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EP-4494933-B1 - COCKPIT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR THE RECONFIGURATION OF A COCKPIT

EP4494933B1EP 4494933 B1EP4494933 B1EP 4494933B1EP-4494933-B1

Inventors

  • CONIGLIARO, Vito
  • DE PAOLI, Alessandro Paolo
  • GRANJARD, Thomas
  • TAYLOR, DANIEL MARTIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240718

Claims (14)

  1. A cockpit (25) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising: - a first seat (26) comprising, in turn, a first seat cushion (30) and a first backrest (40); and - a second seat (27) comprising, in turn, a second seat cushion (31) and a second backrest (41); said cockpit (25) being available in a first two-seater configuration, wherein said first seat (26) is in a first position, wherein it is next to said second seat (27) along a first axis (Y); said second seat cushion (31) and said second backrest (41) being arranged in a second and a third position, respectively, when said cockpit (25) is in said first position; characterized in that said first seat (26) can be moved along said first axis (Y) between said first position and a fourth position, said second seat cushion (31) can be moved between said second position and a fifth position and said second backrest (41) can be moved between said third position and a sixth position parallel to a second axis (X), which is transverse to said first axis (Y); said cockpit (25) being selectively movable to a second single-seater configuration, wherein said first seat (26) is in said fourth position, said second seat cushion (31) is in said fifth position and said second backrest (41) is in said sixth position; said first seat (26), in said fourth position, being at least partly arranged in the space occupied by said second seat (27) when said cockpit (25) is in said first configuration.
  2. The cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that said first seat cushion (30) of said first seat (26), in said fourth position, is at least partly arranged in the space occupied by said second seat cushion (31) arranged in said second position; and/or characterized in that said first backrest (40) of said first seat (26), in said fourth position, is at least partly arranged in the space occupied by said second backrest (41) arranged in said third position.
  3. The cockpit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first seat (26) arranged in said fourth position at least partly overlaps said second backrest (41) arranged in said sixth position, in a view parallel to said second axis (X); said second backrest (41) arranged in said sixth position being staggered along said first axis (Y) relative to said first seat (26) arranged in said second position; and/or characterized in that said first seat (26) arranged in said fourth position at least partly overlaps said second seat cushion (31) arranged in said fifth position, in a view parallel to said first axis (Y).
  4. The cockpit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second seat cushion (31) can rotate around a third axis (H), which is parallel to said second axis (X), between said third and fourth positions.
  5. The cockpit according to claim 4, characterized in that said second seat cushion (31) comprises a first and a second lateral end edges (160, 161) opposite one another; said second edge (161) being interposed, along said first axis (Y), between said first edge (160) and said first seat (26) in said first configuration of said cockpit (25); said second edge (161) being arranged at a first distance from said first edge (160) along said first axis (Y) in the first configuration and at a second distance, which is smaller than the first distance, from said first edge (160) along said first axis (Y) in said second configuration.
  6. The cockpit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second axis (X) and said third axis (H) are parallel to one another; and/or characterized in that the first seat cushion (30) and said first backrest (40) can slide together in an integral manner parallel to said first axis (Y).
  7. A motor vehicle (1) comprising: - a passenger compartment (3); - a plurality of driving members (10; 11, 12), which are housed inside said passenger compartment (3) and can be operated by a driver in order to control the trajectory and the speed of said motor vehicle (1); - at least one control member (6, 7, 9, 21) connected to at least one driving member (10; 11, 12) through a drive by wire mode; and - said cockpit (25) according to any one of the preceding claims.
  8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: - a body (2); - a first and a second door (8a, 8b), which can be moved relative to said body (2) between respective seventh open positions, wherein they allow access to said passenger compartment (3), and respective eighth closed position, wherein they forbid access to said passenger compartment (3); said second seat cushion (31) being interposed between said second door (8b) arranged in the respective eighth closed position and said first seat (26) arranged in said first position, when in it is arranged in said second position; said second seat cushion (31) facing said second door (8b) arranged in the respective eighth closed position, when in it is arranged in said second position.
  9. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said second backrest (41) is set back relative to said first seat (26) in said second configuration of the cockpit (25), with reference to a normal forward moving direction, in use, of said motor vehicle (1) parallel to said second axis (X).
  10. A method for the configuration of a cockpit (25) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising the steps of: i) arranging said cockpit (25) to a first two-seater configuration, wherein a first seat (26) is in a first position, wherein it is next to a second seat (27) along a first axis (Y); said first seat (26) comprising, in turn, a first seat cushion (30) and a first backrest (40); said second seat (27) comprising, in turn, a second seat cushion (31) and a second backrest (41); said second seat cushion (31) and said second backrest (41) being arranged in a second and a third position, respectively, when said cockpit (25) is in said first position; characterized in that it comprises the step ii) of shifting said cockpit (25) to a second single-seater configuration which said first seat (26) is in a fourth position, said second seat cushion (31) is in a fifth position and said second backrest (41) is in a sixth position; said step ii) comprising the step iii) of placing at least part of said first seat (26) in the fourth position in the space occupied by said second seat (27) in said first configuration.
  11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that said step iii) comprises the steps of: iv) at least partly placing said first seat cushion (30) of said first seat (26) in said fourth position in the space occupied by said second seat cushion (31) arranged in said second position; and/or v) at least partly placing said first backrest (40) of said first seat (26) in said fourth position in the space occupied by said second backrest (41) arranged in said third position.
  12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said step ii) comprises the steps of: vi) moving said second backrest (41) from said third position to said sixth position along a second axis (X) parallel to said first axis (Y); vii) moving said second seat cushion (31) from said second position to said fifth position; and viii) moving said first seat (26) towards said second seat cushion (31) from said first position, parallel to said first axis (Y), up to said fourth position, wherein it is staggered, along said first axis (Y), relative to said second backrest (41) arranged in said sixth position.
  13. The method according to any one of the claims from 10 to 12, characterized in that said step viii) comprises the steps of: ix) shifting said first seat (26) in said fourth position so that it at least partly overlaps said second backrest (41) arranged in said sixth position, in a view parallel to said second axis (X); and/or x) shifting said first seat (26) in said fourth position so that it at least partly overlaps said second seat cushion (31) arranged in said fifth position, in a view parallel to said first axis (Y).
  14. The method according to any one of the claims from 10 to 13, characterized in that said step vii) comprises the step xi) of rotating said second seat cushion (31) towards a door (8b) of said motor vehicle (1) until it faces said door (8b) in said second position of said second seat cushion (31) around a third axis (H) parallel to said second axis (X).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102023000015255 filed on July 20, 2023. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a cockpit for a motor vehicle and a method for reconfiguring the cockpit. BACKGROUND Motor vehicles comprise, in a known way: a passenger compartment defining a body;multiple wheels;a steering wheel arranged inside the passenger compartment which can be driven by a driver to steer the front wheels and thus enable the motor vehicle to follow a curved trajectory; andpedals comprising an accelerator and a brake that the driver can activate to increase the drive torque or exert a braking torque on the wheels respectively, so as to control the speed of the motor vehicle. The passenger compartments of motor vehicles normally intended for use on the road implement the so-called "two-seater" configuration. In this "two-seater" configuration, the passenger compartment also comprises a pair of front seats intended to be occupied by a driver and a passenger respectively, and arranged next to each other along a transverse direction of the motor vehicle orthogonal to a longitudinal direction defining a normal forward direction of the motor vehicle. The steering wheel and the pedals are located opposite the driver's seat and are basically arranged in a left or right front corner of the vehicle. With particular reference to sports motor vehicles, passenger compartments are known that implement the so-called "single-seater" configuration. In this "single-seater" configuration, the passenger compartment comprises a single front seat arranged in a central position opposite the steering wheel and the pedals. There is a need in the sector to provide motor vehicles that enable simple and easy reconfiguration between the above-mentioned "single-seater" and "two-seater" configurations. An example of a cockpit can be seen in EP1491431A1. SUMMARY The purpose of this invention is to produce a cockpit, which makes it possible to meet the need mentioned above. The above-mentioned purpose is achieved with this invention, as it relates to a cockpit according to what is defined in claim 1. This invention also relates to a method for reconfiguring a cockpit according to what is defined in claim 10. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to better understand this invention, a nonlimiting preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle comprising a first embodiment of a cockpit produced according to the precepts of this invention with parts removed for clarity;Figure 2 is a perspective view on a very enlarged scale of the first embodiment of the cockpit in Figure 1, with parts removed for clarity and in a first, "two-seater" operating configuration;Figure 3 is a perspective view on a very enlarged scale of the first embodiment of the cockpit in Figure 2, with parts removed for clarity and in a second, "single-seater" operating configuration. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1, reference number 1 indicates a motor vehicle comprising a body 2 defining a passenger compartment 3. It should be specified that, below in this description, expressions such as "above", "below", "in front of", "behind" and the like are used with reference to the normal movement of the motor vehicle 1. It is also possible to define: a longitudinal axis X integral with the motor vehicle 1, arranged, in use, horizontal and parallel to a normal forward moving direction of the motor vehicle 1;a transversal axis Y integral with the motor vehicle 1, arranged, in use, horizontal and orthogonal to the axis X; andan axis Z integral with the motor vehicle 1, arranged, in use, vertical and orthogonal to the axes X, Y. The motor vehicle 1 also comprises (Figure 1): a pair of front wheels 6 and a pair of back wheels 7;a known engine 9 only schematically illustrated in Figure 1 and operationally connected to the wheels 6 and/or 7 to exert drive torque on the wheels 6 and/or 7; anda brake system 21, also only schematically illustrated, in Figure 1 that can be driven to exert a braking torque on the wheels 6, 7. The motor vehicle 1 also comprises (Figure 1): a windscreen 5 delimiting the passenger compartment 3 at the front; anda pair of doors 8a, 8b hinged to the body 2 that can be moved between a closed position wherein they delimit the passenger compartment 3 to the side and prevent entry into/exit from the passenger compartment 3 and an open position wherein they enable entry into/exit from the passenger compartment 3. The body 2 also comprises a pair of door sills 23, 24 with longitudinal ends opposite each other. The door sills 23, 24 delimit the passenger compartment 3 and are adjacent to corresponding doors 8a, 8b when the doors 8a, 8b are in the respective closed positions. The motor vehicle 1 also comprises control members 10 arranged