Small vehicles

Abstract

To provide a small vehicle with a simple configuration that allows for the largest possible seats to rotate within the limited space of the vehicle body without interfering with other components. [Solution] A small vehicle 100 having a body 110 equipped with seats 120 arranged in a vertical row for users to sit on, running wheels 130 that move the body 110 back and forth in the direction of travel, and a drive source that drives the running wheels 130, wherein the seats 120 are connected to the body 110 via a rotating shaft 132 so as to be rotatable by 180 degrees or more, and the body 110 has an entrance door 111 having an opening that allows the seats 120 to rotate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle having a vehicle body provided with a seat on which a user sits.

[0002] Conventionally, as a vehicle having a vehicle body provided with a seat on which a user sits, the vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] The vehicle (1) known from this Patent Document 1 has a vehicle body provided with a plurality of seats (vehicle seat 10) on which a user sits, traveling wheels (tires 6) that move the vehicle body forward and backward in the traveling direction, and a drive source that drives the traveling wheels (tires 6). The seat (vehicle seat 10) is rotatably attached on a slide device that is slidably attached on a seat rail 17 disposed on the floor surface, with the vertical direction of the vehicle 1 as the rotation axis by a seat rotation device 16. In addition, there is a space in the vehicle 1 between the seats where the seats do not interfere with each other. As a result, the seat (vehicle seat 10) can rotate within the vehicle 1 and can slide along the seat rail 17 by the slide device, and the layout of the seats (vehicle seat 10) within the vehicle can be appropriately changed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, there is still room for improvement in the vehicle known from Patent Document 1.

[0006] In other words, the vehicle seats known in Patent Document 1 were at risk of interfering with the vehicle's frame or doors, etc., when rotating or sliding, or of multiple seats colliding with each other while rotating or sliding, when the space inside the vehicle was narrow. In particular, when a passenger remained seated, there was a risk that their feet, which extended forward of the seat, could hit or get caught in the vehicle's frame, doors, etc. Furthermore, while it might be possible to make the seats smaller in order to rotate them within the limited space of a small vehicle, there was a risk that making the seats smaller would make them uncomfortable for the user.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems and provide a small vehicle with a simple configuration that allows for the largest possible size of seat to rotate within the limited space of the vehicle body without interfering with other components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a small vehicle comprising a vehicle body with seats arranged in a single row for the user to sit on, running wheels that move the vehicle body forward and backward in the direction of travel, and a drive source that drives the running wheels, wherein the seats are connected to the vehicle body via a pivot axis so as to be rotatable by 360 degrees or more, and the vehicle body has entrance doors on both sides of the seats that allow the seats to rotate. to The problem is solved by having the rotating shaft positioned such that, when the seat is reversed, the passenger compartment can be selected to expose the seat to the outside of the vehicle depending on the position and orientation of the seat. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The small vehicle according to claim 1 has seats arranged in a single row on which the user sits, which are connected to the vehicle body via a pivot axis so as to be rotatable by 360 degrees or more, and the vehicle body has an entrance with an opening that allows the seat to rotate, so that by rotating the seat 180 degrees the user can easily check behind them without having to assume an uncomfortable posture. Furthermore, if the seat is the driver's seat and the controls for the small vehicle are located at the rear of the vehicle, the driver's seat can be rotated 180 degrees to allow the driver to directly check the area behind the vehicle while reversing. Furthermore, the seat can be rotated 180 degrees while the user is seated, allowing the user to maintain a comfortable posture while the seat is rotated. Furthermore, even when the seat width is made to be approximately the same as the width of the vehicle in the narrow interior of a small vehicle, the seat can be rotated while a portion of the seat is exposed from the entrance. Furthermore, if the small vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, when making a turnaround maneuver, the seats can be rotated 180 degrees to face the rear, switching the direction of travel of the small vehicle without changing the direction of the vehicle itself. This allows the small vehicle to turn around with the passengers and seats facing the direction of travel without needing to change direction. Furthermore, the seats are connected to the vehicle body via a pivot axis, allowing them to rotate more than 360 degrees, and the entrances are located on both sides of the seats. to Because of this feature, for example, even if there are boarding gates on both sides of the seat and one of the boarding gates is blocked, the seat can be reliably reversed backward by selecting the direction of rotation of the seat to face the other boarding gate. Furthermore, even if the seat is long from front to back, both sides of the seat during rotation Direction By selecting one of the boarding gates and exposing the seat, it is possible to reliably flip the seat backward.

[0010] Claim 2 According to the configuration described, the seat is equipped with controls that allow the user to operate the vehicle. Therefore, there is no need to install control systems at both the front and rear of the small vehicle. The user can drive the small vehicle by rotating the seat, which reduces costs compared to cases where multiple control systems are installed.

[0011] Claim 3 According to the configuration described, the vehicle body is formed in a symmetrical shape front to back, so even when the direction of travel of the small vehicle is reversed, the user can drive or board the small vehicle without feeling any discomfort by rotating the seat to face the direction of travel. Furthermore, even when turning around in narrow alleys or other narrow spaces, the small vehicle can be easily turned around simply by rotating the seats to switch the direction of travel without changing the vehicle's orientation. Claim 4 According to the configuration described above, the vehicle body is equipped with an operating unit that allows the user to operate the small vehicle, and the operating unit is configured to steer all of the driving wheels. Therefore, for example, when changing the direction of travel, the user can steer and drive the small vehicle using the operating unit without any discomfort while driving, without having to change the driving wheels being steered.

[0012] Claim 5 According to the configuration described above, the vehicle body is equipped with a control unit, and each entrance is equipped with a door that can be opened and closed. The control unit is configured to synchronize the rotation of the seats and the opening and closing of the doors. For example, if the seats rotate in conjunction with the opening and closing of the doors to face the open door, the burden on the user when getting on and off can be reduced, and usability can be improved. Claim 6 According to the configuration described, since the door is a sliding door, it can be reliably opened and closed even when a small vehicle is in a narrow alley surrounded by walls on its sides.

[0013] Claim 7 According to the configuration described, multiple seats are provided in the longitudinal direction, the multiple seats are connected to each other by connecting members, and the rotation axis is provided in the middle of the connecting members. For example, if the seats are arranged longitudinally as the driver's seat and passenger seat, when changing the direction of travel, the driver's seat and passenger seat can be rotated simultaneously on the rotation axis in the middle of the connecting members, thereby changing the arrangement of the driver's seat and passenger seat to match the direction of travel of the small vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A schematic side view of a small vehicle 100 relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A schematic top view of a small vehicle 100 relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]A top view schematic diagram showing the direction conversion procedure 1 of the seat 120 of the small vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A top view schematic diagram showing the direction conversion procedure 2 of the seat 120 of the small vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A side view schematic diagram showing the state of the seat 120 of the small vehicle 100 after direction conversion according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A top view schematic diagram of the small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A top view schematic diagram showing the direction conversion procedure 1 of the seat 220 of the small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A top view schematic diagram showing the direction conversion procedure 2 of the seat 220 of the small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A top view schematic diagram showing the rotatable angles r1 and r2 of the seat 320 of the small vehicle 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A top view schematic diagram showing the inversion method of the seat 320 in the state where the small vehicle 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention is parked near the wall Wa. [Figure 11] [ A top view schematic diagram showing the inversion method of the seat 320 in the state where the small vehicle 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention is parked near the wall Wb after inverting the seat 320.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, the small vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to FIGS. 8. For the sake of explanation, the drive source and the control unit are not shown. <{

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the miniature vehicle 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle body 110 on which a seat 120 for the user to sit, running wheels 130 that move the vehicle body 110 forward and backward in the direction of travel (to the left in Figure 1), a drive source (not shown) that drives the running wheels 130, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the miniature vehicle 100.

[0017] The seat 120 is connected to a connecting base 131 provided on the vehicle body 110 via a rotating shaft 132 so as to be rotatable by more than 360 degrees, and has a seat surface 121 connected to the rotating shaft 132 and a backrest 122 connected to the seat surface 121. An operation panel 123, which is an operating unit for operating the small vehicle 100, is connected to the seat surface 121.

[0018] On both sides of the seat 120 within the vehicle body 110, there are boarding doors 111 (first boarding door 111a, second boarding door 111b), and the boarding doors 111 are equipped with doors 112 (first door 112a, second door 112b) that can open and close the boarding doors 111 around an opening / closing shaft 113 (first opening / closing shaft 113a, second opening / closing shaft 113b) as the pivot point. The length ta of the boarding door 111 is formed to be at least longer than the length tb of the seat 120, and when viewed from the side of the vehicle body 110, the boarding door 111 opens to encompass the entire seat 120.

[0019] Next, the procedure for changing the direction of the seat 120 in a small vehicle 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 5. First, when the first door 112a and the second door 112b are opened and the seat 120 is rotated toward the first boarding gate 111a, a portion of the seat 120 protrudes from the boarding gate 111 during the rotation, as shown in Figure 3.

[0020] At this time, since the first door 112a and the second door 112b are opened in advance, it is permissible for a portion of the seats 120 to protrude from the boarding gate 111. This allows the seat 120 to be rotated even when the width of the seat 120 is made to be approximately the same as the width of the vehicle body 110 within the narrow interior of the small vehicle 100.

[0021] By rotating the seat 120 180 degrees, the seat 120 can be positioned opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 110, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. This allows the user seated in seat 120 to easily check behind them without having to assume an uncomfortable posture. Furthermore, the seat 120 can be rotated 180 degrees while the user is seated in it, thereby allowing the seat 120 to be rotated while continuously maintaining a comfortable posture for the user seated in it.

[0022] Furthermore, the control panel 123 is connected to the seat 121 and rotates along with the seat 120. Therefore, the user can rotate the seat 120 180 degrees and operate the control panel 123 while checking the rear of the small vehicle 100 to move the small vehicle 100 backward (to the right in Figure 5). Furthermore, if the length ta of the boarding gate 111 is sufficiently longer than the length tb of the seat, the passenger can rotate the seat 120 while seated, further reducing the burden on the passenger when checking behind them.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, if the shape of the small vehicle 100 is formed symmetrically in the direction of movement, and the running wheels 130 driven by a drive source (not shown) are configured to be interchangeable, the user can change the direction of travel of the small vehicle 100 without having to change the direction of the vehicle body 110 itself by rotating the seat 120 while seated in the seat 120. This allows the small vehicle 100 to be easily turned and driven even in situations where it is difficult to turn the vehicle body 110 itself, such as in narrow alleys.

[0024] In particular, if the door 112 is a sliding door that opens and closes along the direction of the vehicle's movement, even in narrower alleys, the small vehicle can be easily turned around and driven by opening the sliding door 112 and rotating the seat 120. Furthermore, if the shape of the small vehicle 100 is formed symmetrically in the forward and backward directions, and all of the running wheels 130 are configured to be steerable via the control panel 123, then when the direction of travel is changed, the user can steer and drive the small vehicle 100 using the control panel 123 without having to change the running wheels 130 being steered, without any sense of discomfort while driving. Furthermore, if the shape of the small vehicle 100 is formed symmetrically in the direction of movement, and the running wheels 130 driven by the drive source (not shown) can be swapped, the user will not feel any discomfort even if the direction of travel is reversed.

[0025] Furthermore, by rotating seat 120 90 degrees, seat 120 can be positioned facing the side of the vehicle, which can reduce the burden on passengers when getting on and off the vehicle. Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the rotation axis 132, the seat 120 can be configured to protrude only from one side of the boarding gate 111 while it is rotating. This allows, for example, even if the first door 112a cannot be opened, the rotation direction of the seat 120 to be switched, thereby opening the door 112b and ensuring that the seat 120 protrudes only from the boarding gate 111b, and that the seat 120 is reliably rotated toward the rear of the vehicle body 110.

[0026] Next, the procedure for changing the direction of the seat 220 in a small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Regarding the small vehicle 200, we will omit the explanation of its configuration, as it shares some features with the small vehicle 100.

[0027] Another embodiment of the present invention, the small vehicle 200, includes a vehicle body 210 on which a seat 220 for a user to sit, running wheels 230 that move the vehicle body 210 back and forth in the direction of travel (to the left in Figure 6), a drive source (not shown) that drives the running wheels 230, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the small vehicle 200.

[0028] The seat 220 is provided with a driver's seat 220a and a passenger seat 220b connected to each other in a longitudinal direction by a connecting member 233. The connecting member 233 is connected to a connecting base 231 provided on the vehicle body 210 via a pivot shaft 232 so as to be rotatable by more than 360 degrees. The seat has a seat surface 221 (driver's seat seat 221a, passenger seat seat 221b) connected to the connecting member 233 and a backrest 222 (driver's seat backrest 222a, passenger seat backrest 222b) connected to the seat surface 121. A control panel 223, which is an operating unit for operating the small vehicle 200, is connected to the driver's seat cushion 221a.

[0029] On both sides of the seat 220 within the vehicle body 210, there are boarding doors 211 (first boarding door 211a, second boarding door 211b), and the boarding doors 211 are equipped with doors 212 (first door 212a, second door 212b) that can open and close the boarding doors 211 around an opening / closing shaft 213 (first opening / closing shaft 213a, second opening / closing shaft 213b) as the pivot point. The length ta2 of the boarding door 211 is formed to be at least longer than the length tb2 of the seat 220, and when viewed from the side of the vehicle body 210, the boarding door 211 opens to encompass the entire seat 220.

[0030] Next, a procedure for changing the direction of the seat 220 in a small vehicle 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the first door 212a and the second door 212b are opened and the seat 220 is rotated toward the first boarding gate 211a, a portion of the seat 220 protrudes from the boarding gate 211 during the rotation, as shown in Figure 7.

[0031] At this time, since the first door 212a and the second door 212b are opened in advance, it is permissible for a portion of the seats 220 to protrude from the boarding gate 211. This allows the seat 220 to be rotated even when the width of the seat 220 is made to be approximately the same as the width of the vehicle body 210 in the narrow interior of the small vehicle 200.

[0032] By rotating the seat 220 180 degrees, as shown in Figure 8, the seat 220 can be positioned opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 210. This allows the user seated in seat 220 to easily check behind them without having to assume an uncomfortable posture. Furthermore, the seat 220 can be rotated 180 degrees while the user is seated in it, thereby allowing the seat 220 to be rotated while continuously maintaining a comfortable posture for the user seated in it.

[0033] Furthermore, the control panel 223 is connected to the seat 221 and rotates along with the seat 220. Therefore, the user can rotate the seat 220 180 degrees and operate the control panel 223 while checking the rear of the small vehicle 200 to move the small vehicle 200 backward (to the right in Figure 8). Furthermore, if the length ta2 of the boarding gate 211 is sufficiently longer than the length tb2 of the seat 220, the passenger can rotate the seat 220 while seated, further reducing the burden on the passenger when checking behind them.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, if the shape of the small vehicle 200 is formed symmetrically in the direction of movement, and the running wheels 230 driven by a drive source (not shown) are configured to be interchangeable, the user can change the direction of travel of the small vehicle 200 without having to change the direction of the vehicle body 210 itself by rotating the seat 220 while seated in the seat 220. This allows the small vehicle 200 to be easily turned and driven even in situations where it is difficult to turn the vehicle body 210 itself, such as in narrow alleys.

[0035] In particular, the driver's seat 220a and the passenger seat 220b are connected by a connecting member 233 so as to be aligned vertically, and the connecting member 233 is rotatably connected via a pivot shaft 232. Therefore, when the seats 220 are rotated 180 degrees to change the direction of travel of the small vehicle 200, the driver's seat 220a can be positioned further in the direction of travel than the passenger seat 220b, preventing problems such as the passenger seat 220b obstructing the driver's view while driving from the driver's seat 220a. Furthermore, if the shape of the small vehicle 200 is formed symmetrically in the forward and backward directions, and all of the driving wheels 230 are configured to be steerable via the control panel 223, then when the direction of travel is changed, the user can steer and drive the small vehicle 200 using the control panel 223 without having to change the driving wheels 230 being steered, without any sense of discomfort while driving. Furthermore, if the shape of the small vehicle 200 is formed symmetrically in the forward and backward directions, and the running wheels 230 driven by the drive source (not shown) can be swapped, then the user will not feel any discomfort even if the direction of travel is reversed.

[0036] Furthermore, if the small vehicles 100 and 200 are configured to be automatically driven by an automatic control unit (not shown), and the automatic control unit (not shown) is configured to control the rotation of the seats 120 and 220 and the opening and closing of the doors 112 and 212 in conjunction, then, for example, if the seats 120 and 220 rotate in conjunction with the opening of the doors 112 and 212 when they are opened or closed, the burden on the user when getting on and off can be reduced, and usability can be improved.

[0037] Furthermore, Figures 9 to 11 illustrate the extent to which the seat is exposed from the boarding gate when it rotates, and the limitations on seat rotation depending on the range of rotation of the seat. Here, we will omit the explanation of the configuration of the small vehicle 300 that is common with the small vehicle 100.

[0038] For example, as shown in Figure 9, in the small vehicle 300, if there are no doors at the boarding gates 311 (first boarding gate 311a, second boarding gate 311b), and a pivot axis 332 is provided so that only the front side of the seat 320 is exposed from the boarding gate 311, then regardless of whether the rotatable angle of the seat 320 is in the direction of the arrow r1 (180 degrees) or the direction of the arrow r2 (360 degrees), the seat 320 can be freely reversed (rotated from left to right in Figure 9, and from right to left in Figure 9) as long as there are no obstacles around the small vehicle. In other words, as shown in Figure 10, when the seat 320 is reversed while the small vehicle 300 is adjacent to a wall surface Wa that blocks the second boarding gate 311b, regardless of whether the rotatable angle of the seat 320 is r1 or r2, the seat 320 can be reversed (rotated from left to right in Figure 10) by rotating the seat 320 so that the front of the seat 320 faces the first boarding gate 311a.

[0039] However, if, after reversing the seat 320, the small vehicle 300 is moved and, as shown in Figure 11, the small vehicle 300 is adjacent to a wall Wb that blocks the first boarding gate 311a, and it is then desired to further reverse the seat 320, if the rotatable angle of the seat 320 is r1, then attempting to rotate the seat 320 so that its front faces the first boarding gate 311a will result in interference with the wall Wb, making it impossible to reverse the seat 320. On the other hand, if the rotational angle of seat 320 is r2, seat 320 can be rotated so that its front faces towards the second boarding gate 311b, thus allowing seat 320 to be reversed.

[0040] From the above, it can be seen that if the pivot axis is provided so that only one side of the seat, either the front or the rear, is exposed to the boarding gate, then if the seat's rotation angle is 360 degrees or more, the seat can be reliably reversed to expose it to the other boarding gate even if one boarding gate is blocked.

[0041] Although one embodiment of the present invention and other forms of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims.

[0042] In the embodiments described above, it was explained that the vehicle body is provided with entrances on both sides of the seats, and each entrance is provided with a door that can be opened and closed. However, the configuration of the vehicle body is not limited to this, for example. , The 'A' is not necessary. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the seat was described as being configured to rotate 360 ​​degrees or more around the rotation axis, but the rotation angle of the seat is not limited to this, and for example, it may be configured to rotate only 180 degrees.

[0043] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained assuming that an operation panel, which is an operating unit, is attached to the seat, the position and configuration of the operating unit are not limited to this. For example, the operation panel may be attached to the front and rear of the vehicle body, an independent operating unit such as a tablet terminal may be detachably provided inside the vehicle body, the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel may be attached to the front and rear of the vehicle body with the seat in between, and there may be no operating unit operated by the user riding in the small vehicle. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, it was explained that the drive source is configured to switch the wheels it drives when changing the direction of travel of the small vehicle. However, the relationship between the drive source and the wheels is not limited to this, and for example, it is not necessary for the drive source to switch the wheels it drives.

[0044] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment assumes that all driving wheels are steerable, the steering capability of the driving wheels is not limited to this. For example, only the driving wheel on the side the seat is facing before rotation may be steerable, or the steerable driving wheel may be switched depending on the direction the seat is facing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 100, 200, 300... Small vehicles Gates 111, 211, 311... 111a, 211a, 311a... Gate 1 111b, 211b, 311b... Gate 2 112, 212... Doors 112a, 212a... Door 1 112b, 212b... Second door 113 ··· Opening / closing shaft 113a, 213a... 1st opening / closing axis 113b, 213b... 2nd opening / closing axis 120, 220, 320... seats 220a ··· Driver's seat 220b... Passenger seat 121, 221, 321... Seat 221a ··· Seat cushion for driver's seat 221b ··· Seat cushion for passenger 122, 222, 322... Backrest 222a ·· Backrest for driver's seat 222b ·· Backrest for passenger seat 123, 223, 323... Control panel (operating unit) 130, 230, 330... Running wheels 131, 231, 331... Connection base 132, 232, 332... Rotation axis 233 ··· Connecting parts ta, ta2... Length of boarding gate TB, TB2... Seat length r1, r2... Rotation angle of the seat Wa, Wb ··· Wall surface

Claims

1. A small vehicle having a body with seats arranged in a single row for the user to sit on, running wheels that move the body forward and backward in the direction of travel, and a drive source that drives the running wheels, The aforementioned seat is connected to the vehicle body via a pivot axis so as to be able to rotate 360 ​​degrees or more. The vehicle body has entrance doors on both sides of the seat, each having an opening that allows the seat to rotate. A small vehicle characterized in that the rotation axis is positioned to allow selection of the boarding opening that exposes the seat to the outside of the vehicle body, depending on the position and orientation of the seat when the seat is reversed.

2. The small vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the seat is provided with an operating unit that allows the user to operate the small vehicle.

3. The small vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle body is formed in a front-to-back symmetrical shape.

4. The vehicle body is provided with an operating section that allows the user to operate the small vehicle. The small vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating unit is configured to steer all of the aforementioned wheels.

5. The vehicle body is provided with a control unit, Each of the aforementioned boarding gates is provided with a door that can be opened and closed. The small vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to be able to control the rotation of the seat and the opening and closing of the door in an interlocking manner.

6. The small vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the door is a sliding door.

7. A small vehicle having a body with seats arranged in a single row for the user to sit on, running wheels that move the body forward and backward in the direction of travel, and a drive source that drives the running wheels, The aforementioned seat is connected to the vehicle body via a pivot axis so as to be rotatable by 180 degrees or more. The vehicle body has an entrance with an opening that allows the seat to rotate, The aforementioned seats are arranged in multiples in the vertical direction. Multiple seats are connected to each other by connecting members. A small vehicle characterized in that the rotating shaft is provided in the middle part of the connecting member.

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