Seat structure of long-distance night bus

Abstract

To provide a seat structure of a long-distance night bus which secures high safety against an impact caused by sudden braking or an accident etc. regardless of whether the bus is traveling, stopped, or parked when passengers are seated in the daytime and sleeping in the nighttime.SOLUTION: In a seat structure of a long-distance night bus, a seat unit 110, which is formed by assembling a pair of seats, comprising a front seat 10 and a rear seat 20, to the inside of a predetermined frame, enables the pair of seats to be installed horizontally on substantially the same line in a horizontal direction, and enables the pair of seats to be installed vertically on substantially the same line in a vertical direction by moving the front seat 10 to the space above the rear seat 20, is slidably installed on rails 120 having a predetermined length and installed on the floor surface of the bus. The seat unit 110 is fixed to the rails 120 in a manner that prevents the seat unit 110 from sliding and engaged with the rails 120 in a manner that prevents derailment at predetermined positions on the rails 120.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 55

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to various long-distance night buses that involve long hours of travel with sleeping at night, such as route buses and chartered buses. Without reducing the number of seats, and without making the passengers in the surrounding seats, especially those in the rear seats, feel uncomfortable, the seats can be flattened and lie down, realizing a comfortable night's sleep. At the same time, in both daytime sitting and night sleeping, for emergency braking to avoid danger, being involved in failures or accidents regardless of whether the bus is running, parked, or stopped, and various impacts caused by various reasons such as contact accidents or collision accidents with other vehicles, a seat structure with high safety is ensured.

Background Art

[0002] With the nationwide expansion and improvement of highways, various long-distance night buses that make effective use of the night time are widely popular. The main selection criteria for passengers who use these long-distance night buses for long hours of travel at night on the premise of sleeping are "fare", "comfort", and "operation schedule".

[0003] The presence or absence of comfort is an important factor that affects fatigue and activities at the destination. Especially when sleeping at night, it is necessary to relieve the burden on the passengers in the rear seats, not make them feel uncomfortable or have to endure, and also not have to endure oneself and be able to relax. Therefore, there is a great demand for seats that can be reclined to a state closer to flat. To meet this demand, if there is a margin in the size and interval of the seats and a reclining mechanism that can realize a seat in a state closer to flat is equipped, although the comfort of the seat will be improved, it will inevitably be accompanied by an increase in the installation area per seat, and the number of seats that can be installed will decrease.

[0004] When specifically verifying this, the distance D between the front and rear seats S at present remains at about 900 mm to 970 mm as shown in Fig. 67(a). Therefore, the reclining angle α of the front seat S is mostly about 120 degrees as shown in Fig. 67(b), and there is almost no seat that can be flat (180 degrees). No matter how the structure of the footrest and the backrest is improved, a seat structure that enables comfortable night sleep cannot be realized. Therefore, in a long-distance night bus with a long driving time, even if the seat S is reclined to stretch the legs, due to the fundamental seat structure, the foot position and the head position do not become horizontal, and the feet are seated obliquely with the toes downward. As a result, the body always tends to slide downward, making it difficult to sleep and causing the feet to swell. In some cases, there is also a concern that the economy class syndrome may develop.

[0005] In addition, the activities of the rear passengers BP are restricted when the front passengers FP recline the seat S, which may cause discomfort and reduce comfort. Recently, there have been several reports that disputes among passengers have developed due to this reclining.

[0006] If the current distance D between the front and rear seats S of about 900 mm to 970 mm shown in Fig. 67(a) is increased to the distance D1 between the front and rear seats S of about 1900 mm to 2000 mm as shown in Fig. 68(b), then as shown in Fig. 68(c), the rear passengers can stretch their legs and recline the seat S to a state close to flat without hesitation. However, in that case, the installation area per seat will be increased. The current seat S shown in Fig. 68(a) can be installed in a space where 6 seats can be installed in the length direction of the long-distance night bus, but only half, that is, 3 seats, can be installed as shown in Fig. 68(b). Therefore, the number of seats that can be installed in the long-distance night bus will be reduced by half.

[0007] Long-distance night buses have a major selling point in that their fares are relatively inexpensive compared to other means of transportation, differentiating them from other transportation options. In the current situation where they are exposed to fierce price competition among bus companies under the market economy, a hasty fare increase will lead to a loss of customers. If the fare is kept constant, profitability is determined by "the number of seats × the boarding rate." Therefore, if the number of seats is reduced to improve comfort, profitability will immediately deteriorate, making it difficult to adopt.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned situation of long-distance night buses, the inventors focused on the installation space (the floor area of the bus) required to enable sufficient reclining, and came up with the idea of sharing the same installation space among multiple seats. As a result of intensive research based on this idea, the invention of the seat structure for a long-distance night bus (hereinafter referred to as the "Document 1 Invention") is provided, which assembles a pair of seats consisting of a front seat and a rear seat, each having a seat surface and a backrest, within a predetermined frame, enables the pair of seats to be horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line, and moves the front seat into the upper space of the rear seat so that the pair of seats can be vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line, and the seat unit is slidably installed on a rail laid on the floor of the bus.

[0009] According to the Document 1 Invention, by installing a pair of seats in the vertical direction, it becomes possible to share the installation area of the pair of seats as a dedicated area for both the front seat and the rear seat. That is, by sharing the space for installing the seats with a pair of seats, it is possible to provide a flat seat by fully reclining the backrests of the pair of seats in the night sleeping state without sacrificing the number of seats, and it is possible to simultaneously achieve profitability and comfort, which have been considered difficult in the past.

[0010] Implementing this Invention 1, taking as an example the full length L1: 11990 mm, the length L2 from the driver's seat partition 6 to the rear partition 7: 10310 mm, the length L3 from the driver's seat partition 6 to the open part of the emergency door 5: 8530 mm, the length L4 from the driver's seat partition 6 to the pair of seats 30a in the front row: 460 mm, the dimensions of the toilet T part at the rear (width TW × length TL): 1150 mm × 1700 mm, and the indoor width dimension W1: 2310 mm of the long-distance night bus 1 shown in Fig. 66, verify the number of seats of the pair of seats 30 according to Invention 1 that can be installed in the length direction.

[0011] Even if the installation space when vertically installed is shared by the pair of seats 30 according to Invention 1, in order to install a flat seat with the backrest reclined to a flat state and the leg rest deployed, a space (especially the length dimension), specifically the length dimension SL of the flat seat as described above of 1900 mm to 2000 mm (see Fig. 68(b)) is surely required. If the length dimension SL of the pair of flat seats 30 is set to 1900 mm and 50 mm is added as the interval L5 between the pair of seats in the front-rear direction, in order to install four pairs of seats in the front-rear direction, a length dimension of 7800 mm (1950 mm × 4) is required. Therefore, as shown in the figure, in one window-side area with a toilet T installed at the rear, there is insufficient space, so the fourth pair of seats 30b cannot be installed. On the other hand, although it is possible to install the fourth pair of seats 30c and 30d in the remaining central area and the other window-side area, the space A beside the toilet will be used, and other seats cannot be installed in the space A beside the toilet.

[0012] Although the space A beside the toilet has a length dimension of 2000 mm or more, since the partition part of the engine room bulges into the vehicle interior and the height dimension is insufficient, the pair of seats 30 of the invention of Document 1 cannot be installed. Therefore, the inventors of the present invention install a single seat that can be flattened in the central area and the other window side area. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 66, only a total of 20 seats can be installed, which is the 18 seats (2 seats × 3 rows in the horizontal direction × 3 rows in the front-rear direction) with a pair of seats according to the invention of Document 1 installed in 3 rows in the front-rear direction and 3 rows in the horizontal direction, plus the single 2 seats (not shown) installed in the space A beside the toilet. That is, when installed vertically, the pair of seats 30b, 30c, 30d in the fourth row cannot be arranged in a flat state because the single seat (not shown) installed in the toilet T or the space A beside the toilet becomes an obstacle, resulting in a decrease in the number of seats and making it difficult to ensure profitability.

[0013] In addition, there are also many buses that are long-distance night buses but exclude the toilet T to increase the number of seats in order to achieve an increase in passengers. On the contrary, the present invention assumes that the toilet T is equipped on the premise of ensuring the minimum comfort, keeping the operation schedule, and as the responsibility of the bus operation company.

[0014] In order to ensure the profitability that enables operation as a commercial vehicle, in the installation of the pair of seats 30 shown in FIG. 66, at least 26 seats need to be installed, which is the 24 seats (2 seats × 3 rows in the horizontal direction × 4 rows in the front-rear direction) with a pair of seats according to the invention of Document 1 installed in 4 rows in the front-rear direction and 3 rows in the horizontal direction, plus the single 2 seats (not shown) installed in the space A beside the toilet.

[0015] As described above, the number of the pair of sheets 30 according to the invention of Document 1 that can be installed on the bus floor surface 2 with a specific planar area is determined solely by the length dimension SL of the flattened sheet when installed vertically. On the other hand, in the invention of Document 1, in order to move the front sheet into the upper space of the rear sheet when installed vertically, the installation space for the front sheet when installed horizontally (seated state) is unnecessary when installed vertically. So to speak, it remains as a surplus space θ (the space between the pair of sheets 30 and the space between the driver's seat partition 6 and the leading pair of sheets 30) in the front-rear direction of the bus 1 (see Fig. 60). The inventors of the present invention focused on this surplus space θ in order to ensure the number of installed sheets 30 and implement the invention of Document 1. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 60, a frame is slidably installed on a pair of left and right rails 120 of a predetermined length laid on the floor surface 2 of the bus 1. When installed horizontally in the seated state, as shown in Fig. 62, the rear end of the frame is fixed in a state of being slid to the rear end of the rail. And in order to secure the increased installation area by realizing a flat sheet, when installed vertically in the sleeping state, as shown in Figs. 63 and 64, the backs of the pair of sheets are reclined to a flat state, and with the leg rests deployed horizontally, the front end of the frame is slid to the front end of the rail and fixed. That is, the frame is slid to the front end of the rail, and the front ends (leg rests) of the pair of sheets are projected from the rail by using the above-mentioned surplus space θ.

[0016] As a result, as shown in Figs. 63 and 64, it becomes possible to install a predetermined number of pairs of sheets closely in the longitudinal direction of the bus when installed vertically, enabling the installation of flat sheets without reducing the number of sheets. Thus, in the long-distance night bus with the above-mentioned total bus length L1: 11,990 mm, a state where 24 sheets (a pair of sheets × 3 rows in the width direction × 4 rows in the longitudinal direction) are installed as a pair of sheets 30 is shown. Although not shown in the figure, it is also possible to install two independent flatable sheets in the space A beside the toilet, and together with the above-mentioned 24 sheets, it becomes possible to install 26 sheets.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0017]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0018] When operating a bus as a commercial vehicle, not limited to long-distance night buses, the most important thing to consider prior to comfort and profitability is to ensure the safety of passengers at all times, whether the bus is in motion, stationary, or parked. The invention of Document 1 realizes a flat seat by sharing the space for installing a pair of seats between the front seat and the rear seat during night driving in order to improve comfort, and installs the seat unit slidably on the rails to ensure the number of seats. Based on the actual vehicle, various aspects such as the safety, operability, and usability during driving, parking, and stopping have been verified comprehensively, and trial and error have been accumulated. As a result, in order to actually operate the invention of Document 1 as a commercial vehicle, the present inventors have developed and provided a displacement structure and a sliding structure for the specific seat unit from horizontal installation to vertical installation, and obtained knowledge about two new problems to be solved, mainly from the perspective of ensuring safety.

[0019] [The First Problem] The present invention realizes comfort with a flat sheet that can be stretched out and reclined, and in order to ensure profitability by securing the number of sheets, a seat unit in which a pair of sheets consisting of a front sheet and a rear sheet are assembled within a predetermined frame is slidably installed on a rail and fixed at a predetermined position. The first problem is based on the knowledge about the necessity of means for preventing the derailment of this seat unit from the rail. Since the seat unit is slidably installed on the rail, in the present invention, in both the horizontal installation and the vertical installation, at a predetermined position on the rail, the seat unit and the rail are detachably fixed by connecting them in the vertical direction with a predetermined fixing means such as a plunger. The details of the fixing means for the seat unit and the rail adopted in the present invention will be described later.

[0020] During the running of the bus, there is always the possibility of sudden braking for danger avoidance, or being involved in failures or accidents regardless of whether it is running, stationary or parked, and various impacts caused by various reasons such as contact accidents or collision accidents with other vehicles. If this impact acts only in the horizontal direction, that is, the two-dimensional direction, on the seat unit, in many cases it can be absorbed and alleviated by the fixing means for fixing the seat unit and the rail in the vertical direction, and the derailment of the seat unit from the rail can be prevented. However, when a large impact exceeding the limit of the fixing means acts, derailment from the rail cannot be avoided. In addition, the bus is not always in a horizontal state regardless of whether it is running, stationary or parked. There are ups and downs on the road, and various impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking for danger avoidance, or being involved in failures or accidents regardless of whether it is running, stationary or parked, and contact accidents or collision accidents with other vehicles occur not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction or the diagonal direction, that is, from an unpredictable three-dimensional direction.

[0021] Based on these findings, from the perspective of fail-safe, on the premise that impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents are bound to occur regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion, parked, or stopped, the present invention provides means for preventing the seat unit from derailing from the rail at predetermined positions in both horizontal and vertical installations, not only in the vertical and horizontal directions that can cause derailment, but also in any direction in the three-dimensional space, i.e., in the vertical direction, diagonal direction, or any unforeseeable three-dimensional direction. This is the first problem to be solved.

[0022] [Second Problem] On expressways, it is obligatory for passengers to wear seat belts according to the Road Traffic Law. Since the long-distance night buses according to the invention of Document 1 travel on expressways at night, they naturally have three-point seat belts installed. Therefore, in the seated state during horizontal installation, even in an emergency where various impacts are received due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion, parked, or stopped, the passengers are restrained by the three-point seat belts and will not be thrown out of the seat. That is, in the seated state, not only against impacts from two-dimensional directions due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents, but also against impacts from unforeseeable three-dimensional directions, the seat belt is positioned to oppose the impact, so the passengers will not be released from the restraint of the seat belt.

[0023] On the other hand, in the sleeping state during vertical installation, the passengers lie horizontally on the flat seat in any posture such as lying on the side, prone, or supine. Therefore, if they receive unforeseeable impacts from two-dimensional or three-dimensional directions, it is conceivable that the seat belt will not be in the opposing position and a situation will occur where the coverage range of the seat belt is exceeded. That is, in the sleeping state during vertical installation, the safety in the body length direction (head direction, foot direction) of the passengers cannot be covered by the seat belt, and there is a risk that the passengers will slip out of the seat belt they are wearing. Specifically, when impacted by sudden braking or a collision from the front, an inertial force acts on the passengers in the forward direction, and when impacted from the rear, an inertial force acts on the passengers in the rearward direction. Furthermore, when impacted from three-dimensional directions such as diagonal or lateral directions, the inertial forces will act in a complex intertwined manner.

[0024] For example, when a rearward inertial force acts and a passenger is thrown backward from the seat and collides with the legs of the rear passenger, or when a forward inertial force acts and the passenger is thrown forward and the legs of the rear passenger collide with the head of the forward passenger. Therefore, a safety means for directly covering the head of the passenger when the seat is vertically installed is essential for operating the invention of Document 1 as a commercial vehicle.

[0025] Based on these findings, from the perspective of fail-safe, on the premise that impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents will inevitably occur during driving, parking, or stopping, in the case of vertical installation, in addition to ensuring safety by the seat belt against impacts from two-dimensional directions such as the front-rear direction and impacts from an unpredictable three-dimensional direction, even when these impacts exceed the holding by the seat belt and the passenger slips out of the seat belt in two-dimensional or three-dimensional directions such as the front-rear direction of the bus, the second object of the present invention is to provide a means for ensuring the safety of the passenger, particularly the safety of the most important head.

[0026] Therefore, when applying the invention of Document 1 to an actual vehicle, the present invention aims to provide a seat structure that realizes a comfortable night's sleep with the seat lying flat by solving the first problem and the second problem, particularly the first problem, and ensures high safety against various impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking and accidents during driving, parking, or stopping both during daytime seating and nighttime sleeping.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0027] In order to solve the first problem, while conducting research on the relationship between a rail laid on the floor surface 2 of the bus and a seat unit slidably installed on the rail and fixed at a predetermined position, the idea of utilizing the sliding operation of the seat unit was obtained and the present invention was conceived.

[0028] According to claim 1, the present invention provides a seat structure for a long-distance night bus, which is based on a seat structure of a long-distance night bus in which a pair of seats consisting of a front seat and a rear seat each having a seat surface and a backrest are assembled in a predetermined frame, the pair of seats can be horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line, and the front seat can be moved into the upper space of the rear seat so that the pair of seats can be vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line. The seat unit is slidably installed on a rail of a predetermined length laid on the floor surface of the bus. At a predetermined position on the rail, the seat unit is fixed to the rail so as not to be slidable, and the seat unit is locked to the rail so as not to derail.

[0029] According to claim 2, the frame is configured to include a pair of left and right base materials, a pair of girders on the left and right, and a pair of front struts and rear struts on the left and right that connect the base materials and the girders while maintaining a predetermined height. According to claim 3, a pair of U-shaped cross-section rails with open upper surfaces are laid on the floor surface with a predetermined width, and a pair of left and right base materials are slidably installed on the rails. The rail has a front first locking device protruding from the front end of the rail bottom surface, a rear first locking device protruding from the rear end of the rail bottom surface, a rear second locking device protruding from the rail bottom surface at a predetermined distance from the front first locking device, and a front second locking device protruding from the rail bottom surface between the rear first locking device and the rear second locking device. The front first locking device and the front second locking device each have a hooked portion bent rearward in the rail direction, and the rear first locking device and the rear second locking device each have a hooked portion bent forward in the rail direction. The base material is a hollow rectangular material of a predetermined length, having a front closing surface formed on the front end surface, a rear closing surface formed on the rear end surface, a front window portion formed on the front closing surface, a rear window portion formed on the rear closing surface, a front open groove portion formed from the front end portion of the bottom surface to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction, and a rear open groove portion formed from the rear end portion of the bottom surface to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction. When the pair of sheets are horizontally installed, the base material is slid to the rear end of the rail, so that the outer surface of the rear closing surface abuts against the rear first locking device, and the hooked portion of the rear first locking device penetrates into the rear window portion to lock, and the inner surface of the front closing surface abuts against the rear second locking device, and the hooked portion of the rear second locking device protrudes from the front window portion to lock. When the pair of sheets are vertically installed, the base material is slid to the front end of the rail, so that the outer surface of the front closing surface abuts against the front first locking device, and the hooked portion of the front first locking device penetrates into the front window portion to lock, and the inner surface of the rear closing surface abuts against the front second locking device, and the hooked portion of the front second locking device protrudes from the rear window portion to lock, thus providing a configuration.

[0030] According to claim 4, the front second locking member penetrates into the base material from the rear groove portion, and the rear second locking member penetrates into the base material from the front groove portion. The base material is configured to be slidable on the rail where the front second locking member and the rear second locking member project through the front groove portion and the rear groove portion. According to claim 5, when the pair of sheets are horizontally installed, the hook portion of the rear first locking member is inserted into the rear window portion, and the rear second locking member is projected from the front window portion. When the pair of sheets are vertically installed, the hook portion of the front first locking member is inserted into the front window portion, and the front second locking member is projected from the rear window portion, thereby providing a configuration for locking the seat unit to the rail so that it cannot be derailed.

[0031] According to claim 6, a front first buffer member that abuts against the front first locking member is attached to the outer surface of the front closing surface, and a front second buffer member that abuts against the rear second locking member is attached to the inner surface of the front closing surface. A rear first buffer member that abuts against the rear first locking member is attached to the outer surface of the rear closing surface, and a rear second buffer member that abuts against the front second locking member is attached to the inner surface of the rear closing surface. According to claim 7, a base material flange is projected from the side surface of the base material, and a rail flange of a predetermined length is projected from the side surface of the rail. When the pair of sheets are horizontally installed and vertically installed, the base material flange is fixed to the rail flange by a fixing tool, thereby providing a configuration for fixing the seat unit to the rail so that it cannot slide.

[0032] And according to claim 8, a plunger is equipped on the base material flange as a fixing tool and is inserted and fixed into an insertion hole formed at a predetermined position of the rail flange. According to claim 9, when the pair of sheets are horizontally installed, the base material is fixed to the rail in a state where the base material is slid to the rear end of the rail, thereby providing a configuration for fixing the seat unit to the rail so that it cannot slide. According to claim 10, when the pair of sheets are vertically installed, the base material is fixed to the rail in a state where the base material is slid to the front end of the rail, thereby providing a configuration for fixing the seat unit to the rail so that it cannot slide.

Advantages of the Invention

[0033] According to the present invention described above, by moving the front seat into the upper space of the rear seat and making it possible to vertically install the pair of seats on substantially the same vertical line, it becomes possible to lay the seats flat without reducing the number of seats, and a comfortable night's sleep can be realized. Therefore, at night when the demand from passengers is high, the rear seat passengers are not burdened or forced to endure, nor are they made to feel self-conscious, and the seat can be reclined to a state closer to flat without forcing oneself to endure, so that a seat that can be reclined can be realized without reducing the number of seats.

[0034] Then, the seat unit is slidably installed on rails of a predetermined length laid on the floor of the bus, and at a predetermined position on the rails, the seat unit is fixed to the rails so as not to slide, thereby reducing the interval between the seat units when they are vertically installed, and it becomes possible to create an available space. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the decrease in the number of seat units that can be installed due to the flattening of the seats by using this created space, improve comfort, and ensure profitability.

[0035] When the seat unit is installed horizontally, it is fixed to the rail in a non-slidable manner by fixing the base material to the rail at a predetermined position on the rail, that is, with the base material slid to the rear end of the rail. Also, when installed vertically, it is fixed to the rail in a non-slidable manner by fixing the base material to the rail at a predetermined position on the rail, that is, with the base material slid to the front end of the rail. By sliding the seat unit, when installed horizontally, the base material is slid to the rear end of the rail to secure a space for the front seat to be installed and for passengers to sit, and when installed vertically, the base material is slid to the front end of the rail to secure the increased installation area achieved by realizing a flat seat. And in both the horizontal installation and the vertical installation, the seat unit is fixed to the rail, and even if it is subjected to horizontal impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking during driving or accidents during driving, parking, or stopping, the seat unit will not derail from the rail, ensuring safety.

[0036] Furthermore, when the seat unit is installed horizontally, by sliding the base material to the rear end of the rail, the outer surface of the rear closing surface of the base material is brought into impact contact with the rear first locking device, and the hook portion of the rear first locking device is inserted into the rear window portion to be locked. At the same time, the inner surface of the front closing surface is brought into impact contact with the rear second locking device, and the hook portion of the rear second locking device is protruded from the front window portion to be locked. Also, when installed vertically, by sliding the base material to the front end of the rail, the outer surface of the front closing surface is brought into impact contact with the front first locking device, and the hook portion of the front first locking device is inserted into the front window portion to be locked. At the same time, the inner surface of the rear closing surface is brought into impact contact with the front second locking device, and the hook portion of the front second locking device is protruded from the rear window portion to be locked. Therefore, when installed horizontally, the seat unit is locked by the rear first locking device and the rear second locking device protruding from the rail, and when installed vertically, it is locked by the front first locking device and the front second locking device. Even if it is subjected to impacts from the vertical direction, diagonal direction, that is, from unpredictable three-dimensional directions due to various causes such as sudden braking during driving, accidents during driving, parking, and stopping, or the posture of the bus and the ups and downs of the road, the seat unit will not derail from the rail and safety is ensured.

[0037] Therefore, according to the present invention, from the viewpoint of fail-safe, on the premise that impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents will inevitably occur regardless of whether the vehicle is running, parked, or stopped, at predetermined positions in both the horizontal installation and vertical installation states, even when subjected to impacts from the vertical direction, horizontal direction, and further from unpredictable three-dimensional directions that can cause derailment, it is possible to prevent the seat unit from derailing from the rail, and when operating a bus as a commercial vehicle, it is possible to ensure the safety of the most important passengers, which should be considered prior to comfort and profitability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0038]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the seat structure of a long-distance night bus according to the present invention for solving the first problem and the second problem will be described with reference to the drawings. The long-distance night bus 1 targeted by the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a bus that involves long-distance travel at night with sleeping, but mainly targets large-scale route buses or chartered buses that involve long-distance travel at night with sleeping for intercity transportation. The size of the entire bus in this embodiment is as described above. Note that the long-distance night bus 1 according to the present invention is not limited to its size or the number of passengers, and it may be a medium-sized or small-sized bus.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view when a pair of seats 30 composed of a front seat 10 and a rear seat 20 according to the present invention are horizontally installed. The front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 each have a backrest 12, 22 that can be reclined (tilted) in the front-rear direction at a predetermined angle at the rear end of the seat surface 11, 21. In addition, at the front end of the seat surfaces 11, 21, specifically, at the front ends of the seat frames 50, 25 described later, foldable seating legs 19, 29 and leg rests 13, 23 that can be folded and extended and have a footrest function at the tip are respectively hung and equipped.

[0041] A pair of sheets 30 composed of a front sheet 10 and a rear sheet 20 are assembled to a frame 40 which is a strength member to form a sheet unit 110. The frame 40 holds a pair of left and right base materials 41 and girders 42 at a predetermined height respectively, and connects them with a pair of left and right front struts 43 and rear struts 44 respectively. At the same time, the pair of left and right girders 42 hold a predetermined width in the front-rear direction and are connected by a predetermined number of beam members, and is configured in a hollow substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 60, the sheet unit 110 is slidably installed on a pair of left and right rails 120 laid on the floor surface 2 of the long-distance night bus 1 at predetermined intervals. In this embodiment, the pair of left and right rails 120 are arranged in three rows in the width direction with a longitudinal passage interposed between them, in one window side area, the central area, and the other window side area, and four sets are installed in each row in the longitudinal direction. Note that there is no space left for installing the fifth pair of sheets 30 in the space A beside the toilet at the rearmost part. Therefore, in the space A, it is possible to install two single seats (not shown) with a structure that can recline the backrest to a flat state similar to the front sheet 10 or the rear sheet 20, behind the fourth sheet unit 110. In that case, the number of seats in the long-distance night bus 1 is 26 seats [2 seats (sheet unit 110) × 3 rows (width direction) × 4 rows (longitudinal direction) + 2 seats (single seat, not shown)].

[0043] In the present invention, except during the bedtime period during night driving, as shown in FIG. 3, the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 that constitute the pair of seats 30 are installed on substantially the same horizontal line, and the passengers sit on the seat surfaces 11 and 21 and board the vehicle (hereinafter, this state is referred to as the "seated state"). Then, during the bedtime period during night driving, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front seat 10 is moved to the upper space of the rear seat 20, and the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 that constitute the pair of seats 30 are installed on substantially the same vertical line. The backrests 12 and 22 are reclined to a horizontal state and the leg rests 13 and 23 are extended, so that the seat surfaces 11 and 21, the backrests 12 and 22, and the leg rests 13 and 23 are in a horizontal and substantially 180-degree flat state, and the passengers board the vehicle in any comfortable posture such as lying on the side, prone, or supine for sleeping (hereinafter, this state is referred to as the "sleeping state").

[0044] As a result, the installation area of the pair of seats 30 can be used independently as the dedicated areas for both the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20. That is, the horizontal space of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 is opened, and using the opened space, the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 can be reclined to a horizontal state and the leg rest 13 can be extended without interfering with the rear seat 20 or other pairs of seats. Similarly, the backrest 22 of the rear seat 20 can be reclined to a horizontal state and the leg rest 23 can be extended without interfering with the front seat 10 of the pair of seats 30 installed behind or other pairs of seats.

[0045] Note that "substantially the same horizontal line" means that between the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 that constitute the pair of seats 30, and also between the pairs of seats 30 installed in the width direction and the longitudinal direction in the long-distance night bus 1, the rear seat 20 exists before and after the front seat 10 in the horizontal direction, and the front seat 10 exists before and after the rear seat 20 in the horizontal direction, that is, the state where the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 are located before and after on the same plane (see FIG. 3).

[0046] In addition, the phrase "substantially in the same vertical row" means that, between the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 that constitute the pair of seats 30, and also between a plurality of pairs of seats 30 installed in the width direction and the longitudinal direction within the long-distance night bus 1, there is no rear seat 20 in front of or behind the front seat 10 in the horizontal direction, and there is no front seat 10 in front of or behind the rear seat 20 in the horizontal direction. That is, the front seat 10 is positioned substantially directly above the rear seat 20. Generally speaking, it refers to a state where the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 coexist while sharing all or part of the installation space in the vertical direction (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0047] The present invention constructs a seat unit 110 by assembling a pair of seats 30, which include a front seat 10 and a rear seat 20 each having a seat surface 11, 21 and a backrest 12, 22, into a predetermined frame 40. The pair of seats 30 are horizontally installed substantially in the same horizontal row to be in a seated state, and the front seat 10 is moved to the upper space of the rear seat 20, and the pair of seats 30 are vertically installed substantially in the same vertical row to be in a sleeping state. Therefore, first, an embodiment of the pair of seats 30 according to the present invention will be sequentially described with reference to the drawings according to the process of displacing from the horizontally installed seated state to the vertically installed sleeping state. In this embodiment, the front support column 43 of the frame 40 is used as a means for moving the front seat 10 to the upper space of the rear seat 20. That is, the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 is mounted on the front support column 43 so as to be able to move up and down, and the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 is raised along the front support column 43 from the state at the time of horizontal installation and vertically installed in the upper space of the rear seat 20.

[0048] [Step 1 / FIGS. 3, 7 to 10, 14 to 17, etc.] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a pair of seats 30 at the time of horizontal installation. The front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 of the pair of seats 30 assembled in the frame 40 are each supported by the front support column 43 and the rear support column 44 at the rear end of the seat surface 11, 21, and the seating legs 19, 29 are grounded on the floor surface 2, and the backrests 12, 22 are supported on the seat surfaces 11, 21 at a predetermined angle. At the time of this horizontal installation, passengers can each sit on the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20.

[0049] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic side views of a pair of seats 30 when installed vertically. The front seat 10 of the pair of seats 30 assembled within the frame 40 moves into the upper space of the rear seat 20, reclines the backrests 12 and 22 to a flat state and is fixed. The pair of seats 30 are vertically installed on substantially the same line in the vertical direction. When installed vertically, a passenger can lie down and sleep in any comfortable position such as lying on the side, prone, or supine on the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 of the pair of seats 30 respectively.

[0050] Figure 14 is a front view of the main part of the front seat 10 when installed vertically, Figure 15 is a rear view of the main part thereof, Figure 16 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 14, and Figure 17 is a front view of a pair of seats 30 when installed vertically. As shown in Figures 14 to 17, the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 includes a seat surface frame 50 on which a cushion 14 is placed, a pair of slide guides 51 fixed to the lower surfaces of both left and right ends of the seat surface frame 50, a pair of left and right slide rails 52 fixed to the region inside the slide guides 51 on the lower surface of the seat surface frame 50, a rail guide 53 slidably fitted with the slide rail 52, and a support 55 having the rail guide 53 fixed to the upper surface and a pair of elevating parts 55a at both left and right ends. In this sleeping state, the seating legs 19 of the front seat 10 are folded and stored on the lower surface of the seat surface frame 50 (see Figures 14 and 17). Note that 15 is a stay that supports the extended leg rest 13 of the front seat 10 and is stored in the upper surface recess of the support 55 when not in use. Note that in Figures 14 to 17, the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 is not shown.

[0051] Figure 9 is an explanatory view of the main part showing the relationship between the support 55 and the front support 43 when installed horizontally, and Figure 10 is an explanatory view of the main part showing the relationship therebetween when installed vertically. In both figures, the illustration of the members constituting the seat surface 11 other than the support 55 is omitted. As shown in both figures, the pair of left and right front supports 43 each have a hollow recess 43a with openings facing each other, and the elevating parts 55a with wheels 55b attached to both upper and lower ends can travel vertically within the hollow recess 43a.

[0052] When horizontally installed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, the seating surface 11 of the front seat 10 has a base end portion on the side of the rear seat 20. Specifically, the support 55 is movably mounted in the hollow recess 43a of the front support column 43, and the seating surface 11 is located in a region forward of the front support column 43. In the seated state, the front seat 10 is fixed to the base material 41 of the frame 40 and the floor surface 2 by appropriate means.

[0053] [Step 2 / FIGS. 4, 10, 11, 18, etc.] To move the seating surface 11 of the front seat 10 upward along the front support column 43 as shown by the arrow Y in FIG. 4 from the horizontally installed state shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, after releasing the fixation of the front seat 10 to the frame 40 and the floor surface 2, the seating legs 19 are folded and stored on the lower surface of the seating surface 11. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the wheels 55b of the lifting portion 55a are run in the hollow recess 43a of the front support column 43, and the support 55 is lifted along the front support column 43, thereby lifting the seating surface 11 of the front seat 10 upward along the front support column 43. The moving means of the front seat 10 may be performed by using manual labor or an appropriate mechanical device or auxiliary means, and there is no limitation to such means.

[0054] In the hollow recess 43a of the front support column 43, a stopper 45 for restricting the upward position of the lifting portion 55a is installed at a predetermined location to guide the seating surface 11 to a predetermined height position. At a predetermined position on the back surface of the front support column 43, a guide base 70 protrudes adjacent to the stopper 45. The upper surface of the guide base 70 is formed wider than the front support column 43 and protrudes toward the facing front support column 43 direction, that is, toward the inside of the front support column 43.

[0055] By running the wheel 55b of the elevating part 55a along the front pillar 43 until it abuts against the stopper 45, the seat surface 11 rises to a predetermined height when vertically installed as shown in FIGS. 4, 10, and 12. FIG. 18 is a partial plan view of the seat surface 11 that has risen to the predetermined height. The seat surface 11 is located in the forward direction M of the front pillar 43, and the slide guide 51 is not in contact with the guide base 70. Therefore, the seat surface 11 in the state of having risen to the predetermined height is not placed on the guide base 70 and is not yet fixed to the front pillar 43. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, it is located in front of the front pillar 43 in the same manner as when horizontally installed and is not yet located substantially in the same vertical row as the rear seat 20.

[0056] [Step 3 / FIGS. 4, 6, 13, 18 to 20, etc.] Therefore, at the rising position of the elevating part 55a shown in FIGS. 4 and 18, the slide rail 52 is slid in the rail guide 53 fixed to the upper surface of the support 55 and is slid rearward U (toward the rear seat 20). Note that on the inner surfaces of the opposing side walls of the rail guide 53, retaining projections 53a for preventing the slide rail 52 fitted in the rail guide 53 from coming out are respectively projected in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 16). The left and right pair of retaining projections 53a sandwich both side surfaces of the slide rail 52.

[0057] When the lifting part 55a is in the raised position, the upper surface of the guide base 70 is at the same level as or slightly lower than the lower surfaces at both left and right ends of the seat surface frame 50. As shown in FIG. 19, the slide guide 51 is slidable on the guide base 70. Therefore, the support 55 is restricted by the stopper 45 and rises to a height position where the slide guide 51 abuts against the guide base 70 or leaves a slight gap. From this state, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 20, the seat surface frame 50 of the seat surface 11, the cushion 14 placed on the upper surface of the seat surface frame 50, the slide rail 52 fixed to the lower surface of the seat surface frame 50, and the slide guide 51 slide backward by a predetermined length in the U direction (toward the rear seat 20) from the support 55, and the slide guide 51 is placed on the guide base 70. As a result, the seat surface 11 moves by a predetermined amount from a position in front of the front support column 43 when horizontally installed as shown by the arrow X in FIG. 6 and in FIG. 20 to a position behind the front support column 43 and is positioned substantially in the same vertical line as the rear seat 20. In this state, the seat surface 11 is supported at a predetermined height position by the guide base 70 via the slide guide 51.

[0058] Note that the slide guide 51 is a long member and may be configured to be placed on the guide base 70. However, in order to enhance safety, it is desirable to form a key-shaped engaging portion (not shown) on the lower surface of the slide guide 51, lock it to the rear end portion of the guide base 70, or detachably fix it by other appropriate fixing means. The pair of slide guides 51 guides the sliding of the seat surface frame 50 and serves to stably place the seat surface frame 50 after sliding on the guide base 70.

[0059] According to the pair of seats 30 having the above-described configuration, the front seat 10 can be moved to the upper space of the rear seat 20 using the front support column 43. Note that the entry into and exit from the front seat 10 during vertical installation are performed by attaching lifting means (not shown) such as stairs or steps to an appropriate location such as the rear support column 44.

[0060] [Step 4 / FIGS. 21 to 23, etc.] Next, the configurations for stably and safely fixing a pair of sheets 30 with the front sheet 10 moved into the upper space of the rear sheet 20 will be described as steps 4 and 5. That is, the configurations for reclining and fixing the seat surfaces 11, 21 and the backs 12, 22 of the front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 20 at a predetermined angle, and in particular, the embodiments for stably and safely fixing them so that the seat surfaces 11, 21 and the backs 12, 22 are in a horizontal state when vertically installed will be described. Since this configuration is common to the front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 20, in this embodiment, the front sheet 10 will be described as an example, and only the differences from the front sheet 10 for the rear sheet 20 will be described.

[0061] First, the configuration for connectably fixing the back frame 80 of the back 12 to the seat frame 50 of the seat surface 11 at a predetermined angle will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23. FIG. 21 is an explanatory view of the main part showing the state where the back frame 80 is fixed to the seat frame 50 at a predetermined angle, FIG. 22 is an explanatory view of the main part showing the state where the back frame 80 is rotatable with respect to the seat frame 50, and FIGS. 23(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views showing the connection state of the seat connection plate 56 and the back connection plate 66.

[0062] The seat connection plate 56 is a strength member made of a plate material having a predetermined shape, for example, a rectangular shape, and is respectively projected on both sides of the base end portion of the seat frame 50 equipped with the cushion 14. A seat connection hole 57 is formed in the seat connection plate 56, and a reference fixing hole 58 having a diameter smaller than that of the seat connection hole 57 is formed at a predetermined position on the outer circumference in the circumferential direction thereof. The back connection plate 66 is a strength member made of a plate material having substantially the same shape as the seat connection plate 56, and is respectively projected on both sides of the base end portion of the back frame 80 equipped with the back cushion 81. A back connection hole 67 is formed in the back connection plate 66, and a plurality of selection fixing holes 68 (three selection fixing holes 68a, 68b, and 68c in the illustrated example) having a diameter smaller than that of the back connection hole 67 are formed at different positions in an arc shape on the outer circumference in the circumferential direction thereof. Note that the number and arrangement angle of the plurality of selection fixing holes 68 may be selected arbitrarily.

[0063] Insert a connecting rod 59 between the seat surface connecting holes 57 of the pair of left and right seat surface connecting plates 56 to fixedly secure the seat surface connecting plates 56 so that they cannot rotate. At the same time, connect both ends of the connecting rod 59 to the backrest connecting holes 67 of the pair of left and right backrest connecting plates 66 respectively, and loosely fit the backrest connecting plates 66 to be rotatable with respect to the seat surface connecting plates 56. Then, cover both ends of the connecting rod 59 protruding from the backrest connecting holes 67 with appropriate means such as caps 59b. The backrest connecting holes 67 are slightly larger in diameter than the connecting rod 59, and the backrest connecting plates 66 are rotatable around the connecting rod 59. In this state, the seat surface connecting plates 56 and the backrest connecting plates 66 are not fixed, and the backrest frame 80 is also not fixed to the seat surface frame 50.

[0064] The reference fixing hole 58 drilled in the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the plurality of selectable fixing holes 68 drilled in the backrest connecting plate 66 are such that as the backrest connecting plate 66 rotates, the respective selectable fixing holes 68a, 68b, 68c that make up the selectable fixing holes 68 face the reference fixing hole 58 in sequence and communicate. By inserting a first fixing pin 65 through the communicating reference fixing hole 58 and the selectable fixing hole 68a (selectable fixing hole 68b, 68c), the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 can be fixed at a predetermined angle, that is, the backrest frame 80 can be fixed to the seat surface frame 50 at a predetermined angle.

[0065] A rod-shaped rotating rod 61 of a predetermined length is pivotally supported on a bracket 59a vertically provided at approximately the central portion of the connecting rod 59. One end of each of the pair of left and right cable strips 62 is fixed to the rotating rod 61 at a predetermined interval. At the other end of the cable strip 62, a pair of left and right first fixing pins 65 are fixed facing the reference fixing hole 58 of the seat surface connecting plate 56 with elastic members 63 interposed therebetween. And an appropriate operating means such as a strap 64 is connected to one end portion of the rotating rod 61. The first fixing pin 65 is constantly urged by the elastic member 63 and is inserted into the reference fixing hole 58 and the selectable fixing hole 68a (68b, 68c) facing the reference fixing hole 58 as shown in Fig. 21 to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 at a predetermined angle (see Fig. 21).

[0066] From the state shown in this Figure 21, by operating an appropriate operating means such as the strap 64, for example, and rotating the rotating rod 61 as shown by the arrow Z, the cord 62 is pulled in the direction of the rotating rod 61 against the elastic member 63, the first fixing pin 65 falls out from the selection fixing hole 68a (68b, 68c), and the backrest connecting plate 66 becomes rotatable about the connecting rod 59 with respect to the seat surface connecting plate 56 (see Figure 22). Note that even in this state, the first fixing pin 65 remains inserted into the reference fixing hole 58 of the seat surface connecting plate 56.

[0067] Figure 23(a) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship (see Figure 3) between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 in the seated state during horizontal installation, the first fixing pin 65 is inserted into the reference fixing hole 58 and the selection fixing hole 68a to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66. Thereby, the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66, that is, the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 are held at an angle suitable for the sitting posture.

[0068] Figure 23(b) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship (see Figure 4) between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 during the ascending operation of the front seat 10, the first fixing pin 65 is inserted into the reference fixing hole 58 and the selection fixing hole 68b to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66. Thereby, the backrest 12 does not become an obstacle during the ascending operation of the front seat 10. Also, when reclining the backrests 12, 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 in the seated state during horizontal installation, the selection fixing hole 68b can be used.

[0069] Figure 23(c) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship (see Figures 5 to 7) between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 in the sleeping state during vertical installation, the first fixing pin 65 is inserted into the reference fixing hole 58 and the selection fixing hole 68c to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 so as to be substantially horizontal. Thereby, the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66, that is, the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 are held in a substantially horizontal state suitable for the sleeping posture.

[0070] [Step 5 / Figures 6 to 8, Figure 24, Figure 25, etc.] When the above-described vertical installation is performed, before moving the front seat 10 to the upper space of the rear seat 20 using the front support column 43 and placing the seat surface frame 50 on the guide base 70 via the slide guide 51, as shown in FIG. 23(C), the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 are fixed with a first fixing pin 65 by aligning the reference fixing hole 58 and the selective fixing hole 68c to hold the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 in a substantially horizontal state. Alternatively, after the operation of placing the seat surface frame 50 on the guide base 70 via the slide guide 51 is completed, the backrest frame 80 may be held in a horizontal state by the above-described operation. Thereby, the seat surface frame 50 is supported by the guide base 70, and although the base end portion of the backrest frame 80 is held in a substantially horizontal state on the seat surface frame 50, the tip end portion of the backrest frame 80 is located between the rear support columns 44 in an open state.

[0071] FIGS. 24(a) and (b) are explanatory views of the main part of the backrest 12 of the front seat 10. As shown in the figures, a pair of left and right second fixing pins 85 that can be telescopically operated by an operating rod 82 are provided at predetermined positions on both sides of the backrest frame 80, which is a strength member constituting the backrest 12. 81 is a cushion provided on the backrest frame 80. As shown in FIG. 6, when vertically installed, backrest fixing holes 83 into which the second fixing pins 85 can enter are formed on the inner surfaces of the rear support columns 44 facing the second fixing pins 85. As shown in FIG. 24(b), by operating the operating rod 82 to extend the second fixing pins 85 and inserting them into the backrest fixing holes 83, the backrest frame 80 can be fixed to the rear support columns 44. FIG. 24(a) shows that the backrest frame 80 can be released from the rear support columns 44 by operating the operating rod 82 to reduce the second fixing pins 85 and storing them in the backrest frame 80. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the leg rest 13 of the front seat 10 is extended horizontally and held in a horizontal state using the stay 15. Thereby, the vertical installation of the front seat 10 is completed. Note that 86 is a handle that is gripped to assist the forward and backward movement of the body when sitting and the operation of the backrest 12 during vertical installation.

[0072] Similarly, the backrest frame 90 of the rear seat 20 is held in a horizontal state. Since the fixing means for the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 of the rear seat 20 and the holding means for the leg rest 23 in the horizontal direction have the same configuration as those of the front seat 10, the description thereof will be omitted. When the backrest frame 90 of the rear seat 20 is in a horizontal state, the backrest frame 90 is not located between the rear columns 44. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 8, a rotatable support leg 35 is provided on the back surface of the backrest frame 90 of the rear seat 20. When installed vertically, the support leg 35 is rotated and extended from the backrest frame 90 and installed on the floor surface 2 so as not to fall over, thereby supporting the tip of the backrest frame 90. Note that 91 is a cushion provided on the backrest frame 90, and 96 is a handle that is gripped to assist the forward and backward movement of the body when sitting and the operation of the backrest 22 when installed vertically.

[0073] In the state shown in FIG. 8, the slide guide 51 of the seat surface frame 50 of the front seat 10 is placed on a guide base 70 which is a strength member fixed to the front column 43. In addition, by engaging the slide guide 51 with the guide base 70, it can be placed more stably. Further, the base end portion of the backrest frame 80 is firmly fixed by a first fixing pin 65 to the seat surface connecting plate 56 fixed to the seat surface frame 50 via a backrest connecting plate 66 fixed to the backrest frame 80, and is firmly fixed to the rear column 44 by second fixing pins 85 provided on both side portions of the backrest frame 80. Therefore, the front seat 10 is stably and safely fixed in the vertical direction of the rear seat 20.

[0074] Similarly, the seat surface frame 25 of the rear seat 20 is supported on the floor surface 2 by support legs 36. The base end portion of the backrest frame 90 is firmly fixed by a first fixing pin 65 to the seat surface connecting plate 56 fixed to the seat surface frame 25 via a backrest connecting plate 66 fixed to the backrest frame 90, and is supported on the floor surface 2 by support legs 35 provided on the back surface of the backrest frame 90. Therefore, the rear seat 20 is stably and safely fixed in the vertical direction of the front seat 10.

[0075] [Step 6 / FIGS. 8, 26 to 31, etc.] Based on the state when horizontally installed as shown in Fig. 3, the front seat 10 is raised along the front strut 43 and displaced into the upper space of the rear seat 20, and based on the state shown in Fig. 7 where the seating surfaces 11, 21 and the backrests 12, 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 are fixed in a horizontal state, when vertically installed, there is no margin in the height dimension of the upper space of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 and it is cramped. That is, due to the structure of the long-distance night bus 1, especially due to the restriction of the indoor height dimension, it is impossible to secure the height dimension necessary for passengers to move their bodies such as turning over, and it is difficult to maintain a relaxed posture for a comfortable night's sleep. Specifically verify this.

[0076] Taking the long-distance night bus 1 with a total length of 11990 mm and an indoor width dimension of 2310 mm and having three rows of seats arranged in parallel in the width direction as an example, since there are air-conditioning ducts and luggage racks on the ceiling parts of the seats on both sides near the window, the indoor height dimension H (see Fig. 7) between the floor surface 2 and the luggage rack is typically 1550 mm to 1570 mm. When installing the seat of the invention of Document 1 within the indoor height dimension H of 1550 mm, when vertically installed, the height dimension H3 from the upper end of the seating surface 21 of the rear seat to the floor surface 2 (the height dimension of the rear seat 20 in the seated state, see Fig. 7 and Fig. 17) is 400 mm (280 mm of the height dimension H4 from the lower surface of the seating surface 21 to the floor surface 2 + 120 mm of the height dimension H5 of the seating surface 21), and when the height dimension H6 of the seating surface 11 of the front seat 10 moved vertically by the rear seat 20 is 120 mm, the height dimension H1 + H2 (see Fig. 7) of the upper space of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 is 1030 mm (H - H4 - H5 - H6 = 1550 mm - 280 mm - 120 mm - 120 mm). If the space of this height dimension H1 + H2 of 1030 mm is evenly utilized, the height dimension H2 of the upper space of the front seat 10 and the height dimension H1 (see Fig. 7) of the upper space of the rear seat 20 when vertically installed are each 515 mm (1030 ÷ 2).

[0077] Also, when the indoor height dimension H between the floor surface 2 and the luggage rack remains at 1450 mm and other dimensions are the same, the height dimension H1 + H2 (see Fig. 7) of the upper space between the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 described above becomes 930 mm (1450 mm - 400 mm - 120 mm). When the 930 - mm space of this height dimension H1 + H2 is evenly utilized, the height dimension H2 of the upper space of the front seat 10 and the height dimension H1 (see Fig. 7) of the upper space of the rear seat 20 when vertically installed are each 465 mm (930÷2). With respect to the indoor width dimension of 2310 mm of the long - distance night bus 1, the width dimension of a pair of seats assembled to the frame is about 480 mm. Therefore, the height dimensions H1 and H2 of 465 mm are lower than the width dimensions of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20.

[0078] In order for a passenger to move their body such as turning over while in a sleeping state, in light of empirical rules, it is desirable that there is an upper - space height dimension of about 580 mm. If there is no upper - space height dimension H1, H2 that exceeds at least the width dimension of 480 mm of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20, it will be difficult to lie down. Even if the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 become nearly flat for sleeping due to the invention of Document 1, as it is, the height dimensions H1, H2 of the upper space are insufficient, and it is difficult to maintain a relaxed posture for a comfortable night's sleep. Note that for the central seat arranged in three rows in the width direction, since there are no air - conditioner ducts or luggage racks above it, the height dimension between the floor surface 2 and the ceiling is 1800 mm with a margin, and it is possible to secure a height dimension of 580 mm or more for the upper space of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 when vertically installed. However, as a pair of seats, it is excellent in versatility to commonly use seats of the same configuration and the same size for the central seat and the two side seats by the window.

[0079] On the one hand, although the height dimension H3 between the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 is essential for maintaining the posture of placing the soles of the feet on the floor surface 2 and lowering the waist onto the seating surface in the seated state during horizontal installation as shown in FIG. 3, it is less necessary during the sleeping state during vertical installation because there is no need to lower the soles of the feet onto the floor surface 2. Specifically, since the air conditioner duct 100 for the heater with a height of 130 mm and a width of 140 mm is often laid on the floor surface 2 on the window side of the long-distance night bus 1, from the dimension H3 (the height dimension of the seat in the seated state, see FIGS. 7 and 17) of 400 mm from the upper end of the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 to the floor surface 2, subtracting the height dimension H5 of the seating surface 21 of 120 mm and the height dimension 130 mm of the above-mentioned air conditioner duct 100, 150 mm (400 mm - 120 mm - 130 mm = 150 mm) is unnecessary during vertical installation. Also, in the long-distance night bus 1 where the air conditioner duct 100 is not installed on the floor surface 2, the dimension H4 of 280 mm (H3 - H5) from the lower end of the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 to the floor surface 2 can be used to expand the upper space. Therefore, in the present invention, the height dimension H3 between the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 can be reduced and changed during vertical installation, and the reduced dimension is used to expand the height dimension H1 of the upper space of the rear seat 20 and the height dimension H2 of the upper space of the front seat 10, so that the height dimension of the upper space of the pair of seats 30 during vertical installation can be expanded. The means will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8, 26 to 31.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a pair of sheets 30 when installed vertically, FIG. 26 is a main part explanatory view showing the structure of the rear sheet 20 before reduction and modification, FIG. 27 is a perspective view thereof, FIG. 28 is a main part explanatory view showing the structure of the rear sheet 20 during reduction and modification, FIG. 29 is a perspective view thereof, FIG. 30 is a main part explanatory view showing the structure of the rear sheet 20 after reduction and modification, and FIG. 31 is a perspective view thereof. As shown in the figures, on the seating surface 21 of the rear sheet 20, the seating surface frame 25 on which the cushion 24 is placed is configured by connecting the upper seating surface frame 26 and the lower seating surface frame 27 fixed to the base material 41 of the frame 40 with a pair of seating surface legs 28 that can be freely raised and lowered. Therefore, by setting the seating surface legs 28 in an upright state, the upper seating surface frame 26 and the lower seating surface frame 27 are separated by a certain distance (see FIGS. 26 and 27), while by setting the seating surface legs 28 in a lying state, the upper seating surface frame 26 and the lower seating surface frame 27 approach each other (see FIGS. 30 and 31).

[0081] The seating surface legs 28 are each composed of a pair of left and right front seating surface legs 28a and rear seating surface legs 28b that are rotatably axially attached to the lower seating surface frame 27 at their lower ends and rotatably axially attached to the upper seating surface frame 26 at their upper ends. At the middle parts of this pair of left and right front seating surface legs 28a and rear seating surface legs 28b, flange portions 28c are respectively projected. Also, at a predetermined position of the lower seating surface frame 27, a support pedestal 27a for detachably supporting the flange portion 28c is projected. Therefore, when the seating surface legs 28 are upright, the flange portion 28c sits on the support pedestal 27a and supports the upper seating surface frame 26 at a stable angle, and the seating surface 21 maintains the load-bearing capacity against the weight of the passenger.

[0082] A leg connecting rod 37 is installed between the pair of left and right rear seating surface legs 28b, and at a predetermined position of the lower seating surface frame 27, appropriate fixing means 33 such as a C-shaped member for detachably fixing the leg connecting rod 37 is equipped in a state where the seating surface legs 28 are upright and the flange portion 28c is sitting on the support pedestal 27a. Therefore, when the seating surface legs 28 are upright, the leg connecting rod 37 is fixed by the fixing means 33. Therefore, by this fixing means 33 and the support pedestal 27a that supports the above-mentioned flange portion 28c, the seating surface 21 has a function of maintaining the seating state for stably supporting the weight of the passenger, and maintains sufficient load-bearing capacity necessary for that.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 7, in order to reduce and change the height dimension H3 between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 in the sleeping state when vertically installed, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29, release the leg connecting rod 37 from the fixing means 33, and rotate the seat upper frame 26 in the direction of the front support column 43. As a result, the front seat legs 28a and the rear seat legs 28b of the seat surface rotate in the direction of the front support column 43 starting from the seat lower frame 27. As shown in Figs. 30 and 31, the seat upper frame 26 approaches the seat lower frame 27, and the state shown in Fig. 8 is achieved. At the end of the seat upper frame 26 in the direction of the front support column 43, a support leg 36 with a predetermined height for supporting the seat upper frame 26 when the seat upper frame 26 approaches the seat lower frame 27 is vertically provided. When this support leg 36 touches the floor surface 2, the rotation of the seat upper frame 26 stops. Due to this support leg 36, the front seat legs 28a, and the rear seat legs 28b, the seat surface 21 maintains sufficient load-bearing capacity to stably support the weight of the passenger.

[0084] By approaching the seat upper frame 26 to the seat lower frame 27 in this way when vertically installed, the height dimension H3 between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 shown in Fig. 7 can be reduced and changed to the height dimension H3α between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 as shown in Fig. 8. Due to this reduced dimension (H3 - H3α), the height dimension H1 of the upper space of the rear seat 20 (the dimension between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the back surface of the front seat 10) when vertically installed can be enlarged. Alternatively, by lowering the rising position of the front seat 10 due to this reduced dimension, it is possible to enlarge the height dimension H2 of the upper space of the front seat 10 (the dimension between the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 and the luggage rack or the ceiling). This reduced dimension (H3 - H3α) may be evenly utilized for the height dimension H1 of the upper space of the rear seat 20 and the height dimension H2 of the upper space of the front seat 10 when vertically installed, or it may be utilized only for one of them, or for both in any distribution ratio.

[0085] When placed horizontally, the seat surface legs 28 are raised by a procedure reverse to that when placed vertically, so that the height dimension H3α between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 shown in FIG. 8 can be restored to the height dimension H3 between the seat surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, the height dimension of the upper space of the pair of seats 30 when placed vertically can be enlarged.

[0086] When estimating the expansion amount based on the actual vehicle of the long-distance night bus 1 with a height dimension of 1550 mm between the floor surface 2 and the luggage rack, as described above, the air conditioner ducts 100 with a height dimension H8 of 130 mm are laid on both sides of the window side of the long-distance night bus 1. Therefore, the reduced dimension H7 according to the present invention is 150 mm (H3: 400 mm - H5: 120 mm - H8: 130 mm = H7: 150 mm). If this reduced dimension of 150 mm is evenly utilized for expanding the upper spaces of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 when placed vertically, 75 mm (150 mm × 1 / 2) each, then since 75 mm, which is half of the increased height dimension H7 (150 mm), is added to the height dimensions H1 and H2 of 515 mm of the respective upper spaces, the height dimensions H1α and H2α of the upper spaces become 590 mm (H1, H2: 515 mm + H7 × 1 / 2: 75 mm) (see FIG. 8), and an upper space with a height dimension exceeding about 580 mm, which is necessary for a passenger to move their body such as turning over while in a sleeping state, can be realized.

[0087] In addition, in the area behind the actual vehicle of the long-distance night bus 1 where the height dimension H between the floor surface 2 and the luggage rack is 1450 mm, and the upper space height dimension of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 when vertically installed is 465 mm, if the reduced dimension H7 of 150 mm according to the present invention described above is evenly utilized by 75 mm (150 mm × 1 / 2) each for the expansion of the upper space of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 when vertically installed, the height dimensions H1α and H2α of each upper space are increased by 75 mm, which is half of the expanded dimension H7 (150 mm) of the 465 mm height dimension, so that they become 540 mm (H1, H2: 465 mm + H7 × 1 / 2: 75 mm), and an upper space with a height dimension exceeding the width dimension of 480 mm of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 can be realized, enabling use in the sleeping state. Further, regardless of the height dimension between the floor surface and the luggage rack, the enlarged widths of the pair of seats can have the same configuration, making it possible to have versatility.

[0088] To displace the pair of seats 30 from the vertically installed sleeping state to the horizontally installed sitting state, the process of displacing from the horizontally installed sitting state to the vertically installed sleeping state described above may be performed in reverse. There is no particular limitation on the configuration for displacing the pair of seats 30 from the horizontally installed sitting state to the vertically installed sleeping state. The above-described configuration is merely an example, and other configurations can be adopted as appropriate. The above-described configuration is provided by the present inventors in order to expand the height dimension of the upper space of the pair of seats 30, secure an opening area for entering and exiting the pair of seats 30, and stably and safely fix the pair of seats 30 when the invention of Document 1 is operated as a commercial vehicle and vertically installed.

[0089] The present invention relates to a seat structure of a long-distance night bus in which a seat unit 110 capable of displacing between the horizontally installed sitting state and the vertically installed sleeping state described above is slidably installed on a rail 120 of a predetermined length laid on the floor surface 2 of the bus, and solves the above-described first and second problems required for actual operation as a commercial vehicle. The gist of these problems is as follows. First problem: To prevent the seat unit 110 from derailing from the rail 120 even when it is subjected to various impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking or accidents during running, parking, or stopping, regardless of whether it is horizontally installed or vertically installed. Second problem: To ensure the safety of passengers, especially the safety of the most important head, even when the seat unit 110 is subjected to various impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking or accidents during vertical installation, and even when a sleeping passenger slips out of the seat unit 110.

[0090] The means for solving the first problem will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Note that the air conditioner duct 100 for the heater attached to the floor surface 2 (see FIG. 17) will be omitted from the description. In the present invention, the seat unit 110 is slidably installed on a pair of left and right rails 120 of a predetermined length laid on the floor surface 2 of the long-distance night bus 1 shown in FIG. 60 at predetermined intervals. FIG. 32 is a plan view of the pair of rails 120, FIG. 33 is a side view of the rail 120, and FIG. 34 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. The rail 120 is a strength member having a U-shaped cross section of a predetermined length with an open upper surface over the entire longitudinal direction (see FIGS. 50 and 51), and a pair of left and right rails 120 are laid on the floor surface 2 with a predetermined width. When laying, as shown in FIGS. 47 to 51, the bottom surface 120a of the rail is fixed to the long buried member 3, which is a strength member buried in the floor surface 2, with appropriate fixing tools such as bolts 121 and nuts 122. In the case of an existing bus, it is possible to use the buried member 3 for fixing the existing seat buried in the floor surface 2.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 32 to 34, the pair of left and right rails 120 have the same configuration, and a front first locking tool 130 is provided at the front end of the bottom surface 120a of each rail, and a rear first locking tool 140 is provided at the rear end of the bottom surface 120a of each rail. At the same time, a rear second locking tool 145 is provided on the bottom surface 120a of the rail at a predetermined distance from the front first locking tool 130, and a front second locking tool 135 is provided on the bottom surface 120a between the rear first locking tool 140 and the rear second locking tool 145.

[0092] FIG. 35(a) is a perspective view of the front first locking tool 130 and the rear first locking tool 140, which have the same shape and have hooked portions 130a and 140a that are bent at approximately right angles respectively. To fix the front first locking tool 130 to the rail bottom surface 120a, as shown in FIG. 35, a fixing shaft 132 inserted through and fixed to a fixing shaft hole 131 drilled in the central portion of the front first locking tool 130 is mounted on the rail side surface 120b at the tip of the rail 120 as shown in FIG. 45 for fixing. The rear first locking tool 140 is also fixed to the rail bottom surface 120a with the same configuration (see FIG. 46). Note that there is no particular limitation on the fixing means for the front first locking tool 130 and the rear first locking tool 140. For example, appropriate means such as welding its bottom surface to the rail bottom surface 120a may be selected as appropriate.

[0093] FIG. 35(b) is a perspective view of the front second locking tool 135 and the rear second locking tool 145, which have the same shape and have hooked portions 135a and 145a that are bent at approximately right angles respectively, and are fixed to the rail bottom surface 120a by appropriate means such as welding. Note that the four hooked portions 130a, 135a, 140a, and 145a of the front first locking tool 130, the front second locking tool 135, the rear first locking tool 140, and the rear second locking tool 145 have the same height dimension, and their tops are higher than the rail side surface 120b and slightly protrude from the rail side surface 120b (see FIGS. 33 and 34).

[0094] The front first locking device 130 and the front second locking device 135 are each installed with their hook portions 130a and 135a bent into a U shape in the rearward direction of the rail. The rear first locking device 140 and the rear second locking device 145 are each installed with their hook portions 140a and 145a bent into an M shape in the forward direction of the rail. As a result, the hook portion 130a of the front first locking device 130 and the hook portion 145a of the rear second locking device 145 are arranged facing each other, and the hook portion 135a of the front second locking device 135 and the hook portion 140a of the rear first locking device 140 are arranged facing each other. Also, at appropriate positions on the bottom surface 120a of the rail, one or more sliding auxiliary plates 125 made of a resin material or the like with a low coefficient of friction are laid to facilitate the sliding of the base material 41. In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 32 and 34, one sliding auxiliary plate 125 is laid between the front first locking device 130 and the rear second locking device 145, one between the rear first locking device 140 and the front second locking device 135, and two between the rear second locking device 145 and the front second locking device 135.

[0095] As shown in FIGS. 32, 50, and 51, at predetermined positions on the left and right pair of rail side surfaces 120b, rail flanges 127 of a predetermined length are projected horizontally, and a front rail fixing hole 128 for fixing the frame 40 when vertically installed is drilled near the tip end portion, and a rear rail fixing hole 129 for fixing the frame 40 when horizontally installed is drilled near the rear end portion.

[0096] Next, the configuration of the pair of left and right base materials 41 of the frame 40 constituting the sheet unit 110 with the above-described configuration will be described. FIG. 36 is a side view of the base material 41, FIG. 37 is a bottom view thereof, FIG. 38 is a perspective view thereof, FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the main part thereof, and FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the main part thereof. As shown in the figures, the base material 41 is a hollow rectangular material of a predetermined length, is fitted inside the rail 120, and is slidable via a sliding auxiliary plate 125 laid on the rail bottom surface 120a. As shown in FIGS. 38, 39, and 40, the front end surface of the base material 41 is formed as a closed front closing surface 41a, and a front window portion 46a of a predetermined area is formed by opening on the front closing surface 41a. Further, a front first buffer 48a that abuts against the front first locking tool 130 is attached to the outer surface of the front closing surface 41a, and a front second buffer 48b that abuts against the rear second locking tool 145 is attached to the inner surface of the front closing surface 41a.

[0097] As shown in FIGS. 38 and 46, the rear end surface of the base material 41 is formed as a closed rear closing surface 41b, and a rear window portion 46b of a predetermined area is formed by opening on the rear closing surface 41b. Further, a rear first buffer 49a that abuts against the rear first locking tool 140 is attached to the outer surface of the rear closing surface 41b, and a rear second buffer 49b that abuts against the front second locking tool 135 is attached to the inner surface of the rear closing surface 41b. These front first buffers 48a, front second buffers 48b, rear first buffers 49a, and rear second buffers 49b have the same shape and are formed of an appropriate elastic material such as rubber.

[0098] As shown in FIGS. 37, 38, 40, and 44, the base material 41 forms a front opening groove portion 47a of a predetermined width from the front end portion of the base material bottom surface 41c to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction, and a rear opening groove portion 47b of a predetermined width from the rear end portion of the base material bottom surface 41c to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 36, 41, and 42, base material flanges 150 having an inverted L-shaped cross section are respectively projected horizontally at predetermined positions on the side surfaces of the pair of left and right base materials 41, and base material fixing holes 155 (see FIGS. 38, 50, and 51) for fixing the base material 41 to the rail flange 127 of the rail 120 are formed through the central portions thereof.

[0099] The present invention installs the pair of left and right base materials 41 of the frame 40 in the sheet unit 110 configured as described above. Specifically, the rear second locking tool 145 protruding from the rail bottom surface 120a is inserted into the front opening groove portion 47a formed in the base material bottom surface 41c of the base material 41, and the front second locking tool 135 is inserted into the rear opening groove portion 47b. As a result, the base material 41 can slide on the rail 120 within the range of the groove lengths of the front opening groove portion 47a and the rear opening groove portion 47b (see FIG. 44). In addition, the base material 41 is fixed to the rail 120 so as not to be slidable and locked to the rail 120 so as not to derail at a predetermined position on the rail 120. Hereinafter, the relationship between the rail 120 and the base material 41 during horizontal installation and vertical installation will be described as the predetermined positions.

[0100] [During horizontal installation] FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the rail 120 and the base material 41 during horizontal installation, FIG. 44 is a plan sectional view thereof, and FIG. 46 is a main part perspective view showing the engagement state between the rear first locking tool 140 of the pair of rails 120 and the rear window portion 46b of the pair of base materials 41. As shown in the figure, during horizontal installation, with the base material 41 slid to the rear end of the rail 120, the base material fixing hole 155 (see FIGS. 50 and 51) formed in the central portion of the base material flange 150 and the rear rail fixing hole 129 formed near the rear end portion of the rail flange 127 are in a communicating configuration. FIG. 50 is a main part sectional view showing the fixed state of the rail 120 and the base material 41 during horizontal installation. As shown in the figure, the base material fixing hole 155 and the rear rail fixing hole 129 are detachably fixed with a plunger 160 as a fixing tool. In the figure, 3 is an embedded member, which is a long strength member embedded in the floor surface 2 of the long-distance night bus 1 and fixes the rail bottom surface 120a with appropriate fixing tools such as bolts 121 and nuts 122. Note that the sliding auxiliary plate 125 is not laid on the rail bottom surface 120a at the location where the rear rail fixing hole 129 is formed, as shown in FIG. 32.

[0101] The base material 41, that is, the sheet unit 110, is fixed immovably on the rail 120 and positioned when horizontally installed in the state shown in FIG. 41. When horizontally installed, the rear first buffer 49a attached to the outer surface of the rear closing surface 41b of the base material 41 is brought into abutment with the rear first locking tool 140 protruding from the rail 120, and the hook portion 140a of the rear first locking tool 140 is inserted into the rear window portion 46b from the outside to lock the base material 41 to the rail 120. At the same time, the front second buffer 48b attached to the inner surface of the front closing surface 41a is brought into abutment with the rear second locking tool 145, and the hook portion 145a of the rear second locking tool 145 is protruded from the inside through the front window portion 46a to lock it.

[0102] Therefore, when horizontally installed, the hook portion 140a of the rear first locking tool 140 protruding from the rail 120 penetrates and locks from the outside of the rear window portion 46b of the base material 41, and the hook portion 145a of the rear second locking tool 145 penetrates into the front window portion 46a of the base material 41 from the inside, locking the base material 41, that is, the sheet unit 110, to the rail 120 so that it cannot derail.

[0103] [When vertically installed] FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the rail 120 and the base material 41 when installed vertically, FIG. 43 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 45 is a perspective view of a main part showing the engagement state between the front first locking tool 130 of the rail 120 and the front window portion 46a of the base material 41. To displace the position of the seat unit 110 from the horizontal installation shown in FIG. 41 to the vertical installation, the plunger 160 that fixes the base material fixing hole 155 and the rear rail fixing hole 129 is removed, and the base material 41 is slid to the front end of the rail 120. In the case of vertical installation, in a state where the base material 41 is slid to the front end of the rail 120, the base material fixing hole 155 (see FIGS. 50 and 51) formed in the central portion of the base material flange 150 and the front rail fixing hole 128 formed near the front end portion of the rail flange 127 communicate with each other. FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the fixed state of the rail 120 and the base material 41 during vertical installation. As shown in the figure, the base material fixing hole 155 and the front rail fixing hole 128 are detachably fixed with a plunger 160 as a fixing tool. In the figure, 125 is a sliding auxiliary plate, which is fixed to the rail bottom surface 120a with an appropriate fixing tool such as a screw 124. Note that there are no fixing tools such as bolts 121 and nuts 122 for fixing the base material 41 to the rail bottom surface 120a on the rail bottom surface 120a at the location where the front rail fixing hole 128 is formed.

[0104] The base material 41, that is, the seat unit 110, is fixed immovably on the rail 120 in the state shown in FIG. 42 and is positioned during vertical installation. During this vertical installation, the front first buffer 48a attached to the outer surface of the front closing surface 41a of the base material 41 is brought into impact contact with the front first locking tool 130 protruding from the rail 120, and the hook portion 130a of the front first locking tool 130 is inserted into the front window portion 46a from the outside to lock the base material 41 to the rail 120. At the same time, the rear second buffer 49b attached to the inner surface of the rear closing surface 41b is brought into impact contact with the front second locking tool 135, and the hook portion 135a of the front second locking tool 135 is protruded from the inside through the rear window portion 46b to lock it.

[0105] Therefore, when installed vertically, the base material 41 is locked when the hook portion 130a of the front first locking tool 130 protruding from the rail 120 penetrates from the outside of the front window portion 46a of the base material 41 and locks, and the hook portion 135a of the front second locking tool 135 penetrates from the inside into the rear window portion 46b of the base material 41, locking the base material 41, that is, the seat unit 110, to the rail 120 so that it cannot derail.

[0106] According to the present invention described above, the seat unit 110 is fixed immovably at a predetermined position on the rail 120 both when installed horizontally and vertically, and is locked to the rail 120 so that it cannot derail. Therefore, during the running of the bus, in case of an emergency brake for danger avoidance, being involved in an accident regardless of whether it is running, stationary, or parked, or being subjected to a large impact exceeding the limit of the fixing means not only in the two-dimensional direction but also in the case of a collision accident with another vehicle, or when receiving an impact from an unpredictable three-dimensional direction that can cause derailment, such as in the vertical or horizontal directions, it is possible to prevent the seat unit 110 from derailing from the rail 120, realize fail-safe, and ensure the most important safety when running as a real vehicle.

[0107] Next, the means for solving the second problem will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. In the present invention, when installed vertically so that passengers can lie horizontally in any posture such as lying on their sides, prone, or supine on a flat seat, the head protection fences 170 are erected vertically and upwardly at both the open end 12a of the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 and the open end 22a of the backrest 22 of the rear seat 20 of the pair of seats 30. FIG. 58 is a perspective view of the head protection fence 170, and FIG. 59 is an explanatory view showing the installation method of the head protection fence 170.

[0108] As shown in Fig. 58, the head protection fence 170 is composed of a protection frame body 175 with a predetermined shape, a pair of left and right protection frame end rods 180 protruding from the lower ends of the protection frame body 175 in both the left and right directions, a protection panel 185 covering and fixed to one surface of the protection frame body 175, and a protection buffer material 190 covering and fixed to the protection panel 185. And, at the open ends 12a of the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 constituting the pair of seats 30, specifically, the backrest frame 80 which is a strength member, and at the open ends 22a of the backrest 22 of the rear seat 20, specifically, at both left and right ends of the backrest frame 90 which is a strength member, protection frame flanges 195 are provided to protrude, and by rotatably supporting the protection frame end rods 180 on the axis 195a of the protection frame flanges 195, the head protection fence 170 is rotatably attached to the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22. Note that the member provided with the protection frame flange 195 is not limited to the backrest frames 80, 90 as long as it is a strength member, and may be any part of the backrests 12, 22 or any member constituting the backrests 12, 22.

[0109] A protection frame fixing rod 200 is installed between the pair of left and right protection frame end rods 180. When the head protection fence 170 is erected vertically upward at the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22, the protection frame fixing rod 200 is detachably fixed to the fixing means protruding from the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22 outside the latch mechanism 205 attached to the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22, thereby fixing the head protection fence 170. In the illustrated example, a latch mechanism 205 composed of a storage receptacle 205a for storing the protection frame fixing rod 200 and a fixing lever 205b for fixing the protection frame fixing rod 200 to the storage receptacle 205a is adopted, but if the protection frame fixing rod 200 can be fixed, it is possible to appropriately select from known fixing means. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 59, the head protection fence 170 is rotatable about the protection frame flange 195 at the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22, and when installed vertically, it can be erected vertically upward and detachably fixed to the open ends 12a of the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 and the open ends 22a of the backrest 22 of the rear seat 20 constituting the pair of seats 30.

[0110] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat unit 110 when it is vertically installed, and FIG. 55 is a perspective view of two front and rear seat units 110 when they are vertically installed. As shown in the figures, when the head protection fence 170 is vertically installed, it is fixed and used in a state of standing vertically upward at the open end 12a of the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 located above and the open end 22a of the backrest 22 of the rear seat 20 located below (see FIGS. 2 and 55).

[0111] As shown in FIG. 56, the head of the passenger P lying horizontally in any posture such as lying on the side, prone, or supine on a pair of flat seats 30 is protected by the head protection fence 170 standing behind it. Therefore, when the seat unit 110 is vertically installed, due to impacts from two-dimensional directions or three-dimensional directions caused by various reasons such as accidents during driving, parking, or stopping, an inertial force acts on the passenger P backward, and even if the passenger P slips out backward from the seat belt, the head of the passenger P is protected by the shock-absorbing material 190 of the head protection fence 170, and it does not collide with the legs of the rear passenger P, ensuring the safety of both passengers P.

[0112] On the other hand, when the seat unit 110 is vertically installed, due to impacts from two-dimensional directions or three-dimensional directions caused by various reasons such as sudden braking, accidents during driving, parking, or stopping, an inertial force acts on the passenger P forward, and even if the passenger P slips out forward from the seat belt, since the head of the passenger P is protected by the shock-absorbing material 190 of the head protection fence 170, as shown in FIG. 57, the legs of the rear passenger P are blocked by the head protection fence 170, preventing the head of the front passenger P from being injured by the collision with the legs of the rear passenger P or the rear passenger P from falling from the front seat 10 or the rear seat 20, and ensuring the safety of both passengers P.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 57, when an inertial force acts on the passenger P forward, the passengers P in the seat units 110 from the second row on, excluding the seat unit 110 installed in the front row, can be prevented from flying forward by the head protection fences 170 fixed to the seat units 110 in front. However, the passenger P in the seat unit 110 in the front row has no seat unit 110 in front, that is, there is no head protection fence 170, so the passenger will be thrown forward by the inertial force. Therefore, the driver's seat partition 6 for isolating the driver's seat installed in the bus is used, and a flying-out prevention plate 215 is installed as a safety device for the passenger P in the seat unit 110 in the front row.

[0114] Fig. 65(a) is a side view of the main part of the driver's seat partition 6 storing the flying-out prevention plate 215, Fig. 65(b) is a perspective view of the main part thereof, Fig. 65(c) is a side view of the main part of the driver's seat partition 6 with the flying-out prevention plate 215 installed, and Fig. 65(d) is a perspective view of the main part thereof. As shown in the figure, the flying-out prevention plate 215 is rectangular with a predetermined area. When not in use, that is, when horizontally installed, as shown in Figs. 65(a) and (b), it is stored in a pocket-shaped storage chamber 220 formed on the inner surface of the driver's seat partition 6. When storing, the top of the flying-out prevention plate 215 is stored so as to be at the same level as or lower than the driver's seat partition 6.

[0115] On the other hand, when in use, that is, when vertically installed, as shown in Figs. 65(c) and (d), the flying-out prevention plate 215 is taken out from the storage chamber 220 and inserted into a pocket-shaped installation chamber 225 installed adjacent to the storage chamber 220, and the flying-out prevention plate 215 is installed at a height protruding from the driver's seat partition 6, specifically, at a position higher than the feet of the passenger P in the front seat 10 as shown in Figs. 56 and 57, and fixed by appropriate means. The installation chamber 225 has a bottom 225a at a position substantially the same height as the storage chamber 220. The flying-out prevention plate 215 inserted into the installation chamber 225 is placed on the bottom 225a and protrudes from the driver's seat partition 6 by a predetermined height. Then, the driver's seat partition 6 and the flying-out prevention plate 215 are respectively arranged in front of the seat units 110 in the front row arranged in three columns in the width direction.

[0116] As shown in Fig. 57, when an inertial force acts on the passenger P forward, the passenger P on the rear seat 20 in the seat unit 110 installed in the foremost row can be prevented from flying forward by the driver's seat partition 6, and the passenger P on the front seat 10 can be prevented from flying forward by the anti-ejection plate 215.

[0117] With the head protection fence 170 configured as described above, when the seat units are installed vertically and the backrests 12 of the front seats 10 and the backrests 22 of the rear seats 20 that make up the pair of seats 30 are reclined horizontally, the impact on the heads of the passengers P can be mitigated.

[0118] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the seat unit 110 when installed horizontally, Fig. 52 is a side view thereof, Fig. 53 is a side view of two front and rear seat units 110 when installed horizontally, and Fig. 54 is a perspective view thereof. As shown in the figures, when installed horizontally, the head protection fence 170 is rotated around the protection frame flange 195 and fixed and stored by appropriate means such as hook-and-loop fasteners in a state of being in close contact with the backrests 12 and 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20. Therefore, the head protection fence 170 does not become an obstacle when the passenger P sits on the seat unit 110 during horizontal installation.

Industrial Applicability

[0119] According to the present invention described above, by moving the front seat into the upper space of the rear seat and enabling the pair of seats to be installed vertically on substantially the same line in the vertical direction, it becomes possible to make the seats flat and lie down without reducing the number of seats, thereby realizing a comfortable night's sleep. Therefore, at night when the demand from passengers is high, the passengers in the rear seats are not burdened, not forced to endure, not feel self-conscious, and neither are the front-seat passengers forced to endure, so they can relax. Thus, it is possible to realize seats that can be reclined to a state closer to flat.

[0120] Then, the seat unit is slidably installed on rails of a predetermined length laid on the floor of the bus, and at a predetermined position on the rails, the seat unit is fixed to the rails so as not to slide, thereby reducing the interval between the seat units when installed vertically, and it becomes possible to create an available space. Therefore, by using this created space, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the number of seat units that can be installed due to the flattening of the seat, improve comfort, and ensure profitability.

[0121] When the seat unit is installed horizontally, at a predetermined position on the rails, that is, by fixing the base material to the rails in a state where the base material is slid to the rear end of the rails, the seat unit is fixed to the rails so as not to slide. Also, when installed vertically, at a predetermined position on the rails, that is, by fixing the base material to the rails in a state where the base material is slid to the front end of the rails, the seat unit is fixed to the rails so as not to slide. By this sliding operation of the seat unit, when installed horizontally, by sliding the base material to the rear end of the rails, a space for installing the front seat and allowing passengers to sit is secured, and when installed vertically, by sliding the base material to the front end of the rails, an installation area increased by realizing a flat seat is secured. And in both cases of horizontal installation and vertical installation, the seat unit is fixed to the rails, and even if it is subjected to impacts from the horizontal direction due to various causes such as sudden braking during running or accidents during running, parking, and stopping, the seat unit does not derail from the rails and safety is ensured.

[0122] Furthermore, when the seat unit is horizontally installed, by sliding the base material to the rear end of the rail, the outer surface of the rear closing surface of the base material is brought into abutment with the rear first locking device, and the hook portion of the rear first locking device is inserted into the rear window portion to effect locking. At the same time, the inner surface of the front closing surface is brought into abutment with the rear second locking device, and the hook portion of the rear second locking device is projected from the front window portion to effect locking. Also, when the seat unit is vertically installed, by sliding the base material to the front end of the rail, the outer surface of the front closing surface is brought into abutment with the front first locking device, and the hook portion of the front first locking device is inserted into the front window portion to effect locking. At the same time, the inner surface of the rear closing surface is brought into abutment with the front second locking device, and the hook portion of the front second locking device is projected from the rear window portion to effect locking. Therefore, when the seat unit is horizontally installed, the front closing surface and the rear closing surface are locked by the rear first locking device and the rear second locking device projecting from the rail, and when the seat unit is vertically installed, they are locked by the front first locking device and the front second locking device. Even if the seat unit is subjected to impacts from the vertical direction, the diagonal direction, that is, an unpredictable three-dimensional direction due to various causes such as sudden braking during running, accidents during running, parking, and stopping, or the posture of the bus and the ups and downs of the road, the seat unit will not derail from the rail, ensuring safety.

[0123] Therefore, according to the present invention, from the viewpoint of fail-safe, on the premise that impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents are bound to occur regardless of whether the vehicle is running, parked, or stopped, even when the seat unit is subjected to impacts from the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and furthermore, an unpredictable three-dimensional direction that can cause derailment at predetermined positions in both the horizontal installation and the vertical installation, derailment of the seat unit from the rail can be prevented, and when operating a bus as a commercial vehicle, the safety of the most important passengers, which should be considered prior to comfort and profitability, can be ensured.

Explanation of Signs

[0124] 1…Long-distance night bus 2…Floor surface 3…Embedded member 5…Emergency door 6…Driver's seat partition 7…Rear partition 10…Front sheet 11…Seating surface 12…Backrest 13…Leg rest 14…Cushion 15…Stay 19…Seated leg 20…Rear sheet 21…Seating surface 22…Backrest 23…Leg rest 24…Cushion 25…Seating surface frame 26…Upper seating surface frame 27…Lower seating surface frame 27a…Support pedestal 28…Seating surface leg 28a…Front seating surface leg 28b…Rear seating surface leg 28c…Flange part 29…Seated leg 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d…Pair of sheets 33…Fixing means 35, 36…Support legs 37…Leg connecting rod 40…Frame 41…Base material 41a…Front closing surface 41b…Rear closing surface 41c…Base material bottom surface 42…Cross member 43…Front support column 43a…Hollow recess 44…Rear support column 45…Stopper 46a…Front window part 46b…Rear window part 47a…Front open groove part 47b…Rear open groove part 48a…Front first buffer 48b…Front second buffer 49a…Rear first buffer 49b…Rear second buffer 50…Seating surface frame 51…Slide guide 52…Slide rail 53…Rail guide 53a…Protrusion for preventing disengagement 55…Support 55a…Lifting part 55b…Wheel 56…Seat surface connecting plate 57…Seat surface connecting hole 58…Reference fixing hole 59…Connecting rod 59a…Bracket 59b…Cap 61…Rotating rod 62…Cable 63…Elastic member 64…Strap 65…First fixing pin 66…Backrest connecting plate 67…Backrest connecting hole 68,68a,68b,68c…Selective fixing hole 70…Guide base 80…Backrest frame (of front seat 10) 81…Cushion (of backrest frame 80) 82…Operating rod 83…Backrest fixing hole 85…Second fixing pin 86…Handle (of backrest frame 80) 90…Backrest frame (of rear seat 20) 91…Cushion (of backrest frame 90) 96…Handle (of backrest frame 90) 100…Air duct 110…Seat unit 120…Rail 120a…Rail bottom surface 120b…Rail side surface 121…Bolt 122…Nut 124…Screw 125…Sliding auxiliary plate 127…Rail flange 128…Front rail fixing hole 129…Rear rail fixing hole 130…Front first locking tool 130a…Hook part 131…Fixed shaft hole 132…Fixed shaft 135…Front second fixing tool 135a…Hook part 140…Rear first fixing tool 140a…Hook part 145…Rear second fixing tool 145a…Hook part 150…Base flange 155…Base fixing hole 160…Plunger 170…Head protection fence 175…Protection frame body 180…Protection frame end rod 185…Protection panel 190…Protection buffer material 195…Protection frame flange 200…Protection frame fixing rod 205…Latch mechanism 205a…Storage receptacle 205b…Fixed lever 215…Ejection prevention plate 220…Storage room 225…Installation room 225a…(Bottom of the installation room) T…Toilet A…Space beside the toilet P…Passenger H, H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8…Height dimension M…Forward direction U…Backward direction θ…Surplus space

Claims

1. A pair of seats consisting of a front seat and a rear seat, each having a seat surface and a backrest, is assembled within a predetermined frame, the pair of seats can be horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line, and a seat unit in which the front seat is moved to the upper space of the rear seat so that the pair of seats can be vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line, is slidably installed on a rail of a predetermined length laid on the floor surface of a bus. In the seat structure of a long-distance night bus, at a predetermined position on the rail, the seat unit is fixed to the rail so as not to be slidable, and the seat unit is locked to the rail so as not to derail. The seat structure of a long-distance night bus is characterized by this.

2. The frame has a pair of left and right base materials, a pair of left and right girders, and a pair of front struts and rear struts that connect the base materials and the girders while maintaining a predetermined height. The seat structure of the long-distance night bus according to Claim 1.

3. A pair of left and right rails with a U-shaped cross-section having an open upper surface are laid on the floor surface with a predetermined width, and a pair of left and right base materials are slidably installed on the rails. The rail has a front first locking tool protruding from the front end of the rail bottom surface, a rear first locking tool protruding from the rear end of the rail bottom surface, a rear second locking tool protruding from the rail bottom surface at a predetermined distance from the front first locking tool, and a front second locking tool protruding from the rail bottom surface between the rear first locking tool and the rear second locking tool. The front first locking tool and the front second locking tool each have a hooked portion bent rearward in the rail, and the rear first locking tool and the rear second locking tool each have a hooked portion bent forward in the rail. The base material is a hollow rectangular material of a predetermined length, having a front closing surface formed on the front end surface, a rear closing surface formed on the rear end surface, a front window portion formed on the front closing surface, a rear window portion formed on the rear closing surface, a front open groove portion formed from the front end portion of the bottom surface to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction, and a rear open groove portion formed from the rear end portion of the bottom surface to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction. When the pair of seats are horizontally installed, by sliding the base material to the rear end of the rail, the outer surface of the rear closing surface is brought into abutment with the rear first locking tool, and the hooked portion of the rear first locking tool is inserted into the rear window portion to lock it. At the same time, the inner surface of the front closing surface is brought into abutment with the rear second locking tool, and the hooked portion of the rear second locking tool is protruded from the front window portion to lock it. When the pair of seats are installed vertically, by sliding the base material to the front end of the rail, the outer surface of the front closing surface is brought into abutment with the front first locking device, and the hook portion of the front first locking device is inserted into the front window portion to effect locking. At the same time, the inner surface of the rear closing surface is brought into abutment with the front second locking device, and the hook portion of the front second locking device is projected from the rear window portion to effect locking. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 2.

4. The front second locking device penetrates into the base material from the rear open groove portion, and the rear second locking device penetrates into the base material from the front open groove portion. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 3, wherein the base material is slidable on a rail provided with the front second locking device and the rear second locking device protruding therethrough via the front open groove portion and the rear open groove portion.

5. When the pair of seats are installed horizontally, the hook portion of the rear first locking device is inserted into the rear window portion, and the rear second locking device is projected from the front window portion. When the pair of seats are installed vertically, the hook portion of the front first locking device is inserted into the front window portion, and the front second locking device is projected from the rear window portion, thereby locking the seat unit to the rail so as to be derailment-proof. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 4.

6. A front first buffer member that abuts against the front first locking device is attached to the outer surface of the front closing surface, and a front second buffer member that abuts against the rear second locking device is attached to the inner surface of the front closing surface. A rear first buffer member that abuts against the rear first locking device is attached to the outer surface of the rear closing surface, and a rear second buffer member that abuts against the front second locking device is attached to the inner surface of the rear closing surface. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 5.

7. A base material flange is provided protruding from the side surface of the base material, and a rail flange of a predetermined length is provided protruding from the side surface of the rail. When the pair of seats are installed horizontally and vertically, the base material flange is fixed to the rail flange by a fixing device, thereby fixing the seat unit to the rail so as to be non-slidable. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 5.

8. A plunger is provided as a fixing device on the base material flange and inserted and fixed into an insertion hole formed at a predetermined position of the rail flange. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 7.

9. When the pair of seats are installed horizontally, the base material is fixed to the rail in a state where the base material is slid to the rear end of the rail, thereby fixing the seat unit to the rail so as to be non-slidable. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The seat structure of the long-distance night bus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein when the pair of sheets is installed vertically, the seat unit is fixed to the rail in a non-slidable manner by fixing the base material to the rail with the base material slid to the front end of the rail.

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