GB2424180A

GB2424180A - Reclining bench seat with storage space

Info

Publication number: GB2424180A
Application number: GB0605366A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Claudio Moreno; Johann Tomforde
Original assignee: Buerstner GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Buerstner GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2005-03-16
Filing date: 2006-03-16
Publication date: 2006-09-20
Also published as: ITMI20060462A1; DE202005004788U1; FR2883230A1; GB0605366D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a bench seat (1) for a recreational vehicle, especially a touring van, having a seat frame (6) mounted in the vehicle and a backrest assembly (4', 4a Fig 6, 4b Fig 7) and a seat squab assembly (3, 3a Fig 6, 3b Fig 7) that are connected to the seat frame. According to the invention, the backrest assembly and/or the seat squab assembly are movable between at least two different seat positions, the seat frame (6) is provided beneath the seat squab assembly with a closed storage space (7), and the seat squab assembly includes a cover (8), movable between an open and a closed position, for the storage space (7). The bench seat may be linearly movable with the squab and backrest moving in unison. The squab may be hingeably connected to the backrest. The squab or the backrest may move along guide rails (10) in the cover. Armrests (20 Fig 7) legrests (19 Fig 6 or 7) or seatbelts may be provided. Locking means may be provided to block linear movement.

Description

A Bench Seat for a Recreational Vehicle The invention relates to a bench

seat for a recreational vehicle, especially a touring van, having a seat frame mounted in the vehicle, a backrest assembly and a seat squab assembly that are connected to the seat frame, the backrest assembly andlor the seat squab assembly being movable between at least two different seat positions.

Bench seats for recreational vehicles are generally well known. Such bench seats comprise a seat squab assembly and a backrest assembly, which are rigidly arranged.

It is also known in connection with coach compartments of rail vehicles to design bench seats in several parts and to construct a seat squab assembly and a backrest assembly so that they are adjustable for each seat position. In this connection, the seat squab assembly can be pulled forwards. The backrest assembly is hinged to the seat squab assembly and is accordingly moved simultaneously.

Finally, bench seats for living rooms of houses are generally well known; these are rigidly built in and include a storage space closable by a lid beneath a seat cushion.

The invention is based on the problem of producing a bench seat of the kind mentioned in the introduction, which offers good comfort when seated and takes into account the restricted spatial conditions in recreational vehicles.

That problem is solved in that the seat frame beneath the seat squab assembly is provided with a closed storage space, and in that the seat squab assembly includes a cover movable between an open and a closed position for the storage space. The solution according to the invention enables the seat squab assembly and the backrest assembly to be moved into a convenient comfort position and into an upright position, so that depending on the seat position the particular user desires, a convenient and variable adjustment is possible. The additional provision of a storage space beneath the seat squab assembly provides an opportunity for articles to be stowed safely and out of sight. This is advantageous particularly in the case of the comparatively restricted spatial conditions in a corresponding recreational vehicle. Recreational vehicles within the meaning of the invention shall be understood to be both automotive touring vans and towed caravans or trailer homes, which can be provided with one or more wheel axles.

In one embodiment of the invention, the seat frame has guide profiles, and corresponding guide profiles are arranged on the rear side of the backrest assembly and/or of the seat squab assembly facing the seat frame. The guide profiles ensure that the seat squab assembly or backrest assembly can be moved longitudinally in a defined manner.

Preferably, the seat squab assembly is arranged on the seat frame so as to be linearly movable between a sitting position and a reclined comfort position.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a seatbelt bearing is arranged on the seat frame. The seatbelt bearing includes a number of seatbelt assemblies corresponding to the number of seat positions on the bench seat. The seat frame is fixedly anchored to the vehicle, so that the seatbelt assemblies are capable of affording a person secure restraint also in the event of a collision.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the seat squab assembly and the backrest assembly are joined to one another with a hinge. Displacement of the seat squab assembly consequently automatically leads to displacement of the backrest assembly.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a releasable blocking device is provided, in order to lock or release a linear movement of the seat squab assembly. It is consequently possible to lock every selected sitting or comfort position and thus in particular further to increase security in the event of a collision.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a manually operable control unit for locking or releasing the blocking device is provided. Preferably, the control unit comprises an operating lever, which is positioned laterally of or beneath the seat squab assembly.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the guide profiles for the seat squab assembly are arranged on the cover. In its closed position, the cover thus serves to support the seat squab assembly. Preferably, the cover is provided with a manually releasable lock, to allow the lid to be locked in its closed position.

In a further development of the invention, the guide profiles are in the form of guide rails aligned in the direction of movement of the seat squab assembly and positioned at the level of lateral guide portions at a seat position of the seat squab assembly. This construction enables the seat squab assembly to be constructed so that it is especially easy to operate, since the lateral guide portions in the region of a respective seat pan of the seat squab assembly are designed to be higher than the seat pan, so that guide rails can be mounted here in the region of the underside, without the sprung comfort of the seat squab assembly being impaired in the region of the actual location of a person sitting in the seat pan.

In a further development of the invention, at least one armrest movable between a rest position and a functional position is associated with the seat squab assembly and/or the backrest assembly. Comfort for persons on the bench seat is thereby further increased.

The movable arrangement enables the armrest function to be used or not, according to the requirements of a vehicle occupant.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the seat squab assembly has upholstery, which is contoured over its width in the region of at least one seat position and in the lateral guide portions, and the upholstery lies flat on a dimensionally stable support that is contoured to correspond to the surface of the upholstery. The support is 0 advantageously in the form of a moulded metal plate. The contoured shaping of the support enables the guide profiles to be housed in a space- saving manner in the respective moulded portions of the support.

In a further embodiment of the invention, hinges for articulated connection of the seat squab assembly to the backrest assembly are arranged externally on opposite end faces of the seat squab assembly and the backrest assembly. There is therefore no need for hinge parts to be provided in the sitting region of the seat squab assembly and backrest assembly, thus further increasing the comfort level when seated.

Further advantages and features of the invention are apparent from the claims and from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the drawings.

Figs la to 3b show one embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention in different functional positions, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of a bench seat similar to that shown in Figs la to 3b from the front, Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention similar to Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention.

A bench seat I according to Figs 1 to 5 is rigidly anchored in a recreational vehicle.

Fixed anchoring of the bench seat to the vehicle is effected by means of a seat frame 6, which consists of a metal support construction and optionally a rear wall. The metal support construction is fixedly connected to supporting parts of a chassis of the recreational vehicle, especially above a vehicle floor 2. Fixed anchoring of the bench r seat 1 to the vehicle corresponds to fixing of bench seats for touring vans or caravans as they are known from the state of the art.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the bench seat 1 comprises a seat squab assembly 3 and a backrest assembly 4, which each include two adjacent sitting areas.

The illustration shown in Figs la to 3b corresponds substantially to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 or to the slightly modified embodiment shown in Fig. 5, but is shown schematically. For the description that follows, first of all details of the features that are identical in all illustrations shown in Figs la to 5 will be given, and then the details that are different will be discussed.

Above the backrest assembly 4, a head restraint 5 is provided for each seat region. The seat squab assembly 3 and the backrest assembly 4 form a one-piece upholstered part that is continuous across the entire width of the bench seat 1 and is provided with a suitable supporting frame construction. The seat squab assembly 3 and the backrest assembly 4 are connected to one another by means of a hinge arrangement 17 so as to pivot about a horizontal transverse axis. The hinge arrangement 17 comprises two hinge units, which are connected on opposite side edge regions of the bench seat 1 to corresponding side flanks of the backrest assembly 4 and the seat squab assembly 3.

The backrest assembly 4 is connected in the region of its upper rear edge to corresponding guide profiles 13 so as to be linearly movable in a vertical direction.

Only with this upper edge region is the backrest assembly 4 in articulated connection with the guide profiles 13 of the rear wall of the seat frame 6 so as to move linearly, so that the backrest assembly 4 is arranged to pivot to a limited extent about the bearing points lying on a common transverse axis at the level of the upper edge region. In an exemplary embodiment not illustrated, it is also possible to let the backrest assembly 4 lie against the rear wall only with its rear edge region, in which case in its upright seat position the backrest assembly 4 must already be downwardly and forwardly inclined to a certain extent analogously to Fig. lb. An additional guide in the region of the rear wall or the corresponding metal supporting construction of the seat frame 6 is not absolutely necessary in such a construction, since the defined engagement of the backrest assembly 4 with the vertical portion of the seat frame 6 is achieved by the gravitational force of a vehicle occupant leaning with his back against the backrest.

The seat squab assembly 3 is slidingly guided longitudinally by guide profiles in the form of guide rails 10 running in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the bench seat 1. The guide rails 10 are secured to a horizontal support panel, which is mounted on a fixed support section of the seat frame 6 to pivot about a hinge axis 11 running in the transverse direction. The support panel carrying the guide rails 10 is a cover 8 for a storage space 7 located beneath the support panel and surrounded on all sides by vertical limiting walls. The cover 8 and the fixed support section can be fixed subsequently to an existing seat frame of a touring van, especially by welding or screws, so that it is possible to retrofit the bench seat I shown in Figs la to 5 as a module to existing seat frames in recreational vehicles, touring vans or caravans. In this connection, the existing fixed bench seat is simply removed, and the bench seat 1 according to the invention, including the limiting walls 12 for the storage space 7, is mounted.

The cover 8 can be provided with a lock or a bolt-type fastener mechanism to prevent unintentional lifting of the cover 8 and the seat squab assembly 3.

As can be seen from Fig. 3b, the position of the hinge axis 11 and the dimensioning of the fixed support section of the seat frame 6 is adapted to the design of the seat squab assembly 3 and the backrest assembly 4, so that the cover 8 can be pivoted upwards in the upright seat position of the seat squab assembly 3 shown in Fig. lb. The seat squab assembly 3 and the backrest assembly 4 are contoured to complement one another in such a way that, as can be seen from Fig. 3b, the cover 8 can be opened substantially vertically, so that the cover 8 preferably has a pivoting angle of 90 . It is an advantage if the dead weight of the unit comprising seat squab assembly and cover 8 in the flipped up open position shifts the centre of gravity of this unit to a point behind the hinge axis 11, so that the cover 8 remains in its open position without having to be additionally located in position. The guide rails are also adapted to the length of the cover 8 in the longitudinal direction of the bench seat 1, such that they do not extend beyond a front and a rear edge of the cover 8. Tn the region of its underside, the seat squab assembly 3 has guide portions corresponding to the guide rails 10 and having end stops to limit the maximum displacement travel of the seat squab assembly 3. In Fig. 2b, the forward end position of the seat squab assembly 3 is shown, so that the seat squab assembly 3 is displaceable between the upright seat position shown in Fig. lb and the reclined comfort position according to Fig. 2b. In addition, in a manner not shown, the guide portions of the seat squab assembly 3 have associated means that prevent the seat squab assembly in the comfort position from tilting with its rear end region facing the backrest assembly 4 about a front edge of the cover 8, and hence from pivoting clockwise in the illustration according to Fig. 2b. A stable sitting position can thus be achieved even for the forwardly extended comfort position.

The hinged connection between seat squab assembly 3 and backrest assembly 4 ensures that the backrest assembly 4 moves together with the seat squab assembly 3 perforce when the latter is displaced between the upright sitting position and the comfort position and back again. In this process, the backrest assembly 4 moves firstly with its rear edge region linearly and vertically downwards along the seat frame 6. Secondly, the position of the backrest assembly 4 becomes more oblique, as can be seen from Fig. 2b.

The seat squab assembly 3 is supported by a total of three guide rails 10, which are arranged at uniform intervals across the width of the bench seat 1. In this case, each guide rail 10 is positioned on a level with lateral guide sections of each seat region, so that - viewed from the front according to Figs la, 2a, 3a the guide rails are located laterally of each the two adjacent seat regions, one for each vehicle occupant.

The limiting walls 12 are fixedly connected to the seat frame 6 and to the vehicle floor 2.

The bench seat I as shown in Figs 1 a to 3b is arranged directly with one end face (the right hand side in the illustrations in Figs I a, 2a, 3a) adjacent to a lateral wall of the recreational vehicle. The seat positions of the bench seat I are aligned in the direction ( of travel. The opposite end face of the bench seat 1 is provided with an armrest 16, which is pivotally mounted on the seat frame 6.

From Fig. 4 it can be seen that across its entire width the seat squab assembly 3 has continuous upholstery, which is contoured in the region of its surface by the lateral guide sections 14 and by seat pans 15 lying correspondingly between the lateral guide sections 14. The upholstery in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is formed by a correspondingly shaped foamed plastics material. Alternatively, known vehicle seat upholstery can be provided. The upholstery in the embodiment according to Fig. 4 is supported flat on a level panel 18, which in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is in the form of a wooden panel. Preferably, the upholstery comprising foamed plastics material is secured flat to the panel 18 by means of adhesive. In a manner not shown, guide sections that are guided on the guide rails 10 are mounted on the underside of the support panel 18. The guide rails 10 are secured to the cover 8, which can be configured as a frame structure.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, instead of a flat support panel 18 a cranked support panel 1 8a in the form of a metal plate is provided. The metal plate 1 8a has offsets in the region of the guide rails 10, so that the guide rails 10 are recessed in the metal plate 1 8a virtually completely over their height. It is thus possible the make the depth of the upholstery of the seat squab assembly at least largely of uniform thickness in the region of the seat pans as well as in the region of the lateral guide sections, so that a thicker upholstery and consequently improved seat comfort can be achieved in the region of the seat pans 15.

The embodiment according to Fig. 6 and also the embodiment according to Fig. 7 correspond substantially to the above-described embodiments, so reference can be made to the description of the preceding embodiments. Hereafter only details of different features are given. In the region of an underneath front edge of the seat squab assembly 3a the bench seat la according to Fig. 6 additionally has a foot support 19, which extends, analogously to the embodiment according to Fig. 7, across the entire width of the seat squab assembly 3a. The foot support 19 is provided with an engaging mechanism, which enables it to be locked in at least one support position shown in Fig. 6. The engaging mechanism is preferably constructed so that it can be released manually. The construction and design of the bench seat la corresponds otherwise to the above-described embodiments. Parts of identical function are provided with the same reference numbers supplemented by the letter a'.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 7, parts having identical function are provided with the same reference numbers, but supplemented with the letter b'. In addition to the foot support 19 already described, at least one armrest unit 20 is provided here, which is pivotally mounted to be movable by means of a guide arrangement (not shown) in the region of a stowage compartment formed by the limiting walls I 2b between a recessed rest position and an upwardly displaced arm-supporting position.

The metal plate 1 8a according to Fig. 5 is preferably is the form of a perforated steel plate, in order to improve foaming of the upholstery of the seat squab assembly 3 directly onto the metal plate 1 8a, wherein corresponding foam particles embed into the perforation holes. Foaming of the foamed plastics material is thus effected with integration of the metal plate 1 8a, and produces a flat and interlocking connection between foamed plastics material and metal plate 1 8a.

In a maimer not shown, a manually releasable blocking device that can be released or locked by means of a manually operable control unit in the form of a control lever 9 or a control hoop 9 is associated with each seat squab assembly 3, 3a, 3b.

Claims

Claims 1. A bench seat for a recreational vehicle, especially a touring

van, having a seat frame mounted in the vehicle and a backrest assembly and a seat squab assembly that are connected to the seat frame, the backrest assembly and/or the seat squab assembly being movable between at least two different seat positions, characterised in that the seat frame beneath the seat squab assembly is provided with a closed storage space, and in that the seat squab assembly includes a cover, movable between an open and a closed position, for the storage space.
2. A bench seat according to claim 1, characterised in that the seat squab assembly is arranged so as to be linearly movable relative to the seat frame between a sitting position and a comfort position.
3. A bench seat according to claim 1, characterised in that the seat squab assembly and the backrest assembly are joined to one another with a hinge.
4. A bench seat according to claim 1, characterised in that a seatbelt bearing is associated with the seat frame.
5. A bench seat according to claim 2, characterised in that a releasable blocking device is provided, in order to lock or release a linear movement of the seat squab assembly.
6. A bench seat according to claim 5, characterised in that a manually operable control unit for locking or releasing the blocking device is provided.
7. A bench seat according to claim 1, characterised in that the seat frame has guide profiles for displacement of the backrest assembly and/or of the seat squab assembly, and in that corresponding guide profiles are arranged on the rear side of the backrest assembly and/or of the seat squab assembly facing the seat frame.
8. A bench seat according to claim 7, characterised in that the guide profiles for the seat squab assembly are arranged on the cover.
9. A bench seat according to claim 8, characterised in that the guide profiles are in the form of guide rails aligned in the direction of movement of the seat squab assembly and positioned at the level of lateral guide portions of the seat squab assembly.
10. A bench seat according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one armrest part movable between a rest position and a functional position is associated with the seat squab assembly and/or the backrest assembly.
11. A bench seat according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the seat squab assembly comprises upholstery, which is contoured across its width in the region of the at least one seat position and in the lateral guide portions, and in that the upholstery lies flat on a dimensionally stable support that is contoured to correspond to the surface of the upholstery.
12. A bench seat according to claim 11, characterised in that the support is in the form of a cranked metal plate.
13. A bench seat according to claim 3, characterised in that a hinge arrangement for articulated connection of the seat squab assembly to the backrest assembly is arranged externally on opposite end faces of the seat squab assembly and the backrest assembly.