vehicle

Abstract

To improve the entertainment value while driving in vehicles equipped with a cargo bed. [Solution] In a vehicle 1 comprising a cabin 10 having a front seat 2 and a rear seat 3, and a cargo bed 11 provided behind the cabin 10, the cabin 10 comprises a cabin body 4 constituting a passenger compartment where the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 are arranged, a separation part 5 provided above and behind the rear seat 3 and detachable from the cabin body 4, and a movable support part 6 that supports the rear seat 3 together with the separation part 5 so as to move from a first position which is the passenger position on the cabin body 4 to a second position which is an external position of the cabin body 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle provided with a loading platform provided behind a cabin.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles that open the upper part of the vehicle like an open car and enjoy driving while receiving wind are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, like the vehicle described in Patent Document 1 above, an open car is often set for vehicle types such as sedans and sports cars, and is not set for vehicles with a loading platform such as a pickup truck from the perspective of practicality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a vehicle including a cabin having a front seat and a rear seat, and a loading platform provided behind the cabin, wherein the cabin includes a cabin main body that constitutes a passenger compartment in which the front seat and the rear seat are arranged, a separation part provided above and behind the rear seat and separable from the cabin main body, and a moving support part that supports the rear seat movably from a first position that is a boarding position on the cabin main body to a second position that is an external position of the cabin main body together with the separation part.

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, the rear seat can be moved to an external position outside the cabin body, and even in a vehicle with a cargo bed, occupants seated in the rear seat can enjoy driving while feeling the wind.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 1, the rear seat is provided integrally with the separation part, the movable support part has a four-bar link connecting the cabin body and the rear seat, and the rear seat is moved to a second position together with the separation part via the four-bar link.

[0008] According to the invention of claim 2, the rear seat can be moved to the second position with a simple configuration by using a four-bar linkage.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 2, the movable support unit further comprises an actuator for driving a four-bar link and a control unit capable of controlling the driving of the actuator.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 3, by controlling the drive of the four-bar linkage with an actuator, it becomes easier to move the rear seat to the second position, and for example, it becomes possible to stop the rear seat at any desired location.

[0011] The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 2, the movable support part further comprises a link cover that covers the four-bar link.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 4, it becomes possible to properly protect the four-bar linkage when it is used.

[0013] The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 1, the rear seat is provided integrally with the separation part, and the movable support part has a sliding mechanism that allows the rear seat to slide between a first position and a second position, and moves the rear seat to the second position together with the separation part via the sliding mechanism.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 5, the rear seat can be moved to the second position with a simple configuration by using a sliding mechanism.

[0015] The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 5, the movable support part further comprises an actuator for driving a sliding mechanism and a control unit capable of controlling the driving of the actuator.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 6, by controlling the drive of the sliding mechanism with an actuator, it becomes easier to move the rear seat to the second position, and for example, it becomes possible to stop the rear seat at any desired location.

[0017] The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in the vehicle described in claim 5, the sliding mechanism comprises a lower rail provided on the cabin body, an upper rail provided on the rear seat, and a lip member interposed between the lower rail and the upper rail.

[0018] According to the invention of claim 7, it is possible to suppress the entry of unwanted materials such as garbage between the lower rail and the upper rail.

[0019] The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the vehicle described in claim 1 further comprises a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the rear seat by the movable support and fixes the rear seat in a first position.

[0020] According to the invention of claim 8, the fixed state of the rear seat in the first position can be stabilized.

[0021] The invention according to claim 9 is the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cabin body has a front roof located above the front seat, the separation part has a rear roof located above the rear seat and provided continuously with the front roof, and a rear body located behind the rear seat, and a roof cover capable of sealing between the front roof and the rear roof when the rear roof moves to the second position is provided between the front roof and the rear roof.

[0022] According to the invention according to claim 9, it is possible to suppress the entrainment of unnecessary wind into the cabin body when the rear roof moves to the second position.

[0023] The invention according to claim 10 is the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cabin body has a front roof located above the front seat, the separation part has a rear roof located above the rear seat and provided continuously with the front roof, and a rear body located behind the rear seat, and a wind deflector is provided at the rear end of the front roof.

[0024] According to the invention according to claim 10, it is possible to suppress the entrainment of unnecessary wind into the cabin body when the rear roof moves to the second position.

Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, an improvement in entertainment performance during driving in a vehicle equipped with a cargo bed can be expected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] A side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with a cargo bed according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A side view showing a rear seat, a separation part, and a movement support part. [Figure 3] A side view of the vehicle showing a state in which the rear seat is moved from the first position to the second position. [Figure 4]A block diagram showing the main components of the controller. [Figure 5A] A diagram illustrating the movement of the rear seat by the movable support unit. [Figure 5B] A diagram illustrating the movement of the rear seat by the movable support unit. [Figure 5C] A diagram illustrating the movement of the rear seat by the movable support unit. [Figure 6] A side view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with a cargo bed according to a modified example. [Figure 7] A side view showing the movable support section, rear seat, and separation section of a modified example. [Figure 8A] A plan view showing the schematic configuration of the right-side sliding mechanism. [Figure 8B] A plan view showing the schematic configuration of the right-side sliding mechanism. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the lip member of the right-side sliding mechanism. [Figure 10A] Cross-sectional view AA in Figure 9. [Figure 10B] Cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 9. [Figure 11] A block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the controller related to the modified example. [Figure 12A] A diagram illustrating the operation of the rear seat by the movable support unit in a modified example. [Figure 12B] A diagram illustrating the operation of the rear seat by the movable support unit in a modified example. [Figure 12C] A diagram illustrating the operation of the rear seat by the movable support unit in a modified example. [Figure 13] A side view of a vehicle showing modified versions of the cabin body and separation section. [Figure 14] A side view of a vehicle showing modified versions of the cabin body and separation section. [Figure 15] A side view showing a schematic configuration of the passenger compartment and cargo area of ​​a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] A plan view showing the schematic configuration of the passenger compartment and cargo area of ​​the vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 17] A forward oblique view of the left rear seat, seen from the upper right. [Figure 18]A forward perspective view of the left rear seat, seen from the upper left. [Figure 19] A forward perspective view of the left storage compartment, which forms a pair of left and right storage compartments, seen from the upper right. [Figure 20A] A diagram showing a seating position in which an occupant can sit in the left rear seat. [Figure 20B] A diagram showing the left rear seat in its folded state. [Figure 20C] A diagram showing the left rear seat in the folded-up position. [Figure 20D] A diagram showing the legroom in the left rear seat. [Figure 20E] A diagram showing the left rear seat being stored in the left storage compartment. [Figure 21] A side view showing a schematic configuration of a driver's seat mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view of the CC including the seat cushion sliding mechanism shown in Figure 21. [Figure 23] A cross-sectional view of the CC (Cross-Chip) of a modified driver's seat shown in Figure 21. [Figure 24] A cross-sectional view of CC relating to another modified driver's seat shown in Figure 21. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] [vehicle] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 14. The vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle having a cargo bed behind a cabin equipped with front seats and rear seats, and is suitably used, for example, in a pickup truck (double cab) that can carry multiple people (for example, 4 or 5 people). Below, an example of a vehicle equipped with such a cargo bed will be described, in which it is applied to a pickup truck equipped with front seats and rear seats (hereinafter simply referred to as "vehicle").

[0028] Figure 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a cargo bed 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 1 is cut out to mainly show the arrangement of the interior of the passenger compartment 17, including the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3. In the following, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part of the vehicle 1 will be described according to these definitions. Although not shown in Figure 1, the directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction shown in Figure 1 correspond to the left-right direction of the vehicle 1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, Vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled automobile operated by a driver, and comprises a cabin 10 having a passenger compartment 17 for the driver and others to sit in, and a cargo bed 11 on which luggage can be placed and loaded.

[0030] The cabin 10 includes a front seat 2 in which the driver and other passengers sit, a rear seat 3 in which passengers other than the driver can sit, a cabin body 4 that constitutes a passenger compartment 17 in which the front seat 2 and rear seat 3 are arranged, a separation part 5 provided above and behind the rear seat 3 and detachable from the cabin body 4, and a movable support part 6 that supports the rear seat 3 together with the separation part 5 so as to move from a first position which is the passenger position in the cabin body 4 to a second position which is an external position to the cabin body 4.

[0031] The front seat 2 comprises a driver's seat 20R positioned on the right side facing the steering wheel 13, and a passenger seat 20L positioned to the left (lateral) of the driver's seat 20R. Each of the driver's seat 20R and passenger seat 20L has a seat cushion 21 that supports the occupant's thighs and buttocks, a seat back 22 that supports the occupant's waist and back, a headrest 23 that supports the occupant's head, and a fore-aft position adjustment mechanism 24 that allows adjustment of the seat position in the fore-aft direction.

[0032] The seat cushion 21 extends in a substantially horizontal direction and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, allowing an occupant to sit on it. The seat back 22 rises from the rear end of the seat cushion 21 and has a substantially rectangular shape in front view, allowing an occupant seated on the seat cushion 21 to lean against it, and is reclined and connected to the seat cushion 21. Although not shown in the figures, each of the seat cushion 21 and the seat back 22 has a seat frame that has a substantially rectangular frame shape overall, and a pressure-receiving member supported by the seat frame, and is formed by arranging pad members made of urethane foam or the like around them and covering them with a surface material.

[0033] The headrest 23 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 22 and has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the front, capable of supporting the back of the head of an occupant leaning against the seat back 22. It is configured to be height-adjustable relative to the seat back 22. Although not shown in the figures, the headrest 23 has a support frame supported by the seat back 22, and is formed by arranging a pad member made of urethane foam or the like around it and covering it with a surface material.

[0034] The front-rear position adjustment mechanism 24 includes a front-rear sliding device 24a that extends in the front-rear direction from the floor 40 of the cabin body 4, and a fixing part 24b that restricts the movement of the front-rear sliding device 24a and can fix the seat cushion 21 at any front-rear position. Although not shown in the figures, the front-rear sliding device 24a may include, for example, a pair of left and right lower rails and a pair of left and right upper rails, and the fixing part 24b may include a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the pair of left and right upper rails.

[0035] Figure 2 is a side view showing the rear seat 3, the separation section 5, and the movable support section 6. As shown in Figure 2, the rear seat 3 is a bench seat capable of seating three occupants. The rear seat 3 may also be configured to include, for example, a right rear seat located behind the driver's seat 20R and a left rear seat located behind the passenger seat 20L.

[0036] The rear seat 3 includes a horizontally elongated rear seat cushion 31 capable of supporting the thighs and buttocks of each seated occupant, a horizontally elongated rear seat back 32 capable of supporting the backs and waists of each seated occupant, and three rear headrests 33 capable of supporting the heads of each seated occupant. Note that in the case of a bench seat that can accommodate two people, there are two headrests 33.

[0037] The rear seat cushion 31 extends in the left-right direction and has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, allowing three occupants to sit on it. The rear seat back 32 rises from the rear end of the rear seat cushion 31 at a predetermined inclination angle and has a roughly rectangular shape in front view, allowing each of the three occupants seated on the rear seat cushion 31 to lean against it. Although not shown in the figures, the rear seat cushion 31 and the rear seat back 32 each have a seat frame that has a roughly rectangular frame shape overall, and a pressure-receiving member supported by the seat frame, and are formed by arranging pad members made of urethane foam or the like around them and covering them with a surface material.

[0038] Each of the three headrests 33 is height-adjustable and mounted on the upper end of the rear seatback 32 via a pair of left and right pillars 33a, and has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the front, capable of supporting the back of the head of each occupant leaning against the rear seatback 32. Although not shown in the illustration, the rear headrests 33 are formed by creating the outer shape of a pad member made of urethane foam or the like, and then covering these with a surface material.

[0039] The cabin body 4 includes a front roof 41 provided above the front seat 2, and an opening 42 provided behind the front roof 41, above and behind the rear seat 3 which is located in the first position.

[0040] The front roof 41 extends to the vicinity of the rear end of the B-pillar 14, which is located between the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3. A wind deflector 43 is attached to the rear end of the front roof 41, and the wind deflector 43 prevents fluid flowing over the front roof 41 from flowing into the passenger compartment 17 through the opening 42.

[0041] The opening 42 extends from the rear end 41a of the front roof 41 to the connection portion 11a with the cargo bed 11. The length of the opening 42 in the left-right direction is formed to be slightly longer than the length of the rear seat 3 in the left-right direction, and a separation portion 5 that can move together with the rear seat 3 is attached to the opening 42 formed in this way. From the perspective of attaching the separation portion 5, a sealing member (not shown) is provided on the outer edge of the opening 42 to ensure a tight seal with the attached separation portion 5.

[0042] Figure 3 is a side view of the vehicle 1 showing the rear seat 3 moved from the first position shown in Figure 1 to the second position. As shown in Figure 2, the separation section 5 is located above and behind the rear seat 3, and as shown in Figure 3, it moves together with the rear seat 3 from the first position to the second position. Specifically, the separation section 5 has a rear roof 51 that is continuous with the front roof 41 in the first position, and a rear body 52 that extends to the connection section 11a with the cargo bed 11 in the first position. The rear roof 51 extends in a substantially horizontal direction substantially parallel to the front roof 41 and is formed to be able to fit with the rear end portion 41a of the front roof 41 of the cabin body 4. The rear body 52 extends in a substantially vertical direction intersecting the rear roof 51 and is provided integrally with the rear roof 51 and is formed to be able to fit with the connection section 11a with the cargo bed 11. The rear body 52 is also connected to the rear seat 3 via a connection section 52a.

[0043] When the rear seat 3 is located in the first position, which is the passenger seating position on the cabin body 4 as shown in Figure 1, the separation section 5 is formed to fit with the rear end portion 41a of the front roof 41 so as to seal the opening 42 of the cabin body 4. When the rear seat 3 is located in the second position, which is the external position of the cabin body 4 as shown in Figure 3, the separation section 5 is formed to be separated from the rear end portion 41a of the front roof 41 so as to be able to open the opening 42.

[0044] The movable support unit 6 is configured to allow the rear seat 3 to move between a first position, which is the seating position in the cabin body 4, and a second position, which is an external position to the cabin body 4. Specifically, the movable support unit 6 moves the rear seat 3 diagonally upward and backward to move it from the first position to the second position.

[0045] The movable support unit 6 includes a lift floor 60 that is fitted into an opening (not shown) provided in the floor 40 of the cabin body 4, a pair of left and right four-bar links 61 interposed between the lift floor 60 and the floor 40 and capable of moving the lift floor 60 diagonally upward and rearward, actuators 62 that drive each of the left and right four-bar links 61, and a controller (control unit) 63 that controls the driving of the actuators 62.

[0046] The lift floor 60 is provided in a roughly rectangular plate shape and is formed so that the rear seat 3 can be placed on it. The lift floor 60 is fitted into an opening (not shown) so that it is on the same plane as the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 when the rear seat 3 is in the first position.

[0047] The pair of left and right four-bar links 61 consist of a right-side four-bar link 61R provided at the right end of the lift floor 60 and a left-side four-bar link 61L provided at the left end of the lift floor 60. Since the right-side four-bar link 61R and the left-side four-bar link 61L have similar configurations, the configuration of the right-side four-bar link 61R will be described here, and the description of the left-side four-bar link 61L will be omitted by referring to the description of the right-side four-bar link 61R. Alternatively, instead of the pair of left and right four-bar links 61, a single four-bar link provided approximately in the center of the width direction of the lift floor 60 may be used.

[0048] The right-side four-bar link 61R has a pair of front and rear drive links 61a that are parallel to each other, and a driven link 61b that is driven by the pair of front and rear drive links 61a.

[0049] The front and rear drive links 61a consist of a front link 61a1 positioned at the front and a rear link 61a2 positioned at the rear, and are configured to be able to be raised from a tilted forward position to an upright position at the rear. One end of the front link 61a1 is rotatably connected to the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and the other end is rotatably connected to the tip of the driven link 61b around an axis extending in the left-right direction. Similarly, one end of the rear link 61a2 is rotatably connected to the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and the other end is rotatably connected to the rear end of the driven link 61b around an axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the front link 61a1 and the rear link 61a2 are each covered at the front by a link cover 61c. The link cover 61c is formed in a fan-shaped bellows form and is configured to fold and be stored in the floor 40 when the front link 61a1 and the rear link 61a2 are folded forward along the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 (when the rear seat 3 is in the first position), and to emerge and unfold from the floor 40 when it is raised (when the rear seat 3 is in the second position).

[0051] The driven link 61b is provided integrally with the lift floor 60. By providing the driven link 61b integrally with the lift floor 60, the lift floor 60 can move vertically via a pair of front and rear drive links 61a, and can be separated from the floor 40 of the cabin body 4. Alternatively, instead of the driven link 61b, a pair of front and rear drive links 61a may be rotatably connected to the lift floor 60, so that the lift floor 60 acts as the driven link 61b.

[0052] Furthermore, the front link 61a1 and the rear link 61a2 are each formed to be approximately the same length as the distance from the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 to the cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11 when in an upright position. By making the lengths of the front link 61a1 and the rear link 61a2 approximately the same length as the distance from the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 to the cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11, the floor height (foot height) of the rear seat 3 when moved to the second position can be made approximately the same height as the cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11.

[0053] The actuator 62 is composed of, for example, a drive motor and also constitutes a locking mechanism. The actuator 62 is located within the floor 40 of the cabin body 4 and is connected to one of a pair of front and rear drive links 61a via a gear train (not shown). The actuator 62 is driven by a controller 63 and can be fixed in a preset first position and a preset second position by stopping its rotation at a preset rotation position.

[0054] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of the controller 63. As shown in Figure 4, the controller 63 is configured as a computer having an arithmetic unit 631 such as a CPU (microprocessor), a storage unit 632 such as ROM, RAM, or hard disk, and other peripheral circuits (not shown).

[0055] The calculation unit 631 has a functional configuration that includes an information receiving unit 631a that receives movement commands for the rear seat 3, and an information transmitting unit 631b that transmits a drive signal to the actuator 62 of the movement support unit 6 based on the movement commands received by the information receiving unit 631a.

[0056] For example, when the release switch SW1 is pressed by an occupant seated in the rear seat 3, the release signal is received by the information receiving unit 631a, and the information transmitting unit 631b sends the release signal to the actuator 62. When the return switch SW2 is pressed, the return signal is received by the information receiving unit 631a, and the information transmitting unit 631b sends the return signal to the actuator 62.

[0057] Furthermore, since the release switch SW1 and return switch SW2 must be located in a place where they can be pressed by a occupant regardless of whether the rear seat 3 is in the first or second position, it is preferable that they be provided on the side of the seat back 32 of the rear seat 3. Also, from the viewpoint of safety, they may be configured to be operated by an occupant seated in the front seat 2.

[0058] The memory unit 632 stores various programs and data executed by the arithmetic unit 631. For example, the memory unit 632 stores drive programs for driving the actuators 62 of the movable support unit 6, and various data used in these programs.

[0059] The cargo bed 11 is located above the rear wheels 12 and, when connected to the cabin 10, constitutes the body of the vehicle 1. The cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11 is positioned higher than the floor 40 of the cabin body 4, so that when the cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11 is used as the floor, the occupants seated in the rear seats 3 have a higher line of sight, improving forward visibility.

[0060] As described above, the vehicle 1 can improve the forward visibility of occupants seated in the rear seat 3 by moving the rear seat 3 together with the separation part 5 via the movable support part 6. An example of the movement of the rear seat 3 will be explained below with reference to Figures 5A to 5C.

[0061] Figures 5A to 5C illustrate the operation of the rear seat 3 by the movable support unit 6. As shown in Figure 5A, in the first position, the rear seat 3 is in the position for passengers to get in and out of the cabin 10, and the height of the rear seat cushion 31 of the rear seat 3 is slightly higher than, or almost the same as, the height of the seat cushion 21 of the front seat 2. As a result, the forward visibility of passengers seated in the rear seat 3 is reduced by that of passengers seated in the front seat 2. For example, if a small passenger (including a child) is seated, it may be difficult to see ahead while driving.

[0062] From this state, the actuator 62 is driven to raise the pair of left and right four-bar links 61, and the rear seat 3 is moved from the first position to an arbitrary height position (for example, the third position), as shown in Figure 5B. At this time, the separation part 5 moves together with the rear seat 3, so the rear seat 3 can be moved without interference from the cabin body 4, etc. For example, the rear seat 3 can be moved to any position where visibility is good.

[0063] In this way, by moving the rear seat 3 diagonally upward and backward together with the separation section 5, it becomes possible to raise the eye level of the passengers sitting in the rear seat 3, making it easier to see the scenery ahead and allowing them to enjoy driving more. It is also expected to reduce motion sickness.

[0064] From this state, the actuator 62 is further driven to raise the pair of left and right four-bar links 61, and the rear seat 3 is moved to the second position as shown in Figure 5C. In the second position, the rear seat 3 is located above the cargo bed surface 11b of the cargo bed 11, and the line of sight of the occupant seated in the rear seat 3 is located above the front roof 41, open from inside the cabin body 4, and the field of view is wider.

[0065] As a result, passengers seated in the rear seat 3 can enjoy driving while feeling the wind, giving them the feeling of riding in a convertible, for example. At this time, the rear roof 51 of the separation section 5, which moves together with the rear seat 3, is positioned above the passengers seated in the rear seat 3, so direct sunlight is avoided, allowing for a comfortable ride. In addition, the wind deflector 43 suppresses wind turbulence, which helps to prevent the interior of the cabin 4 from being disturbed by the wind.

[0066] This embodiment can provide the following effects and advantages.

[0067] (1) A vehicle 1 comprising a cabin 10 having a front seat 2 and a rear seat 3, and a cargo bed 11 provided behind the cabin 10, wherein the cabin 10 comprises a cabin body 4 that constitutes a passenger compartment where the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3 are arranged, a separation part 5 provided above and behind the rear seat 3 and detachable from the cabin body 4, and a movable support part 6 that supports the rear seat 3 together with the separation part 5 so as to move from a first position which is the passenger position on the cabin body 4 to a second position which is an external position of the cabin body 4 (Figure 1).

[0068] This configuration allows the rear seat 3 to be moved to a second position, which is outside the cabin body 4. When the rear seat 3 is moved to the second position, it is freed from the inside of the cabin body 4, providing a wider field of view. As a result, even in a vehicle 1 with a cargo bed 11, occupants seated in the rear seat 3 can enjoy driving while feeling the breeze.

[0069] (2) The rear seat 3 is provided integrally with the separation section 5, and the movable support section 6 has a pair of left and right four-bar links 61 that connect the cabin body 4 and the rear seat 3, and moves the rear seat 3 together with the separation section 5 via the pair of left and right four-bar links 61 (Figures 1 and 2). With this configuration, the rear seat 3 can be moved to the second position with a simple configuration by using a pair of left and right four-bar links 61.

[0070] (3) The movable support unit 6 further includes an actuator 62 that drives a pair of left and right four-bar links 61, and a controller 63 that can control the drive of the actuator 62 (Figure 2). With this configuration, by controlling the drive of the pair of left and right four-bar links 61 using the actuator 62, it becomes easy to move the rear seat 3 to the second position, and for example, it becomes possible to stop the rear seat 3 at any position.

[0071] (4) The movable support section 6 further has link covers 61c that cover each of the left and right pairs of four-bar links 61 (Figure 2). With this configuration, even when using a left and right pair of four-bar links 61, each of the left and right pairs of four-bar links 61 can be properly protected.

[0072] (5) The actuator 62 of the movable support unit 6 constitutes a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the rear seat 3 and fixes the rear seat 3 in the first position (Figure 2). For example, by using a drive motor as the actuator 62 and controlling it with the controller 63, the rear seat 3 can be fixed in the first position. (6) The cabin body 4 has a front roof 41 located above the front seat 2, and the separation section 5 has a rear roof 51 located above the rear seat 3 and provided continuously with the front roof 41, and a rear body 52 located behind the rear seat 3, and a wind deflector 43 is provided at the rear end of the front roof 41 (Figure 1). This configuration makes it possible to suppress the flow of fluid over the front roof 41 from flowing into the opening 42.

[0073] Next, a modified example of vehicle 1 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 12C. Vehicle 1A, the modified example, differs from vehicle 1 in the configuration of the movable support section. Therefore, here we will focus on the differences from vehicle 1, namely the movable support section, and the same components as those in vehicle 1 will be given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

[0074] Figure 6 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle 1A equipped with a cargo bed 11 according to a modified example. In Figure 6, as with Figure 1, a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 1A is cut out to mainly show the layout inside the passenger compartment 17, including the front seat 2 and rear seat 3.

[0075] As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle 1A comprises a cabin 10A and a cargo bed 11. The cabin 10A includes a front seat 2, a rear seat 3, a cabin body 4, a separation section 5, and a movable support section 6A that supports the rear seat 3 together with the separation section 5 so as to move from a first position, which is the seating position on the cabin body 4, to a second position, which is an external position on the cabin body 4.

[0076] The movable support unit 6A is configured to allow the rear seat 3 to move between a first position, which is the seating position in the cabin body 4, and a second position, which is an external position to the cabin body 4. Specifically, the movable support unit 6 moves the rear seat 3 diagonally upward and rearward to move it from the first position to the second position. The movable support unit 6A will be described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0077] Figure 7 is a side view showing a modified example of the movable support unit 6A, rear seat 3, and separation unit 5. As shown in Figure 7, the movable support unit 6A includes a seat riser 64 that supports the rear seat 3, a pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65 that can move the rear seat 3 together with the separation unit 5 diagonally upward and rearward, actuators 62A that drive each of the left and right sliding mechanisms 65, and a controller (control unit) 63A that controls the driving of the actuators 62A.

[0078] The seat riser 64 is interposed between the rear seat 3 and a pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65, and is provided so that the rear seat cushion 31 of the rear seat 3, which is moved by the pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65, extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0079] The pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65 include a right-side sliding mechanism 65R provided at the right end of the seat riser 64 and a left-side sliding mechanism 65L provided at the left end of the seat riser 64. Since the right-side sliding mechanism 65R and the left-side sliding mechanism 65L have similar configurations, the configuration of the right-side sliding mechanism 65R will be described here, and the description of the left-side sliding mechanism 65L will be omitted by referring to the description of the right-side sliding mechanism 65R. Alternatively, instead of the pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65, a single sliding mechanism provided approximately in the center of the width direction of the seat riser 64 may be used.

[0080] Figures 8A and 8B are plan views showing the schematic configuration of the right-side sliding mechanism 65R. Note that the lip member 65c, which will be described later, is omitted from Figures 8A and 8B. As shown in Figures 7 to 8B, the right-side sliding mechanism 65R comprises a lower rail 65a extending diagonally upward and rearward from the cabin body 4 toward the cargo bed 11, and an upper rail 65b that is slidably mounted on the lower rail 65a.

[0081] The lower rail 65a is fixed to the cabin body 4 and the cargo bed 11, and the upper rail 65b is connected at the top to the seat riser 64 and slidably supported at the bottom to the lower rail 65a. The lower rail 65a also has a groove 65a1 to which the zip chain 62b of the actuator 62A can be positioned, and the upper rail 65b is slidably engaged with the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a and connected to the zip chain 62b positioned in the groove 65a1. With the right-side sliding mechanism 65R configured in this way, the upper rail 65b can move on the lower rail 65a by operating the zip chain 62b.

[0082] As described above, the upper rail 65b moves along the groove 65a1 provided in the lower rail 65a. Therefore, after the upper rail 65b has moved, there is a risk of foreign matter entering the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a and the gap between the upper rail 65b and the lower rail 65a as the upper rail 65b moves along the groove 65a1. If foreign matter enters these areas, the smooth movement of the upper rail 65b along the lower rail 65a will be hindered. Taking this into consideration, a lip member 65c is placed in the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a after the upper rail 65b has moved and in the gap between the upper rail 65b and the lower rail 65a as the upper rail 65b moves along the groove 65a1 to prevent the entry of foreign matter. The lip member 65c will be described below with reference to Figures 9 to 10B.

[0083] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the lip member 65c of the right-side sliding mechanism 65R, Figure 10A is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 9, and Figure 10B is a cross-sectional view BB of Figure 9. As shown in Figures 9 to 10B, the lip member 65c is provided to cover the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a (see Figures 9 and 10A) and the gap between the upper rail 65b that engages with the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a and the groove 65a1 (see Figures 9 and 10B).

[0084] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the lip member 65c has a sheet-like upper lip 65c1 and a sheet-like lower lip 65c2 that overlaps with the upper lip 65c1, and each of the upper lip 65c1 and lower lip 65c2 is made of a flexible rubber material.

[0085] In the groove 65a1 of the lower rail 65a, the lip member 65c is provided such that, as shown in Figure 10A, the upper lip 65c1 and the lower lip 65c2 overlap to cover the groove 65a1, and in the gap between the upper rail 65b that engages with the groove 65a1 and the groove 65a1, as shown in Figure 10B, the upper lip 65c1 and the lower lip 65c2 each overlap with the rail 65b to cover the gap.

[0086] Furthermore, the front and rear ends of the upper rail 65b are provided with lip guides 65d, which are formed to allow the lip member 65c to cover the upper rail 65b without hindering its sliding along the groove 65a1. The lip guide 65d has an inclined portion 65d1 that becomes flat towards the front, and the inclined portion 65d1 moves while pushing aside the upper and lower lips 65c1 and 65c2.

[0087] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the actuator 62A includes a zip chain 62b housed in a housing 62a and a zip chain motor 62c that discharges the zip chain 62b from the housing 62a. The housing 62a is provided at the respective ends of the right and left sliding mechanisms 65R and 65L, and in this embodiment, it is provided within the floor 40 of the cabin body 4. One end of the zip chain 62b is attached to the end of the upper rail 65b and is discharged from the housing 62a by the drive of the zip chain motor 62c, which is connected via a gear train (not shown), causing the upper rail 65b to slide.

[0088] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a modified controller 63A. As shown in Figure 11, the controller 63A is configured with a computer having an arithmetic unit 633 such as a CPU (microprocessor), a storage unit 634 such as ROM, RAM, or hard disk, and other peripheral circuits (not shown).

[0089] The calculation unit 633 has a functional configuration that includes an information receiving unit 633a that receives movement commands for the rear seat 3, and an information transmitting unit 633b that transmits a drive signal to the zip chain motor 62c which constitutes the actuator 62A of the movement support unit 6A, based on the movement commands received by the information receiving unit 633a.

[0090] For example, when the release switch SW1 is pressed by an occupant seated in the rear seat 3, the release signal is received by the information receiving unit 633a, and the information transmitting unit 633b transmits the release signal to the zip chain motor 62c. When the return switch SW2 is pressed, the return signal is received by the information receiving unit 633a, and the information transmitting unit 633b transmits the return signal to the zip chain motor 62c.

[0091] The memory unit 634 stores various programs and data executed by the arithmetic unit 633. For example, the memory unit 634 stores drive programs for driving actuators 62A (zip chain motor 62c) of the movable support unit 6A, and various data used in these programs.

[0092] As described above, the vehicle 1A can improve the forward visibility of occupants seated in the rear seat 3 by moving the rear seat 3 together with the separation part 5 via the movable support part 6A. Below, an example of the movement of the rear seat 3 according to a modified example will be described with reference to Figures 12A to 12C.

[0093] Figures 12A to 12C illustrate the operation of the rear seat 3 by the movable support unit 6A according to a modified example. As shown in Figure 12A, in the first position, the rear seat 3 is in the position where occupants can get in and out of the cabin 10, and the height of the rear seat cushion 31 of the rear seat 3 is slightly higher than, or almost the same as, the height of the seat cushion 21 of the front seat 2. As a result, the forward visibility of occupants seated in the rear seat 3 is reduced by that of occupants seated in the front seat 2. For example, when a small occupant (including a child) is seated, it may be difficult to see ahead while driving.

[0094] From this state, the zip chain motor 62c is driven to move the pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65, moving the rear seat 3 from the first position to any desired height. At this time, the separation part 5 moves together with the rear seat 3, so the rear seat 3 can be moved without interference from the cabin body 4A, etc. For example, the rear seat 3 can be moved to any position where visibility is good.

[0095] In this way, by moving the rear seat 3 diagonally upward and backward together with the separation section 5, it becomes possible to raise the eye level of the passengers sitting in the rear seat 3, making it easier to see the scenery ahead and allowing them to enjoy driving more. It is also expected to reduce motion sickness.

[0096] From this state, the zip chain motor 62c is further driven to raise the pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65, and the rear seat 3 is moved to the second position as shown in Figure 12C. In the second position, the rear seat 3 is located above the cargo bed 11, and the line of sight of the occupant seated in the rear seat 3 is located above the front roof 41, open from inside the cabin body 4A, and the field of view is wider.

[0097] As a result, passengers seated in the rear seat 3 can enjoy the feeling of the wind while driving, giving them the sensation of riding in a convertible. At this time, the rear roof 51 of the separation section 5, which moves together with the rear seat 3, is positioned above the passengers seated in the rear seat 3, so direct sunlight is avoided, allowing for a comfortable ride. In addition, the wind deflector 43 suppresses wind turbulence, which helps to prevent the interior of the cabin 4A from being disturbed by the wind.

[0098] Modifications of this embodiment can produce the following effects. (7) The rear seat 3 is provided integrally with the separation part 5, and the movable support part 6A has a pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65 that can slide the rear seat 3 between a first position and a second position, and is characterized by moving the rear seat 3 to the second position together with the separation part 5 via the pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 65 (Figure 7).

[0099] This configuration allows the rear seat 3 to be moved to an external position outside the cabin body 4, opening it up from inside the cabin body 4 and providing a wider field of view. As a result, even in a vehicle 1A with a cargo bed 11, passengers seated in the rear seat 3 can enjoy driving while feeling the breeze.

[0100] (8) The movable support unit 6A is further characterized by having actuators 62A that drive each of the left and right sliding mechanisms 65, and a controller 63A that can control the driving of the actuators 62A (Figure 7). With this configuration, by controlling the driving of the left and right sliding mechanisms 65 using the actuators 62A, it becomes easy to move the rear seat 3 to the second position, and for example, it becomes possible to stop the rear seat 3 at any position.

[0101] (9) Each of the left and right sliding mechanisms 65 is characterized by having a lower rail 65a provided on the cabin body 4A, an upper rail 65b provided on the rear seat 3, and a lip member 65c interposed between the lower rail 65a and the upper rail 65b (Figures 8A to 10B). This configuration makes it possible to prevent foreign objects from entering the gap between the lower rail 65a and the upper rail 65b, and to prevent the smooth movement of the upper rail 65b along the lower rail 65a from being hindered.

[0102] Vehicles 1 and 1A equipped with the above-mentioned cargo bed can be transformed into various forms. Figures 13 and 14 are side views of vehicle 1 showing modified examples of the cabin body 4 and the separation section 5. For example, as shown in Figure 13, a roof cover 15 may be provided between the front roof 41 and the rear roof 51, capable of sealing the space between the front roof 41 and the rear roof 51 when the rear roof 51 moves to a second position. The roof cover 15 may be made of a canvas or the like from the viewpoint of suppressing wind turbulence, or it may be made of a transparent sheet from the viewpoint of ensuring visibility. The roof cover 15 may be configured to be stored by being rolled up at the front of the rear roof 51, or it may be configured to emerge from the front roof 41 or the rear roof 51.

[0103] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 14, for example, an auxiliary link 16 may be provided to connect the separation unit 5 and the cabin body 4 to assist in the movement of the separation unit 5. By providing the auxiliary link 16, the separation unit 5 can be stabilized when it moves together with the rear seat 3. For example, by providing a pair of left and right auxiliary links 16 at the tip of the separation unit 5, it is possible to reduce the effects of wind and other factors on the separation unit 5 during and after movement, thereby stabilizing its movement.

[0104] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described above, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modifications, and to combine modifications with each other.

[0105] [vehicle] Recently, the convenience of vehicles with cargo beds, such as pickup trucks, has been re-evaluated. Pickup trucks, which can carry a large amount of luggage, are particularly useful for users living in suburban areas. However, because pickup trucks have a cargo bed, it is difficult to increase the storage space for luggage inside the cabin by, for example, moving the rear seats, thus limiting the size of luggage that can be stored inside the cabin. Therefore, in this embodiment, by moving the rear seats located inside the cabin to the cargo bed side without removing them, the storage space for luggage inside the cabin can be increased, and the cabin can be used more effectively.

[0106] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 20E. The vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle having a cargo bed behind a cabin equipped with front seats and rear seats, and is suitably used, for example, as a pickup truck (double cab) capable of carrying multiple people (for example, 4 or 5 people). Below, an example of a vehicle equipped with such a cargo bed will be described, in which it is applied to a pickup truck equipped with front seats and rear seats (hereinafter simply referred to as "vehicle"). Furthermore, components identical to those of the above-described vehicles 1 and 1A will be given the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0107] Figure 15 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the passenger compartment 17 and cargo bed 11 of vehicle 1B according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 16 is a top view of vehicle 1B. In Figures 15 and 16, a portion of the exterior of vehicle 1B is cut out to mainly show the arrangement of the front seat 2, rear seat 3B, and storage compartment 7. Furthermore, in the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figures, and the configuration of each part of vehicle 1B will be described according to these definitions.

[0108] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the vehicle 1B is a four-wheeled vehicle operated by a driver, and comprises a cabin 10B having a passenger compartment 17 for the driver and others to sit in, a cargo bed 11 on which luggage can be placed and loaded, and a pair of left and right storage compartments 7 that are in communication with the passenger compartment 17 inside the cabin 10B and are positioned extending from the passenger compartment 17 to above the wheel wells (wheel wells of the rear wheels 12) 11c of the cargo bed 11.

[0109] The cabin 10B includes a front seat 2 where the driver and other passengers sit, a rear seat 3B where passengers other than the driver can sit, and a back panel 18 located behind the rear seat 3B that separates the passenger compartment 17 from the cargo bed 11. The front seat 2 includes a driver's seat 20R and a passenger seat 20L, and each of the driver's seat 20R and passenger seat 20L has a seat cushion 21, a seat back 22, a headrest 23, and a front-to-back position adjustment mechanism 24.

[0110] Rear seat 3B comprises a right rear seat 30R located behind the driver's seat 20R, and a left rear seat 30L located behind the passenger seat 20L. Since the right rear seat 30R and the left rear seat 30L have the same configuration, only the configuration of the left rear seat 30L will be described here, and the configuration of the right rear seat 30R will be omitted, as it will be explained by referring to the description of the configuration of the left rear seat 30L.

[0111] Figure 17 is a front perspective view of the left rear seat 30L, seen from the upper right, and Figure 18 is a front perspective view of the left rear seat 30L, seen from the upper left. Note that the right rear seat 30R is not shown in Figures 17 and 18.

[0112] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the left rear seat 30L includes a seat cushion 31B that supports the occupant's thighs and buttocks, a seat back 32B that supports the occupant's waist and back, a headrest 33B that supports the head of the occupant seated on the seat body 30B, a leg portion 34 that supports the seat back 32B in a seated position, a first pivot support portion 35 that supports the seat back 32B so that it can be tilted toward the seat cushion 31B, a second pivot support portion 36 that supports the tilted seat back 32B together with the seat cushion 31B so that it can be flipped up to the side, and a third pivot support portion 37 that supports the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B flipped up to the side so that they can be rotated and stored in the storage portion 7.

[0113] The seat cushion 31B extends in a substantially horizontal direction and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, allowing an occupant to sit on it. The seat back 32B rises from the rear end of the seat cushion 31B and has a substantially rectangular shape in front view, allowing an occupant seated on the seat cushion 31B to lean against it. Although not shown in the figures, each of the seat cushion 31B and the seat back 32B has a seat frame that has a substantially rectangular frame shape overall, and a pressure-receiving member supported by the seat frame, and is formed by arranging pad members made of urethane foam or the like around them and covering them with a surface material.

[0114] The headrest 33B has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the front, capable of supporting the back of the occupant's head when leaning against the seatback 32B. Although not shown in the illustration, the headrest 33B is formed by shaping a pad member made of urethane foam or the like into a predetermined form and covering it with a surface material.

[0115] In the left rear seat 30L, the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B are integrally provided via a first pivot support 35 to form the seat body 30B, and the headrest 33B is attached to the back panel 18 so as to be positioned above the seat body 30B when it is seated. In other words, the headrest 33B is provided separately from the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B. By providing the headrest 33B separately from the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B in this way, it becomes possible to miniaturize the seat body 30B of the left rear seat 30L, and it also becomes possible to miniaturize the left storage compartment 70L, which will be described later, that houses the seat body 30B.

[0116] In addition, on the left rear seat 30L, a storage recess 311 is provided on the back surface of the seat cushion 31B (the surface opposite to the seating surface) that is concave in shape to accommodate the leg portion 34. The storage recess 311 is provided in substantially the same shape as the leg portion 34 so that the leg portion 34 can be fitted into it, and is formed so that the exposed surface of the fitted leg portion 34 is located substantially on the same plane as the back surface of the seat cushion 31B (see Figure 20D described later). In other words, the storage recess 311 is provided so that the leg portion 34 in its stored state fits flush with the back surface of the seat cushion 31B.

[0117] The leg portion 34 is rotatably mounted on the seat cushion 31B on one side (hereinafter also referred to as the right side) of the back surface of the seat cushion 31B, around a fourth axis CL4 extending in the front-rear direction. That is, the aforementioned storage recess 311 is provided so that the leg portion 34, when rotated in the storage direction, can be fitted into it. The leg portion 34 also has a locking portion 34a at its lower end that can be fixed to the floor 40 of the passenger compartment 17. The locking portion 34a is configured to be fixed to the floor 40 via a striker 40a provided on the floor 40, and can be fixed to the floor 40 by, for example, inserting a locking pin (not shown) into the striker 40a.

[0118] The leg portion 34 may be detachably attached to the back surface of the seat cushion 31B and stored in the storage recess 311 after being removed from the seat cushion 31B. Alternatively, it may be rotatably attached to the floor 40 and fixed to the back surface of the seat cushion 31B with a locking mechanism, and if the leg portion 34 is rotatably attached to the floor 40, the leg portion 34 may be stored in the floor 40.

[0119] The first rotational support section 35 includes a pair of left and right brackets 35a positioned on both sides of the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B in the left-right direction, and a reclining mechanism 35b that supports the seat back 32B at the upper ends of the pair of left and right brackets 35a so that it can rotate around a first axis CL1 extending in the left-right direction.

[0120] Each of the pair of left and right brackets 35a is formed in a plate shape that extends substantially vertically when the seat body 30B is seated, with its lower end connected to the seat frame of the seat cushion 31B and its upper end rotatably supporting the seat frame of the seat back 32B. Specifically, each of the pair of left and right brackets 35a has its lower end connected to a pair of left and right side frames of the seat cushion 31B, and its upper end rotatably supports the lower frame (part of the seat frame) of the seat back 32B that extends in the left-right direction, about a first axis CL1.

[0121] The reclining mechanism 35b is interposed between the upper ends of a pair of left and right brackets 35a and the lower frame of the seat back 32B, and is configured to fix the seat back 32B in any rotational position. In this way, the seat back 32B can be tilted toward the seat cushion 31B via the first rotational support part 35, and the seat body 30B of the left rear seat 30L can be fixed by the first rotational support part 35 in a state where the seat surfaces of the seat cushion 31B and the seat back 32B are in surface contact with each other (folded state).

[0122] Since a standard reclining mechanism 35b can be used, a detailed explanation is omitted here. For example, the reclining mechanism 35b can be constructed using a biasing spring and a locking mechanism, etc.

[0123] The second pivot support section 36 supports the folded seat body 30 so that it can rotate around a second axis CL2 extending in the front-rear direction, on the other side of the seat cushion 31B in the left-right direction (hereinafter also referred to as the left side). Specifically, the second pivot support section 36 has a flip-up pivot shaft 36a extending in the front-rear direction, a flip-up support section 36b provided on the left side of the seat cushion 31B that rotatably supports the flip-up pivot shaft 36a, and a flip-up holding section (not shown) that holds the folded seat body 30 in a flipped-up state.

[0124] The flip-up pivot shaft 36a is provided in a substantially cylindrical shape and is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the retractable pivot shaft 37a of the third pivot support section 37, which will be described later. The flip-up support section 36b is attached to the left side frame (part of the seat frame) of the seat cushion 31B and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that can rotatably support the substantially cylindrical flip-up pivot shaft 36a inside it. The flip-up holding section (not shown) holds the folded seat body 30 in a flipped-up state along the side wall of the vehicle compartment 17, and can use, for example, a biasing spring or the like to bias the seat body 30 toward the side wall of the vehicle compartment 17.

[0125] The third pivot support section 37 is located at the rear end of the second pivot support section 36 and rotatably supports the seat body 30B in the flipped-up position around a third axis CL3 that extends in the left-right direction. Specifically, the third pivot support section 37 includes a retractable pivot shaft 37a that extends in the left-right direction, a retractable support section 37b provided on the side wall of the passenger compartment 17 that rotatably supports the retractable pivot shaft 37a, and a retractable holding section (not shown) that holds the seat body 30B in the flipped-up position in a retracted state.

[0126] The storage pivot shaft 37a is provided in a substantially cylindrical shape, and its outer circumferential surface is connected to the rear end of the flip-up pivot shaft 36a, forming a T-shaped or L-shaped rotating frame together with the flip-up pivot shaft 36a which extends in the front-rear direction. The storage support portion 37b is provided on one or both of the side wall and back panel 18 of the passenger compartment 17, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that can rotatably support the substantially cylindrical storage pivot shaft 37a inside it. The storage holding portion (not shown) holds the seat body 30B in the flipped-up state while it is stored in the left-side storage portion 70L, which will be described later, and can use, for example, a biasing spring that biases the seat body 30B toward the left-side storage portion 70L.

[0127] The back panel 18 is located behind the rear seat 3B and separates the passenger compartment 17 from the cargo area 11. The back panel 18 has a pair of left and right communication sections 18a on both sides in the left-right direction, which are formed to communicate with each of the left and right storage compartments 7 located on each side in the left-right direction. The pair of left and right communication sections 18a consist of a right-side communication section 18R located on the right side and a left-side communication section 18L located on the left side. Each of the right-side communication section 18R and the left-side communication section 18L is provided by cutting out a part of the back panel 18 and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape which is substantially the same shape as the openings of the left and right storage compartments 7.

[0128] Figure 19 is a front perspective view of the left storage compartment 7R, which forms a pair of left and right storage compartments 7, as seen from the upper right. Note that, as with Figures 17 and 18, the right rear seat 30R is not shown in Figure 19.

[0129] As shown in Figure 19, the pair of left and right storage compartments 7 include a left storage compartment 70L located diagonally to the left rear of the left rear seat 30L and capable of storing the left rear seat 30L, and a right storage compartment 70R located diagonally to the right rear of the right rear seat 30R and capable of storing the right rear seat 30R. Since the right storage compartment 70R and the left storage compartment 70L have the same configuration except for their different positions, only the configuration of the left storage compartment 70L will be described here, and the configuration of the right storage compartment 70R will be omitted, as it will be explained by referring to the description of the configuration of the left storage compartment 70L.

[0130] The left-side storage compartment 70L is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with a rectangular opening at the front, and is configured to store the seat body 30B in the flipped-up position via the third pivot support part 37. The left-side storage compartment 70L is provided so that its opening 71 communicates with the left-side communication part 18L of the back panel 18, and its body is provided extending from the left-side communication part 18L to above the tire house 11c of the left rear wheel 12L. By providing the left-side storage compartment 70L extending from the left-side communication part 18L to above the tire house 11c of the left rear wheel 12L, for example, the space above the tire house 11c of the left rear wheel 12L, which is otherwise difficult to use, can be effectively utilized.

[0131] Furthermore, the left-side storage compartment 70L is provided with a lid 72 that can seal the opening 71, and when the left-side storage compartment 70L is not in use (when the left rear seat 30L is not stored), the opening 71 of the left-side storage compartment 70L can be sealed by the lid 72. The lid 72 may be detachably attached to the left-side storage compartment 70L, or it may be provided so that the opening 71 can be opened and closed by a hinge or the like. Alternatively, the lid 72 may be slidably attached along the back panel 18 and slid to seal the opening 71.

[0132] Furthermore, the left-side storage compartment 70L is configured to be removable, and the left-side connecting portion 18L of the back panel 18 after the left-side storage compartment 70L has been removed can be sealed by the lid portion 72. By fitting the lid portion 72 onto the left-side connecting portion 18L of the back panel 18 after the left-side storage compartment 70L has been removed, the passenger compartment 17 and the cargo bed 11 can be separated when the left-side storage compartment 70L is removed.

[0133] As described above, the vehicle 1B can expand the storage area for luggage and other items within the passenger compartment 17 by storing the right and left rear seats 30R and 30L (rear seat 3B) in the right and left storage compartments 70R and 70L (a pair of left and right storage compartments 7), respectively, thereby enabling effective use of the passenger compartment 17. Below, an example of a storage configuration in which the right rear seat 30R and the left rear seat 30L are stored in the right storage compartment 70R and the left storage compartment 70L, respectively, will be explained with reference to Figures 20A to 20E. In the following, the storage configuration of the left rear seat 30L in the left storage compartment 70L will be explained, and the storage configuration of the right rear seat 30R in the right storage compartment 70R will be omitted, as it will be based on the explanation of the storage configuration of the left rear seat 30L in the left storage compartment 70L.

[0134] Figures 20A to 20E show the storage configuration of the left rear seat 30L into the left storage compartment 70L. Figure 20A shows the seating position in which an occupant can sit on the left rear seat 30L, and Figure 20B shows the folded state of the left rear seat 30L. Figure 20C shows the flipped-up state of the left rear seat 30L, Figure 20D shows the state in which the leg portion 34 is stored in the left rear seat 30L, and Figure 20E shows the state in which the left rear seat 30L is stored in the left storage compartment 70L.

[0135] As shown in Figure 20A, in a seated position, the left rear seat 30L has its right side supported by the leg portion 34 and its left side supported by the side wall of the cabin 10B via second and third pivot support portions 36 and 37, with the seat back 32B standing upright from the rear end of the seat cushion 31B. A separate headrest 33B is located at the upper end of the seat back 32B. At this time, the left storage compartment 70L has its opening 71 sealed by the lid portion 72. In other words, the passenger compartment 17 and the left storage compartment 70L are not in communication.

[0136] To fold the seat body 30B from this state, the first pivot support unit 35 is operated to tilt the seat back 32B forward. For example, as shown in Figure 20B, the lock on the seat back 32B by the reclining mechanism 35b of the first pivot support unit 35 is released, and the unlocked seat back 32B is tilted forward around the lower frame. The seat back 32B, tilted forward, makes surface contact with the seat surface of the seat cushion 31B, and the seat body 30B is in a folded position. If the seat back 32B is locked again with the reclining mechanism 35b in this state, the seat body 30B will be in a folded state.

[0137] To raise the seat body 30B from this state, the second pivot support unit 36, etc., is operated to flip the folded seat body 30B towards the side wall of the vehicle compartment 17. Specifically, as shown in Figure 20B, first, the locking part 34a of the leg portion 34 is released from the floor 40, making the seat body 30B rotatable. From this state, as shown in Figure 20C, the seat body 30B is rotated to the left around the flip-up pivot axis 36a of the second pivot support unit 36. The seat body 30B, rotated to the left, faces the side wall of the vehicle compartment 17 and is in a flip-up position along the side wall of the vehicle compartment 17. In this state, the seat body 30B is held in place by a flip-up holding part (not shown) of the second pivot support unit 36. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 20D, the unlocked leg portion 34 is rotated and stored in the storage recess 311 provided on the back of the seat cushion 31B. This causes the seat body 30B to be in a flipped-up position.

[0138] To move the seat body 30B from this state to the stored state, the third pivot support part 37 is operated to rotate the flipped-up seat body 30B toward the left storage compartment 70L. Specifically, as shown in Figure 20E, the seat body 30B is rotated backward around the storage pivot axis 37a. The seat body 30B, rotated backward, moves into the interior of the left storage compartment 70L through the opening 71 of the left storage compartment 70L, which is connected to the left communication part 18L of the back panel 18, and assumes the stored position. In this state, the seat body 30B is held by the storage holding part (not shown) of the third pivot support part 37, thereby putting the seat body 30B into the stored state.

[0139] The process of storing the left rear seat 30L in the left storage compartment 70L is summarized as follows: First, the seat back 32B is rotated via the first pivot support 35 to fold the seat body 30B (Figure 20B). Next, after unlocking the leg portion 34, the folded seat body 30B is flipped up to the left via the second pivot support 36 (Figure 20C), and the leg portion 34 is stored to put the seat body 30B in the flipped-up position (Figure 20D). Finally, the flipped-up seat body 30B is stored in the left storage compartment 70L via the third pivot support 37 to put the seat body 30B in the stored position (Figure 20E).

[0140] According to the vehicle 1B equipped with the cargo bed 11 according to this embodiment, the following effects and advantages can be achieved. (1) A vehicle 1B comprising a cabin 10B having a front seat 2 and a rear seat 3B, and a cargo bed 11 provided behind the cabin 10B, wherein a pair of left and right storage compartments 7 are provided in communication with the cabin 10B and extend from the cabin 10B to above the wheel wells 11c of the cargo bed 11. The rear seat 3B has a right rear seat 30R and a left rear seat 30L, and each of the right rear seat 30R and 30L has a seat cushion 31B, a seat back 32B, a first pivot support part 35 that supports the seat back 32B so that it can be tilted toward the seat cushion 31B around a first axis CL1 that extends in the left-right direction, a second pivot support part 36 that supports the tilted seat back 32B together with the seat cushion 31B so that it can be flipped up to the side around a second axis CL2 that extends in the front-rear direction, and a third pivot support part 37 that supports the seat cushion 31B and seat back 32B flipped up to the side so that they can be stored in each of the left and right storage compartments 7 around a third axis CL3 that extends in the left-right direction (Figures 15 to 17).

[0141] This configuration allows the rear seat 3B to be stored in the storage compartment 7 located on the cargo bed 11 side, rather than in the passenger compartment 17, thereby increasing the storage area for luggage and other items in the passenger compartment 17. This makes it possible to make effective use of the passenger compartment 17. Furthermore, since the rear seat 3B can be stored in the storage compartment 7 without being removed, expanding the storage area is also easy. In addition, the space above the tire wells 11c of the cargo bed 11, which is otherwise difficult to use, can be effectively utilized.

[0142] (2) Each of the left and right storage compartments 7 is connected by cutting out a section of the back panel 18 that separates the cabin 10B from the cargo bed 11 (Figure 17). This configuration allows the cabin 10B and the storage compartments 7 to be connected with a simple structure, and makes it easy to provide a pair of left and right storage compartments 7.

[0143] (3) Each of the left and right storage compartments 7 is configured to be removable. With this configuration, when the rear seat 3B is not stored, one or both of the left and right storage compartments 7 can be removed depending on the amount of luggage to be loaded into the cargo bed 11, thereby minimizing the impact on the storage area of ​​the cargo bed 11.

[0144] (4) Each of the left and right storage compartments 7 has a lid 72 that can seal the opening 71, and the lid 72 is configured to seal the communication portion 18a which is provided by cutting out the back panel 18 (Figure 17). With this configuration, when the rear seat 3B is not installed, it is possible to partition the passenger compartment 17 from the left and right storage compartments 7, and for example, luggage etc. inside the passenger compartment 17 can be prevented from unnecessarily entering the storage compartments 7.

[0145] (5) The rear seat 3B further has a headrest 33B, which is attached to the back panel 18 (Figure 19). This configuration allows for a stable seating position for the occupant in the rear seat 3B, and by providing the headrest 33B as a separate component, the seat body 30B of the rear seat 3B can be made smaller.

[0146] (6) The rear seat 3B further includes a leg portion 34 provided on the seat cushion 31B and a locking portion 34a that can fix the leg portion 34 to the floor 40 of the cabin 10B (Figure 17). This configuration makes it possible to stabilize the seating posture of the occupant in the rear seat 3B.

[0147] (7) The seat cushion 31B has a storage recess 311 on its back surface that can accommodate the legs 34, and the legs 34 are configured to rotate around a fourth axis CL4 extending in the front-rear direction and be stored on the back surface of the seat cushion 31B (Figures 20C, 20D). With this configuration, even when the seat body 30B is provided with legs 34 that can support the seat body 30B, the folded seat body 30B can be made smaller.

[0148] (8) The rear seats 3B are provided on both the left and right sides, and the storage compartments 7 are provided on both the left and right sides so as to be able to accommodate the right and left rear seats 30R and 30L, respectively (Figure 16). With this configuration, the storage area for luggage and other items in the passenger compartment 17 can be further increased by storing the right and left rear seats 30R and 30L, respectively, in the right and left storage compartments 70R and 70L, respectively.

[0149] The configuration of vehicle 1B equipped with a cargo bed 11, as explained using Figures 15 to 20E, can be summarized as follows:

[0150] A vehicle comprising a cabin having front seats and rear seats, and a cargo bed provided behind the cabin, wherein a storage compartment is provided in communication with the cabin and extends from the cabin to above the wheel wells of the cargo bed, and the rear seat is characterized by comprising a seat cushion, a seat back, a first pivot support part that supports the seat back so as to be able to fold toward the seat cushion about a first axis extending in the left-right direction, a second pivot support part that supports the folded seat back together with the seat cushion so as to be able to be flipped up laterally about a second axis extending in the front-rear direction, and a third pivot support part that supports the seat cushion and seat back flipped up laterally so as to be able to be stored in the storage compartment about a third axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0151] The storage compartment is characterized by being provided by cutting out a section of the back panel that separates the cabin from the cargo bed.

[0152] The storage compartment is characterized by being removable.

[0153] The storage compartment has a lid that can seal the opening, and the lid is configured to seal a communication portion provided by cutting out a section of the back panel.

[0154] The rear seats are characterized by having additional headrests, which are attached to the back panel.

[0155] The rear seat is further characterized by having a leg portion provided on the seat cushion and a locking portion that can secure the leg portion to the cabin floor.

[0156] The seat cushion has a storage recess on its underside that can accommodate the legs, and the legs are configured to rotate around a fourth axis extending in the front-to-back direction and be stored in the storage recess.

[0157] The rear seats are provided on both the left and right sides, and the storage compartments are provided on both the left and right sides so as to be able to accommodate each of the rear seats provided on both the left and right sides.

[0158] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described above, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modifications, and to combine modifications with each other.

[0159] [Vehicle seats] Generally, off-road vehicles such as side-by-side vehicles are designed for use on unpaved roads and other rough terrain, making them susceptible to foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, and mud entering the cabin. When these foreign objects enter the cabin, they can easily get into the sliding mechanism that adjusts the seating position of the occupants by moving the driver's seat, passenger seat, etc., in the front-to-back direction, potentially hindering adjustment by the sliding mechanism. Therefore, in this embodiment, by positioning the sliding mechanism in the space behind the side support of the seat cushion, the entry of foreign objects into the sliding mechanism is suppressed, enabling smooth seat position adjustment.

[0160] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 21 to 24. The vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention is a seat that is mainly mounted on vehicles whose driving field is unpaved roads, and is suitably mounted on off-road vehicles such as side-by-side vehicles. Below, an example of a vehicle seat mounted on such an off-road vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as "vehicle") will be described. In the vehicle on which the vehicle seat according to this embodiment is mounted, the same reference numerals will be used for components identical to those of vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B described above, and their descriptions will be used accordingly.

[0161] Figure 21 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a driver's seat 100R mounted in a vehicle 1C according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part of the driver's seat 100R mounted in the passenger compartment 17 of the vehicle 1C will be described according to these definitions. Although not shown in Figure 21, the directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction shown in Figure 21 correspond to the left-right direction of the driver's seat 100R.

[0162] As shown in Figure 21, the vehicle 1C is a four-wheeled vehicle operated by a driver and is equipped with a front seat (vehicle seat) 2C where the driver or other passenger sits. The front seat 2C has a driver's seat 100R located on the right side facing the steering wheel 13, and a passenger seat 100L located to the left (lateral) of the driver's seat 100R. Since the driver's seat 100R and the passenger seat 100L have the same configuration, only the configuration of the driver's seat 100R will be described here, and the configuration of the passenger seat 100L will be omitted, as it will be explained by referring to the description of the configuration of the driver's seat 100R.

[0163] The driver's seat 100R comprises a seat body 100 on which a driver (seater) can sit, and a pair of left and right sliding devices 140 that allow the seat body 100 to move in the front-to-back direction. The seat body 100 includes a seat cushion 110 that supports the driver's thighs and buttocks, a seat back 120 that supports the driver's waist and back, and a headrest 130 that supports the driver's head.

[0164] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of the car body including the seat cushion 110 and a pair of left and right sliding devices 140 shown in Figure 21. Note that in Figure 22, only the left side of the seat cushion 110 is shown, and only one side of the pair of left and right sliding devices 140 is shown.

[0165] As shown in Figure 22, the seat cushion 110 comprises a seating portion 110a that extends substantially horizontally and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view on which a driver can sit, and a pair of left and right side supports 110b that extend in the front-rear direction on both sides of the seating portion 110a in the left-right direction and have a raised shape that can support both sides of the driver sitting on the seating portion 110a in the left-right direction.

[0166] The seat portion 110a and the pair of left and right side supports 110b are provided as a single unit. Specifically, the seat cushion 110 comprises a cushion frame 111 that forms an integrated outer shape with the seat portion 110a and the pair of left and right side supports 110b, a pad member 112 made of a urethane foaming agent or the like and placed on the cushion frame 111, and a surface material 113 that covers the cushion frame 111 on which the pad member 112 is placed from above the pad member 112.

[0167] The cushion frame 111 has a pressure-receiving portion 111a that constitutes the seating portion 110a, and a pair of left and right support portions 111b that constitute a pair of left and right side supports 110b. The pressure-receiving portion 111a is made of a plate-shaped member capable of supporting the driver's load and, like the seating portion 110a, has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Each of the left and right support portions 111b is made of a plate-shaped member integrated with the pressure-receiving portion 111a and is formed, for example, by bending. Each of the left and right side supports 110b formed by bending or the like has a curved shape that rises upward so as to form a space (hereinafter referred to as the back space S) on the back side (opposite the pad member).

[0168] In the seat cushion 110, the raised shapes of the pair of left and right supports 110b are not mainly composed of pad members 112 formed in a raised shape, but are mainly composed of a pair of left and right support parts 111b formed in a curved shape by bending a plate-like member and curving it upward. By bending a plate-like member integrated with the pressure-receiving part 111a and curving it upward, it becomes possible to form a back surface space S that extends in the front-to-back direction on the back surfaces of both sides in the left-to-right direction of the pressure-receiving part 111a. The upper end of the back surface space S (the upper end of the support part 111b) is located above the seat surface of the seating part 110a, and a rail device 141 that extends in the front-to-back direction, described later, is provided above the seat surface of the seating part 110a.

[0169] The pad member 112 is provided such that the portion placed on each of the left and right support portions 111b is thinner than the portion placed on the pressure-receiving portion 111a. By making the pad member 112 placed on the left and right support portions 111b thinner, it is prevented that the left and right side supports 110b become unnecessarily large even when each of the left and right support portions 111b is curved. The pad member 112 placed on the pressure-receiving portion 111a is provided with a thickness sufficient to maintain the cushioning effect of the seat portion 110a.

[0170] The outer material 113 is placed on the pad member 112 so as to cover the entire pad member 112, and is fixed inside the outer edge of the cushion frame 111 with its outer edge covering the outer edge of the cushion frame 111. For example, the outer material 113 can be fixed by engaging loop members 114 sewn to its outer edge with the inner side of the outer edge of the cushion frame 111, or by using hog rings or the like. The outer material 113 is also configured to be tightly attached to the pad member 112 by clips (not shown). For example, even when a pair of left and right side supports 110b are provided, the entire outer material 113 can be tightly attached to the pad member 112 by clipping it at predetermined locations.

[0171] The seat back 120 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the seat cushion 110 and is configured to be fixable at any rotational position via a reclining mechanism 121. The reclining mechanism 121 can be one that is commonly used in vehicle seats.

[0172] The seat back 120 includes a back support portion 120a that extends substantially vertically and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, allowing a driver seated on the seat cushion 110 to lean against it, and a pair of left and right side supports 120b that extend vertically on both sides of the back support portion 120a in the left-right direction and have a raised shape that allows support to be provided on both sides of the driver leaning against the back support portion 120a.

[0173] The back support portion 120a and the pair of left and right side supports 120b are provided integrally. Although not shown in the figures, the seat back 120 has a seat frame that is generally rectangular in shape, and a pressure-receiving member supported by the seat frame. Pad members made of urethane foam or the like are placed around these and covered with a surface material. Unlike the seat cushion 110, the seat back 120 is mainly composed of pad members (not shown) whose raised shapes are curved to form the raised shape of the pair of left and right side supports 120b.

[0174] The headrest 130 is provided integrally with the seatback 120 at its upper end, extends substantially vertically like the seatback 120, and has a rectangular shape in front view that can support the head of the driver leaning against the seatback 120. Although not shown in the illustration, the headrest 130 is formed by arranging pad members that form the seatback 120 around the head pillar connected to the seat frame of the seatback 120, and covering these with the surface material that forms the seatback 120.

[0175] The seat body 100, formed in this manner, has improved driver support thanks to the pair of left and right side supports 110b, 120b provided on the seat cushion 110 and seat back 120, respectively, making it ideal for off-road vehicles that can travel on unpaved roads and the like.

[0176] Each of the left and right sliding devices 140 is provided in the back space S of each of the left and right side supports 110b on both sides of the seat cushion 110 in the left-right direction. Specifically, each of the left and right sliding devices 140 includes a rail device 141 configured to allow the seat cushion 110 to slide, a bracket 142 that supports the rail device 141, a fixing part 143 that fixes the bracket 142 to the floor 40 of the vehicle 1C, and a lip part 144 that can suppress the ingress of foreign matter into the rail device 141.

[0177] The rail device 141 has an upper rail (first rail) 141a that extends in the front-rear direction and is attached to the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111 within the rear space S, and a lower rail (second rail) 141b that extends in the front-rear direction and is attached to the bracket 142. The upper rail 141a and the lower rail 141b are provided to be able to move relative to each other in the front-rear direction via a plurality of bearings 141c. That is, the upper rail 141a, attached to the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111, is provided to be able to slide in the front-rear direction relative to the lower rail 141b, which is attached to the bracket 142 fixed to the floor 40 of the vehicle 1C via a fixing portion 143.

[0178] The upper rail 141a is attached to the upright portion (upright surface) of the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111 so as to be positioned opposite to it. By attaching the upper rail 141a in this manner, the rigidity of the upright portion of the support portion 111b is improved. The upright portion of the support portion 111b includes the portion that curves and rises from the pressure-receiving portion 111a.

[0179] The sliding of the upper rail 141a on the lower rail 141b is configured to be lockable by a slide lock (not shown), and the lock can be released by the driver (occupant) operating the release knob 141d. A general locking mechanism can be used for the slide lock; for example, operating the release knob 141d drives the release cable 141e, thereby locking or unlocking.

[0180] The bracket 142 is formed in a plate shape and is arranged facing left to right (see Figure 21). The lower rail 141b is attached to the upper end of the bracket 142, and the lower end is connected to the fixing part 143. The bracket 142 also has a bent part 142a that bends outward in the left to right direction toward the outer edge of the support part 111b of the cushion frame 111 at the entrance (opening) to the back space S. By bending the bent part 142a toward the outer edge of the support part 111b from the back space S, the gap between the bracket 142 and the support part 111b is reduced, and by reducing the gap, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign matter through the gap.

[0181] The fixing section 143 comprises a pair of front and rear fixing plates 143a, which are attached to the front and rear ends of the bracket 142, and a pair of front and rear strikers 143b, which fix each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a to the floor 40 of the vehicle 1C. Each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate and is fixed to the front and rear ends of the left and right pair of brackets 142 by bolts and nuts 143c.

[0182] Each of the front and rear strikers 143b is configured to selectively attach each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a to a first position and a second position located behind the first position. Specifically, each of the front and rear strikers 143b has a first selective attachment part 143b1 to which each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a can be attached to the first position, and a second selective attachment part 143b2 to which it can be attached to the second position. By providing each of the front and rear strikers 143b with a first selective attachment part 143a1 and a second selective attachment part 143b2 located behind the first selective attachment part 143b1, the range of adjustment of the front and rear position of the driver's seat 100R can be increased. For example, the shortened range of adjustment of the front and rear position can be compensated for by providing each of the left and right rail devices 141 in the rear space S.

[0183] The lip portion 144 has a flat portion 144a that faces the vertical direction and extends in the front-rear direction, and a vertical portion 144b that faces the left-right direction and extends in the front-rear direction, and is formed in a substantially T-shape in cross-section. The flat portion 144a is provided at the entrance (opening) to the back surface space S and extends in the bending direction of the bent portion 142a of the bracket 142. The flat portion 144a extending in the bending direction of the bent portion 142a extends outward so that one end is located near the inner surface of the bent portion 142a, and the other end extends inward so as to close the entrance to the back surface space S. By arranging the lip portion 144 in this way, the intrusion of foreign matter into the back surface space S is suppressed.

[0184] The vertical portion 144b extends toward the rear surface space S. The lip portion 144 extends in the front-rear direction and is fixed to the cushion frame 111 of the seat cushion 110 via an elbow 144c with a substantially L-shaped cross-section. In this embodiment, the connection between the lip portion 144 and the elbow 144c is reinforced by a reinforcing plate 144d that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0185] As described above, the driver's seat 100R can be moved in the front-to-back direction when the driver (occupant) operates the unlock knob 141d, which releases the upper rail 141a from its fixed position by a slide lock (not shown). At this time, since the rail device 141 is provided in the space S on the back surface of the pair of left and right side supports 110b of the seat cushion 110, it is difficult for foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, and mud to enter the rail device 141.

[0186] Furthermore, the mounting position of the driver's seat 100R can also be adjusted by the first and second selectable mounting parts 143b1 and 143b2 provided on each of the front and rear strikers 143b, thus compensating for the adjustment range of the front and rear position which tends to be shortened by providing the rail device 141 in the space S on the back.

[0187] The driver's seat (vehicle seat) 100R according to this embodiment can provide the following effects. (1) The driver's seat 100R comprises a seat cushion 110 having a seating portion 110a and a pair of left and right side supports 110b provided on both sides of the seating portion 110a in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right sliding devices 140 that support the seat cushion 110 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. Each of the left and right side supports 110b is provided curved so as to form a space on its back side, and each of the left and right sliding devices 140 is positioned in the back space S formed by each of the left and right side supports 110b.

[0188] With this configuration, each of the left and right sliding devices 140 is positioned in the back space S provided on each of the left and right side supports 110b of the seat cushion 110. Therefore, even in a vehicle 1C where foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, and mud are likely to enter the passenger compartment 17, such as in an off-road vehicle, the ingress of foreign objects into each of the left and right sliding devices 140 is suppressed, making it less likely for problems to occur when adjusting the position of the seat, including the driver's seat 100R.

[0189] (2) Each of the left and right sliding devices 140 has a rail device 141 for sliding the seat cushion 110 and a bracket 142 for supporting the rail device 141. The rail device 141 is provided facing the upright portion of the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111 in the back space S, and the bracket 142 connects the rail device 141 to the floor 40 of the vehicle 1C.

[0190] With this configuration, the rail device 141 is positioned in the back space S located above the floor 40, so even if foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, or mud get into the floor 40, it is possible to prevent these foreign objects from getting into the rail device 141. In addition, since the rail device 141 is positioned opposite the upright portion of the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111, the rigidity of the upright portion of the support portion 111b can be improved.

[0191] (3) The rail device 141 has a relative movable upper rail 141a and lower rail 141b, the upper rail 141a is attached to the support portion 111b of the cushion frame 111, and the lower rail 141b is connected to the floor 40 via a bracket 142. With this configuration, the rail device 141 is positioned above the floor 40 via the bracket 142, so even if foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, or mud get into the floor 40, it is possible to prevent these foreign objects from getting into the rail device 141.

[0192] (4) The rail device 141 is positioned above the seat surface of the seating portion 110a. This configuration prevents foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, and mud from entering the rail device 141, even if they get into the floor 40.

[0193] (5) The rail device 141 is further provided with a lip portion 144 located below it, which can prevent foreign matter from entering the rail device 141. With this configuration, even if foreign matter such as pebbles, sand, or mud that has entered the floor 40 bounces up on the floor 40, it is possible to prevent these foreign matter from entering the rail device 141.

[0194] (6) The bracket 142 is provided in a plate shape facing left to right and has a bent portion 142a that bends in the left to right direction, and the lip portion 144 is positioned on the opposite side of the bending direction of the bent portion 142a. With this configuration, even if foreign objects such as pebbles, sand, and mud that have entered the floor 40 are bounced up on the floor 40, it is possible to prevent these foreign objects from entering the rail device 141.

[0195] (7) The sliding device 140 further includes a pair of front and rear fixing parts 143 for fixing the bracket 142 to the floor 40. Each of the front and rear fixing parts 143 is configured to selectively attach the bracket 142 to a first position and a second position located further back than the first position. This configuration allows the front-rear position of the driver's seat 100R to be adjusted independently of the rail device 141, thus compensating for the limited range of front-rear position adjustment that tends to be reduced when the rail device 141 is installed in the rear space S.

[0196] Next, a modified example of the driver's seat (vehicle seat) 100R configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 23 and 24. The modified driver's seat 100R differs from the driver's seat 100R in the configuration of the pair of left and right sliding devices. Therefore, this explanation will focus on the differences from the driver's seat 100R, namely the pair of left and right sliding devices, and the same components as the driver's seat 100R will be given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

[0197] A modified driver's seat 100R1 comprises a seat body 100 and a pair of left and right sliding devices 140C, the seat body 100 having a seat cushion 110, a seat back 120, and a headrest 130.

[0198] Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of a modified version of the driver's seat 100R shown in Figure 21. Note that, as with Figure 22, only the left side of the seat cushion 110 is shown in Figure 23, and only one side of the pair of left and right sliding devices 140C is shown.

[0199] As shown in Figure 23, the seat cushion 110 comprises a cushion frame 111, a pad member 112, and a surface material 113. The cushion frame 111 has a pressure-receiving portion 111a and a pair of left and right support portions 111b. Each of the left and right side supports 110b has a curved shape that rises upward so as to form a back surface space S on the back side (opposite the pad member).

[0200] Each of the left and right sliding devices 140C comprises a rail device 141, a bracket 142C that supports the rail device 141, and a fixing part 143. The bracket 142C is formed in a plate shape and is arranged facing left and right within the rear space S (see Figure 21). The lower rail 141b is attached to the upper end of the bracket 142C, and the lower end is connected to each of the left and right fixing parts 143, and each of the left and right fixing parts 143 is also formed to a length that is located within the rear space S.

[0201] In other words, unlike bracket 142, bracket 142C is formed to have a shorter vertical length. By making the vertical length of bracket 142C shorter than that of bracket 142, the strength of bracket 142C can be improved. In the modified example, the strength is further reinforced by bending bracket 142C in the left-right direction approximately in the vertical center.

[0202] In the modified example, each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a constituting each of the fixing portion 143 is provided with a rib 143d extending in the front-rear direction. The rib 143d is provided on the outer surface of each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a and extends toward the outer edge of the cushion frame 111. By providing ribs 143d extending toward the outer edge of the cushion frame 111 on the outer surface of each of the front and rear fixing plates 143a, the intrusion of foreign matter into the back surface space S is suppressed.

[0203] Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of another modified version of the driver's seat 100R shown in Figure 21. Note that, as with Figures 22 and 23, only the left side of the seat cushion 110 is shown in Figure 24, and only one side of the pair of left and right sliding devices 140D is shown.

[0204] As shown in Figure 24, each of the left and right pair of sliding devices 140D according to other modifications further comprises an inner lip 145 and an outer lip 146 in addition to the respective configurations of the left and right pair of sliding devices 140C.

[0205] The inner lip 145 is composed of a substantially L-shaped cross-section member extending in the front-rear direction and is fixed between the rail device 141 and the bent portion 142C1 of the bracket 142C, inside the side support portion 111b in the rear surface space S. The outer lip 146 is composed of a substantially L-shaped cross-section member extending in the front-rear direction and is fixed between the bent portion 142C1 and the fixing portion 143 of the bracket 142C, outside the side support portion 111b in the rear surface space S.

[0206] By providing the inner lip 145 and outer lip 146, the ingress of foreign matter into each of the left and right rail devices 141 is suppressed.

[0207] The configuration of the driver's seat 100R, as explained using Figures 21 to 24, can be summarized as follows.

[0208] The vehicle seat comprises a seat cushion having a seating area and side supports provided on both sides of the seating area in the left-right direction, and a sliding device that supports the seat cushion so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, wherein the side supports are provided in a curved shape so as to form a space on the back side, and the sliding device is arranged in the back space formed by the side supports.

[0209] The sliding device comprises a rail device for sliding the seat cushion and a bracket for supporting the rail device, wherein at least a portion of the rail device is positioned opposite the upright surface of the side support in the space behind it, and the bracket connects the rail device to the floor.

[0210] The rail device is characterized by having a first rail and a second rail that are relatively movable, the first rail being attached to a side support and the second rail being connected to the floor via a bracket.

[0211] The rail device is characterized by being positioned above the seat surface of the seating area.

[0212] The vehicle seat is further characterized by being provided below the rail device and comprising a lip member capable of suppressing the ingress of foreign matter into the rail device.

[0213] The bracket is provided in a plate-like shape facing left to right and has a bent portion that bends in the left to right direction, and the lip portion is positioned on the opposite side of the bending direction of the bent portion.

[0214] The sliding device further includes a fixing part for fixing the bracket to the floor, and the fixing part is configured to allow the bracket to be selectively attached to a first position and a second position located behind the first position.

[0215] The bracket is provided in a plate shape facing left to right and has a bent portion that bends in the left to right direction, and the lip portion is characterized by having an inner lip positioned on the left to right side of the bent portion and an outer lip positioned on the left to right side.

[0216] The fixing portion is provided along the bracket and includes a connecting plate connected to the bracket, and a connecting portion that allows the connecting plate to be selectively connected to the floor, and the connecting plate is characterized by having a rib that extends in the front-rear direction on one side in the left-right direction.

[0217] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described above, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modifications, and to combine modifications with each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0218] 1,1A Vehicle, 2 Front seat, 3 Rear seat, 4 Cabin body, 5 Separation section, 6,6A Movable support section, 10,10A Cabin, 11 Cargo bed, 61 Pair of left and right four-bar links, 65 Pair of left and right sliding mechanisms

Claims

1. In a vehicle comprising a cabin having front seats and rear seats, and a cargo bed provided behind the cabin, The vehicle is characterized in that the cabin comprises a cabin body constituting a passenger compartment in which the front seat and the rear seat are arranged, a separation part provided above and behind the rear seat and detachable from the cabin body, and a movable support part that supports the rear seat together with the separation part so as to be movable from a first position which is the passenger position in the cabin body to a second position which is an external position of the cabin body.

2. In the vehicle described in claim 1, The rear seat is provided integrally with the separation section. The vehicle is characterized in that the movable support part has a four-bar linkage connecting the cabin body and the rear seat, and moves the rear seat together with the separation part to the second position via the four-bar linkage.

3. In the vehicle described in claim 2, The vehicle is characterized in that the movable support unit further comprises an actuator for driving the four-bar link and a control unit capable of controlling the driving of the actuator.

4. In the vehicle described in claim 2, The vehicle is characterized in that the movable support part further has a link cover that covers the four-bar link.

5. In the vehicle described in claim 1, The rear seat is provided integrally with the separation section. The vehicle is characterized in that the movable support unit has a sliding mechanism that allows the rear seat to slide between the first position and the second position, and moves the rear seat to the second position together with the separation unit via the sliding mechanism.

6. In the vehicle described in claim 5, The vehicle is characterized in that the movable support unit further comprises an actuator for driving the sliding mechanism and a control unit capable of controlling the driving of the actuator.

7. In the vehicle described in claim 5, The vehicle is characterized in that the sliding mechanism comprises a lower rail provided on the cabin body, an upper rail provided on the rear seat, and a lip member interposed between the lower rail and the upper rail.

8. In the vehicle described in claim 1, A vehicle further comprising a locking mechanism that restricts the movement of the rear seat by the movable support and fixes the rear seat in a first position.

9. In the vehicle described in claim 1, The cabin body has a front roof located above the front seats, The separation section comprises a rear roof located above the rear seat and continuous with the front roof, and a rear body located behind the rear seat. A vehicle characterized in that a roof cover is provided between the front roof and the rear roof, capable of sealing the space between the front roof and the rear roof when the rear roof moves to the second position.

10. In the vehicle described in claim 1, The cabin body has a front roof located above the front seats, The separation section comprises a rear roof located above the rear seat and continuous with the front roof, and a rear body located behind the rear seat. A vehicle characterized by having a wind deflector provided at the rear end of the front roof.

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