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 pair of seats, comprising a front seat and a rear seat each having a seat surface and a backrest, is assembled to the inside of a predetermined frame to form a seat unit 110. The pair of seats can be installed horizontally on substantially the same line in a horizontal direction. The front seat is moved to the space above the rear seat and the backrests of the pair of the seats are reclined into a horizontal state to enable the pair of seats to be installed vertically on substantially the same line in a vertical direction. When the pair of seats is vertically installed, head guard fences 170 are respectively installed and erected upward in the vertical direction at the open ends of the backrests of the pair of seats.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 56

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat structure for various long-distance night buses that are used as route buses, chartered buses, etc., and involve long hours of riding at night with sleeping. Without reducing the number of seats, and without any concern for surrounding passengers, especially those in the rear seats, it is possible to lie flat on the seat, realizing a comfortable night's sleep. Moreover, in both daytime sitting and night-time sleeping, high safety is ensured against various impacts caused by various reasons such as sudden braking for danger avoidance, being involved in a failure or accident regardless of whether the bus is running, parked, or stopped, or a collision accident with another vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In conjunction with the nationwide expansion and improvement of highways, various long-distance night buses that utilize the night time for effective use of time have become widely popular. The main selection criteria for passengers who use these long-distance night buses for long hours of riding 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 at night when sleeping, there is a great demand for a seat that can be reclined to a state closer to flat so that the passengers in the rear seats are not burdened, not forced to endure, and can relax without any concern, and also so that the user himself / herself is not forced to endure. To meet this demand, if the seat size and interval are given a margin and a reclining mechanism that can realize a seat in a state closer to flat is equipped, although the comfort of the seat is 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, as shown in Fig. 67(a), the distance D between the front and rear seats S remains at about 900 mm to 970 mm. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 67(b), the reclining angle α of the front seat S is mostly about 120 degrees, and there is almost no seat that can be flat (180 degrees). No matter how the structure of the footrest and backrest is improved, a seat structure that enables comfortable night sleep cannot be realized. Therefore, in a long-distance night bus with a long journey, even if the seat S is reclined to stretch the legs, due to the fundamental seat structure, the position of the toes and the head cannot be horizontal, and one has to sit 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 it may cause economy class syndrome.

[0005] In addition, for the passengers BP in the rear seats, when the passengers FP in the front seats recline the seat S, their activities will be restricted, which may make them feel uncomfortable and reduce the comfort. Recently, there have been several reports that this reclining has led to disputes among passengers.

[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 passengers in the rear seats can stretch their legs and recline the seat S to a state close to flat without any concern. However, in that case, the installation area per seat will be enlarged. As shown in Fig. 68(a), in the space where 6 seats can be installed in the length direction of the long-distance night bus for the current seat S, only half, i.e., 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 halved.

[0007] Long-distance night buses have a significant selling point in that their fares are relatively inexpensive compared to other modes of transportation, differentiating them from others. 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, a seat structure invention 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 installs the seat unit slidably on rails 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 the dedicated areas for both the front seat and the rear seat. That is, by sharing the space for installing seats among 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-time sleeping state without sacrificing the number of seats, and it is possible to simultaneously achieve profitability and comfort, which were conventionally considered difficult.

[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 opening 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 interior width dimension W1: 2310 mm, which are generally used as 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 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, the partition part of the engine room bulges into the vehicle interior and the height dimension is insufficient, so 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 addition of 18 seats (2 seats × 3 rows horizontally × 3 rows longitudinally) 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, and a single 2-seat (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 are obstructed by the single seat (not shown) installed in the toilet T or the space A beside the toilet and cannot be arranged in a flat state, 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. In contrast, 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 profitability that enables operation as a commercial vehicle, in the installation of the pair of seats 30 shown in FIG. 66, it is necessary to install a total of 26 seats, which is the addition of 24 seats (2 seats × 3 rows horizontally × 4 rows longitudinally) with at least a pair of seats 30 according to the invention of Document 1 installed in 4 rows in the front-rear direction and 3 rows in the horizontal direction, and a single 2-seat (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 secure 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 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: 11990 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 is 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 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 the seat unit is slidably installed on the rail to ensure the number of seats. Based on the actual vehicle, various aspects such as this characteristic configuration, ensuring safety during driving, parking, and stopping, operability, and usability have been verified comprehensively, and trial and error has 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 a horizontal installation to a 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 by means of a flat sheet that can be stretched out and laid horizontally, 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 of 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 a possibility of sudden braking for danger avoidance, 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, 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, at predetermined positions in both the horizontal installation and vertical installation states, means for preventing the seat unit from derailing from the rail 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 or diagonal direction, that is, when receiving any impact from an unforeseeable three-dimensional direction. This is the first problem to be solved.

[0022] [Second Problem] On highways, 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 highways 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 due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents are received regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion, parked, or stopped, the passengers are restrained by the three-point seat belt and thus 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 in a position 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 an unforeseeable impact from a two-dimensional or three-dimensional direction, it is conceivable that the seat belt will not be in a position to oppose the impact and a situation will occur where the protection range of the seat belt is exceeded. That is, in the sleeping state during vertical installation, the safety in the passenger's body length direction (head direction, foot direction) 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 receiving an impact due to sudden braking or a collision from the front, an inertial force acts on the passengers in the forward direction, and when receiving an impact from the rear, an inertial force acts on the passengers in the rearward direction. Furthermore, when receiving an impact from a three-dimensional direction such as an oblique or lateral direction, 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, the present invention is premised on the fact that impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents will always occur during driving, parking, and stopping, regardless of whether the seat is vertically installed. In the case of vertical installation, in addition to ensuring safety with 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 force of the seat belt and the passenger slips out of the seat belt in a two-dimensional direction such as the front-rear direction of the bus or a three-dimensional direction, the second object is to provide a means for ensuring the safety of the passenger, particularly the safety of the most important head.

[0026] Therefore, 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 and second problems, particularly the second problem, which were newly discovered when applying the invention of Document 1 to an actual vehicle, and ensures high safety against impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents during driving, parking, and stopping, both during daytime seating and nighttime sleeping.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0027] In order to solve the second problem, during the research on the relationship between the posture of the passenger when receiving impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking and accidents during driving, parking, and stopping, regardless of whether the seat is vertically installed, and the installation status of the seat when vertically installed, the idea of utilizing the backrest of the seat 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 comprises assembling a pair of seats consisting of a front seat and a rear seat, each having a seat surface and a backrest, into a seat unit within a predetermined frame, enabling the pair of seats to be horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line, moving the front seat into the upper space of the rear seat, reclining the backrests of the pair of seats to a horizontal state, enabling the pair of seats to be vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line, and installing a head protection fence vertically upward at the open ends of the backrests of the pair of seats when vertically installed.

[0029] According to claim 2, the head protection fence is pivotally mounted on the open ends of the backrests and can be fixed vertically upward when vertically installed. According to claim 3, the head protection fence is provided with a pair of protective frame end rods with open tips protruding from the lower ends in both the left and right directions, and the protective frame end rods are pivotally supported on the open ends of the backrests.

[0030] According to claim 4, protective frame flanges are provided protruding from both the left and right ends of the open ends of the backrests, and the protective frame end rods are pivotally supported on the protective frame flanges. According to claim 5, a protective frame fixing rod is installed between the pair of left and right protective frame end rods, and when the head protection fence is erected vertically upward at the open ends of the backrests, the protective frame fixing rod is fixed to the fixing means attached to the open ends of the backrests to fix the head protection fence. According to claim 6, a latch mechanism is used as the fixing means. According to claim 7, the head protection fence has a protective frame body of a predetermined shape, a pair of left and right protective frame end rods protruding from the lower ends in both the left and right directions of the protective frame body, a protective panel covering and fixing one surface of the protective frame body, and a protective buffer material covering and fixing the protective panel.

[0031] According to claim 8, the head protection fence can mitigate the impact on the heads of passengers when vertically installed and used with the backrests of the pair of seats reclined to a horizontal state.

[0032] According to claim 9, when installed horizontally, it provides a configuration in which the backs of a pair of seats are erected and the head protection fence is rotated and installed on the back of the backrest.

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 lie 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 forced to bear a burden or endure anything, 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 to a state closer to flat can be realized without reducing the number of seats.

[0034] And when installed vertically, that is, during driving or when parked / stopped at night when passengers are lying horizontally in any posture such as lying on their side, prone, or supine on a flat seat, even if the passenger is thrown forward or backward out of the seat due to an impact from an unpredictable two-dimensional or three-dimensional direction that does not exist at the position where the seat belt faces due to various causes such as sudden braking or an accident, since the head protection fence is erected vertically and upward at the open ends of the backs of the pair of seats, it is possible to protect the passenger's head with this head protection fence.

[0035] Specifically, even if the passenger is subjected to a forward impact due to sudden braking or a collision and a forward inertial force acts on the passenger, the legs of the passenger who is about to jump forward due to the inertial force are received and stopped by the head protection fence installed on the previous seat, so that the legs of the passenger on the previous seat can be prevented from colliding. Also, even if the passenger is subjected to a rearward impact due to a rearward collision or the like and a rearward inertial force acts on the passenger, the head of the passenger who is about to jump backward due to the inertial force is received and protected by the protective buffer material that covers and fixes the protective panel installed on the head protection fence of the seat.

[0036] The head protection fence is pivotally attached to the open end of the backrest and can be fixed vertically upward when installed vertically. When installed horizontally, the head protection fence is rotated and installed on the back of the backrest, so that the presence of the head protection fence does not pose an obstacle during horizontal installation, that is, during running when the passenger is seated on the seat during the day. The head protection fence can be installed vertically upward at the open end of the backrest as needed.

[0037] Therefore, according to the present invention, 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 running, parked, or stopped, it is possible to protect the heads of passengers when installed vertically, 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, an embodiment 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 travels long distances at night with sleeping, but mainly targets large-sized route buses or chartered buses that travel long distances 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 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 surfaces 11, 21. Also, at the front ends 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 their tip ends are respectively hung and equipped.

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

[0042] As shown in FIG. 60, a seat unit 110 is slidably installed on a pair of left and right rails 120 laid at predetermined intervals on the floor surface 2 of the long-distance night bus 1. In the present embodiment, a pair of left and right rails 120 are arranged in three rows in the width direction with a longitudinal passage interposed therebetween, 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 remaining space for installing the fifth pair of seats 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) having a structure in which the backrest can be reclined to a flat state similar to the front seat 10 or the rear seat 20 behind the fourth seat unit 110. In that case, the number of seats in the long-distance night bus 1 is 26 seats [2 seats (seat 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 constituting 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 constituting 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 areas of the pair of seats 30 can be used independently as dedicated areas for both the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20. That is, the horizontal space between the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 is opened up, and by utilizing this 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 in the same horizontal row" means that between the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 constituting the pair of seats 30, and also between pairs of seats 30 installed in plurality in the width direction and the longitudinal direction within 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, a state where the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 are located before and after on the same plane (see Fig. 3).

[0046] Also, "substantially in the same vertical row" means that between the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 constituting the pair of seats 30, and also between pairs of seats 30 installed in plurality in the width direction and the longitudinal direction within the long-distance night bus 1, the rear seat 20 does not exist before and after the front seat 10 in the horizontal direction, and the front seat 10 does not exist before and after the rear seat 20 in the horizontal direction, that is, a state where the front seat 10 is located substantially directly above the rear seat 20. In other words, it refers to a state where the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 coexist sharing all or part of the installation space in the vertical direction (see Figs. 7 and 8).

[0047] The present invention forms a seat unit 110 by assembling a pair of seats 30, each consisting of a front seat 10 and a rear seat 20 having seat surfaces 11, 21 and backrests 12, 22, respectively, within a predetermined frame 40. The pair of seats 30 are horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line to assume a sitting state, and the front seat 10 is moved into the upper space of the rear seat 20, and the pair of seats 30 are vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line to assume a sleeping state. Therefore, first, embodiments of the pair of seats 30 according to the present invention will be sequentially described based on the drawings according to the steps of displacing from the horizontal installation in the sitting state to the vertical installation in the sleeping state. In the present embodiment, the front support column 43 of the frame 40 is used as means for moving the front seat 10 into the upper space of the rear seat 20. That is, the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 is detachably attached to the front support column 43 so as to be movable 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 / FIG. 3, FIGS. 7 to 10, FIGS. 14 to 17, etc.] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the 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 within the frame 40 have the rear end portions of the seat surfaces 11, 21 supported by the front support column 43 and the rear support column 44, respectively, and the seating legs 19, 29 are grounded on the floor surface 2, and the backrests 12, 22 are supported by the seat surfaces 11, 21 at a predetermined angle. At the time of this horizontal installation, passengers can sit on the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20, respectively.

[0049] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic side views of the pair of seats 30 at the time of vertical installation. 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, and the backrests 12, 22 are reclined and fixed in a flat state, and the pair of seats 30 are vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line. At the time of this vertical installation, passengers can lie down and sleep in any comfortable posture 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] FIG. 14 is a front view of the main part of the front seat 10 when vertically installed, FIG. 15 is a rear view of the main part thereof, FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 14, and FIG. 17 is a front view of a pair of seats 30 when vertically installed. As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the seating surface 11 of the front seat 10 includes a seating 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 seating surface frame 50, a pair of left and right slide rails 52 fixed to the area inside the slide guides 51 on the lower surface of the seating surface frame 50, a rail guide 53 slidably fitted to 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 seating surface frame 50 (see FIGS. 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. In FIGS. 14 to 17, the backrest 12 of the front seat 10 is not shown.

[0051] FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the support 55 and the front support column 43 when horizontally installed, and FIG. 10 shows the relationship therebetween when vertically installed, which are explanatory views of the main part. In both figures, the illustration of the members constituting the seating surface 11 other than the support 55 is omitted. As shown in both figures, the pair of left and right front support columns 43 each have a hollow recess 43a with openings facing each other, and the elevating parts 55a with wheels 55b mounted on 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 is mounted so as to be elevable in the hollow recess 43a of the front support column 43 at the base end on the rear seat 20 side. Specifically, the seating surface 11 is located in the region in front 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 or the floor surface 2 by appropriate means.

[0053] [Step 2 / FIGS. 4, 10, 11, 18, etc.] To move the seat 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 front seat 10 from being fixed to the frame 40 or the floor surface 2, the seating legs 19 are folded and stored on the lower surface of the seat surface 11. Then, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the wheels 55b of the lifting part 55a are run inside 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 seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 upward along the front support column 43. Note that the moving means of the front seat 10 may be performed by using manual power, an appropriate mechanical device, or auxiliary means, and there is no limitation to such means.

[0054] Inside the hollow recess 43a of the front support column 43, in order to guide the seat surface 11 to a predetermined height position, a stopper 45 for restricting the ascending position of the lifting part 55a is installed at a predetermined location, and a guide base 70 protrudes adjacent to the stopper 45 at a predetermined position on the back surface of the front support column 43. 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 wheels 55b of the lifting part 55a along the front support column 43 until they abut 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 front direction M of the front support column 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 support column 43. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, it is located in front of the front support column 43 in the same manner as in the horizontally installed state 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 raised position of the elevating part 55a shown in FIGS. 4 and 18, it slides within the rail guide 53 fixed to the upper surface of the support 55 and slides rearward in the U direction (toward the rear seat 20). Note that on the inner surfaces of the opposing side walls of the rail guide 53, protrusions 53a for preventing the slide rail 52 fitted within the rail guide 53 from coming off are respectively projected in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 16). The left and right pair of these protrusions 53a for preventing the slide rail 52 from coming off sandwich both side surfaces of the slide rail 52.

[0057] At the raised position of the elevating part 55a, the upper surface of the guide base 70 is at the same or slightly lower position than the pair of slide guides 51 fixed to 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 regulated 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 rearward in the U direction (toward the rear seat 20) by a predetermined length from the support 55, and the slide guide 51 is placed on the guide base 70. Thereby, the seat surface 11 moves by a predetermined amount from the 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 the position behind the front support column 43 and is positioned substantially in line with the rear seat 20 in the vertical direction. 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 fix it detachably 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 sheets 30 with the above-described configuration, the front seat 10 can be moved into the upper space of the rear seat 20 using the front support column 43. When entering and leaving the front seat 10 during vertical installation, lifting means (not shown) such as stairs or steps are attached to appropriate locations such as the rear support column 44 for this purpose.

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

[0061] First, a configuration in which the backrest frame 80 of the backrest 12 is connected to the seat surface frame 50 of the seat surface 11 so as to be fixable at a predetermined angle will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23. FIG. 21 is a main part explanatory view showing a state in which the backrest frame 80 is fixed to the seat surface frame 50 at a predetermined angle, FIG. 22 is a main part explanatory view showing a state in which the backrest frame 80 is rotatable with respect to the seat surface frame 50, and FIGS. 23(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views showing the connection state of the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66.

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

[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 fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 so as not to be rotatable, and communicate both ends of the connecting rod 59 with the backrest connecting holes 67 of the pair of left and right backrest connecting plates 66 respectively, so that the backrest connecting plate 66 is loosely fitted to be rotatable with respect to the seat surface connecting plate 56. Then, cover both ends of the connecting rod 59 protruding from the backrest connecting hole 67 with appropriate means such as a cap 59b. The backrest connecting hole 67 is slightly larger in diameter than the connecting rod 59, and the backrest connecting plate 66 is rotatable about the connecting rod 59. In this state, the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 are not fixed, and the backrest frame 80 is not fixed to the seat surface frame 50 either.

[0064] The reference fixing hole 58 formed in the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the plurality of selection fixing holes 68 formed in the backrest connecting plate 66 are such that when the backrest connecting plate 66 rotates, the respective selection fixing holes 68a, 68b, 68c constituting the selection fixing holes 68 face and communicate with the reference fixing hole 58 in sequence. By inserting a first fixing pin 65 into the communicating reference fixing hole 58 and selection fixing hole 68a (selection 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 rotatably supported by a bracket 59a vertically provided at a substantially central portion of the connecting rod 59. One ends of a pair of left and right cable strips 62 are fixed to the rotating rod 61 at a predetermined interval, and the other ends of the cable strips 62 are fixed to face the reference fixing holes 58 of the seat surface connecting plate 56 with a pair of left and right first fixing pins 65 interposing elastic members 63 respectively. 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 selection fixing holes 68a (68b, 68c) facing the reference fixing hole 58 as shown in FIG. 21, thereby fixing 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 FIG. 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 cable strip 62 is pulled in the direction of the rotating rod 61 against the elastic member 63, and the first fixing pin 65 is dropped 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 FIG. 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] FIG. 23(a) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship (see FIG. 3) between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 in the seated state when horizontally installed, 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] FIG. 23(b) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 during the ascending operation of the front seat 10 (see FIG. 4), a first fixing pin 65 is inserted through the reference fixing hole 58 and the selective fixing hole 68b to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66. This prevents the backrest 12 from becoming an obstacle during the ascending operation of the front seat 10. Also, when reclining the backrests 12 and 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 in the seated state during horizontal installation, the selective fixing hole 68b can be utilized.

[0069] FIG. 23(c) shows that in order to maintain the positional relationship between the seat surface frame 50 and the backrest frame 80 in the sleeping state during vertical installation (see FIGS. 5 to 7), a first fixing pin 65 is inserted through the reference fixing hole 58 and the selective fixing hole 68c to fix the seat surface connecting plate 56 and the backrest connecting plate 66 so that they are 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 / FIGS. 6 to 8, FIG. 24, FIG. 25, etc.] Before performing the operation of 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 during the above-mentioned vertical installation, 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 communicating 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-mentioned 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 with respect to 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] Figures 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, at predetermined positions on both sides of the backrest frame 80, which is a strength member constituting the backrest 12, a pair of left and right second fixing pins 85 that can be telescopically operated by an operating rod 82 are provided. 81 is a cushion provided on the backrest frame 80. As shown in FIG. 6, when installed vertically, on the inner surface of the rear support column 44 facing the second fixing pin 85, backrest fixing holes 83 into which the second fixing pin 85 can enter are respectively drilled. As shown in FIG. 24(b), by operating the operating rod 82 to extend the second fixing pin 85 and inserting it into the backrest fixing hole 83, the backrest frame 80 can be fixed to the rear support column 44. FIG. 24(a) shows that the backrest frame 80 can be released from the rear support column 44 by operating the operating rod 82 to shrink the second fixing pin 85 and storing it in the backrest frame 80. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the leg rest 13 of the front seat 10 is extended in the horizontal direction 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 when installed vertically.

[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 is 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 support columns 44. Therefore, on the back surface of the backrest frame 90 of the rear seat 20, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 8, rotatable support legs 35 are provided. When installed vertically, the support legs 35 are 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 the guide base 70 which is a strength member fixed to the front support 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 the seat surface connecting plate 56 fixed to the seat surface frame 50 and the first fixing pin 65 via the backrest connecting plate 66 fixed to the backrest frame 80, and is firmly fixed to the rear support column 44 by the 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 by the support legs 36 on the floor surface 2. The base end portion of the backrest frame 90 is firmly fixed by the seat surface connecting plate 56 fixed to the seat surface frame 25 and the first fixing pin 65 via the backrest connecting plate 66 fixed to the backrest frame 90, and is supported by the support legs 35 provided on the back surface of the backrest frame 90 on the floor surface 2. Therefore, the rear seat 20 is stably and safely fixed in the vertical direction of the front seat 10.

[0075] [Step 6 / FIG. 8, FIGS. 26 to 31, etc.] Specific verification is carried out regarding the fact that, starting from the state during horizontal installation shown in FIG. 3, when the front seat 10 is raised along the front support column 43 and displaced to the upper space of the rear seat 20, and based on the state shown in FIG. 7 where the seat surfaces 11, 21 and the backrests 12, 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 are fixed in a horizontal state, there is no margin in the height dimension of the upper space of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 during vertical installation 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 the passenger to move the body such as turning over, and it is difficult to maintain a relaxed posture for a comfortable night's sleep.

[0076] Taking the long-distance night bus 1 with a total length of 11,990 mm and an indoor width dimension of 2,310 mm with three rows of seats arranged in parallel in the width direction as an example, since there are air conditioner 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 in the range of 1,550 mm to 1,570 mm. When installing the seat of the invention of Document 1 within the indoor height dimension H of 1,550 mm, when installed vertically, the height dimension H3 from the upper end of the seat 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 seat surface 21 to the floor surface 2 + 120 mm of the height dimension H5 of the seat surface 21), and when the height dimension H6 of the seat surface 11 of the front seat 10 moved in the vertical direction of the rear seat 20 is 120 mm, the height dimension H1 + H2 (see Fig. 7) of the upper space between the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 is 1,030 mm (H - H4 - H5 - H6 = 1,550 mm - 280 mm - 120 mm - 120 mm). If the space of this height dimension H1 + H2 of 1,030 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 installed vertically are each 515 mm (1,030 ÷ 2).

[0077] Also, when the indoor height dimension H between the floor surface 2 and the luggage rack remains at 1,450 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 is 930 mm (1,450 mm - 400 mm - 120 mm). If the space of this height dimension H1 + H2 of 930 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 installed vertically are each 465 mm (930 ÷ 2). For the indoor width dimension of 2,310 mm of the long-distance night bus 1, the width dimension of a pair of seats assembled to the frame is about 480 mm, so 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, it is desirable that there is an upper space with a height dimension of about 580 mm in accordance with empirical rules. If there is no upper space with height dimensions H1 and H2 exceeding the width dimension of at least 480 mm of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20, it will also be difficult to lie down. Even if the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 are in a state close to flat for sleeping according to the invention of Document 1, as it is, the height dimensions H1 and H2 of the upper space are insufficient, and it is difficult to maintain a relaxed posture for a comfortable night's sleep. Note that since there are no air conditioner ducts or luggage shelves above the central seat arranged in three rows in the width direction, the height dimension between the floor surface 2 and the ceiling is 1800 mm, leaving 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 installed vertically. However, as a pair of seats, it is excellent in versatility to commonly use seats with the same configuration and the same size as 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 a 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 it is not necessary to lower the soles of the feet to 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, the dimension H3 from the upper end of the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 to the floor surface 2 (the height dimension of the seat in the seated state, see FIGS. 7 and 17), 400 mm, minus the height dimension H5 of the seating surface 21, 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, the present invention enables the height dimension H3 between the seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the floor surface 2 to be reduced and changed during vertical installation, and by using the reduced dimension 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, 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 and 26 to 31.

[0080] Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of the pair of seats 30 when installed vertically, Fig. 26 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the rear seat 20 before it is reduced, Fig. 27 is a perspective view thereof, Fig. 28 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the rear seat 20 during the reduction, Fig. 29 is a perspective view thereof, Fig. 30 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the rear seat 20 after the reduction, and Fig. 31 is a perspective view thereof. As shown in the figures, in the seat 21 of the rear seat 20, the seat frame 25 on which the cushion 24 is placed is composed of a seat upper frame 26 and a seat lower frame 27 fixed to a base material 41 of a frame 40, which are connected by seat legs 28 that can be raised and lowered. Therefore, by placing the seat legs 28 in an upright position, the seat upper frame 26 and the seat lower frame 27 are spaced a certain distance apart (see Figures 26 and 27), while by placing the seat legs 28 in a laid-down position, the seat upper frame 26 and the seat lower frame 27 are brought closer to each other (see Figures 30 and 31).

[0081] The seat legs 28 are each composed of a pair of left and right seat front legs 28a and seat rear legs 28b, each of which has its lower end pivotally attached to the seat lower frame 27 and its upper end pivotally attached to the seat upper frame 26. A flange 28c is provided protruding from the middle of each of the pair of left and right seat front legs 28a and seat rear legs 28b. A support base 27a that detachably supports the flange 28c is provided protruding from a predetermined position of the seat lower frame 27. Therefore, when the seat legs 28 are raised, the flange 28c sits on the support base 27a and supports the seat upper frame 26 at a stable angle, and the seat 21 maintains its load-bearing capacity against the weight of the passenger.

[0082] A leg connecting rod 37 is installed between the pair of left and right seat rear legs 28b, and a suitable fixing means 33 such as a C-shaped member is provided at a predetermined position of the seat lower frame 27 for detachably fixing the leg connecting rod 37 when the seat legs 28 are erected and the flanges 28c are seated on the support base 27a. Therefore, when the seat legs 28 are erected, the leg connecting rod 37 is fixed by the fixing means 33. Therefore, by the fixing means 33 and the support base 27a supporting the flanges 28c, the seat 21 has a function of maintaining a seated state for stably supporting the weight of a passenger, and has sufficient load resistance required for this purpose.

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

[0084] By approaching the seating surface upper frame 26 to the seating surface lower frame 27 in this way during vertical installation, the height dimension H3 between the seating 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 seating 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 seating surface 21 of the rear seat 20 and the back surface of the front seat 10) during vertical installation can be enlarged. Alternatively, by lowering the raised 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 seating 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 during vertical installation, or it may be utilized for only one of them, or both with any allocation ratio.

[0085] When placed horizontally, the seat surface legs 28 are raised in the reverse procedure 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 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 the expansion amount is estimated 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 on 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 at 75 mm (150 mm × 1 / 2) each for expanding the upper spaces of the rear seat 20 and the front seat 10 when placed vertically, 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 expanding 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 dimension H7 (150 mm) expanded from the height dimension of 465 mm, 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 a sleeping state. Further, regardless of the height dimension between the floor surface and the luggage rack, the pair of seats can all have a common 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 only 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 and secure an opening area for entering and exiting the pair of seats 30 when vertically installed, and to stably and safely fix the pair of seats 30 for operating the invention of Document 1 as a commercial vehicle.

[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 receives various impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking or accidents during both horizontal installation and vertical installation, regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion, parked, or stopped. Second problem: To ensure the safety of passengers, especially the safety of the most important head, even when the seat unit 110 receives various impacts due to various causes such as sudden braking or accidents during vertical installation and the 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 a predetermined interval. 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 throughout the 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 with hooked portions 130a and 140a bent at substantially 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 a similar 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 with hooked portions 135a and 145a bent at substantially 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 member 130 and the front second locking member 135 are each provided with hooked portions 130a and 135a bent in a U shape in the rear direction of the rail, and the rear first locking member 140 and the rear second locking member 145 are each provided with hooked portions 140a and 145a bent in an M shape in the front direction of the rail. As a result, the hooked portion 130a of the front first locking member 130 and the hooked portion 145a of the rear second locking member 145 are arranged facing each other, and the hooked portion 135a of the front second locking member 135 and the hooked portion 140a of the rear first locking member 140 are arranged facing each other. Further, at appropriate positions on the bottom surface 120a of the rail, one or a plurality of sliding auxiliary plates 125 made of a resin material or the like having 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 member 130 and the rear second locking member 145, one sliding auxiliary plate 125 is laid between the rear first locking member 140 and the front second locking member 135, and two sliding auxiliary plates 125 are laid between the rear second locking member 145 and the front second locking member 135.

[0095] As shown in FIGS. 32, 50, and 51, rail flanges 127 of a predetermined length are projected horizontally at predetermined positions on the left and right pair of rail side surfaces 120b, and front rail fixing holes 128 for fixing the frame 40 during vertical installation are formed in the vicinity of the tip portions, and rear rail fixing holes 129 for fixing the frame 40 during horizontal installation are formed in the vicinity of the rear end portions.

[0096] Next, the configuration of the pair of left and right base materials 41 of the frame 40 that constitutes 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 a 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 in 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 in 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 buffer 48a, front second buffer 48b, rear first buffer 49a, and rear second buffer 49b have the same shape and are formed from 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. Also, 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 sides 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 open groove portion 47a formed by opening on the base material bottom surface 41c of the base material 41, and the front second locking tool 135 is inserted into the rear open groove portion 47b. As a result, the base material 41 is slidable on the rail 120 within the range of the groove lengths of the front open groove portion 47a and the rear open 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 at the time of horizontal installation and vertical installation will be described as the predetermined position.

[0100] [At the time of horizontal installation] FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the rail 120 and the base material 41 at the time of 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, at the time of 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 communicate with each other. FIG. 50 is a main part sectional view showing the fixed state of the rail 120 and the base material 41 at the time of 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, reference numeral 3 denotes 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 fixedly mounted immovably on the rail 120 and positioned when horizontally installed, as 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 abuts against the rear first locking member 140 protruding from the rail 120, and the hook portion 140a of the rear first locking member 140 penetrates 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 abuts against the rear second locking member 145, and the hook portion 145a of the rear second locking member 145 protrudes 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 member 140 protruding from the rail 120 penetrates into the base material 41 from the outside of the rear window portion 46b to lock it, and the hook portion 145a of the rear second locking member 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 by 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 by 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 abutted against 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 abutted against the front second locking tool 135, and the hook portion 135a of the front second locking tool 135 is protruded from the rear window portion 46b from the inside 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, being involved in a contact accident or a collision accident with another vehicle, not only in the two-dimensional direction but also when a large impact exceeding the limit of the fixing means acts, or when receiving an impact not only in the vertical and horizontal directions that can cause derailment but also from an unpredictable three-dimensional direction, 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 an actual 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 a passenger lies horizontally in an arbitrary posture such as lying on the side, 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] The head protection fence 170 is composed of a protection frame body 175 with a predetermined shape as shown in FIG. 58, 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 protruded, and by pivotally supporting the protection frame end rods 180 rotatably on the axis 195a of the protection frame flanges 195, the head protection fence 170 is pivotally attached to the open ends 12a, 22a of the backrests 12, 22 rotatably. Note that the member protruding the protection frame flange 195 may be any member of the backrests 12, 22 or any member constituting the backrests 12, 22, as long as it is a strength member, not limited to the backrest frames 80, 90.

[0109] A protection frame fixing rod 200 is installed between the pair of left and right protection frame end rods 180, and in a state where 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 as long as 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 when the seat unit 110 is installed vertically, and FIG. 55 is a perspective view when two front and rear seat units 110 are installed vertically. As shown in the figures, when installed vertically, the head protection fence 170 is fixed and used in a state of standing vertically upward in the vertical direction 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 installed vertically, 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 protection buffer 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 installed vertically, 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 protection buffer 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 behind the second row, except for the seat unit 110 installed in the front row, can be prevented from flying forward by the head protection fence 170 fixed to the seat unit 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 fly-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 with the fly-out prevention plate 215 stored, 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 fly-out prevention plate 215 installed, and Fig. 65(d) is a perspective view of the main part thereof. As shown in the figure, the fly-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 65(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 fly-out prevention plate 215 is stored so as to be at the same position 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 65(d), the fly-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 fly-out prevention plate 215 is installed at a height protruding from the driver's seat partition 6. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 56 and 57, it is installed at a position higher than the feet of the passenger P in the front seat 10 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 fly-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 fly-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 unit is installed vertically with 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 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 in a state of being in close contact with the backrests 12 and 22 of the front seat 10 and the rear seat 20 by appropriate means such as a hook-and-loop fastener. 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 flatten the seats 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 can relax without being burdened or having to endure, and without being overly cautious, and the present invention can realize seats that can be reclined to a state closer to flat without reducing the number of seats.

[0120] And, when installed vertically, that is, when the vehicle is running or parked at night with passengers lying horizontally on a flat seat in any posture such as lying on the side, prone, or supine, even if the passengers are thrown forward or backward out of the seat due to an impact from an unpredictable two-dimensional or three-dimensional direction that the seat belt does not face caused by various reasons such as sudden braking or an accident, since a head protection fence is installed vertically and upward at the open ends of the backs of a pair of seats, it is possible to protect the heads of the passengers with this head protection fence.

[0121] Specifically, even if the passengers are subjected to an impact from the front due to sudden braking or a collision and an inertial force acting forward on the passengers, the legs of the passengers who try to jump forward due to the inertial force are received and stopped by the head protection fence installed on the seat in front, so it is possible to prevent the legs from colliding with the passengers in the previous seat. Also, even if the passengers are subjected to an impact from the rear due to a collision from the rear and an inertial force acting backward on the passengers, the heads of the passengers who try to jump backward due to the inertial force are received and protected by the shock-absorbing cushioning material that covers and fixes the protection panel installed on the head protection fence of the seat.

[0122] The head protection fence is pivotally mounted on the open ends of the backrests and can be fixed vertically and upward when installed vertically. When installed horizontally, the head protection fence is rotated and installed on the back of the backrest, so that the presence of the head protection fence does not cause any hindrance during horizontal installation, that is, during running with passengers seated on the seats during the day. The head protection fence can be installed vertically and upward at the open ends of the backrests as required.

[0123] Therefore, according to the present invention, from the perspective of fail-safe, on the premise that impacts due to various reasons such as sudden braking or an accident are bound to occur regardless of whether the vehicle is running or parked, it is possible to protect the heads of the passengers when installed vertically, 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.

Explanation of Symbols

[0124] 1…Long-distance night bus 2…Floor surface 3…Embedded member 5…Emergency exit door 6…Driver's seat partition 7…Rear partition 10…Front seat 11…Seat surface 12…Backrest 13…Leg rest 14…Cushion 15…Stay 19…Seated leg 20…Rear seat 21…Seat surface 22…Backrest 23…Leg rest 24…Cushion 25…Seat surface frame 26…Upper seat surface frame 27…Lower seat surface frame 27a…Support pedestal 28…Seat surface leg 28a…Front seat surface leg 28b…Rear seat surface leg 28c…Flange part 29…Seated leg 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d…Pair of seats 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 pillar 43a…Hollow recess 44…Rear pillar 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... Seat surface frame 51... Slide guide 52... Slide rail 53... Rail guide 53a... Anti-drop protrusion 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 holes 70... Guide stand 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 stopper 130a…Hook part 131…Fixed shaft hole 132…Fixed shaft 135…Front second stopper 135a…Hook part 140…Rear first stopper 140a…Hook part 145…Rear second stopper 145a…Hook part 150…Base material flange 155…Base material 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 chamber 225…Installation chamber 225a…(Bottom of the installation chamber) 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, are assembled within a predetermined frame to form a seat unit, the pair of seats can be horizontally installed on substantially the same horizontal line, the front seat is moved into the upper space of the rear seat, and the backrests of the pair of seats are reclined to a horizontal state so that the pair of seats can be vertically installed on substantially the same vertical line, A seat structure for a long-distance night bus, characterized in that when vertically installed, a head protection fence is erected vertically upward at the open ends of the backrests of the pair of seats.

2. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 1, wherein the head protection fence is pivotally mounted at the open ends of the backrests and can be fixed vertically upward when vertically installed.

3. The head protection fence has a pair of left and right protective frame end rods with open tips protruding from the lower ends in both the left and right directions, and the protective frame end rods are pivotally supported at the open ends of the backrests. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 2.

4. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 3, wherein protective frame flanges protrude from both the left and right ends of the open ends of the backrest, and the protective frame end rods are pivotally supported on the protective frame flanges.

5. A protective frame fixing rod is installed between the pair of left and right protective frame end rods. When the head protection fence is erected vertically upward at the open ends of the backrest, the protective frame fixing rod is fixed to the fixing means attached to the open ends of the backrest, thereby fixing the head protection fence. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 4.

6. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 5, wherein a latch mechanism is used as the fixing means.

7. The head protection fence has a protective frame body of a predetermined shape, a pair of left and right protective frame end rods protruding from the lower ends in both the left and right directions of the protective frame body, a protective panel covering and fixing one surface of the protective frame body, and a protective buffer material covering and fixing the protective panel. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to claim 6.

8. The seat structure for a long-distance night bus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the head protection fence can mitigate the impact on the heads of passengers when vertically installed and used with the backrests of the pair of seats reclined to a horizontal state.

9. The seat structure of a long-distance night bus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein when set horizontally, the backrests of a pair of seats are erected and the head protection fence is rotated and installed on the back surface of the backrest.

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