so that it does not obstruct the complete tilting of the seat into a position where its vertical pins hook into the openings in the floor 10.

[0079] The anti-mislead metal wire 212 is further placed and oriented in such a way that, when a user hooks the corresponding side seat 21A, 21C onto the other two hinges 110 (those located on the wrong side of the central seat 21B) and then tilts this seat backwards, the base 215 of this wire comes to rest against one of the sides 112 of this hinge, so that it forms an obstacle to the complete tilting of the seat into a position where its vertical pins would catch in the openings of the floor 10.

[0080] This is possible because the two pairs of hinges 110 to which the two side seats 21A, 21C hook have different shapes.

[0081] Thus, the two hinges 110 of either pair of hinges are symmetrical to each other with respect to a median (vertical and longitudinal) plane passing between them. On the other hand, their arrangements are reversed on each side of the central seat.

[0082] In other words, the hinges 110 of one of the seats are installed such that their sides 112 (those with notches 114) are turned towards each other the other, while the hinges 110 of the other of the seats are installed in such a way that their sides 112 are located opposite each other.

[0083] The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and represented, but a person skilled in the art will be able to make any variation in accordance with the invention.

[0084] Typically, only one of the two hinges of each seat could have a notch in one of its two sides. By placing the hinge with the notch on the left for one of the side seats and on the right for the other, it will be possible to allow each of these seats to be installed on only one side.

[0085] According to another variant, the floor could be provided to have two hollows arranged differently under the two side seats, in which case the keying metal wires would be placed so as to be able to engage in these hollows only when the side seats are placed on the floor on the correct side of the center seat.

[0086] As a further alternative, the keying wire could have a different shape instead of a U-shape, for example a straight shape, a W-shape, an L-shape...

[0087] According to another variant of the invention, the anti-misalignment metal wire could for example be fixed to the frame of the seat, in particular if the latter is devoid of fixed and mobile rails (and therefore of longitudinal mobility).

Claims

Demands

1. A motor vehicle comprising: - a floor (10), and - a bench seat (20) comprising three separate seats, including two different side seats (21A, 21C) located on either side of a central seat (21B) and each comprising a metal frame (210) equipped with anchoring means (211) adapted to be removably attached to the floor (10), characterized in that the metal frame (210) of at least one of the two side seats (21A, 21C) comprises a keying wire (212) shaped to: - interfere with the floor (10) when the first side seat (21A, 21C) is brought to one side of the central seat (21B) in order to prevent the attachment of its anchoring means (211) to the floor (10), and to - not interfere with the floor (10) when the first side seat (21A, 21C) is brought from a second side of the central seat (21B) so that its anchoring means (211) can be fixed to the floor (10).

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the anti-missing metal wire (212) has a U-shape, with two arms (213, 214) fixed to the rest of the metal frame (210) and a base (215) adapted to interfere with the floor (10) when the first side seat (21A, 21C) is brought from the first side of the center seat (21B).

3. Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-mislead metal wire (212) is welded to the rest of the metal frame (210).

4. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said first side seat (21A, 21C) comprising a seat (220), a backrest (221) and a fixed support (222) on which the seat (220) and / or the backrest (221) is movably mounted, the keying wire (212) is fixed to the fixed support (222).

5. Motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the fixed support (222) comprising two fixed rails (223) fixed to the floor (10), the keying wire (212) is fixed to a metal cross member (224) which extends between the two fixed rails (223).

6. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, the floor (10) having at least one hinge (110) for each side seat (21A, 21C), the keying wire (212) is shaped to interfere with a part of one of said hinges (110) when the first side seat (21A, 21C) is brought from the first side of the center seat (21B).

7. Motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, said hinge (110) comprising an axis (111) which extends between two flanks (112, 113), said part is formed by one of the flanks (112).

8. Motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the two sides (112, 113) have different shapes.

9. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the floor (10) has a pair of hinges (110) for each side seat (21A, 21C), the hinges of the two pairs being arranged differently.

10. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the frame of the other of the two side seats (21A, 21C) has a keying wire (212) shaped to: - interfere with the floor (10) when the other side seat (21A, 21C) is brought to the second side of the central seat (21B) in order to prevent the attachment of its anchoring means (211) to the floor (10), and to - not interfere with the floor (10) when the other side seat (21A, 21C) is brought to the first side of the central seat (21B) in such a way that its anchoring means (211) can be attached to the floor (10).

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