Compact seating arrangement

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The invention relates to a compact seating arrangement for a vehicle, in particular comprising a central driver's seat and two rear passenger seats positioned substantially transversely.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] Many seat arrangements comprising a central driver's seat and two rear passenger seats have been proposed before, however, they are subject to various practical limitations or disadvantages, so that they have not been widely adapted. In recent years, this seating arrangement for a sports car was described in WO9218347 and US5538309 by the inventor of the present solution, and the seating arrangement used in the McLaren F1 sports car (trademark) was based on it.

[0003] DE29518853 discloses a seating arrangement in which two rear seat passengers sit on the saddle seats immediately behind the two front seats - the driver's seat and the passenger seat. The rear seats are configured in a similar way to a motorcycle system, where a person sits astride, with one leg on each side of the seat hump, which is connected to the back of the respective front seat. The saddle hump means that the legs of the rear passenger are slightly extended, with the knees resting in a small area of ​​the front seat. The surface of the driver's seat is usually wide, but the backrest has a narrow area on which the knees of a person sitting astride the back seat.

10004} The present invention aims to further develop this concept to provide a more compact seating arrangement adapted for use in a compact vehicle.

[0005] Compact vehicles have a compromise in driver ergonomics because the front wheel arch enters the passenger compartment. This happens in vehicles with left and right hand drive. The present invention also provides a compact seating arrangement for the vehicle that allows better ergonomics for the driver,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, a compact seating arrangement for a vehicle is provided, the seating arrangement comprises at least three seats; the driver's front seat positioned essentially centrally and, at least to a certain extent, forward facing two substantially transversely positioned rear passenger seats, where the driver's seat extends laterally so that it is positioned in the front of each rear passenger seat anyway, that it overlaps at least partially the inner leg of each passenger, where each side of the passenger seat is shaped like that, that during use it may be able to accommodate at least a portion of the inside leg of a passenger seated in a forward-facing position, respectively on one of the passenger seats, while keeping the overall width of the rear seat as small as possible.

[0007] Typically, the driver's seat comprises a seat base on which the driver sits and a seat back supporting the driver's back; an area or notch is located on either side of the driver's seat base and / or the backrest enabling the inner leg of each passenger to overlap (both laterally and longitudinally) into the driver's seat position.

[0008] It will be possible to make a common bench rear seat in which said two rear passenger seats are formed. Alternatively, two separate rear seats can be provided.

[0009] In any case, the arrangement of these seats is such that one can take advantage of the fact that a person usually has a wider body or body than the legs, and in particular his arms are wider than the width of the legs. This allows passengers to sit comfortably in the appropriate rear seats, with the driver's front seat overlapping the passengers' legs. The overlapping arrangement allows the vehicle to remain relatively narrow, while providing space for the driver and for at least two passengers sitting side by side.

[0010] According to a further first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seating arrangement is provided, said seating arrangement has at least three seats, and comprises two rear seats essentially transversely positioned, and a driver's seat positioned substantially centrally and in front of said two rear seats , wherein said driver's front seat extends laterally overlapping said portion of the rear passengers' legs. The extent of the overlap will depend on the relative sizes of said passengers.

[0011] The present invention also includes a vehicle comprising seat systems as defined above. [0012] In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle has an engine which is arranged substantially at the rear of the passenger compartment.

[0013] Other preferred and optional features of the invention will become apparent through the claims and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The invention will now be described further, mainly by example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a top view of a first embodiment of a compact seating arrangement according to the present invention with the occupants (driver and two passengers) depicted therein;

Figure 2 is a schematic top view of a vehicle comprising the seating arrangement of Figure 1 (without occupants);

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view similar to Figure 1 with various dimensions marked therein;

Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the vehicle as shown in Figure 2 with the persons shown;

figures 5, 6 and 7 are schematic views from above showing three possible configurations for the seating arrangement shown in the previous figures;

Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle comprising a second embodiment of the seat arrangement of the present invention;

-2fig. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the occupants in the seating arrangement shown in Fig. 8;

Figure 10 is a schematic side view of the vehicle of Figure 8 with the persons shown;

Figure 11 is a schematic front view of a second embodiment illustrating the lateral overlap of the driver's seat and the passenger's leg;

Fig. 12 is a schematic front view corresponding to Fig. 11, but with three persons depicted; and figures 13 to 15 are schematic plan views of three possible configurations of the seating arrangement shown in figure 8.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0015] Figs. 1 to 3 are schematic top views of the vehicle cab 1 showing the first embodiment of a compact seating arrangement inside. As can be seen there is a single, centrally located driver's seat 2 and two rear passenger seats 3 and 4, which are essentially transversely aligned. Although the driver's seat 2 is generally located in front of the two passenger seats, the driver's seat 2 extends laterally overlapping the portion of each of the rear passenger legs L1, L2. The driver's seat is shaped at 2A, providing space for at least part of the inner leg of each passenger (as shown in Figures 1 and 3).

[0016] The three seat arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 3 are comfortable and provide easy access to the 2, 3 and 4 seats for all occupants. The seating arrangement is such that the overall width and length occupied by seats 2, 3 and 4 are as small as possible. Such a compact arrangement is obtained while providing the necessary area and comfort for those who occupy them, by taking advantage of the fact that the shoulders and hips of a person, or the torso in general, are wider than legs. It is therefore possible to sit comfortably behind the driver and provide adequate space for rear passengers who can stretch their legs on either side of the driver. The overall length of the vehicle W may thus be limited to about 1250 mm-1400 mm (see Fig. 3).

[0017] Fig. 2 is a top view of the vehicle comprising the seating arrangement of Fig. 1. As described, two rear seats 3 and 4 are provided at the rear relative to the driver's seat 2. Fig. 2 also shows the body 5 of the vehicle, together with its wheels 6, It can be seen that the central position of the driver's seat 2 will allow the seat 2 to align with the control pedals 7 and steering wheel 8. Thus, as can be seen in fig. 2, even when the car has a blue in the center, when the engine (not shown) is located directly at the rear of the passenger compartment and the driver is relatively front, the driver's seat 2 is aligned with the steering elements 7, 8 and is not shifted (as it would have is a place in a conventional, compact car). It is also beneficial when in the central forward position the ergonomics of the driver's seat are improved compared to known cars with two and four seats, and the driver's view is much better. Therefore, it is also possible to ensure minimal disturbance to the driver's field of vision.

[0018] As can be seen from Fig. 2, the central position of the driver means that there is no need to limit or compromise the positioning and size of the front wheel arch 9. This also means that depending on the requirements, the steering lock can be selected, and consequently also turning radius.

[0019] The central position of the driver allows to prevent problems normally associated with cars with two and four seats, for example caused by the arches of the front wheels 9 entering the passenger compartment. The central position of the driver also means that there is no need to create a left-hand and right-hand version. In addition, the seating arrangement shown in fig. 1 up to 3 makes it possible to obtain these advantages of the central position of the driver without having to significantly increase the width of the passenger compartment 1.

[0020] As indicated above, the passenger compartment 1 preferably has a maximum width W of about 1250 mm-1400 mm. This is advantageous compared to the width currently available for compact cars with two / four seats, for example Smart for two (trademark) (two seats) is 1559 mm wide, while Citroen C1 (trademark) (with four seats) has a width of 1630 mm. The driver's central seat 2 is preferably shifted forward relative to the two rear passenger seats 3 and 4 by a distance F e.g. about 350 mm-450 mm (see fig. 3). In this way, the body of each passenger is held at the rear of the driver, to ensure comfort and avoid interference with the driver's visibility by passengers, while passengers can stretch their legs from the driver's side.

[0021] The arrangement of the centrally positioned front driver and passenger seat described above limits the overall width of the cabin. The size of the side overlapping of the seats will depend on the relative size of the seats, their shapes etc. The distance D1 between the center line CL1 of driver 2's central seat and the center lines CL2, CL3 of each rear passenger seat 3 and 4 is preferably in the range of 250 mm-400 mm, but the most preferably in the range of 280 mm-380 mm (see Fig. 3).

[0022] It is advantageous if, despite the fact that the driver's seat 2 is in front of two passenger seats 3, 4, the upper parts of the three seats, supporting the heads of persons, are in a similar part of the passenger cabin 1, so that it is possible to provide a simple wine space above the head in this position (see Fig. 4).

As shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, this seating arrangement also allows easy access to the passenger seats, which in turn provides a flexible loading space. Passenger seats 3, 4 can be folded individually or together, creating an increased cargo space. Fig. 5 shows three seat configurations with luggage space 10A behind the passenger seats 3, 4. Fig. 6 shows the configuration of two seats, with one passenger seat folded, with a load space of 10A, 10B in the trunk and in the cabin. Fig. 7 only shows the driver's seat configuration, with two passenger seats folded, with cargo spaces 10A, 10B, 10C in the boot and in the cabin. The areas available for loads are shown as shaded in Figs. 5-7.

[0024] Figs. 8-15 show a second embodiment of a seat arrangement according to the invention. This is similar to the system shown in Figs. 1-7, but with some small changes in the different dimensions of the system. Figures 8-15 also show the features of the seats and positions of the occupants thereof in a little more detail. FIG. 8 shows the top view of the vehicle containing the seating arrangement and shows the cabin 11, driver's seat 12, two rear passenger seats 13, 14, vehicle body 15, its wheels 16, steering pedals 17, steering wheel 18 and front wheel arches 19.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 8, the driver's seat includes a seat base 12A, seat back 12B and headrest 12C. The rear parts of the seat base 12A, on each side thereof, are shaped e.g. by making a cut-out 12D to provide space for at least part of the passenger's leg sitting in the rear passenger seat, In this way the seat base 12A allows

- putting on the rear seats 13, 14 (and the inside leg of the passenger sitting there) in the lateral direction, e.g. in such a way that the inner knee of the passenger lies, at least partly, below one of the driver's arms. The inner shoulder of each passenger thus lies on the center line of one of the driver's arms as shown in figure 9.

[0026] In the arrangement shown in Fig. 9, the space D1 between the center line CL1 of the driver's seat 12 and the center lines CL2, CL3 of the passenger seats 13, 14 is about 280-380 mm (which is slightly more than shown in the first embodiment) . The overall outer width of a vehicle can, however, be kept at around 1250 mm-1400 mm or less.

[0027] The inner width of the cabin will be less than 1400 mm and preferably less than 1200 mm. The internal width should, however, preferably be at least 1040 mm to accommodate the shoulders of typical adult passengers side by side (in extreme cases their shoulders touch).

[0028] The width S of the arms of an adult occupant is typically in the range of 450 mm to 520 mm, which is preferably greater than the lateral distance D1 of the center line of the seats, such that the passenger's inner arm is behind or in the center line of one of the arms drivers, i.e. so that the inner arms of the passengers are separated from each other by less than S. The lateral distance D1 should preferably be greater than or equal to the width S, so that the inner arms of the passengers are offset from each other (or in the worst case they are next to each other). The favorable ratio between D1 and S can therefore be defined as:

S / 2 <D1 s S.

[0029] Fig. 10 is a side view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 9. As can be seen from Fig. (And Fig. 4 described above), the driver's seat and the passengers' seats are positioned such that occupants sit in relatively upright position. The seat backs are inclined at an angle, so they (and the backs of occupants) are inclined to the vertical at an angle of A1, e.g. around 20 degrees. This angle can be changed to some extent, but it is preferably less than 30 degrees and most preferably less than 25 degrees.

[0030] The seat base of each of the seats is also spaced from the floor 11A of the cabin, such that occupants sit at a relatively high height. The distance D3 between the upper surface of the seat base 12A that supports the occupant and the floor 11A is preferably in the range of 400-500 mm. The lower legs of the occupants of the seats typically form an angle with a plumb of 30 degrees or less, and preferably 25 degrees or less.

[0031] Fig. 11 shows a front view of the driver's seat 12 (without a person occupying it) and the passenger seated in one of the rear seats, As shown, the seat back 12B has two main parts: the upper or the wide 12C supporting the upper back and the arms of the person occupying them and the lower, relatively narrow 12D part supporting the lower back of the person. As shown in the figure, the inner passenger knee K1 overlaps the driver's seat from the side and is located in the space at the side of the lower part of the backrest of the 12D seat. In this way, the driver's seat is shaped to allow the inner knee of the passenger K1 to overlap the driver's seat in the longitudinal direction Qak shown in Figs. 8-10) and in the lateral direction (as shown in Fig. 11).

[0032] The wide backrest portion 12C typically has a width in the range 400-500 mm (which is preferably similar or slightly smaller than the width of the shoulders of the occupant), and the narrow portion 12D typically has a width in the range 150-300 mm. The space to accommodate the K1 passenger knee preferably extends sideways on each side of the seat back 12B by at least 50 mm and preferably -5 ° at least 100 mm. As shown, the seat base 12A (except the portion between the rear notches 12D) has a width similar to the width of the wide portion 12C of the seat back.

[0033] Fig. 12 is a front view of the driver and two passengers seated in the seating arrangement shown in Figs. 8-11. This illustrates how the passenger bodies (upper body) overlap the driver's body in a transverse direction.

[0034] Figures 13-15 show the three possible seat arrangement configurations described above. Fig. 13 shows loading space 20A behind passenger seats. The backs of passenger seats 13, 14 can be folded into a substantially horizontal position. In Fig. 14 one is folded to form an additional cargo space 20B, and in Fig. 15 both are folded to form an additional cargo space 20B and 20C. The available loading areas are again shaded in Figures 13-15. In further arrangements (not shown), the child seat can be attached to one or both passenger seats.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the knees of the passengers overlap the driver's body and the driver's seat to some extent, as shown by the distance D2 (see Fig. 4). The size of this distance depends on the longitudinal distance of the driver's seat and the size of the passenger, but is typically in the range of 50 mm300 mm. The longitudinal position of the driver's seat 12 is adjustable so that the driver can adjust his position relative to the control pedals 7 and steering wheel 8, depending on the requirements. As shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the driver's seat 2, 12 is located in front of the passenger seats 3, 4, 13, 14, In a preferred embodiment, the tyin part of the driver's seat base 12 and / or the backrest of the driver's seat 12B is located close to the front of the seats passenger 13, 14 (viewed from above as in Figures 2 and 8). When the driver's seat 12 is set forward, the space between the driver's seat 12 and passenger seats 13, 14 increases e.g. up to 200 mm and when it is adjustable backwards it can be moved to a position that is superimposed longitudinally on the front part of the passenger seat base 13, 14 e.g. up to 250 mm. This may include overlapping of the driver's seat back 12B and the passenger seat base (which is possible when these parts have different heights). In some cases, it may also involve overlapping of the driver's seat base 12A and the passenger seat base (which may be possible when the width of the rear portion of the driver seat base 12B is narrower than the gap between the front parts of the two passenger seat bases).

[0036] As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the occupants of the seats sit at a relatively high height, and the feet of the passenger typically rest on the floor 1A, 11A of the cabin, right next to the position of the driver's seat base 12A. Passengers may, however, straighten their legs further to such an extent that their feet will rest on the rear of the wheel arches 9, 19. In a preferred arrangement, the legs of an adult passenger may be substantially completely extended in this position.

[0037] A further important aspect of the vehicle and the seating arrangement described herein is the ease of access to the driver's seat 2, 12 and passenger seats 3, 4, 13, 14. One of the reasons why the three seat arrangements with the driver's centrally located seat have not been widely adapted, it is difficult to take up and leave this seat, because it is moved a certain distance from the side of the vehicle. One way to overcome this problem is to extend the front door to the cabin floor so that when the door is opened, at least part of the floor next to the driver's seat also moves. When the door is open, the driver can place his foot on the floor slightly closer to the driver's seat. This solution was adopted in the McLaren F1 sports car (trademark).

[0038] In the vehicle and in the seating arrangement described herein, another solution has been used. Since the vehicle finds particular application as a compact city vehicle, it is important that access to all seats is easy. Therefore, instead of conventional entrance doors, the vehicle cabin has been designed in such a way that it can open so that at least part of the roof and at least one side of the cabin move to a position where a person can enter from the side of the vehicle entering from the ground next to the vehicle on the horizontal floor area 15A or 15B on one side of the driver's seat 12 (and in front of the passenger seats 13, 14) and is able to stand upright or largely upright in this area of ​​the floor. This means that at least part of the cabin roof is moved to a position that provides a void space extending to a height of at least 1.75 m, and preferably 1.8 m or more, above floor area 15A and / or 15B. There are different ways to achieve this. One way is to open up at least part of the cabin roof and at least part of one side of the cabin. To achieve this, for example, an M-shaped door can be used. Another option is to slide at least part of the cabin roof and at least part of one side of the cabin.

[0039] The driver may therefore stand on this floor area 15A or 15B and then sit on the driver's seat 12, then turn the body to face forward or the driver may stand on this floor area 15A or 15B and then move his feet to area 15C below the steering wheel and behind the steering pedals, then (or simultaneously) lower into a seated position on the driver's seat 12.

[0040] Similarly, a passenger can enter from the ground next to the vehicle into the floor area 15A or 15B, turn forward and then take a seat in the appropriate passenger seat 13, 14. Therefore, although it is a small, compact vehicle, the system allows easy access to and from all three seats, where the key is the ability to stand upright (or substantially upright) in floor area 15A, 15B, directly next to the driver's seat and passenger seats. Each of the floor areas 15A, 15B has dimensions preferably 400 mm x 300 mm and most preferably at least 500 mm x 400 mm.

[0041] A further important aspect of the 3-seat arrangement described is the provision of a seat belt for each of the seats. The seat belt holders for passenger seats can be attached to the vehicle body in a conventional manner. However, when the driver's seat is moved away from the sides of the cab, this is impossible for the driver's seat belt. In the McLaren F1 sports car (trademark), this problem was solved by providing a shell structure with structural members on the sides of the driver's seat (since in this case there is no lateral overlap of the driver's seat and passenger seats). In the seat arrangement described here, the driver's seat is instead equipped with a frame that has sufficient strength to carry the loads exerted on the upper belt attachment element attached at the back of the seat, through the frame, to the base of the seat and thus to the floor of the vehicle.

[0042] The seat arrangements described above have several advantages;

• the driver's seat is centrally positioned, ensuring better visibility and alignment of the driver with the controls.

• the driver's seat system with passenger seats provides a compact, yet comfortable and easily accessible passenger cabin, • the seat system is compact, so that the dimensions of the car and its weight can be reduced to a minimum.

[0043] The invention also includes a vehicle seating arrangement, said seating arrangement has at least three seats and comprises two rear passenger seats positioned substantially transversely and a driver's seat positioned essentially centrally and in front of said two passenger seats where said driver's front seat extends backwards beyond the front of the rear passengers' legs. As described above, the magnitude of overlap D2 (see Fig. 4) will depend on the relative size of said passengers.

[0044] The above embodiments have been described with particular reference to a vehicle with three seats and a central engine. Typically, the vehicle engine is mounted in space 20D (see Fig. 10) under the floor of the luggage space 20A (which is typically at a similar level to the bases of passenger seats 13, 14) and / or below the bases of passenger seats 13, 14. When the vehicle is equipped with an internal combustion engine, the fuel tank is preferably located under the driver's seat, and the radiator can be located behind the fuel tank. When the vehicle has an electric motor, a battery or other energy source may be similarly mounted under the driver's seat. The fuel tank or other energy source is therefore mounted on the vehicle's center line, essentially halfway between the front and rear wheels and in the lower position, and thus in a substantially ideal position to ensure vehicle dynamics. However, the described seating arrangement with the central steering position is beneficial in any type of vehicle, regardless of whether it has a central engine or not.

[0045] If the length of the vehicle is not a problem, additional rear seats can be provided behind the rear passenger seats shown. Further, it will be possible to provide two rear seats in the form of a suitably shaped bench seat, for example connected by upholstery.

[0046] As noted above, the described seating arrangement is adapted to a compact city vehicle. In particular, it allows the construction of a vehicle with an overall (external) length of 2.3 m or less and with an overall (external) width of 1.25-4 m. This is important because a vehicle of this size is able to occupy the standard parking spaces in the UK from the side (in the range of 4.5 m-6.6 m by 1.8 m-2.7 m) and it is possible to park three such vehicles on a 4.5 m parking space next to each other and four such vehicles on a 6.6 m parking space next to each other (while still leaving adequate space between the four vehicles for getting in and out of vehicles), It will also be beneficial if the front door of the type described above opens upwards or longitudinally without extending laterally beyond the dimensions of the vehicle when opened (or only a short distance).

[0047] In the closed configuration, the height of the vehicle (from the floor to the top of the roof) is preferably from 1.15-1.50 m and most typically about 1.4 m.

[0048] It is preferred that the modifications and variations of the invention described above can be made within the scope of the present invention.