Utility vehicle

• US 8,550,500 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Teruaki, Takegami, Itsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/338,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 280/807, 280/749, 280/748, 280/756, 280/801.2, 280/808, 296/146.5, 296/146.6, 297/476, 297/479, 297/474, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/807
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3031 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/363 characterised by provisions for enhancing the cargo floor surface, e.g. elements closing gaps or enlarging the back-rest surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A utility vehicle according to the present invention includes a ROPS, a front seat and a rear seat arranged in a riding space, a cargo bed changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded forward into the riding space and a non-expanded state in which the cargo bed is not expanded in the riding space, and a plurality of seatbelt apparatuses for all passengers including a driver, wherein each of the seatbelt apparatuses is a three point seatbelt apparatus including a webbing, a bottom anchor, a top anchor, a lower buckle and a retractor, and in at least one of the three point seatbelt apparatuses, the top anchor is provided on a cross member of the ROPS.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising:

a ROPS including a plurality of frame members surrounding a riding space;

a front seat and a rear seat arranged in the riding space;

a cargo bed provided behind the riding space, the cargo bed being changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded forward into the riding space and a non-expanded state in which the cargo bed is not expanded in the riding space; and

a plurality of seatbelt apparatuses for all passengers including a driver, wherein

each of the seatbelt apparatuses is a three point seatbelt apparatus including a webbing integrally having a lap belt and a shoulder belt, a bottom anchor, a top anchor, a lower buckle and a retractor, in which the webbing is supported by the bottom anchor, the top anchor and the buckle at three points and one end of the webbing is winded around the retractor,

in at least one of the three point seatbelt apparatuses, the top anchor is provided on a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction among the frame members of the ROPS, and

an upper part of a screen is supported by the cross member.

2. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the front seat and the rear seat has a three-seater structure, and

the three point seatbelt apparatus having the top anchor supported by the cross member is arranged in a central seating area among three seating areas of the three-seater seat.

3. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the three-seater seat is a folding rear seat in which a backrest is capable of being folded so as to overlie a surface of a seat bottom and accommodated at a front position of the rear seat, and

the cross member supporting the top anchor is arranged at a position lower than an upper end of the ROPS in a rear part of the ROPS.

4. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the three-seater seat is the rear seat, and

the bottom anchor of the three point seatbelt apparatus arranged in the central seating area of the rear seat is arranged on the opposite side of a driver seating area side in the vehicle width direction of the front seat with respect to the central seating area.

5. A utility vehicle comprising:

a ROPS including a plurality of frame members surrounding a riding space;

a front seat and a rear seat arranged in the riding space;

a cargo bed provided behind the riding space, the cargo bed being changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded forward into the riding space and a non-expanded state in which the cargo bed is not expanded in the riding space; and

a plurality of seatbelt apparatuses for all passengers including a driver, wherein

each of the seatbelt apparatuses is a three point seatbelt apparatus including a webbing integrally having a lap belt and a shoulder belt, a bottom anchor, a top anchor, a lower buckle and a retractor, in which the webbing is supported by the bottom anchor, the top anchor and the buckle at three points and one end of the webbing is winded around the refractor,

in at least one of the three point seatbelt apparatuses, the top anchor is provided on a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction among the frame members of the ROPS, and

a plurality of headrests is provided on the cross member.

6. The utility vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

at least one of the front seat and the rear seat has a three-seater structure, and

the three point seatbelt apparatus having the top anchor supported by the cross member is arranged in a central seating area among three seating areas of the three-seater seat.

7. The utility vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the three-seater seat is a folding rear seat in which a backrest is capable of being folded so as to overlie a surface of a seat bottom and accommodated at a front position of the rear seat, and

the cross member supporting the top anchor is arranged at a position lower than an upper end of the ROPS in a rear part of the ROPS.

8. The utility vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the three-seater seat is the rear seat, and

the bottom anchor of the three point seatbelt apparatus arranged in the central seating area of the rear seat is arranged on the opposite side of a driver seating area side in the vehicle width direction of the front seat with respect to the central seating area.