Seat assembly for a motor vehicle

• US 7,597,376 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Makala, Jerome, Cabrie, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder; Dennis H
• Application Number:
  US11/817,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20080203792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 296/67, 296/65.13, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 296/65.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/005 Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles , e.g. dismountable auxiliary seatsB60N2/02 takes precedence ; for railway vehicles B61D1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0735 Position and orientation of the slide as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/242 Bus seats

Abstract

A seat assembly for a motor vehicle includes a central support element, fixed essentially vertically in a vehicle cabin to which the seats are fitted. The seat assembly includes connector bodies arranged at one end of the support element for fixing to a part of the cabin, the connector bodies permitting a displacement of the assembly along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a central supporting element configured to be mounted generally vertically in a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

seats mounted on the central supporting element;

assembly connecting members disposed at one end of the central supporting element, the connecting members configured to permit a movement of the assembly along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

first side connecting members disposed between a first one of the seats and the supporting element, and configured to permit a longitudinal translational movement of the first one of the seats in relation to the supporting element; and

first lower connecting members positioned on a lower portion of the passenger compartment and connected to the first one of the seats including the first side connecting members, and the first lower connecting members being configured to permit the longitudinal translational movement of the first one of the seats in relation to the lower portion of the passenger compartment.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the seats is mounted permanently on the supporting element.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lower connecting members are configured to connect a seat cushion of the first one of the seats to the lower portion of the passenger compartment.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly connecting members comprise upper assembly connecting members disposed at an upper end of the supporting element, and the upper assembly connecting members are configured to be mounted on an upper portion of the passenger compartment and to permit the movement of the assembly along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the assembly connecting members further comprise lower assembly connecting members disposed at a lower end of the supporting element, and the lower assembly connecting members are configured to be mounted on the lower portion of the passenger compartment and to permit the movement of the assembly along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the seats comprises a device for adjusting a vertical position of a movable seat cushion of the seat.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one safety belt disposed on the supporting element.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second one of the seats fixed to the supporting element; and

second lower connecting members disposed between the second one of the seats and the lower portion of the passenger compartment, and configured to permit a longitudinal translational movement of the second one of the seats in relation to the lower portion of the passenger compartment.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly connecting members are disposed at the lower portion of the passenger compartment and at an upper portion of the passenger compartment to connect the central supporting element to the lower portion and the upper portion of the passenger compartment.

10. A seat assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a central supporting element configured to be mounted generally vertically in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the central supporting element includes assembly connecting members such that the central supporting element is configured to move with respect to the passenger compartment;

two seats mounted directly on the passenger compartment via lower connecting members such that the two seats are configured to move independently with respect to the passenger compartment, and the two seats are mounted on the central supporting element via side connecting members such that one of the two seats is configured to move independently with respect to the central supporting element and the passenger compartment.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the assembly connecting members are configured to allow the central supporting element to move in a longitudinal direction with respect to the passenger compartment.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the side connecting members are configured to allow the one of the two seats to move in a longitudinal direction with respect to the central supporting element.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lower connecting members are configured to allow the two seats to move in a longitudinal direction with respect to the passenger compartment.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the two seats includes a seat cushion and a base, and the base connects the seat cushion to a lower portion of the passenger compartment via the lower connecting members.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the assembly connecting members connect the central supporting element to an upper portion and a lower portion of the passenger compartment.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the two seats comprises a device for adjusting a vertical position of a movable seat cushion.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, further comprising at least one safety belt disposed on the central supporting element.