Method for controlling operation of power seat for vehicle

• US 20040140783A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukuhara, Koji, Matsushiro, Hiromasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,053,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0292 Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable

Abstract

A method for controlling operations of power seats for a vehicle, comprises the steps of moving a first seat toward a second seat by a first reversible motor, causing a seat cushion of the first seat to be tipped up, by a second reversible motor, relative to a seat back of the first seat which stands up, sensing loads which are applied to the first and second reversible motors, once stopping the driving of the first reversible motor, when excessive load of the first reversible motor is sensed during the movement of the first seat toward the second seat, thereafter returning the first seat to a position at which the excessive load of the first reversible motor is not sensed and stopping the movement of the first seat, once stopping the tipping-up of the seat cushion, when excessive load of the second reversible motor is sensed during the tipping-up of the seat cushion, and thereafter returning the seat cushion to an original posture thereof and stopping the movement of the seat cushion.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operations of power seats for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

moving a first seat toward a second seat by a first reversible motor;

causing a seat cushion of said first seat to be tipped up, by a second reversible motor, relative to a seat back of said first seat which stands up;

sensing loads which are applied to said first and second reversible motors;

once stopping the driving of said first reversible motor, when excessive load of said first reversible motor is sensed during the movement of said first seat toward said second seat;

thereafter returning said first seat to a position at which said excessive load of said first reversible motor is not sensed and stopping the movement of said first seat;

once stopping the tipping-up of said seat cushion, when excessive load of said second reversible motor is sensed during the tipping-up of said seat cushion; and

thereafter returning said seat cushion to an original posture thereof and stopping the movement of said seat cushion.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said first seat is provided with a recliner device for causing said seat back of said first seat to be reclined relative to said seat cushion of said first seat, said recliner device being adapted to be actuated by a third reversible motor, power means for moving said first seat toward said second seat, said power means being adapted to be actuated by said first reversible motor, and a tipping-up mechanism for causing said seat cushion of said first seat to be tipped up, said tipping up mechanism being adapted to be actuated by said second reversible motor;

and wherein said method comprising the steps of;

(a) detecting a reclining angle of a seat back of said second seat;

(b) detecting a reclining angle of said seat back of said first seat;

(c) moving said first seat toward said second seat and confirming whether or not said first seat is located at a first position where said seat cushion of said first seat is allowed to be tipped up;

(d) causing said seat cushion of said first seat to be tipped up during the movement of said first seat, sensing a posture of said tipped-up seat cushion of said first seat;

(e) confirming that said first seat arrives at a terminal point of a movable range of said first seat;

(f) judging the steps (a)-(e) to be proper or improper;

(g) advancing to a next step if it is judged that each of the steps (a)-(e) is proper, and returning to an original of each of the steps (a)-(e) if it is judged that each of the steps (a)-(e) is improper; and

carrying out the stopping of the driving of said first reversible motor and the stopping the tipping-up of said seat cushion in the step (c)-(e).

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said first seat is movably arrange in back of said second seat, and a third seat is movably arranged in back of said first seat, and wherein the control of operations of the first seat and the control of operations of said third seat are carried out in side-by-side relationship with each other.