Automatically adjusting vehicle seat back supports of vehicle seat assemblies

• US 10,023,075 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gage, Sergei I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/185,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/666 vertically adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat comprising a seat base structure and a seat back structure pivotally connected to the seat base structure. The seat back structure includes a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region adjacent the central adjustable region and a outboard side adjustable region located adjacent the central adjustable region. The seat back structure includes a central proximity sensor located at the central adjustable region, an inboard side proximity sensor located at the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side proximity sensor located at the outboard side adjustable region. A seat back structure adjustment apparatus includes a central region adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the outboard adjustable region.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle seat comprising a seat base structure and a seat back structure pivotally connected to the seat base structure, the seat back structure including a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region adjacent the central adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable region located adjacent the central adjustable region, wherein the seat back structure includes a central proximity sensor located at the central adjustable region, an inboard side proximity sensor located at the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side proximity sensor located at the outboard side adjustable region;

a seat ECU that receives signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor that are indicative of respective occupant back locations with an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat; and

a seat back structure adjustment apparatus comprising a central region adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the outboard adjustable region;

wherein the seat ECU includes logic for controlling an actuator that moves one or more of the central region adjustable member, the inboard side adjustable member and the outboard side adjustable member based on one or more signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor;

wherein the inboard side adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the inboard adjustable region toward the outboard adjustable region;

wherein the outboard adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the outboard adjustable region toward the inboard adjustable region; and

wherein the central adjustable member moves along a height of the seat back structure in a vehicle vertical direction to provide the seat back structure with an adjustable predetermined stiffness and/or bulge in the central adjustable region;

wherein the seat ECU moves the central region adjustable member, the inboard side adjustable member and the outboard side adjustable member to within one or more predetermined distances of respective occupant back locations based on the signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat back structure further includes a lower central adjustable region located below the central adjustable region, the seat back structure adjustment apparatus comprising a lower central adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the lower central adjustable region.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the seat ECU controls the actuator that moves the lower central adjustable member based on the one or more signals from one or more of the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the lower central adjustable member is moveable forward and rearward in a vehicle longitudinal direction.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined distances are selectable based on occupant input.

6. A method of automatically adjusting a seat back structure of a vehicle seat, the method comprising:

detecting occupant back locations using an inboard proximity sensor, an outboard proximity sensor and a central proximity sensor provided on the seat back structure of the vehicle seat, the sensors providing one or more signals indicative of the occupant back locations to a seat ECU;

the seat ECU determining if the occupant back locations are within one or more predetermined distances; and

the seat ECU adjusting a configuration of at least one of a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable region of the seat back structure by moving at least one of a central region adjustable member, an inboard side adjustable member and an outboard side adjustable member using an actuator based on the one or more signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard proximity sensor and the outboard proximity sensor and the one or more predetermined distances;

wherein the one or more signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard proximity sensor and the outboard proximity sensor are indicative of a distance from the respective central proximity sensor, the inboard proximity sensor and the outboard proximity sensor to a cover of the seat back structure;

wherein the seat ECU moves the central region adjustable member, the inboard side adjustable member and the outboard side adjustable member to within one or more predetermined distances of respective occupant back locations based on the signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the seat ECU adjusting a configuration of a lower central adjustable region of the seat back structure located below the central adjustable region by moving a lower central adjustable member of the seat back structure adjustment apparatus using the actuator based on the one or more signals from one or more of the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the lower central adjustable member is moveable forward and rearward in a vehicle longitudinal direction.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the inboard side adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the inboard adjustable region toward the outboard adjustable region.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the outboard adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the outboard adjustable region toward the inboard adjustable region.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the central adjustable member moves along a height of the seat back structure in a vehicle vertical direction.

12. The method of claim 6, providing the seat ECU with multiple preference selections that are selectable by an occupant, wherein the preference selections determine the one or more preselected distances.

13. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a vehicle seat comprising a seat base structure and a seat back structure pivotally connected to the seat base structure, the seat back structure including a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region adjacent the central adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable region located adjacent the central adjustable region, wherein the seat back structure includes a central proximity sensor located at the central adjustable region, an inboard side proximity sensor located at the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side proximity sensor located at the outboard side adjustable region; and

a seat back structure adjustment apparatus located in the seat back structure comprising a central region adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the outboard adjustable region;

wherein the seat back structure further includes a lower central adjustable region located below the central adjustable region, the seat back structure adjustment apparatus comprising a lower central adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the lower central adjustable region;

wherein the central adjustable member moves along a height of the seat back structure in a vehicle vertical direction to provide the seat back structure with an adjustable predetermined stiffness and/or bulge in the central adjustable region;

wherein a seat ECU moves the central region adjustable member, the inboard side adjustable member and the outboard side adjustable member to within one or more predetermined distances of respective occupant back locations based on signals from the central proximity sensor, the inboard side proximity sensor and the outboard side proximity sensor.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 13, wherein the lower central adjustable member is moveable forward and rearward in a vehicle longitudinal direction.

15. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the inboard side adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the inboard adjustable region toward the outboard adjustable region and the outboard side adjustable member pivots relative to the central adjustable member to move the outboard adjustable region toward the inboard adjustable region.