Automobile movable floor apparatus

• US 7,556,307 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Iwayama, Yukio, Yoshimura, Eiji, Matsuhashi, Kazuhiro, Uemura, Hiroki, Ohtsubo, Tomonori, Iida, Keisuke, Morino, Toshimine
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chenevert; Paul A
• Application Number:
  US11/700,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 745/60, 180/326, 180/330, 296/75, 296/97.23, 296/208
• US Class Current: 296/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/074 rotated about the transversal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/063 with adjustment systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/066 with protection systems against abnormal g-forces
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2045 the subunits being fire walls
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/60 Foot rests or foot guides

Abstract

A floor board positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat is allowed to be driven up or down. In an automobile movable floor apparatus, a floor board 5 that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor 3 and a raising-lowering drive mechanism 6 that drives the floor board 5 to be raised or lowered are provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat 4, and a toe board portion 8 sloping down to the rear and a floor base portion 9 that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion 8 are provided in the automobile body floor 3. The floor board 5 includes a toe board corresponding portion 18 that corresponds to the toe board portion 8 of the automobile body floor 3, and a floor base corresponding portion 19 that corresponds to the floor base portion 9, and the toe board corresponding portion 18 and the floor base corresponding portion 19 are formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.

Claims

1. An automobile movable floor apparatus comprising:

a floor board that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor;

a raising-lowering drive mechanism that raises or lowers the floor board, provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat;

a toe board portion of the automobile body floor sloping down to the rear; and

a floor base portion of the automobile body floor that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion, provided in the automobile body floor;

the floor board including;

a toe board corresponding portion that corresponds to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and

a floor base corresponding portion that corresponds to the floor base portion, and where the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion being formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side;

wherein the front end of the toe board corresponding portion of the floor board is pivotably attached to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and the raising-lowering drive mechanism is configured so as to lift the rear of the floor base corresponding portion upward to place the floor base corresponding portion in a state sloping downward to the front.

2. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the floor board comprising a front side board including the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion, and a rear side board bendably connected to the rear end of the front side board via a connecting member, wherein the rear of the rear side board is supported such that the rear of the rear side board can slide in the front-rear direction of the automobile body along the floor base portion of the automobile body floor.

3. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

operating pedals operated by a driver, constituting at least an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal are provided above the toe board portion of the automobile body floor; and

a foot rest is provided to the side of those operating pedals;

wherein the front of the floor board extends out below the operating pedals; and

an avoiding portion that avoids obstructing the foot rest is provided in a side portion of the floor board.

4. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rear heat duct is provided in the automobile body floor that extends toward the rear of the automobile body from a side of a floor tunnel through an area below the floor board, and a cut-out is formed in a side portion of the floor board in order to a avoid interference with the rear heat duct.

5. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the raising-lowering drive mechanism comprising a drive link whose tip end is connected to the rear of the floor base corresponding portion, and a link drive mechanism that, by moving the base end of the drive link forward or to the rear along the automobile body floor, erects or lays down the drive link to drive the floor board up or down.

6. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a left and right pair of the drive links and the link drive mechanisms are provided, and driving force is transmitted to each of the link drive mechanisms via a driving force transmission mechanism from a single drive source.

7. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein raising-lowering drive mechanism is disposed below the floor board, and an impact-absorbing member is provided on the upper face of the floor board.

8. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the impact-absorbing member is disposed on the floor board across approximately the entire width of the automobile.

9. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a concave portion concave downward is formed in the front portion of the floor board, and the impact-absorbing member is disposed in the concave portion.

10. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an automobile body floor mat provided laid out on the automobile body floor and covering the upper face thereof; and

a floor board mat, separate from the automobile body floor mat, provided laid out on the floor board.

11. The automobile floor apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the automobile body floor mat covers the upper face of the automobile body floor, including a first area located below the floor board, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out so as to continuously cover the first area and a second area.

12. The automobile floor apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the floor board is driven up or down in approximately the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and the automobile body floor mat is provided laid out along vertical faces and provided so as to extend in approximately the vertical direction adjacent to both ends of the floor board in the widthwise direction of the automobile.

13. The automobile floor apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the floor board is provided so as to cover an area between a floor tunnel provided in the center in the widthwise direction of the automobile body and a side sill provided in a side portion of the automobile body, and

the vertical faces and are formed by a side wall face of the floor tunnel and the side sill.

14. An automobile movable floor apparatus comprising:

a floor board that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor;

a raising-lowering drive mechanism that raises or lowers the floor board, provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat;

a toe board portion of the automobile body floor sloping down to the rear; and

a floor base portion of the automobile body floor that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion, provided in the automobile body floor;

a seat position adjustment mechanism that drives a seat cushion of the occupant seat in at least the front-rear direction; and

a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the seat position adjustment mechanism to the raising-lowering drive mechanism;

the floor board including;

a toe board corresponding portion that corresponds to the toe board portion of the automobile body floor, and

a floor base corresponding portion that corresponds to the floor base portion, and where the toe board corresponding portion and the floor base corresponding portion being formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side;

wherein the floor board is driven up or down by the raising-lowering drive mechanism in conjunction with the occupant seat driven in the front-rear direction by the seat position adjustment mechanism; and

wherein the driving force transmission mechanism comprises;

an input cable that obtains driving force from the drive source provided in the seat position adjustment mechanism and rotates around a shaft;

an output cable that rotates around a shaft according to the rotation of the input cable, thus transmitting driving force to the raising-lowering drive mechanism; and

a gear box in which the input cable and the output cable are connected such that the input cable and the output cable are operable in conjunction with each other.

15. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism comprising:

a deceleration gear mechanism that reduces the rotational velocity of the input cable; and

a transmission gear mechanism that transmits the driving force after deceleration to the output cable.

16. The automobile movable floor apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the gear box of the driving force transmission mechanism is provided protruding from the upper face of the automobile body floor, and is fixed to a cross member that supports the front end of the occupant seat or fixed to the automobile body floor in the vicinity thereof.