Patent Grant
10017193
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a comfort device, notably intended to equip a public transportation vehicle, and more particularly a railway vehicle, of the type including a table and removable attachment means of this table to a structural portion of a compartment.
Description of the Related Art
In certain cases, it is sometimes necessary to reorganize the arrangement of the seats and of the tables in a compartment of a railway vehicle, for example in order to adapt this arrangement to the circulation direction of this railway vehicle.
In this case, it is necessary to disassemble, displace, and then reassemble the tables, such operations generally being tedious.
The object of the invention is notably to find a remedy to this drawback, by proposing a device allowing easy, rapid and ergonomic assembling and disassembling of the table.
For this purpose, the object of the invention is notably a comfort device, notably for passengers of a railway vehicle, including a table comprising a plate and means for attaching the table to a structural portion of a compartment, characterized in that the attachment means include:
The table may be easily disassembled by simply deactivating the blocking means for detaching the attachment member from the fixed lateral support.
The mounting of the table is accomplished conversely by bringing the attachment member on the fixed lateral support by having the first and second connecting portions by sliding cooperate with each other, and then by activating the blocking means.
A comfort device according to the invention may further include one or several of the following features, taken alone or according to all the technically conceivable combinations.
The invention will be better understood upon reading the description which follows, only given as an example and made with reference to the appended figures wherein:
In
In the present description, a «horizontal plane» is defined as being parallel to the floor 18, a «horizontal direction» as being included in a horizontal plane, and a «vertical direction» as being perpendicular to a horizontal plane.
The comfort device 10 includes a table 12, as well as first 14 and second 16 means for attaching this table 12 to the structural portion of the compartment, and more particularly to the floor wall 18 and to the lateral wall 20.
The table 12 conventionally comprises a plate 22 and a central leg 24 bound to the plate 22, for example secured to this plate 22.
The first attachment means 14 include a fixed support on the floor 26, intended to be attached to the floor wall 18, and intended to be removably connected to the central leg 24 of the table 12. For this purpose, the fixed support on the ground 26 comprises means 28 for maintaining the central leg 24, illustrated in more detail in
As this is illustrated in
The central leg 24 as for it includes a hollow lower area 36 having an inner edge 38 with a shape mating that of the peripheral edge 32. Thus, when the inner edge 38 cooperates with the peripheral edge 32 by surrounding the latter, the central leg 24 is immobilized in translation in any horizontal direction.
The hollow lower area 36 moreover has an abutment 40 protruding towards the inside of this lower area 36.
The inner abutment 40 is intended to be inserted under the upper rim 34, this inner abutment 40 being intended to cooperate with this upper rim 34 in order to limit vertical displacement upwards of the table leg 24. Advantageously, play subsists between the inner abutment 40 and the upper rim 34, in order to allow slight vertical displacement of the table 10 when the second attachment means 16 are not active.
Advantageously, the peripheral edge 32 has a chamfer 42, opposite to the upper rim 34.
The assembling of the leg of the table 24 with the fixed support on the floor 26 is first of all achieved by bringing the lower area 36 in a tilted way in order to insert the inner abutment 40 under the upper rim 34, as this is illustrated in
In this vertical position, the inner edge 38 cooperates with the peripheral edge 32, so that the table leg 24 is immobilized in translation along any horizontal direction. Moreover, because of the cooperation of the inner abutment 40 with the upper rim 34, the displacement of the table leg 24 in vertical translation is limited.
The detachment of the table leg 24 from the fixed support on the floor 26 is only possible by tilting the hollow lower area 36, in a movement which is the reverse of the one having been used upon assembling.
A first example of first attachment means 14 is illustrated in
According to this alternative, the hollow lower area 36 is formed with a platelet comprising a through-orifice delimited by the inner edge 38. The platelet 36 is intended to be attached to a lower end of the table leg 24.
The protruding shape 30 is preferably laid out in a recess 44 so as not to jut out, or only jut out slightly from the surface of the floor 18. Indeed it is preferable that the height of the fixed support on the floor 14 with respect to the floor 18 be limited so as not to be a bother when the table 12 is disassembled.
The second attachment means 16 are illustrated in more details in
The second attachment means 16 include a lateral fixed support 46 intended to be attached to the vertical wall 20 of the compartment, in proximity to the fixed support on the ground 26, so that the table 12 may be both attached to the fixed support on the floor 26 and to the lateral fixed support 46.
The lateral fixed support 46 includes a first connecting portion by sliding 48, mating a second connecting portion by sliding 50, which is borne by an attachment member 52 intended to be secured to the plate 22 of the table 12. The sliding connection is oriented vertically.
The first 48 and second 50 connecting portions by sliding for example form a dovetail connection.
The first connecting portion 48 is formed by a rail, extending in a vertical direction, and having a trapezoidal section in a horizontal plane.
The second connecting portion 50 is formed by a housing mating the rail 48, elongated in the vertical direction, wherein the rail 48 is able to slide vertically.
Alternatively, the first connecting portion may conversely be formed by an elongated housing and the second connecting portion by a mating rail.
The rail 48 extends in the vertical direction between a first end 48A, intended to be presented first upon inserting the rail 48 into the housing 50, as far as a second end 48B. The rail 48 preferably has a width, in a traverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and parallel to the lateral wall 20, which increases from the first end 48A as far as the second end 48B. The rail 48 is therefore delimited laterally by two tilted lateral walls. Thus, the rail 48 has, as seen from the front, a general trapezoidal shape.
Also, the housing 50 extends in the vertical direction from a lower mouth 50A, at which the first end 48A of the rail is intended to be inserted, as far as an upper end 50B. The housing 50 has a width, in the transverse direction, which decreases from the lower mouth 50A as far as the upper end 50B. The housing 50 is therefore laterally delimited by two tilted lateral walls. The housing 50 thus has, as seen from the front, a general trapezium shape.
These trapezium shapes have several advantages. In particular, the width of the rail 48 at its first end 48A being smaller than the width of the housing 50 at its lower mouth 50A, the insertion of the rail 48 into the housing 50 is facilitated. The rail 48 may notably be inserted into the housing 50 without following a purely vertical trajectory, but by following a curve trajectory, corresponding to the tilting of the leg 24 mentioned earlier.
The rail 48 is shown partly inserted into the housing 50 in
The travel of the rail 48 in the housing 50 is limited by the cooperation of the tilted walls of the rail 48 with the tilted walls of the housing 50, which are in contact at the end of travel of the rail 48 in the housing 50. These tilted walls in contact also give the possibility of partly supporting the weight of the table 12.
The rail 48 and the housing 50 are assembled at the end of travel of the rail 48 in this housing 50, as this is illustrated in
In order to maintain the attachment member 52 and the lateral fixed support 46 in this assembled configuration, the comfort device 10 includes retractable means 54 for blocking the attachment member 52 on the lateral fixed support 46.
These retractable blocking means 54 are active when the attachment member 52 is added onto the lateral fixed support 46 at the end of the travel of the rail 48 in the housing 50.
These blocking means 54 are movable between a blocking position, wherein the rail 48 and the housing 50 are secured with each other, and a release position wherein the rail 48 and the housing 50 are free to move relatively to each other.
Examples of blocking means 54 are described in more detail in
According to this exemplary embodiment, the lateral fixed support 46 includes an inner panel 46A, intended to be attached to the lateral wall 20 of the compartment by means of conventional attachment means, for example by means of screws 56, and a second outer panel 46B, intended to be added onto the inner panel 46A, and bearing the rail 48. For this purpose, the inner panel 46A includes an upper fitting shape 58, for example formed by an upper ruler secured to the remainder of the inner panel 46A, and the second outer panel 46B includes an upper fitting curved portion 60 intended to rest on the ruler 58.
The attachment of the inner panel 46A with the second outer panel 46B is finalized by conventional lower attachment means 62, for example screws.
Alternatively, the lateral fixed support 46 is made in a single portion, in which case the attachments 56 are apparent, as this is the case for the example of
The attachment member 52 of the example of
Advantageously, the attachment member 52 includes reinforcement gussets 64, connecting the first vertical panel 52A to the second horizontal panel 52B.
The blocking means 54 include at least one male element 66 borne by the attachment member 52, movable between a deployed position and a retracted position, and, at least one first elastic member 68 for returning the male element 66 to its deployed position.
The blocking means 54 moreover include at least one fixed female element 70, mating the male element 66, borne by the lateral fixed support 46, each male element 66 being found facing the corresponding female element 70 when the attachment member 52 is added on the lateral fixed support 46 at the end of the travel of the rail 48 relatively to the housing 50. In the example illustrated in
As long as the rail 48 and the housing 50 cooperate with each other without being at the end of their travel, the male element 66 cooperates with the lateral fixed support 46, notably with the rail 48, in order to be pushed towards its retracted position. Thus, as long as the rail 48 and the housing 50 cooperate with each other, the male element 66 can only be deployed when it is facing the corresponding female element 70.
Moreover, the blocking means 54 include means 72 for displacing the male element 66 towards its retracted position, which may be actuated by an operator, for example by means of an added element such as a key, for example a key with a square section.
In the example described in
Preferably, the rotating axis 74 has such an actuation shape at each of its ends, in order to be able to be equally actuated on one side or on the other, depending on the preference of the operator.
In the example described in
According to another alternative not shown, the male element is formed by a bolt which may be moved horizontally. The corresponding female element is then formed by a mating orifice.
Advantageously, as this is illustrated in
This second elastic member 76 is for example formed by an elastic blade borne at the upper end 50B of the housing 50, and intended to bear upon the first end 48A of the rail 48, which forms an edge as this is visible in
Thus, when the attachment member 52 is assembled to the lateral fixed support 46, and that the blocking means 54 are deactivated by actuation of the displacement means 72, the attachment member 52 moves upward along the rail 48 under the effect of the separating force exerted by the second elastic member 76, so that the male elements 66 are no longer facing the corresponding female element 70. The blocking means 54 are thereby deactivated. However the table 12 remains in place, the rail 48 and the housing 50 remaining held together by their dovetail shape.
The stiffness of the second elastic member 76 is selected so as to withstand the weight of the table, the separation force having to be greater than this weight, so that only a thrust action from the operator downwards allows engagement of each male element 66 into the corresponding female element 70.
The mounting and the dismantling of the comfort device 10 according to the invention will now be described.
In order to mount the comfort device 10, the table leg 24 is first of all provided, tilted, on the fixed support on the floor 26, by inserting the abutment 40 under the edge 34, as this is illustrated in
The table 12 is then tilted so as to vertically straighten the table leg 24 as this is illustrated in
During this tilting, the attachment member 52, borne by the table 12, will cooperate with the lateral fixed support 46, the rail 48 of which will engage into the housing 50. Because of the trapezium shapes of the rail 48 and of the housing 50, the latter will easily cooperate with each other in spite of the fact that the docking is accomplished during the tilting of the table 12, and not during a purely vertical displacement.
When the rail 48 arrives at the end of travel in the housing 50, a thrust force has to be exerted on the table in order to overcome the separation force exerted by the second elastic member 76, until each male element 66 is engaged into the corresponding female element 70.
The attachment member 52 is then blocked on the lateral fixed support 46, both vertically by the blocking means 54, perpendicularly to the lateral wall 20 because of the dovetail shape of the rail 48 and of the housing 50, and transversely because of the side walls of the rail which cooperate with the side walls of the housing 50.
In order to dismantle the table, it is necessary to actuate the means 72 for displacing the male elements 66, in order to move them into their retracted position and thus disengaging them from the corresponding female element 70.
The attachment member 52 is then no longer blocked vertically, and the latter is driven upwards under the effect of the second elastic member 76. The male elements 66 are then no longer facing the corresponding female elements 70, so that the blocking means 54 are deactivated.
Thus, these blocking means 54 are deactivated without requiring that the displacement means 72 be held, so that the operator thus has both hands free for then maneuvering the table 12.
It should be noted that the vertical displacement of the attachment member 52 for deactivating the blocking means is possible by means of the play defined between the abutment 40 and the edge 34, as well as preferably by the flexibility of the connection between the leg 24 and the plate 22.
The table 12 is then tilted, in a movement opposite to the one having been performed during the mounting of the table, in order to release the leg 24 of the fixed support on the floor 26.
The table may thus be transported, in order to be mounted on other attachment supports provided in the compartment.
In
According to this alternative embodiment, the male elements 66 are hook-shaped extending above their rotating axis 74 in the vertical direction (therefore towards the shelf). Each male element 66 includes an elongated body 66A connected to the rotating axis 74, and an extension 66B extending and protruding from the body 66A, the extension 66B being intended to be inserted into the corresponding female element 70.
The body 66A is tilted with respect to the vertical direction, towards the female element 70.
Thus, because the male element 66 extends above the rotating axis, and that the body 66A is tilted towards the female element 70, in the case of a tensile force upwards applied to the table 12, the male element 66, cooperating with the female element 70, is subject to a rotation torque around the axis 74, towards the female element 70, which has the effect of reinforcing the locking. The safety of the locking is therefore reinforced in this alternative.
Optionally, the male element 66 is provided with a lever 78 secured to the body 66A, extending below the axis 74. This lever 78 forms secondary displacement means, which may be activated for example if the displacement means 72 are deteriorated.
It will be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described earlier, but may have diverse other alternatives.
For example, other blocking mean structures 54 may be contemplated.
According to another alternative, the table is without any leg, and only includes a plate 22.
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| 15 58730 | Sep 2015 | FR | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20170080954 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |
