Vehicle including a drive unit and a seat provided on the drive unit via a lift unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12083935-B2
Application number	US-202218059736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Feb 8, 2022
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a vehicle body frame; a drive unit provided on the vehicle body frame and movable on a floor surface; a seat disposed above the vehicle body frame to support buttocks of a user; a lift unit provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat to raise and lower the seat between a low position and a high position; and at least one support member extending downward from the seat and provided, at a lower portion thereof, with a footrest for supporting soles of the user. The support member is provided to be displaceable vertically relative to the seat, and the support member is displaced such that a distance between the seat and the footrest when the seat is in the high position is greater than a distance between the seat and the footrest when the seat is in the low position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body frame;
a drive unit provided on the vehicle body frame and movable on a floor surface;
a seat disposed above the vehicle body frame to support buttocks of a user;
a lift unit provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat to raise and lower the seat between a low position and a high position; and
at least one support member extending downward from the seat and provided, at a lower portion thereof, with a footrest for supporting soles of the user,
wherein the support member is provided to be displaceable vertically relative to the seat,
the support member is displaced such that a distance between the seat and the footrest when the seat is in the high position is greater than a distance between the seat and the footrest when the seat is in the low position,
the seat includes a tubular receiving part that extends vertically,
the support member includes a shaft part which is slidably supported in the receiving part and to which the footrest is joined and a stopper provided on an upper portion of the shaft part to define a lower limit position of the shaft part relative to the receiving part by contacting an upper end of the receiving part, and
when the seat is in the low position, a lower end of the shaft part contacts the floor surface and the stopper is disposed in a position separated upward from the receiving part.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an angle and a front-rear position of the footrest relative to the seat when the seat is in the low position are same as an angle and a front-rear position of the footrest relative to the seat when the seat is in the high position.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the shaft part is provided with a first roller.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one first leg extending downward from the seat and provided with a second roller at a lower end thereof; and
at least one second leg extending downward from the seat and provided with a contact member at a lower end thereof,
wherein when the seat is in the high position, the second roller and the contact member are separated from the floor surface, and
when the seat is in the low position, the second roller and the contact member contact the floor surface.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein when the seat is in the high position, a lower end of the contact member is disposed lower than a lower end of the second roller and a lower end of the first roller is disposed higher than the lower end of the contact member.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a pad configured to contact the buttocks and thighs of the user, and
an upper surface of a front portion of the pad is provided with an inclined surface that is inclined downward in a forward direction.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein an upper surface of a rear portion of the pad is provided with a recess that is recessed downward.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the seat includes a knee belt for restraining a knee of the user to the front portion of the pad.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yada Wataru
• Nohara Daisuke
• Yamamoto Sachiko

Classifications

• B60N3/063

  with adjustment systems · CPC title

• B60N2002/247

  to support passengers in a half-standing position · CPC title

• B60N2/0231

  concealed interfaces, e.g. hidden below seat cover · CPC title

• B60N3/02

  of hand grips or straps · CPC title

• B60N2/24

  for particular purposes or particular vehicles · CPC title