GB2315207A

GB2315207A - Rotating easy-access vehicle seats

Info

Publication number: GB2315207A
Application number: GB9614828A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pervez Edulji Rana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-07-15
Filing date: 1996-07-15
Publication date: 1998-01-28
Also published as: GB9614828D0

Abstract

A vehicle has separate seats 7 at least one of which can be turned outwards to facilitate access to/from the vehicle by means of a pivot 4 at the rear offside seat corner and rollers or casters (3, Fig 2) under the seats which engage with a curved rail guide 2. The swivel movement may be power driven and lockable. An interlock may prevent swivelling when the vehicle doors are closed.

Description

A VEHICLE HAVING SEAT APPARATUS TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO HAVE EASY ACCESS This invention relates to a vehicle having seat apparatus for enabling passengers easy access into and out of vehicles.

It is often difficult for people, especially the elderly and/or handicapped, to move into and out of vehicle seats on entering and getting out of the vehicles. It is the aim of the present invention to reduce this problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a vehicle having two separate front seats for the driver and passenger, and a seat swivel apparatus for enabling the seats to turn and move outwards for easy access of the driver and passenger into and out of the vehicle.

The seat swivel apparatus may comprise a base frame means fitted to the vehicle floor board, a seat frame means fitted to the underside of the seat, a rail and roller guide means fitted to the base frame means and the seat frame means, a pivot means to engage the base frame means and the seat frame means, and a lock means to secure the base frame and seat frame means in a normal vehicle driving position.

The seat of the vehicle of the present invention can turn moving outwards towards the door of the vehicle such that the driver and passenger can be seated easily on entering the vehicle, and the seats can swivel back to the normal position and can be locked in the normal position. Similarly to exit the vehicle easily, the seat can be unlocked and swivelled outwards. The vehicle may be any suitable and appropriate vehicle including, for example, cars, vans, lorries, coaches and buses.

Preferably, the vehicle is one in which the two separate front seats are fitted with the base frame means to the floor board of the vehicle. The base frame means may comprise a pivot pin positioned at the door side rear corner of the base frame means.

Where the seat frame means is fitted to the seat base member, such that the seat adjustment movement is not obstructed, then the seat frame means may comprise a pivot pin or sleeve bush positioned on the door side corresponding to the position of the base frame pivot such that when the seat frame means is placed on the base frame means the seat will assume its original fitted position.

The rail and roller guide means may comprise one or more rollers or ball casters fitted to the underside of the seat frame means. The guide rail may be fitted to the base frame means on the innerside of the seat such that, when the seat frame means turns over the base frame means on the pivot, the seat is firmly held on the floor board yet is free to swivel, and the seat moves from the normal position to the outward position towards the vehicle door, without interfering with any other fitting of the vehicle.

The lock means may be fitted on the seat frame means and base frame means at two or more points towards the front of the seat such that in the normal position the seat is firmly locked in an action similar to the vehicle door locks, and when the lock is released the seat is free to swivel as desired.

Preferably the pivot means and the rail guide means are fitted directly on the vehicle floor board so as to make up the base frame means. Similarly a part of the lock means can also be fitted to the vehicle floor board to engage the corresponding part of the lock fitted to the seat frame means.

Preferably, the pivot means is a sturdy sleeve/bush post firmly bolted on the vehicle floor board comprising a thrust bearing sleeve, and the pivot pin is attached to the seat frame means in the corresponding position.

Preferably, the lock means is fitted at two or more points at the front side of the seat where normally the seat holding bolts are fixed. Preferably, the lock means comprises locks of vehicle door lock design with single cable release arranged for easy operation in a convenient position.

The vehicle may be one in which the seats are swivelled by manual turning of the seat for easy access.

Alternatively a power drive arrangement to turn the seat may be employed. If desired, rear seats of the vehicle could be fitted with seat swivel apparatus to operate similarly.

The vehicle preferably includes a safety means for preventing the operation of the seat swivel apparatus after the vehicle doors have been closed. Thus the safety means would prevent accidental operation of the seat swivel apparatus during normal driving of the vehicle.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the underside of a vehicle of the invention with one front seat removed and the base frame means installed; Figure 2 shows the underside of the seat with the seat frame means fitted to it; Figure 3 shows the seat swivel apparatus assembled and the seat turned outwards towards the door for easy access position; and Figure 4 shows the vehicle of the invention with the seat in a normal locked position.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown inside a vehicle 1, on the floor board of which is fitted a rail guide 2, a pivot 4 and position of lock 5. On the underside of the seat 7 are fitted corresponding parts of the pivot 4 and corresponding position of the lock 5, and two or more rollers/casters 3, and seat frame cross member 6. Base frame members are not shown since the vehicle floor board itself is used in this case for that purpose. Also the lock mechanism and cable arrangement are not shown.

It will be seen from a comparison of Figures 3 and 4 that after releasing the seat lock, the seat 7 can be turned towards the door 8 without interfering with any other fittings of the vehicle and in fact creating more space for other front and rear passengers, to provide easy access into and exit out of the vehicle.

The embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and modifications may be effected. Also the vehicle 1 may include a safety means to prevent operation of the safety swivel apparatus during normal driving of the vehicle 1.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising separate seats for driver and passengers and seat apparatus for enabling easy access into and out of the vehicle, which seat apparatus comprises base frame means and seat frame means such that the seats turn and move outwards towards doors of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 in which guide means are provided on base frame means co-operable with the seat frame means to control the turning movement of the seats.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which pivot means are provided to engage the base frame means and the seat frame means in order to allow swivel movement of the seats.

4. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims in which lock means are provided on the base frame means co-operable with the seat frame means to arrest and lock the swivel movement of the seats.

5. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims in which the seat frame means is turned by powerdrives.

6. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims and including safety means for preventing operation of the seat apparatus during normal driving of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.