Automobile seat including a foldable back comprising a member defining a tablet, and automobile with such seat

(54) Title: AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEAT, AND, AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE (51) Int.CI .: B60N 2/20; B60N 3/00 (30) Unionist Priority: 07/19/2007 FR 0700370 (73) Holder (s): RENAULT SAS

(72) Inventor (s): BRUNO CHARPENTIER; JEAN-CHRISTPHE RIOU

AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEAT, AND, AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

The present invention relates to an automotive vehicle seat whose backrest can bend over the seat cushion to form a table.

DE 4,343,242 describes a table, fixed on a retractable support, positioned next to an automotive vehicle seat. When the support is lowered, the table, which is articulated in rotation on one side of the support, around an axis perpendicular to the latter, can be unfolded and taken in front of the bench to allow its use by a seated user in the bank. The support can hold two tables, iO articulated each on one side of the support, so that they can be used by users sitting on the benches located side by side. This type of device is very bulky as it is necessary to provide a place to fix the table support between the two benches.

In addition, it is known to use the rear face of the folding backrests of certain vehicle seats as a table. This type of seat includes - a seat cushion, fixed on the floor of the vehicle, and a backrest, which can be folded over the cushion and whose rear face contains an element forming a table that, when the backrest is folded over the cushion, it forms a flat surface, substantially parallel to the vehicle floor, which can serve as a table. This type of table, however, is not very ergonomic because the offered work surface remains small and away from the user sitting on a bench next to the folded seat.

An objective of the present invention is to propose an automotive vehicle seat of the type comprising a seat cushion and a backrest, foldable over the seat cushion, the rear face of which comprises an element forming a table that is easily usable by a user sitting next to this seat when the backrest is folded over the seat cushion.

This objective is achieved by means of an automotive vehicle seat, comprising a seat cushion, a folding backrest on the cushion, comprising a rear face, at least partially covered with a table-forming element and which can be taken to a substantially horizontal position, when the backrest is folded over the cushion. According to the invention, the table-forming element comprises a rotating tray, pivotally mounted on the back face of the backrest, around a first axis, substantially perpendicular to the back face, so that it can be brought to a position in which a portion of the rotating tray extends laterally to the rear face of the backrest. This table portion exceeding laterally constitutes an increase in the surface of the rear face of the bench usable as a table. In addition, its lateral position makes it very easily accessible to a user sitting next to the bench according to the present invention.

According to a first embodiment, the backrest has a longitudinal axis and a portion forming the headrest and the first axis of rotation of the rotating tray is positioned at the level of the portion forming the headrest. The swivel tray is thus pivotally mounted at the front of the seat cushion when the backrest is folded over the seat cushion.

According to a second embodiment, the backrest has a first edge connected to the cushion and a longitudinal axis, and the first axis of rotation of the turntable intersects the longitudinal axis, close to the first edge of the backrest. When the backrest is folded over the cushion, the rotating tray is pivotally mounted at the rear of the cushion, which allows, advantageously, to be able to easily approach the tray towards the user.

The element forming the table can contain an object-holder box, accessible from the back face of the backrest and at least partially arranged under the rotating tray. This box can be used to have, for example, a portable computer that will then be used on the revolving tray, when the backrest is folded over the seat cushion.

This box can be arranged so that it is accessible by rotating the rotating tray around the first axis of rotation.

A part of the rotating tray can also be mounted pivoting around a second axis of rotation, substantially parallel to the rear face, so that it can be lifted above the element forming a table to free access to said storage box.

According to a particular embodiment, the backrest comprises a structure, the element forming the table comprises a rigid frame, which is fixed on the structure of said backrest and which supports the rotating tray.

The present invention also relates to an automotive vehicle that comprises a row of at least two seats. According to the invention, at least one bank is a bank of the invention.

The row of seats can comprise at least three seats and the seat according to the invention can then be arranged between two seats.

According to the invention, the row of seats is a row of front seats or a row of rear seats. Thus, the seat according to the invention can be used in front of a vehicle comprising a row of one or two seats, located next to the driver's seat.

The present invention, its characteristics and the different advantages it seeks will be better understood in the reading of the description that follows of two embodiments, presented as non-limiting examples, and which makes reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view from the rear of a first embodiment of the seat of the invention, when it is in an unfolded position;

Figure 2 represents a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention, the backrest being folded over the cushion and the rotating tray being pivoted on one side of the backrest;

Figure 3 represents a top view of a second embodiment of the seat of the invention, the backrest being folded over the cushion and the rotating tray being pivoted on one side of the backrest;

Figure 4 represents a perspective view of a part of the backrest according to a variant of the second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 5 represents the back part shown in figure 4, a part of the rotating tray being raised to open the box; and

- Figure 6 represents the backrest shown in figure

4, the rotating tray being pivoted to give access to a box.

With reference to figure 1 which describes a first embodiment of the invention, the seat of the invention comprises a backrest 1 and a seat cushion 2, fixed on the floor of an automotive vehicle and which is substantially perpendicular to the backrest 1, when the latter it is in its unfolded position, as shown in figure 1. The backrest 1 is connected to the seat cushion 2 at the level of a first edge 3. The backrest 1 also comprises a portion forming headrest 4, which vertically extends the backrest 1, when it is in its unfolded position. The rear face of the backrest 1, which is the only face visible in figure 1, corresponds to the face of the backrest that does not come into contact with the back of a user sitting on the cushion 2. This rear face is opposite to the front face of the backrest 1 that comes into contact with the back of a user sitting on cushion 2. This rear face comprises an element forming a substantially flat table 6, which completely covers it and which forms a rigid, substantially flat and continuous surface, which extends from the first edge 3 of the backrest 1, which constitutes the junction between the cushion 2 and the backrest 1, and the free edge 7 of the portion forming headrest 4. The backrest 1 comprising a portion forming a headrest 4 is therefore longer than a standard backrest, the element forming the table 6 fully covering the back face of the backrest 1 (including portion forming the headrest), the surface forming the table therefore, it is considerably increased in relation to a seat that does not have a headrest integrated into the seat back. In addition, this large surface allows the use of a wide revolving tray.

As shown in figures 1 and 2, a rotating tray 8 is fixed on the element forming the table 6 of the backrest 1. This rotating tray 8 is articulated in rotation around an X axis, perpendicular to the plane of the rear face (that is, to the element forming the table 6). In the first embodiment shown here, the axis of rotation X of the rotating tray 8 is arranged in the vicinity of the free edge 7 of the portion forming headrest 4. The portion of the element forming the table 6, located near the first edge 3 of the backrest 1, contains cavities 9, serving, for example, as a support for a beverage can or a mug.

With reference to figure 2, when the backrest 1 is folded over the cushion 2, the back face of the backrest 1 covered by the element forming the table 6 becomes a work table or drawing board, arranged between the two benches 10 and 11, located one side and the other of the seat according to the invention, and oriented in the same way as the latter. The swivel tray 8 can be pivoted towards either the driver, as is the case in figure 2, or towards the passenger, by rotation about the X axis. The position of the X axis of rotation, which is, in the present embodiment, placed on the longitudinal axis Z of the backrest 1, allows to obtain a maximum amplitude of symmetrical displacement on one side and the other of the backrest 1, ensuring, from part, the same supplementary work surface. The size of the swivel tray 8 as well as that of the rear face 6 of the backrest 1 allows, by rotating the swivel tray 8, to exceed a portion of the latter in addition to the rear face and laterally to the latter, which creates an additional work surface , located very close to a user sitting on a bench adjacent to the bench of the invention, and ideally oriented.

According to another embodiment not shown, the rotation axis X is placed outside the longitudinal axis Z of the backrest, which creates an asymmetrical range of displacement of the tray, allowing to improve the working ergonomics of a user sitting on the side where the range of travel is maximum, to the detriment of a user sitting on the opposite side.

The elements of the second embodiment, shown in Figures 3 to 6, which are considered together with the elements of the first embodiment mentioned above, have identical references.

In the second embodiment shown in figure 3, the rotation axis X of the rotating tray 8 is arranged on the longitudinal axis Z of the backrest 1, but towards the first edge 3 of the backrest 1, that is, on the opposite side of the position of the backrest. rotation axis X in the first embodiment. This position also allows a wide range of travel for the rotating tray 8. In figure 3, the rotating tray 8 is pivoted towards the passenger seated beside the seat of the invention, which is folded. As in the first embodiment, pivoting the rotating tray around the X axis creates an additional table portion, close to the passenger and which is therefore easily usable.

Thus, as shown in figures 2 and 3, the two embodiments of the invention make it possible to facilitate the use, for example, of a portable computer 20, placed on the rotating tray 8, by approaching it to the users sitting on adjacent benches 10 and 11 , and also allowing its orientation, by pivoting the rotating tray 8 around the X axis.

Figure 4 represents in more detail a variant of making a part of the backrest corresponding to the second embodiment of the invention. The table-forming element 6 comprises a frame 13 that covers the backrest structure 1 (not shown) and therefore forms its rear face. The frame 13 is a rigid hull that forms a cavity or storage box 14, visible in figures 5 and 6, which is inserted in the thickness of the backrest cushion 1. The open face of the storage box 14 is covered by the rotating tray 8, when it is arranged along the longitudinal axis Z of the backrest 1, as shown in figure 4. Opposite the rotation axis X of the rotating tray 8, there is a portion 15, which is fixed and which contains stowage cavities 9. In the vicinity of the rotation axis X of the swivel tray 8, a joint 17 is arranged, parallel to the first edge 3 of the backrest 1 and the free edge 7 of the portion that serves as the headrest 4. As shown in figure 5, it is then possible lift a part of the revolving tray 8 (the part that does not comprise the first axis of rotation) causing it to oscillate around the joint 17. The revolving tray 8 thus serves as a lid for the storage box 14.

As in figure 6, it is also possible to uncover the object box 14 by pivoting the rotating tray 8 around its axis of rotation X.

It is also possible, without leaving the framework of the invention, to provide a storage box 14 that is only accessible by simply pivoting the rotating tray 8. Thus, there is no need to arrange the tray with an articulation.

The frame 13 described with reference to figures 4 to 6 can be adapted to the first embodiment, the fixed table portion being then arranged near the first edge 3 of the backrest 1.