vehicle

Abstract

To achieve a relaxed posture such that a seat is reclined without increasing the size in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 has front wheels 11 provided on right and left sides. The vehicle 10 includes: a seat 100 arranged so as to face a front window 2; a space formation part which is provided in front of and below the front window 2, and forms an excess space SP2 where the seat 100 is movable, in front of the seat 100; and a support part 20 which supports the seat 100 so that a seat front end is movable from a first position where the seat front end is positioned in rear of centers of the front wheels 11 to a second position where the seat front end is positioned in front of the centers of the front wheels 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology has been known for some time that, when a vehicle is traveling in autonomous driving mode without the obligation to monitor, the seat position is reclined with the seat back tilted backward, and information is displayed on a ceiling-mounted display aligned with the occupant's line of sight (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-166700 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to tilt the seat back backward into the reclining position, a large amount of space is required behind the seat, which increases the size of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle having front wheels on both the left and right sides, comprising a seat arranged facing the windshield, a space forming portion in front of and below the windshield and in front of the seat, which forms excess space into which the seat can move, and a seat support portion which supports the seat so that it can be moved from a first position where the front end of the seat is located rearward of the center of the front wheels to a second position where the front end of the seat is located forward of the center of the front wheels. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the seat position can be changed without increasing the size of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a front side of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a support portion that supports a seat mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a support portion that supports a seat mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 . [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a hip-up position as an example of a change in seat position. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a relaxed position, which is another example of a change in seat position. [Figure 8A] 1 is a plan view of an operation pedal provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8B] 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration related to a traveling operation of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] FIG. 2 is a side view of the right front wheel of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the left. [Figure 10A] FIG. 9B is a plan view showing an example in which an in-wheel motor is used instead of the traction motor in FIG. 9A. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a plan view showing a modification of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device that controls a seat mode of a seat mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle showing a state in the middle of changing the seat position from the normal position to the immersed position. [Figure 13A] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle showing an immersion position. [Figure 13B] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle showing the immersion position. [Figure 14]FIG. 13C is a plan view of a vehicle showing a modified example of FIG. 13B. [Figure 15A] A side view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 with the addition of a B-pillar. [Figure 15B] A side view of the vehicle shown in Figure 12 with the addition of a B-pillar. [Figure 15C] FIG. 13B is a side view of the vehicle showing the state in which a B-pillar has been added to the vehicle shown in FIG. 13A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 15C. Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a main part on the front side of the vehicle 10. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figures, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the figures correspond to the length direction, width direction, and height direction of the vehicle 10, respectively. The vehicle 10 is a four-wheel vehicle having a pair of left and right front wheels 11 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 12.

[0009] The vehicle 10 is configured as a vehicle having an automatic driving function, that is, an automatic driving vehicle. The vehicle 10 can run not only in an automatic driving mode in which no driving operation by the driver is required, but also in a manual driving mode in which the driver operates the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that runs by being driven by a driving motor.

[0010] 1 and 2, a vehicle 10 is mounted on a floor 1 with a pair of vehicle seats 100, i.e., a driver's seat 100D and a passenger's seat 100P, on the left and right sides. The driver's seat 100D and the passenger's seat 100P have the same configuration, and these vehicle seats 100 are sometimes simply called seats. The seat 100 includes a seat cushion 110 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 120 that supports the back of the occupant, a headrest 130 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 120 and supports the head of the occupant, and a support part 20 that supports the seat cushion 110 so as to be movable in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction from the floor 1.

[0011] The seat cushion 110 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, i.e., extends substantially horizontally, and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The seat cushion 110 has a seat cushion frame 111 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 2) that forms the framework of the seat cushion 110. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat cushion frame 111 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a substantially rectangular frame shape as a whole in plan view.

[0012] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seat cushion frame 111. A cushion pad 112 having elasticity and made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 111, and the surface of the cushion pad 112 is covered with a skin 113. A seating surface 114 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 110. An ottoman 140 is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 110 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a shaft portion extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0013] The seat back 120 has a seat back frame 121 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 2) that forms the framework of the seat back 120. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 121 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in a substantially vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames extending in the left and right direction and connecting the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a substantially rectangular frame shape as a whole when viewed from the front.

[0014] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seatback frame 121. A resilient back pad 122 made of, for example, a urethane foam material is provided around the seatback frame 121, and the surface of the back pad 122 is covered with a skin 123. A seating surface 124 on which an occupant sits is formed on the front surface of the seatback 120.

[0015] A pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 extending in the front-rear direction are provided below the seat 100, i.e., on the upper surface of the floor 1. A pair of left and right upper rails 25, 25 extending in the front-rear direction are provided at the bottom of the support portion 20, and the left and right upper rails 25, 25 are slidably engaged with the left and right lower rails 14. Note that detailed illustration of the support portion 20 is omitted in Figures 1 and 2.

[0016] The support portion 20 may have any configuration as long as it supports the seat cushion 110 so as to be movable in the front-rear and up-down directions relative to the floor 1. Fig. 3 is a side view showing an example of the support portion 20, and Fig. 4 is a front view (viewed from the front). In Fig. 4, the ottoman 140 is omitted from illustration.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the seat back 120 is supported by a reclining mechanism 180 on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 111 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction about a shaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. The reclining mechanism 180 has an electric motor 18 supported by the seat cushion frame 111, and the seat back 120 is rotated in the front-rear direction by driving the electric motor 18. The electric motor 18 may be omitted, and the seat back 120 may be rotated in the front-rear direction manually. An electric motor 19 is provided on the front end of the seat cushion frame 111. The ottoman 140 is moved up and down by driving the electric motor 19.

[0018] 3 and 4, the support portion 20 has a pair of left and right front links 21, 21 extending substantially in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right rear links 22, 22 (see FIG. 5) extending substantially in the vertical direction. The upper rail 25 is divided into a front and a rear part. The front upper rail 25 is called a front upper rail 25F, and the rear upper rail 25 is called a rear upper rail 25R.

[0019] An upper end of the front link 21 is pivotally supported by the seat cushion frame 111 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 211 extending outward in the left-right direction from a front end of the seat cushion frame 111 as a fulcrum. A lower end of the front link 21 is pivotally supported by the front upper rail 25F so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 212 extending outward in the left-right direction from the front upper rail 25F as a fulcrum. The shafts 211, 212 are fixed to the front link 21, and the front link 21 rotates integrally with the shafts 211, 212.

[0020] An upper end of the rear link 22 is pivotally supported by the seat cushion frame 111 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 221 extending outward in the left-right direction from the rear end of the seat cushion frame 111 as a fulcrum. A lower end of the rear link 22 is pivotally supported by the rear upper rail 25R so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 222 extending outward in the left-right direction from the rear upper rail 25R as a fulcrum. The shafts 221, 222 are fixed to the rear link 22, and the rear link 22 rotates integrally with the shafts 221, 222.

[0021] The left and right front links 21, 21 may be respectively connected to both left and right ends of a link connection frame extending in the left-right direction. The left and right rear links 22, 22 may be respectively connected to both left and right ends of a link connection frame extending in the left-right direction. That is, the left and right front links 21, 21 may be integrated via the link connection frame. The left and right rear links 22, 22 may be integrated via the link connection frame.

[0022] The pair of left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F are fixed to both left and right ends of a connecting frame 26 extending in the left and right direction. This allows the left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F to be integrated via the connecting frame 26. The pair of left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R are also fixed to both left and right ends of a connecting frame 28 (FIG. 5) extending in the left and right direction. This allows the left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R to be integrated via the connecting frame 28.

[0023] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a substantially cylindrical lead screw 15 extending in the front-rear direction is disposed inside the lower rail 14. As shown in FIG. 5, a threaded portion 5a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lead screw 15 over substantially the entire length. Brackets 151 are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom portion of the lower rail 14 near the front end and the rear end of the lower rail 14. The brackets 151 rise upward from the upper surface of the bottom portion of the lower rail 14 and support the front end and the rear end of the lead screw 15 in a state in which the lead screw 15 is lifted a predetermined height from the bottom portion. As a result, the lead screw 15 is fixed to the lower rail 14 via the brackets 151 so as not to rotate.

[0024] An electric motor 27 capable of forward and reverse rotation is attached to the front surface of the front connecting frame 26. The electric motor 27 has a pair of left and right output shafts protruding to the left and right. A shaft 27a extending in the left and right direction is coupled to the output shafts, and the shaft 27a rotates about an axis extending in the left and right direction when driven by the electric motor 27. Similarly, an electric motor 29 capable of forward and reverse rotation is attached to the front surface of the rear connecting frame 28. The electric motor 29 has a pair of left and right output shafts protruding to the left and right. A shaft 29a extending in the left and right direction is coupled to the output shafts, and the shaft 29a rotates about an axis extending in the left and right direction when driven by the electric motor 29.

[0025] 4 and 5, a gear box 30, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case member, is attached to the top surfaces of the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R. For example, the gear box 30 is fixed in a state separated from the lower rail 14 by a pair of front and rear bolts 30a that penetrate the top surfaces. The lead screw 15 extends through the gear box 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0026] Although not shown, a rotating body that screws into the threaded portion 15a of the lead screw 15 is provided inside the gear box 30. The rotating body is, for example, a nut, and the nut is supported inside the gear box 30 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the lead screw 15. The gear box 30 moves in the front-rear direction along the lead screw 15 together with the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R as the nut rotates in one direction or the opposite direction. Note that the rotating body may be something other than a nut as long as it screws into the threaded portion 15a of the lead screw 15.

[0027] The shaft 27a of the electric motor 27 is inserted into the gear box 30 through the side wall of the front upper rail 25F. The shaft 29a of the electric motor 29 is inserted into the gear box 30 through the side wall of the rear upper rail 25R. Inside the gear box 30, particularly in the space above the lead screw 15, there is accommodated one or more gear units (e.g., worm gears or bevel gears) that convert rotation about an axis in the left-right direction into rotation about an axis in the front-rear direction. The tips of the shafts 27a, 29a mesh with the gear units, and the rotation of the electric motors 27, 29 is transmitted to a gear provided on the outer circumferential surface of a nut, for example, via the shafts 27a, 29a and the gear units.

[0028] As a result, the gear box 30 moves in the front-rear direction together with the front upper rail 25F when driven by the electric motor 27, and the lower end of the front link 21 moves in the front-rear direction accordingly. Also, the gear box 30 moves in the front-rear direction together with the rear upper rail 25R when driven by the electric motor 29, and the lower end of the rear link 22 moves in the front-rear direction accordingly.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, a reversible electric motor 35 is attached to the rear surface and left end of the front connecting frame 26. The output shaft of the electric motor 35 protrudes to the left, and one end of a shaft 35a extending in the left-right direction is connected to this output shaft. The shaft 35a penetrates the left and right side walls of the front upper rail 25F and extends to the left of the front upper rail 25F, and a pinion 36 is fixed to the other end of the shaft 35a. As a result, the pinion 36 rotates about an axis in the left-right direction when driven by the electric motor 35. Note that a reducer may be interposed between the electric motor 35 and the pinion 36, and the rotation of the electric motor 35 may be reduced in speed by the reducer before being transmitted to the pinion 36.

[0030] The shaft portion 212 of the left front link 21 protrudes leftward by a predetermined amount from the left end surface of the front link 21, and a gear 37 is coupled to this protrusion so as to rotate integrally with the shaft portion 212. For example, the gear 37 is fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 212 by spline coupling. The gear 37 meshes with the pinion 36, and thus, as the pinion 36 rotates, the front link 21 rotates in the front-rear direction via the gear 37. In FIG. 3, the gear 37 is configured in a substantially circular shape, but as long as it is provided integrally with the front link 21, the gear 37 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be a semicircular shape or a sector shape. In FIG. 3, the gear 37 is provided around the shaft portion 212, but the center may be provided at a position shifted from the shaft portion 212 (for example, a position shifted backward). The gear 37 may not be provided as a separate member from the front link 21, but a gear portion may be provided in the front link itself. In the above-described configuration of the support part 20, if there is a risk that the support part 20 will become stuck when the links 21, 22 are rotated, a stopper may be provided to limit the rotation of the links 21, 22 in order to prevent the support part 20 from becoming stuck.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows the normal position (normal mode) of the seat 100. In this embodiment, by configuring the support portion 20 as described above, the seat 100 can be changed from the normal position to various positions. The seat position is changed in response to a command from the occupant to change the seat position. The command to change the seat position is input, for example, by operating a seat switch provided on the side of the seat 100. The seat switch includes a vertical movement command switch that commands vertical movement of the seat, a forward / backward movement command switch that commands forward / backward movement, and a mode change switch that commands switching of the seat mode.

[0032] 6 is a side view of the seat 100 showing a hip-up position (hip-up mode), which is an example of a position change. The hip-up mode is commanded, for example, by operating a mode change switch. When changing the seat position from the normal position to the hip-up position, the rear upper rail 25R moves forward by a predetermined amount by driving the electric motor 29. This causes the rear link 22 to rise while rotating about the shafts 221, 222 as a fulcrum. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 110 rises about the shaft 211 of the front link 21 as a fulcrum, and the seat 100 assumes the hip-up position.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a side view of the seat 100 showing a relax position (relax mode), which is another example of the position change. The relax mode is commanded, for example, by operating a mode change switch. When changing the seat position from the normal position to the relax position, the rear upper rail 25R moves rearward by a predetermined amount by driving the electric motor 29. This causes the rear link 22 to tilt while rotating around the shafts 221, 222 as a fulcrum. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 110 descends around the shaft 211 of the front link 21 as a fulcrum. Furthermore, the ottoman 140 rotates upward by a predetermined amount by driving the electric motor 19, and the seat back 120 rotates rearward by a predetermined amount by driving the electric motor 18, so that the seat 100 assumes the relax position.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, a steering wheel 131 is disposed in front of the seat 100 (driver's seat 100D). The steering wheel 131 is rotatably supported by a steering shaft 132 extending in the front-rear direction. The steering of the vehicle 10 (front wheels 11) is commanded by operating the steering wheel 131. The operation of the steering wheel 131, i.e., the amount and direction of operation, is detected by a steering sensor 137 (Fig. 9A).

[0035] A front end of the steering shaft 132 extends into a space SP1 provided in front of an instrument panel 133. The steering shaft 132 is supported in the space SP1 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The steering shaft 132 moves in the front-rear direction by driving an actuator 134 (e.g., an electric motor). As the steering shaft 132 moves forward and backward, the steering wheel 131 moves forward and backward together with the steering shaft 132, so that the steering wheel 131 can be stored in the vicinity of the instrument panel 133.

[0036] A substantially rectangular display 135 is also arranged in the space SP1 with a display screen 135a facing downward. Although not shown, the display 135 is stored in a substantially box-shaped display case installed in the space SP1. A long and narrow opening is provided in the rear end face of the display case in the left-right direction, and the display 135 can be removed from the display case through the opening. More specifically, an actuator 136 (e.g., an electric motor) for moving the display is provided in the display case, and the display 135 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction by the drive of the actuator 136.

[0037] Display 135 is supported by the display case so that display screen 135a gradually rises as it moves rearward, that is, so that the inclination angle of display screen 135a with respect to the horizontal plane gradually increases. When display 135 is entirely removed from the display case, the inclination angle of display 135 becomes substantially the same as the inclination angle of windshield 2, and windshield 2 is covered by display 135 (see FIG. 13A). In particular, the lower side of windshield 2 is covered by display 135.

[0038] The display 135 may be stored facing the ceiling instead of being stored inside the instrument (inside the dashboard). That is, instead of using an in-dash type display, it may be a flip-down type display that can be rotated forward from near the ceiling surface via a shaft extending in the left-right direction. In this case, when the display 135 is rotated, the upper side of the windshield 2 is covered with the display 135.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower rail 14 extends forward between the left and right front wheels 11, 11. A pair of left and right side walls 141 extending in the front-rear direction are erected from the floor 1 between the lower rail 14 arranged at the right end and the right front wheel 11 and between the lower rail 14 arranged at the left end and the left front wheel 11. The lower rail 14 extends forward beyond an axis CL1 passing through the rotation center of the front wheel 11, and a front wall 142 extending in the left-right direction is erected from the floor 1 in front of the lower rail 14. An upper wall 143 is disposed at the upper ends of the side walls 141 and the front wall 142. The upper wall 143 extends in a substantially horizontal direction below the space SP1, more precisely, extends at a gentle upward gradient toward the rear. As a result, a substantially box-shaped space SP2 with an open rear face is formed between the left and right front wheels 11, 11 by the side walls 141, the front wall 142, and the upper wall 143.

[0040] The height of the space SP2 is set so that the lower body of an occupant in a relaxed position can move into the space SP2 (see FIG. 13A). The side walls 141 and the front wall 142 that form the space SP2 are preferably made of high-strength members. For example, they are preferably made of the body frame that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body, or of strength members fixed to the body frame. An airbag may be arranged to deploy toward the space SP2 when a predetermined impact is applied to the vehicle 10.

[0041] 1, a pair of left and right operation pedals 17, 17 are provided on the upper surface of the floor 1 in front of the driver's seat 100D in the normal position so as to be depressed by the driver. The right operation pedal 17 is an accelerator pedal that commands the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 10 according to the amount of depression, and the left operation pedal 17 is a brake pedal that commands the braking of the vehicle 10. The operation pedals 17 are disposed between the pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 of the driver's seat 100D.

[0042] Fig. 8A is a plan view of the operation pedal 17, and Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 8A. As shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the operation pedal 17 extends from the floor 1 in a forward and upward direction at a predetermined angle, and is supported rotatably in the vertical direction on a shaft 171 provided on the floor 1 and extending in the left-right direction. Although not shown in the figure, the shaft 171 is provided with a spring for biasing the operation pedal 17 upward, and a stopper for limiting the amount of upward rotation of the operation pedal 17. As a result, the operation pedal 17 is held in an upright state at a predetermined angle of inclination, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 8B.

[0043] When the driver depresses the operation pedal 17, the operation pedal 17 rotates forward with the shaft portion 171 as a fulcrum. The operation amount (rotation amount) of the operation pedal 17 (accelerator pedal, brake pedal) is detected by a pedal sensor 174 (FIG. 9A). An actuator 172 such as an electric motor that rotates the operation pedal 17 forward against the biasing force of a spring is provided on the shaft portion 171. In a predetermined seat mode (an immersion mode to be described later), the operation pedal 17 is rotated forward to the maximum extent by the drive of the actuator 172. As a result, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 7B, the operation pedal 17 is disposed inside the substantially rectangular opening 1c of the floor 1 and stored in the floor 1. In the stored state of the operation pedal 17, the operation pedal 17 abuts against the upper surface of a pressing plate 173 provided on the bottom surface of the floor 1 so as to cover the opening 1c. At this time, the upper surface of the operation pedal 17 is located on substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the floor 1.

[0044] FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration related to the traveling operation of the vehicle 10. In FIG. 9A, the seat 100 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 9A, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a traveling motor 60 between the left and right rear wheels 12, 12. The rotation of the traveling motor 60 is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 12 via an axle 61 extending in the left-right direction, with or without a speed reducer. Therefore, the vehicle 10 is a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In the manual driving mode, the traveling motor 60 is controlled by the ECU 170 in response to a signal from the pedal sensor 174. Specifically, the traveling motor 60 is controlled by a power control unit (not shown) that receives a command from the ECU 170. A suspension 62 is provided on the inside of the left and right rear wheels 12 in the left-right direction.

[0045] Between the wheel 115 of the front wheel 11 and the side wall 141, a generally plate-shaped arm 116 extending in the front-rear and up-down directions is disposed. The arm 116 is fixed to the vehicle body frame. A shaft 117 is protruded from the arm 116 in the left-right direction. FIG. 9B is a side view of the right front wheel 11 as viewed from the inside in the left-right direction (left side). As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a hub 118 is disposed on the outside in the left-right direction of the arm 116. A long hole 118a that is elongated in the front-rear direction is opened in the hub 118. The shaft 117 is inserted into the long hole 118a, so that the hub 118 is supported by the arm 116 so as to be swingable in the left-right direction relative to the shaft 117. The wheel 115 of the front wheel 11 is supported by the hub 118 so as to be rotatable.

[0046] A steering actuator 119 (e.g., an electric motor) for steering the front wheels 11 is attached to the arm 116, and a rod 119a extends and retracts when the actuator 119 is driven. The tip of the rod 119a is connected to a hub 118, and when the actuator 119 is driven, the hub 118 can be swung left and right to change the turning angle of the front wheels 11. In the manual driving mode, the actuator 119 is controlled by the ECU 170 in response to a signal from the steering sensor 137. A bracket 145 fixed to the arm 116 is disposed behind the front wheels 11. A suspension 146 is supported on the upper surface of the bracket 145.

[0047] Instead of the traveling motor 60 in FIG. 9A, or in addition to the traveling motor 60, an in-wheel motor can be used. FIG. 10A is a plan view of the front wheel 11 showing an example. As shown in FIG. 10A, an in-wheel motor is attached to the arm 116 as the traveling motor 65. The in-wheel motor is disposed inside the wheel 115 and rotates integrally with the wheel 115. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a modified example of FIG. 10A. In FIG. 10B, unlike FIG. 10A, the arm 116A is extended in the left-right direction instead of the front-rear direction. As in FIG. 10A, an in-wheel motor is attached to the arm 116A as the traveling motor 65, and a suspension 146 is supported on the upper surface of the arm 116.

[0048] 10A and 10B, in Fig. 10A, the suspension 146 is disposed behind the front wheels 11, so the space SP2 (Fig. 9A) inside the left and right front wheels 11, 11 can be enlarged compared to Fig. 10B. On the other hand, in the example of Fig. 10B, the arm 116A extends in the left-right direction, so the front wheels 11 can be supported via a kingpin or the like so as to be steerable.

[0049] In this embodiment, the vehicle control system controls the traveling operation of the vehicle 10. The vehicle control system controls the traveling operation of the vehicle 10 in both the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode. Although not shown in the figure, the vehicle control system has external sensors (radar, lidar, camera, etc.) that detect the external situation, which is the peripheral information of the vehicle 10, internal sensors (vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, etc.) that detect the traveling state of the vehicle 10, an input unit (steering sensor 137, pedal sensor 174, driving mode changeover switch, etc.) to which various commands related to the traveling operation of the vehicle 10 are input by the driver, a position detection sensor (GPS receiver, etc.) that detects the current position of the vehicle 10, a map database, a navigation device that sets a traveling route to a destination, an ECU, and traveling actuators (travel motor 60, steering actuator 119, braking actuator, etc.).

[0050] The ECU of the vehicle control system includes the ECU 170 of FIG. 9A. This ECU reads signals from the external sensor, the internal sensor, the input unit, the position detection sensor, the map database, and the navigation device, executes predetermined processing, and controls the actuators for driving. That is, in the manual driving mode, the ECU controls the actuators for driving in response to commands from the input unit. In the automatic driving mode, the ECU sets a target route to the destination, and controls the actuators for driving the vehicle 10 along the target route while avoiding contact with surrounding obstacles.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 70 that controls the seat mode. As shown in Fig. 11, the control device 70 has an ECU 71, and a seat switch 72, a driving mode changeover switch 73, a seat actuator 20a, a steering actuator 134 (Fig. 1), a display actuator 136 (Fig. 1), and a pedal actuator 172 (Fig. 8B), each of which is connected to the ECU 71.

[0052] The seat actuator 20a is a collective term for a number of electric motors for driving the seats. The seat actuator 20a includes an electric motor 18 for rotating the seat back (FIG. 3), an electric motor 19 for rotating the ottoman (FIG. 3), an electric motor 27 for sliding the front upper rail (FIG. 5), an electric motor 29 for sliding the rear upper rail (FIG. 5), and an electric motor 35 for rotating the front upper rail (FIG. 5).

[0053] The seat switch 72 includes a vertical movement command switch for commanding vertical movement of the seat 100, a forward / backward movement command switch for commanding forward / backward movement, and a mode change switch for commanding switching of the seat mode. The seat modes include a normal mode (FIG. 1), a hip-up mode (FIG. 6), a relax mode (FIG. 7), and an immersion mode, which will be described later.

[0054] The driving mode changeover switch 73 includes a manual / automatic changeover switch that commands either the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode, and a driving level command switch that commands the automatic driving level. The manual / automatic changeover switch is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, and outputs a command to switch to the automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving function is enabled or the manual driving mode in which the automatic driving function is disabled, depending on the switch operation. The vehicle control system can also command the changeover from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode or from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when a predetermined driving condition is met, without the operation of the manual / automatic changeover switch.

[0055] The driving level command switch is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, for example, and the autonomous driving level is commanded according to the switch operation. The autonomous driving level is an index of the degree to which driving is automated. The autonomous driving levels are classified into levels 0 to 5 based on SAEJ3016 defined by SAE International, for example. Specifically, level 0 is a driving level without automation, and at level 0, all driving operations are performed by a human (driver).

[0056] Level 1 is a driving level (driving assistance) in which the vehicle control system performs any one of the operations of acceleration, steering, and braking. Level 2 is a driving level (partial driving automation) in which the vehicle control system performs multiple operations of acceleration, steering, and braking at the same time. Up to level 2, humans are obligated to monitor the surroundings. Level 3 is a driving level (conditional autonomous driving) in which the vehicle control system 101 performs all of the acceleration, steering, and braking, and the driver responds only when requested by the vehicle control system. From level 3 onwards, the vehicle control system monitors the surroundings, and humans are not obligated to monitor the surroundings. Level 4 is a driving level (highly automated driving) in which the vehicle control system performs all driving operations in certain situations, and humans do not have to take over even if the vehicle control system cannot continue driving. Therefore, from level 4 onwards, the vehicle control system responds even in an emergency. Level 5 is a driving level (fully automated driving) in which the vehicle control system autonomously drives automatically under all conditions.

[0057] The driving level command switch commands one of the autonomous driving levels from level 0 to 5 in response to the driver's switch operation. The vehicle control system can also be configured to determine whether the conditions for autonomous driving are met based on the surrounding conditions, etc., and automatically switch the driving level command switch depending on the determination result to command one of the levels from 0 to 5.

[0058] When the driving mode selector switch 73 commands an automatic driving mode of level 4 or level 5 and the seat switch 72 commands an immersive mode, the ECU 71 outputs a control signal to the seat actuator 20a and changes the seat posture to the immersive posture as follows: When the driving mode selector switch 73 commands a manual driving mode or a level 3 or lower automatic driving mode, the immersive mode command from the seat switch 72 is invalidated.

[0059] Fig. 12 is a side view of the vehicle 10 showing a state in the middle of changing the seat position from the normal position to the immersed position. When the immersed mode is commanded in the normal position state of Fig. 1, the ECU 71 outputs a control signal to the seat actuator 2a, and as shown in Fig. 12, the seat cushion 110 is lowered, the seat back 120 is rotated backward, the ottoman 140 is rotated upward, and the seat 100 is moved forward. As a result, the feet of the occupant enter the space SP2.

[0060] Furthermore, the ECU 71 outputs a control signal to the steering actuator 134, so that the steering shaft 132 moves forward together with the steering wheel 131, and moves it away from the front of the seat 100. This expands the space in front of the occupant seated in the seat 100, and the occupant can easily move the seat 100 forward without coming into contact with the steering wheel 131. Furthermore, the ECU 71 outputs a control signal to the pedal actuator 172, so that the operation pedal 17 is rotated downward and stored in the floor 1. This allows the seat 100 to easily move forward without interfering with the operation pedal 17. Furthermore, the ECU 71 outputs a control signal to the display actuator 136, so that the display 135 moves backward through the opening of the display case.

[0061] Fig. 13A is a side view of the vehicle 10 showing the immersion posture, and Fig. 13B is a plan view. As shown in Fig. 13A, in the immersion posture, the seat cushion 110 is lowered further than in the state of Fig. 12, the seat back 120 is rotated backward, the ottoman 140 is rotated upward, and the seat 100 moves forward. At this time, the front end of the seat 100 is located forward of the lower end of the windshield 2, more specifically, forward of the axis CL1 of the center of the front wheel 11 as shown in Fig. 13B. In Fig. 13B, only the driver's seat 100D is in the immersion posture, and the passenger's seat 100P remains in the normal posture.

[0062] 13A, the immersion posture differs from the relaxation posture of FIG. 7 only in the position of the seat 100 in the front-rear direction, and the height of the seat cushion 110, the tilt angle of the seat back 120, and the tilt angle of the ottoman 140 are the same as those in the relaxation posture. Note that any or all of the height of the seat cushion 110, the tilt angle of the seat back 120, and the tilt angle of the ottoman 140 may be different from those in the relaxation posture. For example, the height of the seat cushion 110 may be lower than the height of the seat cushion 110 in the relaxation posture.

[0063] In the immersion posture, the display 135 moves rearward to the maximum extent, and the lower end of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 135. At this time, the inclination angle of the seat back 120 is approximately equal to the inclination angle of the windshield 2 or the display 135, and the display 135 is positioned opposite the face of the occupant. Various images can be displayed on the display 135 according to the occupant's preferences. Music or sound that matches the display on the display 135 can also be output from the speaker. Since the display 135 appears from below the windshield 2, the lower end of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 135. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the windshield 2 from entering the field of vision of the occupant, and the field of vision of the occupant looking at the display 135 is good.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The vehicle 10 is provided with front wheels 11, 11 on the left and right (FIG. 2). The vehicle 10 includes a seat 100 arranged facing the windshield 2, a side wall 141, a front wall 142, and an upper wall 143 that are in front of and below the windshield 2 and form an extra space SP2 in front of the seat 100 in which the seat 100 can move, and a support part 20 that movably supports the seat 100 so that the posture of the seat 100 can be changed from a normal posture in which the front end of the seat is located behind the center (axis line CL1) of the front wheels 11 to a immersed posture in which the front end of the seat is located forward of the axis line CL1 (FIGS. 1, 2, 13A). This allows the seat back 120 to be easily folded backward without requiring a large space behind the seat 100. This allows the seat 100 to be folded down to a relaxed posture (for example, a immersed posture) without increasing the size of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0065] (2) In the normal position, the front end of the seat is located behind the lower end of the windshield 2, and in the retracted position, the front end of the seat is located forward of the lower end of the windshield 2 (FIGS. 1 and 13A). As a result, in the retracted position, a large amount of space is formed behind the seat 100, so that the seatback 120 can be easily folded backward without interfering with the rear of the seat 100 (e.g., the rear seat).

[0066] (3) The seat 100 has a seat cushion 110 and a seat back 120 (FIG. 1). The support portion 20 supports the seat 100 such that, when the seat 100 is in the retracted position, the seat cushion 110 is positioned lower than when the seat 100 is in the normal position (FIGS. 1 and 13A). This makes it possible to prevent the lower half of the occupant's body from coming into contact with the upper wall 143 and the like that form the space SP2 when the seat 100 is moved to the space SP2 in front of the seat 100.

[0067] (4) The vehicle 10 further includes a display 135 that is movable between a position facing the windshield 2 (facing position) and a position retracted from the windshield 2 (retracted position), and a display actuator 136 that moves the display 135 between the facing position and the retracted position (FIGS. 1 and 13A). This allows the display 135 to be positioned facing the face of the occupant in the immersive posture, and the visibility of the display screen 135a of the display 135 is good.

[0068] (5) The vehicle 10 further includes an arm 116 disposed between the front wheels 11 and the side wall 141 that defines the space SP2, and a traction motor 65, more specifically an in-wheel motor, that is disposed inside the front wheels 11 or between the front wheels 11 and the arm 116 and is supported by the arm 116 to drive the front wheels 11 (FIGS. 10A and 10B). As a result, the traction motor 65 (in-wheel motor) is disposed near the front wheels 11, and a large space SP2 into which the front end of the seat 100 can enter can be easily formed between the left and right front wheels 11, 11.

[0069] (6) The vehicle 10 further includes a steering actuator 119 that is supported by the arm 116 and steers the front wheels 11 (FIGS. 9A and 9B). This allows the steering mechanism to be made smaller, and accordingly the space SP2 between the left and right front wheels 11, 11 can be made larger.

[0070] (7) The vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function, and further includes a driving mode changeover switch 73 for changing the level of autonomous driving to an autonomous driving level of level 3 or lower, which includes the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings while driving, or an autonomous driving level of level 4 or higher, which does not include the obligation to monitor the surroundings, and an ECU 71 for controlling the support unit 20 in response to the changeover of the driving mode changeover switch 73 (FIG. 11). When the autonomous driving level is changed to an autonomous driving level of level 3 or lower by the driving mode changeover switch 73, the ECU 71 prohibits the seat 100 from changing its position from the normal position to the immersed position, and when the autonomous driving level is changed to an autonomous driving level of level 4 or higher, the ECU 71 permits the seat 100 to change its position from the normal position to the immersed position. This allows the seat position to be changed to the immersed position after considering whether or not the driver has the obligation to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle 10.

[0071] The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. Some modified examples will be described below. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a modified example of Fig. 13B. In Fig. 13B, the suspension 146 on the front side of the vehicle is supported via a bracket 145 behind the front wheel 11, but as shown in Fig. 14, the suspension 146 may be supported via a bracket 145 in front of the front wheel 11.

[0072] The vehicle 10 is provided with a B-pillar, which is a strength member, behind the front door. The position of the seat 100 can also be determined in relation to the B-pillar. FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C are side views of the vehicle 10 showing a state in which a B-pillar has been added to FIGS. 1, 12, and 13A, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C, a B-pillar 160 (two-dot chain line) is provided in the center of the vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction. In the normal position of FIG. 15A, the B-pillar 160 and the seat 100 overlap in a side view. On the other hand, in the immersed position of FIG. 15C, the entire seat is located forward of the B-pillar 160. More specifically, in the immersed position, the seat back 120 is tilted backward to the maximum, and in this case, the rear end of the seat 100 is located forward of the B-pillar 160.

[0073] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 3 to 5), the support part 20 having a pair of front and rear links 21, 22 is used as the seat support part that supports the seat 100 so as to be movable in the front-rear and up-down directions, but the configuration of the seat support part is not limited to the above. That is, the seat support part may have any configuration as long as it supports the seat so as to be movable from a first position where the front end of the seat is located rearward of the center of the front wheel 11 to a second position where the front end of the seat is located forward of the center of the front wheel 11. The seat support part may support the seat so that the front end of the seat is located rearward of the lower end of the windshield 2 at the first position and the front end of the seat is located forward of the lower end of the windshield 2 at the second position. The seat posture at the first position is not limited to the normal posture. Also, the seat posture at the second position is not limited to the immersed posture.

[0074] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2), the side wall 141, the front wall 142, and the upper wall 143 form a space SP2 with an open rear surface in front of and below the windshield 2 and in front of the seat 100, in other words, below the hood, but the configuration of the space forming part that forms the surplus space into which the seat can move is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 13A), the seat cushion 110 is positioned lower in the immersed position than in the normal position, but the height of the seat cushion may be approximately the same in the first position and the second position, for example, when the state in which the seat cushion is lowered is the first position.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the seat mode is switched by the seat switch 72 to change the seat posture from the normal posture (normal mode) to the immersed posture (immersed mode), but the seat posture may be manually changed to the immersed posture by the occupant operating the up-down movement command switch or the fore-aft movement command switch. In the above embodiment, the seat posture is changed by driving the seat actuator 20a, but the seat actuator 20a may be omitted and the seat posture may be changed manually.

[0076] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 13A), the display 135 is provided so as to be movable between a retracted position in front of the windshield 2 and a facing position facing the windshield 2 by driving the display actuator 136, but the configuration of the display movement unit is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 10A and 10B), the arm 116 is disposed as a frame unit between the side wall 141 and the front wheel 11, but the frame unit may have any configuration. In the above embodiment (FIG. 9A), the travel motor 60 is disposed between the left and right rear wheels 12, 12, and in the above embodiment (FIGS. 10A and 10B), the travel motor 65 is disposed inside the front wheel 11 or between the front wheel 11 and the arm 116, but the configuration of the travel actuator is not limited to the above.

[0077] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 9A and 9B), the steering actuator 119 is provided to swing the hub 118 of the front wheel 11, but the configuration of the steering actuator is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment (FIG. 11), the driving mode changeover switch 73 capable of switching to a first automatic driving level of level 3 or lower or a second automatic driving level of level 4 or higher is provided as the driving level changeover unit, and the ECU 71 as the control unit prohibits the seat 100 from moving from the first position to the second position when the automatic driving level is switched to the first automatic driving level, and permits the seat 100 to move from the first position to the second position when the automatic driving level is switched to the second automatic driving level, but the configuration of the control unit is not limited to the above. For example, regardless of the switching of the driving mode changeover switch, when a non-driving state (parked state) of the vehicle 10 is detected, the seat may be permitted to move from the first position to the second position. Therefore, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to an automatic driving vehicle.

[0078] Although the above embodiment is applied to an electric vehicle, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to an electric vehicle. That is, the driving source for running the vehicle may be an internal combustion engine instead of a motor.

[0079] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The above-mentioned embodiment and one or more modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 2 front window, 10 vehicle, 11 front wheel, 20 support portion, 20a seat actuator, 60, 65 travel motor, 72 seat switch, 73 driving mode change switch, 100 seat, 110 seat cushion, 116 arm, 119 steering actuator, 120 seat back, 135 display, 136 display actuator, 141 side wall, 142 front wall, 143 upper wall

Claims

1. A vehicle with front wheels on the left and right, A seat facing the windshield; a space forming portion that is in front of and below the front window and that forms a surplus space in front of the seat, in which the seat can be moved; a seat support portion that supports the seat so that the seat can be moved from a first position where the front end of the seat is located rearward of the center of the front wheels to a second position where the front end of the seat is located forward of the center of the front wheels.

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, A vehicle characterized in that, in the first position, the front end of the seat is located rearward of the lower end of the windshield, and, in the second position, the front end of the seat is located forward of the lower end of the windshield.

3. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The seat includes a seat cushion and a seat back. The vehicle, wherein the seat support portion supports the seat such that, when the seat is in the second position, the seat cushion is positioned lower than when the seat is in the first position.

4. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, a display that is movable between a facing position facing the windshield and a retracted position retracted from the windshield; a display moving unit that moves the display between the facing position and the retracted position.

5. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a frame portion disposed between the space forming portion and the front wheel; The vehicle further comprises a driving actuator that is disposed inside the front wheels or between the front wheels and the frame portion, and is supported by the frame portion to drive the front wheels.

6. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a frame portion disposed between the space forming portion and the front wheel; The vehicle further comprises a steering actuator supported by the frame portion and configured to steer the front wheels.

7. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The vehicle is an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function, A driving level switching unit that switches the level of autonomous driving to a first autonomous driving level that includes a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings while driving or a second autonomous driving level that does not include the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings; A control unit that controls the operation of the seat support unit in response to switching of the driving level switching unit, The control unit prohibits movement of the seat from the first position to the second position when the autonomous driving level is switched to the first autonomous driving level by the driving level switching unit, and allows movement from the first position to the second position when the autonomous driving level is switched to the second autonomous driving level.

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