Adjustment system for vehicle seat

• US 10,391,887 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Frye, Dale J., Bonk, Jeffery T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US15/375,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20170166088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49, 2972173
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• 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 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom coupled to a floor of a vehicle to move relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom.

Claims

1. An occupant-support system comprising

a vehicle seat including a seat bottom adapted to move relative to a floor of a vehicle and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom and

a seat-motion system including a seat-movement unit coupled to the vehicle seat to move the seat bottom and the seat back, a monitoring unit configured to provide sensor information in response to sensing occupant input, and a controller configured to receive sensor information from the monitoring unit and cause the seat-movement unit to move the vehicle seat based on the sensor information received,

wherein the monitoring unit includes a first seat-back sensor unit including a first sensor coupled to the seat back and arranged to face toward an occupant resting on the vehicle seat and a second sensor coupled to the seat back and arranged to face away from the occupant and the first and second sensors being arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate a portion of the vehicle seat therebetween;

wherein the controller is configured to determine a first amount of force sensed by the first sensor of the first seat-back sensor unit and a second amount of force sensed by the second sensor of the first seat-back sensor unit; and

wherein the controller is configured to command the seat-movement unit to cause the seat back to pivot toward the seat bottom when the first amount of force is greater than the second amount of force and pivot away from the seat bottom when the second amount of force is greater than the first amount of force.

2. The occupant-support system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to issue commands to the seat-movement unit only in response to receiving sensor information from both the first and second sensors so that unintended engagement of only the first sensor by the occupant resting on the vehicle seat does not cause movement of the vehicle seat.

3. The occupant-support system of claim 2, wherein the seat back includes a backrest, a first bolster coupled to the backrest to move therewith, and a second bolster coupled to the backrest in spaced-apart relation to the first bolster to locate the backrest therebetween and the first seat-back sensor unit is coupled to the first bolster.

4. The occupant-support system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit further includes a second seat-back sensor unit coupled to the seat back and located in spaced-apart relation to the first seat-back sensor unit between the seat bottom and the second seat-back sensor unit.

5. The occupant-support system of claim 4, wherein the seat back includes a backrest, a first bolster coupled to the backrest to move therewith, and a second bolster coupled to the backrest in spaced-apart relation to the first bolster to locate the backrest therebetween and the first seat-back sensor unit is coupled to the first bolster and the second seat-back sensor unit is coupled to the first bolster.

6. The occupant-support system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to issue commands to the seat-movement unit only in response to receiving sensor information from one of both the first and second sensors of the first seat-back sensor unit and the first and second sensors of the second seat-back sensor unit so that unintended engagement of only one of the first sensors by the occupant resting on the vehicle seat does not cause movement of the vehicle seat.

7. The occupant-support system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring unit further includes a seat-bottom sensor unit coupled to the seat bottom to move therewith, the seat-bottom sensor unit including a first sensor coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to face toward an occupant resting on the vehicle seat and a second sensor coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to face away from the occupant, the first and second sensors being arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate a portion of the seat bottom therebetween.

8. The occupant-support system of claim 7, wherein the seat bottom includes a cushion, a first bolster coupled to the cushion to move therewith, and a second bolster coupled to the cushion in spaced-apart relation to the first bolster to locate the cushion therebetween and the seat-bottom sensor unit is coupled to the first bolster of the seat bottom.

9. The occupant-support system of claim 8, the controller is configured to issue commands to the seat-movement unit only in response to receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in one of the first seat-back sensor unit, the second seat-back sensor unit, and the seat-bottom sensor unit.

10. The occupant-support system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to command the seat-movement unit to move the vehicle seat to a predetermined arrangement in response to the controller receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the second seat-back sensor unit.

11. The occupant-support system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to command the seat-movement unit to move the seat back relative to the seat bottom in response to the controller receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the first seat-back sensor unit.

12. The occupant-support system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sensors is a strain gauge.

13. The occupant-support system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit further includes a seat-bottom sensor unit coupled to the seat bottom to move therewith, the seat-bottom sensor unit including a first sensor coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to face toward an occupant resting on the vehicle seat and a second sensor coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to face away from the occupant, the first and second sensors being arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate a portion of the seat bottom therebetween.

14. The occupant-support system of claim 13, wherein the monitoring unit further includes a second seat-back sensor unit coupled to the seat back and located in spaced-apart relation to the first seat-back sensor unit between the seat bottom and the second seat-back sensor unit.

15. The occupant-support system of claim 13, wherein the seat bottom includes a cushion, a first bolster coupled to the cushion to move therewith, and a second bolster coupled to the cushion in spaced-apart relation to the first bolster to locate the cushion therebetween and the seat-bottom sensor unit is coupled to the first bolster of the seat bottom.

16. The occupant-support system of claim 15, the controller is configured to issue commands to the seat-movement unit only in response to receiving sensor information from one of both the first and second sensors of the first seat-back sensor unit and the first and second sensors of the seat-bottom sensor unit so that unintended engagement of only one of the first sensors by the occupant resting on the vehicle seat does not cause movement of the vehicle seat.

17. The occupant-support system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to command the seat-movement unit to release the seat bottom for movement in response to the controller receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the seat-bottom sensor unit and to lock the seat bottom to block movement of the seat bottom in response to the controller no longer receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the seat-bottom sensor unit.

18. The occupant-support system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to command the seat-movement unit to release the seat back for pivoting movement in response to the controller receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the first seat-back sensor unit and to lock the seat back to block movement of the seat back in response to the controller no longer receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors included in the first seat-back sensor unit.