DRIVING POSTURE ADJUSTING APPARATUS

• US 20090088930A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: OHTSUBO, Tomonori, IWAMOTO, Asami, UEMURA, Hiroki, TAKEDA, Yusaku, MAEDA, Toshikazu, YAMASAKI, Hirokazu
• Application Number:
  US12/242,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1695 with simultaneous height and inclination adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/063 with adjustment systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a driving posture adjusting apparatus comprising: a seat-position adjusting mechanism (2) adapted to move a seat cushion (1a) of a driver seat (1) in a longitudinal direction so as to adjust a longitudinal position of the driver seat (1); a seated-posture adjusting mechanism (3) adapted to adjust a seated posture of a driver seated in the driver seat (1); a controllability adjusting mechanism (7) adapted to adjust controllability for an operation section (4) to be operated by the driver; a seat slide switch (91) adapted to issue an instruction for actuating the seat-position adjusting mechanism (2) to move the seat cushion (1a) of the driver seat (1) in the longitudinal direction; and control unit (95) operable to actuate the seated-posture adjusting mechanism (3) and the controllability adjusting mechanism (7), in correlation with the longitudinal position of the driver seat (1) adjusted according to an input signal through the seat slide switch (91), so as to obtain a driving posture corresponding to a predetermined recommended position. The driving posture adjusting apparatus of the present invention can adjust a driving posture of a driver seated in a driver seat, in an easy and proper manner.

Claims

1. A driving posture adjusting apparatus for a vehicle, including:

a seat-position adjusting mechanism adapted to move a seat cushion of a driver seat in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body so as to adjust a longitudinal position of said driver seat;

a seated-posture adjusting mechanism adapted to adjust a seated posture of a driver seated in said driver seat; and

a controllability adjusting mechanism adapted to adjust controllability for an operation section to be operated by the driver, said driving-posture adjusting apparatus being characterized by comprising;

a seat slide switch adapted to issue an instruction for actuating said seat-position adjusting mechanism to move said seat cushion of said driver seat in the longitudinal direction; and

control unit operable to actuate said seated-posture adjusting mechanism and said controllability adjusting mechanism, in correlation with the longitudinal position of said driver seat adjusted according to an input signal through said seat slide switch, so as to obtain a driving posture corresponding to a predetermined recommended position.

2. The driving posture adjusting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said seat slide switch is adapted to allow a value of the driver'"'"'s body height to be input therethrough as said input signal so as to cause said seat cushion of said driver seat to be moved in the longitudinal direction according to said input value of driver'"'"'s body height, and wherein said driving posture adjusting apparatus further comprises display unit provided in or in a vicinity of said seat slide switch to display said input value of driver'"'"'s body height.

3. The driving posture adjusting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a vertical-position adjusting switch adapted to issue an instruction for actuating said seated-posture adjusting mechanism to selectively displace said seat cushion of said driver seat upwardly and downwardly.

4. The driving posture adjusting apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising a reset switch adapted to issue an instruction for resuming said control operation of adjusting the driving posture based on said recommended position.

5. The driving posture adjusting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said controllability adjusting mechanism includes a floor lifting/lowering mechanism adapted to selectively lift and lower a movable floor unit located under the driver'"'"'s feet; and

said control unit is operable to move said seat cushion of said driver seat in the longitudinal direction according to said input signal through said seat slide switch, while adjusting a vertical position and an inclination angle of said seat cushion of said driver seat in correlation with said adjusted longitudinal position of said driver seat, and determine a vertical position of said movable floor unit based on said adjusted vertical position and inclination angle of said seat cushion so as to output a control signal corresponding to said determined vertical position to said floor lifting/lowering mechanism.