Adjustment device and method for adjusting a seat window lift or sliding roof of a motor vehicle

• US 20030179081A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Aab, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,057,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustment device, actuated by an external force, for adjusting a seat or a window lift of a motor vehicle. Said device comprises an adjustment drive, a control device for controlling the drive and an operating device for acuating the control device. According to an adjustment method, at least one control signal that is specific to the direction of adjustment is transmitted from the operating device to the control device via a common air interface. The operating device is supplied with power via the common air interface and the adjustment drive can he controlled by the control device using the control signal that has been transmitted via the common air interface.

Claims

1. Method for adjusting a seat, window lift or sun-roof of a vehicle through an adjustment device, operated by external force, having an adjustment drive, a control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) controlling the drive, an operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) through whose manual actuation at least one characterised control signal is (remotely) transferred through an air interface (50, 50″

) for control to the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) from a transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) mounted on the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) and the adjustment device is controlled through the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) from the control signal associated with the adjustment direction and transmitted through the air interface (50, 50″

),

characterised in that

the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) is supplied with energy through the air interface (50, 50″

), and that a screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111″

) of the transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) is changed in dependence on the manual actuation of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

).

2. Method according to claim 1 characterised in that the transmission device ((120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) is screened at least in one adjustment direction.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) is moved into a fixed screen (110, 110′

) or out from a fixed screen (110, 110′

) through manual actuation of the operating device (10,10′

).

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that a movable screen (111″

) which can be actuated by manual actuation of the operating device (10″

) screens the transmission device (120″

) or for transmitting a control signal does not screen same.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that each adjustment direction is allocated a transmission device ((120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb).

6. Method according to claim 5 characterised in that each adjustment device is allocated an operating element (103, 103a, 103b, 103″

) of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) which is connected to a transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) or a screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111″

).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the adjustment direction is characterised by a direction code in the control signal.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the adjustment direction is characterised by the transmission frequency of the control signal.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the control signal has time data on an actuation of the operating device.

10. Method according to claim 9 characterised in that the time data is a code or transmission period which characterises at least one part of a period of the actuation.

11. Method according to claim 10 characterised in that the adjustment drive is controlled at least for the transmission period.

12. Method according to claim 9 characterised in that the time data consists of at least one start information and end information which characterise the beginning and end of actuation.

13. Method according to claim 9 characterised in that the time data is determined from an interruption period of the control signal in that at least for a period of an actuation of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) the transmission of the control signal is interrupted and in particular the adjustment drive is controlled at least for the interruption period.

14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13 characterised in that an operating mode for adjustment is determined from evaluating the time data through the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b).

15. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that an operating mode for adjustment is determined from an evaluation of a period of actuation of an operating element (103, 103a, 103b, 103″

) of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) through the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

).

16. Method according to claim 15 characterised in that operating mode data on the evaluated operating mode is transmitted from the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) to the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b), and the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) controls the drive according to the operating mode, and the control signal is transmitted corresponding to the operating mode, more particularly independently of the operating duration.

17. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control signals are transmitted cyclically, a number of transmitted or non-transmitted cycles is evaluated by the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) for adjustment, and an automatic run of the adjustment is controlled from a determined number of cycles.

18. Method according to claim 17 characterised in that a minimum number of cycles is evaluated to verify the validity of the control signal.

19. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b), particularly following an accident situation activates an emergency operation, and each control signal transmitted through the air interface (50, 50″

) is interpreted by the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) for automatically opening the window pane.

20. Method according to claim 19 characterised in that during normal operation the control of the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) is carried out from cable-linked operating signals, and during emergency operation, particularly for a window lift, the control of the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) takes place from the control signals through the air interface (50, 50″

).

21. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that for automatic running of the adjustment device the control signal is coded with an automatic code.

22. Method according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the control signal is transmitted through an absorption modulation of a first magnetic alternating field, in that the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) transmits the first magnetic alternating field, the quality of a receiver circuit of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) for absorption modulation for the adjustment is characteristically changed, and the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) for control evaluates the change of the absorption of the first magnetic alternating field.

23. Method according to one of claims 1 to 21 characterised in that for transmitting the control signal a second electromagnetic radio alternating field independently of a first electromagnetic radio alternating field transmitted to the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) is transmitted from the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) to the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b).

24. Adjustment device operated by external force for adjusting a seat, head restraint or window lift of a motor vehicle, having an adjustment drive, a control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) controlling the drive, an operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) on which a first transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) is mounted and through whose manual actuation the control device (20, 20″

, 20′

a, 20′

b) is controlled by the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

), and a second transmission device (210, 210″

) mounted on the control device for the remote transmission through an air interface (50, 50″

) of a control signal associated with the adjustment direction and characterised by the actuation of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

),

characterised in that

the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) can be supplied with energy through the air interface (50, 50″

), and that a screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111″

) of the transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) can be changed in dependence on the manual actuation of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

).

25. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to claim 24 characterised in that for operation there are one or more buttons (103, 103a, 103b, 103″

) on the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) whose switching state can be transferred to at least the first transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb).

26. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to claim 24 characterised in that for operation there are one or more buttons (102, 103a, 103b, 103″

) on the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) whose switching state can be transferred to at least one screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111″

).

27. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to claim 25 or 26 characterised in that the first transmission device (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b, 120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) of the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) has for at least one adjustment direction a transmission receiver module with a screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111′

″

) whereby the screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111′

″

) can be changed manually for operation.

28. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to claim 27 characterised in that the transmission receiving module can be moved into a screen (110, 110′

, 111″

) or the transmission receiver module can be moved out from a screen (110, 110′

, 110″

, 111″

).

29. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to one of claims 26 to 28 characterised in that the transmission receiver module is a transponder (120, 120″

, 120a, 120b).

30. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to one of claims 26 to 28 characterised in that the transmission receiver module is an inter digital converter (120′

aa, 120′

ab, 120′

ba, 120′

bb) with a transmission receiver antenna.

31. Adjustment device actuated by external force according to one of the preceding claims 24 to 30 characterised in that the operating device (10, 10′

, 10″

) can be supplied with energy by means of an energy converter from the operation event.