Utility vehicle

• US 7,874,606 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation), Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. of America (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Craig, Yamamura, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/361,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.34, 296/24.4, 296/193.07, 296/204, 296/63, 296/65.01, 296/65.13, 296/182.1, 296/183.1, 296/184.1, 296/186.1, 296/37.1, 296/37.6, 296/37.16, 296/69, 296/66, 296/65.05, 296/65.09, 296/65.16, 297/217.7
• US Class Current: 296/64
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/023 Three-point seat belt systems comprising two side lower and one side upper anchoring devices B60R22/022, B60R22/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/08 built up with interlaced cross members
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/087 Luggage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/02 Platforms; Open load compartments flat wagons including posts or standards B61D3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0625 open

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, a pair of left and right front wheels and at least a pair of left and right rear wheels that are supported on the vehicle frame, a front seat that is provided to the rear of the front wheels, and a rear seat that is provided to the rear of the front seat and including an in-use position, a transition position, and a non-use position. A cargo bed, disposed to the rear of the front seat includes a bottom wall portion whereon the seat cushion portion of the rear seat is provided movably; a left side wall portion and a right side wall portion that are provided on the left and right side portions of the bottom wall portion, wherein the left side wall portion and the right side wall portion extend forward to the rear seat in its non-use position; and a rear wall portion that is provided at the rear end portion of the bottom wall portion. The utility vehicle further includes a rear floor provided between the front seat and the rear seat and lower than the bottom wall portion of the cargo bed.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

a pair of left and right front wheels and at least a pair of left and right rear wheels supported on the vehicle frame;

a front seat provided to the rear of the front wheels;

a rear seat provided to the rear of the front seat and including an in-use position, a transition position, and a non-use position;

a cargo bed, disposed to the rear of the front seat, and comprising;

a bottom wall portion whereon a seat cushion portion of the rear seat is movably provided;

a left side wall portion and a right side wall portion provided on left and right side portions of the bottom wall portion, wherein the left side wall portion and the right side wall portion extend forward to and along outer sides of the rear seat in a width direction of the vehicle when the rear seat is in the in-use position and in the non-use position; and

a rear wall portion provided at a rear end portion of the bottom wall portion; and

a rear floor provided between the front seat and the rear seat and lower than the bottom wall portion of the cargo bed.

2. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front end portion of a top edge of the left side wall portion and a front end portion of a top edge of the right side wall portion of the cargo bed are arranged at positions that are lower than a back end portion of the left side wall portion and a back end portion of the right side wall portion.

3. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein the top edges of the left side wall portion and the right side wall portion of the cargo bed are arranged lower than a top edge of a back rest portion of the rear seat.

4. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein the top edges of the left side wall portion and the right side wall portion of the cargo bed are arranged in positions that are disposed to the rear of a front end of the seat cushion of the rear seat.

5. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a rear wheel is disposed under the rear seat, and a front end of the cargo bed is disposed forward from a front end of the rear wheel.

6. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cargo bed is made out of plastic.

7. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front end portion of the seat cushion portion of the rear seat is supported on a frame member, which supports the bottom wall portion of the cargo bed, so as to be rotatable in the forward direction around a rotational axle that extends in the width-wise direction of the vehicle.

8. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 7, wherein a backrest portion of the rear seat is supported, on the seat cushion portion, so as to be able to rotate in the forward direction of a front/back direction of the vehicle.

9. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein a capacity of the cargo bed where the rear seat is disposed in the in-use position can be expanded, as cargo bed space, by rotating the backrest portion forward and rotating the seat cushion portion forward.

10. A utiltity vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

a front roof support including a pair of left and right pipe members that extend in a vertical direction, provided at both left and right side portions of the vehicle body frame;

a pair of left and right rear roof supports including pipe members arranged to extend in the vertical direction, provided to the rear of the front roof support at both the left and right side portions of the vehicle body frame in a width-wise direction of the vehicle;

a roof member arranged to connect top portions of the front roof supports and top portions of the rear roof supports;

a pair of left and right front wheels and at least a pair of left and right rear wheels supported on the vehicle frame;

a front seat provided to the rear of the front wheels;

a rear seat provided to the rear of the front seat and including an in-use position, a transition position, and a non-use position;

a cargo bed, disposed to the rear of the front seat, and comprising;

a bottom wall portion whereon a seat cushion portion of the rear seat is movably provided;

a left side wall portion and a right side wall portion provided on left and right side portions of the bottom wall portion and arranged to extend forward to the left and right rear roof supports, respectively, when the rear seat is in the in-use position and in the non-use position; and

a rear wall portion provided at a rear end portion of the bottom wall portion; and

a rear floor provided between the front seat and the rear seat and arranged lower than the bottom wall portion of the cargo bed.

11. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein a left rear headrest and a right rear headrest portion of the rear seat are provided on a cross member that connects to the left and right rear roof supports.

12. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of a top edge of the left side wall portion and a top edge of the right side wall portion of the cargo bed is arranged along the rear roof supports.

13. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein a front end portion of the seat cushion portion of the rear seat is supported on a frame member, which supports the bottom wall portion of the cargo bed, so as to be rotatable in the forward direction around a rotational axle that extends in the width direction of the vehicle.

14. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 13, wherein a backrest portion of the rear seat is supported, on the seat cushion portion, so as to be able to rotate in the forward direction of a front/back direction of the vehicle.

15. The utility vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein a capacity of the cargo bed where the rear seat is disposed in the in-use position arranged to be expanded, as cargo bed space, by rotating the backrest portion forward and rotating the seat cushion portion forward.