Seat arrangement for a vehicle

• US 20030234551A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Taguchi, Tomoo, Shibata, Keiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,817,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/64
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/062 transversally slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3093 slides
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat arrangement for a vehicle includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats mounted behind the first row of seats in a vehicular cabin, and a third row of seats mounted behind the second row of seats in the cabin. A second row seat is slidable in the longitudinal direction, and a seat cushion of the third row seat can be pivoted about a pivotal axis in the vicinity of its front edge into the upright position. When the seat cushion of the third row seat is in the upright position and the second row seat is slid rearwardly, the seat cushion of the third row seat and the second row seat are positioned closely with each other. The second row seat can slide rearwardly without interference from the step on the floor or rear wheel housings bulging out into a cabin.

Claims

1. A seat arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a first row of seats with a driver seat and a front passenger seat;

a second row of seats mounted behind the first row of seats in a cabin of the vehicle; and

a third row of seats mounted behind the second row of seats in the cabin,

said second row of seats comprising;

a second row seat comprising a substantially horizontally disposed seat cushion and a substantially vertically disposed seat back proximate to a rear edge of said seat cushion; and

a sliding mechanism slidably supporting said second row seat in vehicular longitudinal direction between a forward position and a rearward position, and

said third row of seats comprising;

a third row seat comprising a seat cushion and a seat back; and

a supporting mechanism supporting said third row seat so as to selectively permit said third row seat to be arranged into a first state where said seat cushion is substantially horizontal with its padded surface facing up and said seat back is substantially vertical with its padded surface facing forwardly, or a second state where said seat cushion is forwardly pivoted about a pivotal axis in the vicinity of the front edge of said seat cushion into a substantially upright position,

wherein, the rear surface of said second row seat contacts substantially entirely with the padded surface of said seat cushion of the third row seat, when said third row seat is in the second state and said second row seat is slid to the rearward position.

2. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, further including a recess formed on the rear surface of said seat back of said second row seat so that said seat cushion of said third row seat in the upright position fits therein when said third row seat is in the second state and said second row seat is slid to the rearward position.

3. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes:

a front floor on which said second row seat is mounted via said sliding mechanism;

a rear floor on which the third row seat is mounted via said supporting mechanism; and

a step connecting the front floor and the rear floor so that the rear floor is situated higher than the front floor, and

said sliding mechanism comprises;

a rail extending on the front floor up to the vicinity of the step; and

a slider guided by the rail and supporting said second row seat so that a lower surface of said second row seat is situated higher than the rear floor, wherein,

at least the rear edge of said second row seat is located above the rear floor when said second row seat is in the rearward position.

4. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 3, wherein said second row of seats comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially laterally disposed,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein, the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism are adapted to permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting on each other in the rearward position.

5. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein said laterally displacing mechanism is adapted to fix the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are laterally separated from each other in the forward position of said second row seats.

6. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein said supporting mechanism is adapted to support said seat back of said third row seat so that said seat back is forwardly folded down onto the floor of the vehicle with its rear surface facing upwardly when said third row seat is in the second state.

7. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 6, wherein said supporting mechanism is adapted to support said seat cushion of said third row seat so that said seat cushion of said third row seat is in a third state of being forwardly pivoted about the pivotal axis in the vicinity of the front edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat into the substantially horizontal position with the padded surface of the seat cushion facing down, and

the rear edge of said second row seat at the forward position is located ahead of the front edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the third state, the rear edge of said second row seat at the rearward position being located rearward of the front edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the third state.

8. A seat arrangement for a vehicle comprising:

a first row of seats with a driver seat and a front passenger seat, a second row of seats mounted behind the first row of seats in a vehicular cabin, and a third row of seats mounted behind the second row of seats in the cabin,

the second row of seats comprising;

a second row seat comprising a substantially horizontally disposed seat cushion and a substantially vertically disposed seat back proximate to a rear edge of said seat cushion; and

a sliding mechanism slidably supporting said second row seat in vehicular longitudinal direction between a forward position and a rearward position,

the third row of seats comprising;

a third row seat comprising a seat cushion and a seat back; and

a supporting mechanism which supports said seat cushion of said third row seat so as to selectively permit said seat cushion to be arranged into a seating position where said seat cushion is substantially horizontal with its padded surface facing up, an upright position where said seat cushion is pivoted about a pivotal axis disposed in the vicinity of the frontal edge of said seat cushion so as to be upright, or a reversed position where said seat cushion is pivoted about the pivotal axis so as to be horizontal with its padded surface facing down,

the rear edge of said second row seat being located ahead of the frontal edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the reversed position when said second row seat is in the forward position, and being located rearward of the frontal edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the reversed position when said second row seat is in the rearward position, and

uprighting means by which sliding of said second row seat from the forward position to the rearward position causes said seat cushion of said third row seat to shift into the upright position when said seat cushion of said third row seat is in the reversed position.

9. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein said uprighting device comprises:

a spring biasing said seat cushion of said third row seat rearwardly about the pivotal axis;

a cam disposed on said supporting mechanism and formed with notches corresponding to the reversed position and the upright position of said seat cushion, respectively;

an engaging portion provided on said seat cushion and releasably engaging with said notch for selectively locking said seat cushion in the reversed position or the upright position corresponding to said respective notches; and

interlocking means which interlocks said third row seat with said second row seat so that the rearward slide of said second row seat releases the engagement between said engaging portion and said notch corresponding to the reversed position, and achieves the engagement between said engaging portion and said notch corresponding to the upright position.

10. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein said uprighting means comprises:

an actuator which rotates said seat cushion of said third row seat about the pivotal axis;

a sensor which detects the rearward slide of said second row seat; and

a controller which is electrically connected with said actuator and said sensor,

wherein, said controller sends a signal to said actuator for rotating said seat cushion in response to the signal from said sensor.

11. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein said second row seat is adapted to forwardly slide while said seat cushion of said third row seat maintains the upright position when said second row seat is in the rearward position.

12. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 8, further including a reversing means which causes said seat cushion of said third row seat to shift into the reversed position in response to forward sliding of said second row seat, when said second row seat is in the rearward position and said seat cushion of said third row seat is in the upright position.

13. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 9, further including, reversing means via which the forward slide of said second row seat causes said seat cushion of said third row seat to shift into the reversed position, when said second row seat is in the rearward position and said seat cushion of said third row seat is in the upright position.

14. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 9, wherein said second row seat comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially disposed laterally,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism are adapted to permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting each other in the rearward position.

15. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, wherein said second row seat comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially disposed laterally,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism are adapted to permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting each other in the rearward position.

16. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein said second row seat comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially disposed laterally,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism are adapted to permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting each other in the rearward position.

17. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 12, wherein said second row seat comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially disposed in lateral,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting each other in the rearward position.

18. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 13, wherein said second row seat comprises a right side seat and left side seat substantially disposed laterally,

a laterally displacing mechanism provided on at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat for permitting at least one of the right side seat and the left side seat to be displaced between a state where the right side seat and the left side seats are laterally separated, and a state where the right side seat and the left side seat are disposed next to each other,

wherein the lateral length over the right side seat and the left side seat in the state where they are disposed next to each other is smaller than a clearance between rear wheel housings bulging out into the cabin of the vehicle from opposite sides, and

said sliding mechanism and said laterally displacing mechanism permit said second row seats to be positioned between the rear wheel housings with said second row seats laterally abutting each other in the rearward position.

19. A seat arrangement for a vehicle comprising:

a first row of seats with a driver seat and a front passenger seat, a second row of seats mounted behind the first row of seats in a vehicular cabin, and a third row of seats mounted behind the second row of seats in the cabin,

the second row of seats comprising;

a second row seat comprising a seat cushion disposed substantially horizontally and a seat back substantially vertically disposed proximate to a rear edge of said seat cushion;

a fixed rail fixed on a vehicular floor and extending in a vehicular longitudinal direction; and

a slidable portion fixed on a lower surface of said seat cushion of said second row seat and received in said fixed rail so that said second row seat slides between a forward position and a rearward position, and

the third row of seats comprising;

a third row seat comprising a seat cushion and a seat back, and a base member fixed on the vehicular floor and pivotably supporting said third row seat so as to selectively permit said third row seat to be arranged into a first state where said seat cushion is substantially horizontal with its padded surface facing up and said seat back is substantially vertical with its padded surface facing forwardly, a second state where said seat cushion is forwardly pivoted about a pivotal axis proximate to a front edge of said seat cushion into a substantially upright position, or a third state where said seat cushion of said third row seat is forwardly pivoted about the pivotal axis proximate to the front edge of said seat cushion into a substantially horizontal position with the padded surface of said seat cushion facing down,

wherein the rear edge of said second row seat at the forward position is located ahead of the front edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the third state, and the rear edge of said second row seat at the rearward position is located rearward of the front edge of said seat cushion of said third row seat in the third state.

20. The seat arrangement for a vehicle as defined in claim 19, further comprising:

a spring biasing said seat cushion of said third row seat rearwardly about the pivotal axis;

a cam disposed on said supporting mechanism and formed with notches corresponding to the reversed position and the upright position of said seat cushion, respectively;

an engaging lever movably supported on said seat cushion and releasably engaging said notch for selectively locking said seat cushion in the reversed position or the upright position corresponding to said respective notches;

a rod disposed in said seat cushion with an end of said rod being connected to said engaging lever and the other end of said rod being located proximate to the front edge of said seat cushion in the reversed position so that said engaging lever is moved to disengage from said notch when the other end of said rod is pushed in the axial direction.