Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-14
2004-11-16
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C296S065050, C296S065080, C296S065120, C297S336000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817645
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seat arrangement for a vehicle, more particularly, to a seat arrangement of three rows of seats that can be arranged in various modes in the cabin of the vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In recent years, need for versatility in automobiles is increasing. Various kinds of structures, represented by seat arrangements for example, have been proposed which permits the vehicle to accommodate various configurations of a cabin area for enhancing the attraction of the vehicle. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-264109 proposes a second row seats that are rearwardly slidable. This structure advantageously creates a large space between the second row seats and the forward seats. The space enhances comfort for passengers seated in the seats of the second row, and offers various use of the space in conformity with the passengers' needs.
On the other hand, another seat arrangement for enhancing utility has been known, which can transform an area occupied by the seat into a luggage area in the cabin. Such an arrangement is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H11-255010, which comprises a seat cushion which is pivotable about the pivotal axis in the vicinity of the front seat-cushion edge so as to be arranged into an upright position and a reversed position with its lower surface facing up and placed on a vehicular floor. Accordingly, with the seat cushion being in the upright position, a space which had been occupied by the seat cushion that allows the passenger to be seated thereon, can be used as a luggage area. Alternatively, with the seat cushion in the reversed position, a space created on the lower surface of the seat cushion can be,Also used as a luggage area.
The structures disclosed above may be combined so that the seat in a configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H11-255010 is mounted behind the second row seats in a configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-264109 to provide three rows of seats in the vehicle. The vehicle equipped with such a combination increases the seating capacity of the vehicle by the arrangement of the third row seats into the state where passengers can be seated therein, and also achieves the enlargement of the luggage area by the arrangement of the third row seats and enlargement of a space in front of the second row seats by the rearward slide of the second row seats. In other words, a novel seat arrangement is achieved, in which an area occupied by the third row seats is used as the luggage area while a large space is obtained in front of the second row seats.
In a vehicle with a cabin relatively smaller in its longitudinal length, however, the longitudinal slidable length of the second row seats is limited in the case that the three rows of seat are longitudinally mounted. That is, the second row seats is not allowed to rearwardly slide past the front edge of the third row of seats. Moreover, rear wheel housings commonly bulge out into the cabin from the opposite sides, which limits the slidable length of the second row seats. Additionally, for mounting a fuel tank or other components on the bottom surface of the vehicle, the vehicular floor is often formed with a step, which also limits the slidable length of the second row seats. That is, the simple combination of the structure of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-264109 and the structure of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H11-255010 merely provides either the benefit from the rearward slide of the second row seats, or the benefit from the arrangement of the third row seats, at any given occasion. Though the second row seats can be rearwardly slid while the third row seats is arranged to provide enlarged luggage area, slidable length of the second row seats are limited, which offers little improvement in utility. Rather, the increased cost due to the combined structure may impair the attraction of the vehicle.
Further, the mere combination of the structures disclosed in the two patent publications suffers from the drawback as will be described. That is, in the reversed position of the seat cushion of the third row seat which provides a luggage space thereon, when a passenger on the second row seat tries to rearwardly slide the seat, the seat cushion of the third row seat interferes with the sliding motion of the second row seat, which limits length of the rearward slide of the second row seats. In other words, to further slide the second row seat in the reversed state of the third row seat, the passenger on the second row seat is forced to take a series of bothersome actions of leaving seat, pivoting the third row seat, and then sliding the second row seat rearwardly, all of which are unfavorable in easing operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problem above, a first object of the present invention is to provide a seat arrangement for a vehicle, having three rows of seats in the cabin, which achieves at once, the enlarged luggage area by the arrangement of the third row of seats and the enlarged area in front of the second row seats by rearward longitudinal slide of the second row seats. A second object of the present invention is to enhance ease of operation of the third row seats for sliding the second row seats rearwardly, in a state where the third row seat has been arranged so as to interfere with the slidable range of the second row seats to expand a luggage area, in the seat arrangement for a vehicle.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat arrangement for a vehicle, including a first row of seats constituting 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, the second row of seats comprising: a second row seat with a seat cushion horizontally disposed in substance and a seat back vertically disposed in substance from the vicinity of the rear edge of the seat cushion; and a sliding mechanism slidably supporting the second row seat in vehicular longitudinal direction between a forward position and a rearward position, and the third row of seats comprising: a third row seat with a seat cushion and a seat back; and a supporting mechanism supporting the third row seat so as to selectively permit the third row seat to be arranged into a first state where the seat cushion is substantially horizontal with its padded surface facing up and the seat back is substantially vertical with its padded surface facing forwardly, or a second state where the seat cushion is forwardly pivoted about a pivotal axis in the vicinity of the front edge of the seat cushion into a substantially upright position.
Accordingly, when the second row seat is slid up to the rearward position while the third row seat is arranged so that an area which had been occupied by the third row seat can be used as a luggage area, or the seat cushion of the third row seat is in the upright position, the rear surface of the seat back of the second row seat and the seat cushion surface of the third row seat in the upright position abut on each other. Therefore, the rear surface of the seat back of the second row seat and the seat cushion surface of the third row seat can entirely contact with each other with little or no clearance there between, which maximizes the rearward slidable length of the second row seat, so that a large space is created in front of the second row seat while an area which had been occupied the third row seat can be used as a luggage area at once.
Preferably, a recess may be formed on the rear surface of the seat back of the second row seat so that the seat cushion of the third row seat in the upright position fits therein when the third row seat is in the second state and the second row seat is slid up to the rearward position.
Accordingly, when the second row seat is slid up to the rearward position while the third row seat i
Shibata Keiichiro
Taguchi Tomoo
Blankenship Greg
Dayoan D. Glenn
Mazda Motor Corporation
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Studebaker Donald R.
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