Seat device for vehicle

• US 20090062989A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Morio, Haneda, Hideo
• Application Number:
  US11/919,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

A headrest 5 includes a base portion 5a and a movable portion 5b, which is movable relative to the base portion 5a. The movable portion 5b is moved and driven by a drive unit 8a between a retracted position 5X proximate to the base portion 5a and an extended position 5Y distant from the base portion 5a. A control unit 7 controls the drive unit 8a to move the movable portion 5b toward the extended position 5Y when determining that a vehicle occupant seated on the seat 3 caused movement of the load applied to a seating surface 3a of the seat 3.

Claims

1. A seat apparatus arranged in a vehicle, the seat apparatus comprising:

a seat having a seating surface;

a seat back arranged at a rear part of the seat;

a headrest supported by the seat back, the headrest including a base portion and a movable portion that is movable relative to the base portion, wherein the movable portion moves between a retracted position proximate to the base portion and an extended position distant from the base portion;

a drive unit for driving the movable portion;

a load detection unit for detecting a load applied to the seating surface of the seat; and

a control unit for determining from a detection signal input by the load detection unit whether or not the load applied to the seating surface by a vehicle occupant seated on the seat has moved and controlling the drive unit to move the movable portion toward the extended position when determining that the load applied to the seating surface has moved.

2. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the load detection unit includes at least two load sensors arranged on the seat spaced apart from each other in the forward/rearward direction of the seat; and

the control unit determines the state of a vehicle occupant seated on the seat based on detection signals input from the two load sensors and controls the movement of the movable portion based on the determination.

3. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the movable portion includes a head detection unit for detecting contact of the head of a vehicle occupant seated on the seat with the movable portion; and

the control unit stops the movement of the movable portion if the head detection unit detects contact of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head with the movable portion when the movable portion is moving toward the extended position.

4. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the movable portion includes a head detection unit for detecting the distance between the head of a vehicle occupant seated on the seat and the movable portion; and

the control unit stops the movement of the movable portion if the distance between the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head and the movable portion becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value when the movable portion is moving toward the extended position.

5. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the subject on the seat from the load detected by the load detection unit and permits or prohibits movement of the movable portion in accordance with the determination.

6. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether or not an adult vehicle occupant is seated on the seat from the load detected by the load detection unit and permits movement of the movable portion when determining that an adult vehicle occupant is seated.

7. The seat apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the load detection unit includes a first load sensor for detecting load applied to a front part of the seating surface and a second load sensor for detecting load applied to a rear part of the seating surface; and

the control unit determines that an adult vehicle occupant is seated on the seat when the load detected by the second load sensor is greater than the load detected by the first load sensor and the total of the loads detected by the first and second load sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold.

8. The seat apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit prohibits movement of the movable portion when determining that an adult vehicle occupant is not seated on the seat.

9. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an impact detection unit for detecting impact applied to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to move the movable portion toward the extended position when an adult vehicle occupant is seated on the seat and the impact detection unit detects an impact applied to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle.

10. The seat apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the impact detection unit is formed by the load detection unit.

11. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an impact prediction unit for predicting an impact to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to move the movable portion toward the extended position when an adult vehicle occupant is seated on the seat and the impact prediction unit predicts an impact to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle.

12. The seat apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so that the movable portion stops moving when a fixed time elapses from when the movable portion starts moving toward the extended position.