초록 ▼

A system is described for use in a truck cabin having a primary doorway (16, FIG. 2) at the rear of the cabin, which facilitates movement of the driver out of and into the driver\s seat (20) when he leaves or enters by the rear doorway, by avoiding the restrictions of a steering wheel (26) that lies

A system is described for use in a truck cabin having a primary doorway (16, FIG. 2) at the rear of the cabin, which facilitates movement of the driver out of and into the driver\s seat (20) when he leaves or enters by the rear doorway, by avoiding the restrictions of a steering wheel (26) that lies closely over the lap of the driver when he is driving. The system includes a mount (32) that supports the seat for rotation about a vertical axis, and an actuator (38, FIG. 4) connected to the mount to turn the seat between forward and sideward positions (20f, 20s) at which the seat respectively faces forwardly and largely sidewardly. A control coupled to the transmission (43, FIG. 2) of the vehicle, forcibly holds the seat in the forward position when the transmission is in a drive setting, to avoid unexpected turning of the seat while driving the vehicle. The control releases the seat and biases it toward the side position when the transmission is placed in a neutral setting, so that the seat can pivot to a position at which the driver can stand up without restriction from the steering wheel, and so that the seat is maintained in the side position when the driver next enters the vehicle and sits down.

대표청구항 ▼

In a vehicle cab having a seat area, a steering wheel lying closely in front and above the seat area, walls forming a rear doorway located behind the seat area for access and egress through the rear of the cab, walls forming a passageway at a first side of said seat area leading to said rear doorway

In a vehicle cab having a seat area, a steering wheel lying closely in front and above the seat area, walls forming a rear doorway located behind the seat area for access and egress through the rear of the cab, walls forming a passageway at a first side of said seat area leading to said rear doorway, and a vehicle transmission moveable between neutral and drive settings, the improvement comprising: a mount which supports said seat on said cab for rotation about a substantially vertical axis; an actuator means for rotating said seat about said vertical axis between a forward orientation at which the front of the seat is positioned so the steering wheel lies immediately over the middle of the lap of a person seated in the seat and facing forward, and a sideward orientation which is angled from said forward orientation and at which the front of the seat faces largely toward said passageway; and means responsive to the setting of said transmission for operating said actuator, to pivot said seat toward said forward orientation when the transmission is in a drive setting, and to at least release said seat so it can pivot toward said sideward orientation when the transmission is in a neutral setting.