PASSENGER CHAIR

Abstract: A passenger chair which can be converted into a child chair, comprising a floor frame (1), a passenger back rest (4) with side members (5, 6) which are linked with rear side portions (2, 3) of the frame (1) for tilting the passenger back rest (4) backwards and forwards, the passenger back rest having a first flap (20) the top of which is linked with an upper portion (7) of the passenger back rest (4) and a second flap (21) with a first end portion which is linked with a lower end portion of the first flap (20). The passenger chair has a mechanism (22, 23, 24, 25) which, when the passenger back rest is moved forwards, effects a forcible rotation of the second flap (20) to an approximately horizontal position, while at the same time the first flap (20) is moved forwards. The first flap (20) thereby forms a back rest and the second flap (21) a seat of a child chair which faces in the opposite direction relative to the passenger chair.

Description: Passenger chair The invention relates to a passenger chair which can be converted into a child chair, as indicated in the introduction to claim 1 A chair of this type can be employed in any kind of transport means, in which adults as well as children may be transported A passenger chair of the above-mentioned type is known from EP 0 770 516, where the first flap can be pivoted in the same rotational direction as the passenger back rest, l e the passenger chaπ 's back rest After the passengei back rest has been pivoted into a front position wherein it rests on the passenger seat, the flap is pivoted relative to the passenger back rest, with the l esult that it projects forwai ds and upwards, forming a child's back rest, I e a back lest foi a child, enabling the child to sit on the passengei back lest's reai suiface Since the child's back lest is only attached at one of its end poitions to the passenger back rest, I e that it is cantilevered, it will have a relatively weak connection with the passengei back lest and will strongly tend to give way oi yield if the vehicle in which the passenger chan is mounted is in a collision The use of this passengei chan furthei lequπ es that theie should be sufficient space in fiont of it, in oidei to prevent the upper poition of the passengei back i est from striking against an object during its forward l otation This may be a pi oblem with chairs with a long back rest, e g in modern buses where the passengei chan s often cannot be moved foi wards or backwai ds in ordei to pi ovide more space In addition to unlocking oi leleasing the passengei back iest, in the known chan sevei al opei ations are required in order to conveit the chair to a child chair The ob]ect of the invention is to pi ovide a passenger chair with a built-m child chan which is encumbeied to a less extent by the above-mentioned disadvantages The chaiacteπstics of the passengei chan according to the invention will be appaient from the chaiacteπsmg features indicated in the claims The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing which schematically shows two embodiments of a passenger chair according to the invention Fig 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a passenger chair with the back rest in a rear position, the chair's upholstery having been removed in order to show the chair's components Fig 2 is a perspective view of the passenger chair which is illustrated in fig 1 , the chair's back rest having been pivoted an angular distance forwards fiom the rear position Fig 3 is a perspective view of the passenger chan which is illustrated m fig 1 , the chair's back rest having been pivoted to a foi ward position and components of the back rest having been converted into a child chair which is facing in the opposite dnection to the passenger chair Fig 4 is a perspective view lesemblmg that lllusti ated in fig 1. but of a second embodiment of the passengei chair Fig 5 is a perspective view of the passenger chair which is lllustiated in fig 4, and which resembles that lllustiated in fig 2 The passenger chan which is lllustiated in figs 1 - 3 comprises a fi ame 1 which is arranged to be securely connected with the floor 15 of the tianspoit means, e g the floor of a bus At the uppei , leai poition of the fi ame, on each side it has upwardly piojecting poitions 2 and 3 l espectively Up fiom the reai portion of the fiame there extends a passenger back iest 4 with two side membei s 5 and 6 l espectively, which aie interconnected at the top via an upper cross piece 7 The side members 5. 6 and the ci oss piece 7 may advantageously be made of metal pipe The side members 5, 6 aie at the bottom linked or aiticulately connected with upwai dly projecting portions 2, 3 of the fiame 1 l espectively, via pivot pins with a common oi coincident first axis of rotation D l , the pivot pins being indicated only by this axis of l otation D l The axis of l otation D l extends honzontally and in the passengei chair's tiansvei se dnection Additional axes of lotation D2 - D5 will be descnbed below and it should be understood that these too extend in this way Each of the side members 5, 6 has lower portions 8, 9 which extend a shoit distance downwards from the axis of rotation D l and which are interconnected via a lowei cross piece 10 Thus by tilting the upper portion of the passenger back rest forwards, the lower portions 8, 9 of the side members 5, 6 are moved backwards At the upper portion of the frame there is mounted a gas spring or cyhndei assembly 1 1 with a cylinder part 12 and a piston 13 which are connected to a front portion of the frame 1 and the lower cross piece 10 respectively A pressure gas m a cylinder space of the gas spring hereby attempts to move the piston 13 out of the cylinder The lower cross piece 10 can thereby be moved backwards, thereby effecting a tilting of the upper portion of the back rest forwards The gas spring 1 1 may have a locking mechanism (not illustrated) whereby the gas spring's piston 13 can be secui ed relative to its cylinder part 12 in vaπous relative positions The passenger back rest can thereby be moved to different positions between an upnght slightly backward-leaning, reai position to a substantially forward-leaning, fi ont position, in which it extends upwaids and forwards The locking mechanism can be operated by means of a handle 14 which is attached to the uppei portion of the passenger back i est 4 From the handle 14 an operating cable (not illustrated) may extend in the same way as a brake cable, to the locking mechanism The passenger back rest comprises a first flap 20 whose upper end portion is linked with the upper cross piece 7 The flap's width is slightly less than the distance between the back rest side members 5, 6 and its length is pi efei ably slightly gi eater than half the length of the passengei back i est 4 The flap can thereby rotate about a second axis of rotation D2 The lower end portion of the fu st flap 20 is linked with an uppei end portion of a second flap 21 whose width is also slightly less than the distance between the back rest's side members 5, 6 This flap can thereby rotate about a thu d axis of rotation D3 To one of the upwardly projecting poitions 2 at the frame's upper, reai poition. at one of the side members 5 of the passengei back rest 4, there is attached a lower toothed piece 22. whose toothing oi row of teeth 23 faces upwai ds and extends along a circular ai e with its centi e on the first axis of lotation D l Above the toothed piece 22, linked with tins membei 5 is a control aim 24. one end of which is provided with a toothing oi l ow of teeth 25 which extends along a cncular arc with its centre on an axis of rotation D4 of this aiticulated connection or linkage This axis of rotation may be designated as a fouith axis of rotation The control arm's secon d end portion is linked with the end portion of the second flap which is loc ated opposite the third axis of rotation D3 This linkage's axis of rotation may be designated as a fifth axis of rotation Based on the assumption that the components of the passenger chair have the relative position which is illustrated in fig 1 where the chair can be used by an adult, the function of the passenger chair is as follows Rotational directions of the chair's components will be indicated as they appear to the reader when considering the figures, l e viewed towaids the passenger chair's left-hand In this initial position, the gas spring's piston 13 is pushed into the cylindei part 12 and locked The control arm, moreover, extends downwards from the fourth axis of rotation D4 and the flaps 20. 21 and the side members 5, 6 extend substantially in the same plane, together forming a flat passengei back rest, l e a back rest foi an adult passengei in the transpoit means If the passenger chair has to be used by a child and be converted into a child chair, the handle 14 is operated to disengage the lock and release the piston 12 The lower cross piece 10 of the passenger back rest is thereby pushed backwai ds by means of the gas spring, and the upper portion of the passengei back rest is moved forwards, the passengei back iest being rotated about the fu st axis of rotation D l in an anticlockwise dnection The location of the linkage between the control arm 24 and the passenger back rest 4 is thereby also moved anticlockwise along a circular path, this circulai path having its centre on first axis of rotation D l On account of the mutual engagement of the control arm's toothing 25 and the toothing 23 of the piece 22, the control arm 24 is hei eby also foi cibly rotated anticlockwise, thus causing the contiol arm's lower end portion, which is connected to the second flap 21 , to be moved backwards and upwards The second flap 21 is thereby also iotated anticlockwise about the third axis of rotation D3, while the first flap 20 is rotated clockwise about the second axis of rotation D2 Fig 2 illustrates a position after the passenger back iest has been i otated slightly from the initial position which is illustrated in fig 1 , and fig 3 illustrates the passenger chaπ 's position aftei its back rest has been rotated to its forward position When the passenger back rest has reached the position which is illustrated in fig 3 the handle may be operated again, thus causing the gas spring and thereby the chaii's movable components to be locked relative to one another in this position The fu st flap 20 now forms a child's back i est, and the second flap 21 forms a child seat The side membei s form protective pillai s which ai e arranged to pi otect a child sitting in the child chair against objects which aie moved towaids the chair from the side They furthei help to secui e the child, pi eventing it from being flung out of the seat in a latei al direction If the passenger chair is facing in the transpoit means' dnection of travel, the child chan will advantageously be facing in the opposite dn ection If the passengei chan has to be converted fi om this position into a chan foi an adult, the locking handle is opei ated foi leleasing the piston 13 By gnppmg the uppei portion of the passengei chaii's back iest and pulling the passengei back iest backwards, the gas spnng's spnng foi ce can be ovei come and the passengei back i est brought into the position illustrated in fig 1 This l esults a ι elatι\ e movement of the l ows of teeth 23 and 25, causing the flaps 20, 21 to be moved to a position whei ein they once again ai e aligned with the side membei s 5. 6 when the passengei back i est is located in the l eai position By opei ation of the handle 14. the locking device can once again pi ovide locking of the back i est in this position The handle may be designed so that it can also be gnpped foi pulling the back i est in this mannei It will be undei stood that a mechanism may also be pi ovided coπesponding to that mentioned abo\ e. compiising a conti ol aim foi the child seat on the othei Even though the spring anangement may be advantageous foi movement of the passenger back i est to the foiwai d position, paiticulaily if the pei son opei atmg the chan is. e g , holding a child with one hand and thus only has the othei hand free, it will be undei stood that the chan does not need to be piovided with such a gas spring er, it will be undei stood that instead of a gas spring, any kind of suitable spnng, e g a helical spring, may be employed Figs 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of the passenger chair, where in connection with corresponding components the same reference numerals have been used as in figs 1 - 3, but with the addition of an apostrophe As illustrated in figs 5 and 6, a passenger back rest 4' of the passenger chair comprises two side members 5', 6' The side members 5', 6' are linked with the frame 1 ' of the passengei chair 4', thus enabling them to pivot about an axis of rotation D l ' This passenger chair too comprises a first flap 20' and a second flap 21 ' and the first flap 20' is linked with an upper portion of the side members 5', 6' The second flap 21 ' has a fu st end poition via which it is linked with the first flap 20' and a second, opposite end poition, on one side oi both sides of which is mounted a sliding body 32 The sliding body 32 is aπanged to slide along the adjacent member 5', 6', while simultaneously permitting a rotation of the second flap 21 ' l elative to the side members 5', 6' Foi example, the sliding body 32 may be composed of a cylindrical pin which pi ojects laterally away from the second flap 21 ' and which is arranged to pi oject into a longitudinal hole oi slot 30 and 3 1 lespectively of the adjacent side membei 5' and 6' respectively, the longitudinal hole extending in the side membei 's longitudinal dnection The width of the slot may be slightly laigei than the diameter of the pin At one side the passenger chair fuithei comprises a conti ol arm 24', one end poition of which is linked with the frame 1 ' at a point which is located slightly in front of the first axis of l otation D l '. thus enabling it to pivot about a sixth axis of lotation D6 The contiol arm's opposite, second end poition is lotatably connected with the pin 32 The passengei chan may also have a conti ol aim 24" of this kind at the other side When the passenger back iest 4' is located in the lear position as illustrated in fig 4, the pin 32 is located at the lowei end of the slot 30, and the flaps, the side membei s and the control arm extend substantially in the same plane By tilting the passengei back i est forwai ds, the contiol arm 24' pushes the pin 32 upwaids in the slot 30, causing the front end of the second flap 21 ' to be moved towai ds the passengei back l est's upper end The location of the linkage between the flaps is thereby moved foiwai ds, thus forming a child chair as descnbed above It will be understood that the sliding body 32 and the interacting portion of the side members may be formed in another way. Thus it may be formed as a piece (not illustrated) which grips a longitudinal rail or flange securely connected with the side member, which piece in turn may be rotatably connected with the second flap 21 ' and the control arm 24', 24". In this embodiment too the side members may be extended downwards from the location of the first axis of rotation and be interconnected via a cross piece which can be influenced by a spring device for automatic movement of the passenger back rest forwards during the formation of the child chair.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1 A passenger chair fir a transport means, where the passenger chair can be converted into a child chair, comprising - a frame (1,1') which is arranged to be attached to a floor (15) of the transport means, and - components which aie interlinked in such a manner that they can rotate about axes of rotation (Dl - D5), which extend honzontally and transversely relative to the frame, viz - a passenger back rest (4,4') which has side membei s (5,6,5',6'), which extend along respective longitudinal sides of the passenger back iest (4,4') fiom neai the fiame and upwards, and which aie linked at the bottom with lespective upper, lear side poitions (2,3) of the frame (1,1') thus enabling the passengei back iest (4,4') to be iotated about a fust axis of lotation (Dl) between a leai position, wherein the passenger back iest (4,4') extends upwards and backwards, and a front position wherein the passenger back iest (4,4') extends upwaids and forwards, and - a first flap (20) with an upper end poition which is linked with an uppei poition (7) of the passenger back iest (4,4'), where the first flap (20) can iotate about a second axis of lotation (D2), chaiacteπzed in that - the passengei back iest (4,4') has a second flap (21,21') with first and second end portions mounted opposite each othei, where the first end portion is linked with a lowei end portion of the fust flap (20), thus enabling the flaps (20,21,21') to rotate relative to one another about a thud axis of lotation (D3). and that - the passenger chair (1,1') has at least one mechanism (22,23.24,25,24') with components (22,24,24') which aie connected to the frame (1,1') and the passengei back rest (4,4') lespectively, and which aie arranged to move the second flap (21.21') foicibly about the third axis of rotation (D3) and the fust flap (20) about the second axis of rotation (D2) when the passenger back rest (4,4') is iotated about the first axis of lotation (Dl), whereby the first flap (20) forms a child's back rest, and the second flap (21,21') forms a child seat of a child chair which faces in the other direction relative to the passenger chair when the passenger back rest (44') has been rotated to the front position 2 A passengei chair accoidmg to claim 1 characteiized in that the mechanism compiises at least one control arm (24,24') for movement of the second end portion of the second flap (21 ,21 ') towards the passenger back rest's (4.4') upper portion during a rotation of the passenger back rest (4,4'). 3. A passenger chair according to claim 2, characterized in that the mechanism comprises a piece (22) which is securely connected with one of the upper, rear side portions (2,3) of the frame, and the top of which is in the form of a circular arc and provided with a row of teeth (23), the circular arc lying in a plane which is perpendicular to the axes of rotation, and the centre of the circular arc lying on the first axis of rotation (D l ). and the control arm's (24) first end portion is linked with a side membei (5) near the piece (22) and above it, the control arm (24) being rotatable about a fourth axis of rotation (D4) and the bottom of this first end portion is in the form of a circular arc with its centre on the fourth axis of rotation (D4) and provided with a row of teeth (25) which are engaged with the piece's (22) row of teeth (23), and the control arm's (24) second end portion is linked with the second end portion of the second flap (21 ), thus enabling the second flap (21 ) and the control arm (24) to lotate relative to each other about a fifth axis of rotation (D5), whereby the control arm (24) and thereby the second flap (21 ) are arranged to be forcibly rotated in a first direction, while the first flap (20) is rotated in the opposite direction 4 A passenger chair according to claim 2. characterized in that the control arm (24') has a fu st end portion which is rotatably connected to the frame ( 1 ') in front of the first axis of rotation (D l ), thus enabling it to rotate about a sixth axis (D6) which is parallel to the first axis of rotation, and a second end portion which is lotatably connected to the second end portion of the flap (21 '), which has a sliding body (30) which is arranged to slide along an adjacent side member (5'.6') while simultaneously providing a relative rotation of the side member (5', 6') and the second flap (21 ') 5 A passenger chair according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spring device ( 1 1 ) is connected to a front portion of the frame ( 1 ) and a portion ( 10) which is securely connected to the side members (5,6), and which is located below the first axis of rotation (D l ). whereby a force which is exerted by the spring device ( 1 1 ) attempts to rotate the passenger back rest (4) in a first direction relative to the frame ( 1 ) 6. A passenger chair according to claim 5, characterized in that the spring device is a gas spring ( 1 1). 7. A passenger chair according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the passenger chair has a locking device ( 14), so that the passenger back rest (4) can be locked relative to the frame (1 ) when it is located in the rear or forward position, and possibly also in positions between these positions. 8. A passenger chair according to claim 5 or 6 and 7, characterized in that the spring device ( 1 1 ) comprises a locking device for locking the passenger back rest in a desired rotational position. 9. A passenger chair according to claim 8, characterized in that an operating handle ( 14) for the locking device is mounted at the upper portion of the passenger back rest (4). 10. A passenger chair according to claim 9, characterized in that the operating handle ( 14) also comprises a portion which can be gripped by a person for movement of the passenger back rest (4).

Inventors: DRAGE THORBJOERN, LANGSRUD ERLEND, DRAGE, THORBJOERN, LANGSRUD, ERLEND
Applicants: DRAGE THORBJOERN, LANGSRUD ERLEND, SIT SECURITY AS, DRAGE, THORBJOERN, LANGSRUD, ERLEND
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: A47C7, B60N2, B61D33, B64D11