HEAD RESTRAINT FOR A SEAT, IN PARTICULAR A VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20100148559A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carsten Prokop, Daniel Overdick, Tüblüker, Hüseyin
• Original Assignee: Carsten Prokop, Daniel Overdick, Tüblüker, Hüseyin
• Inventors: Overdick, Daniel, Prokop, Carsten, Tüblüker, Hüseyin
• Application Number:
  US12/733,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148559A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/391
• 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 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A headrest (1) for a seat (2), in particular a vehicle seat, having at least two signal electrodes (4) for detecting the position of a head of a person (P) sitting on the vehicle seat by producing capacitors each with a counter-electrode formed by the person'"'"'s (P) head, and the at least two signal electrodes (4) are connected to evaluation electronics (5), the signal electrodes (4) being assigned a compensation device (6) which is connected to the evaluation electronics (5) and, with a rear region of the headrest (1), produces a compensation capacitor device.

Claims

1. A headrest (1) for a seat (2), in particular a vehicle seat, having at least two signal electrodes (4) for detecting the position of a head of a person (P) sitting on the vehicle seat by producing capacitors each with a counter-electrode formed by the person'"'"'s (P) head, and the at least two signal electrodes (4) are connected to evaluation electronics (5), wherein the improvement comprises that the signal electrodes (4) are assigned a compensation device (6) which is connected to the evaluation electronics (5) and, with a rear region of the headrest (1), produces a compensation capacitor device.

2. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each signal electrode (4) is operatively associated with one compensation electrode (9) of the compensation device (6) in order to form a respective compensation capacitor device.

3. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the compensation electrodes (9) have the same size and shape as the signal electrodes (4) associated with them.

4. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the compensation electrodes (9) are arranged in such a manner that they shield the signal electrodes (4) from the region facing away from the head.

5. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the distance between and the attitude of the signal electrodes (4) and of the compensation electrodes (9) are fixed.

6. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the headrest (1) has two outer parts which can be moved relative to one another and can be used to change the thickness of the headrest (1) in the direction of the head of the person (P) sitting on the vehicle seat.

7. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation electronics (5) are connected to a display (11) for displaying the position of the headrest (1) in relation to the head.

8. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation electronics (5) are connected to a controller for controlling at least one drive (7, 8) in order to reach an adjusted end position of the headrest (1).

9. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two signal electrodes (4), when combined, are designed to form a field pattern which copies a head section.

10. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a controller (10) is provided for at least one drive (7, 8), which controller compares the charges in the signal electrodes (4) and compensation electrodes (9), recorded by the evaluation electronics (5), as actual variables with at least one respective predefinable desired variable of the charges for an adjusted end position.

11. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one drive (7, 8) can be actuated by means of a controller (10) which triggers a selectable search run of the headrest (1).

12. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 10 wherein the evaluation electronics (5) and/or controller (10) have/has signal conditioning and signal processing electronics.

13. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the evaluation electronics (5) and/or the controller (10) have/has a calibration unit and/or a referencing unit.

14. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the referencing unit can be used to record at least one reference charge if required.

15. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 13 wherein an apparatus for referencing the respective signal electrodes (4) and compensation electrodes (9) is provided.

16. The headrest (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the headrest (1) is provided for a vehicle seat, and the calibration unit is designed to determine the charge in one of the signal electrodes (4) and compensation electrodes (9) if unlocking of the vehicle is detected.

17. The headrest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation electronics (5) are connected to a seat occupancy detection apparatus in order to provide the seat occupancy detection apparatus with a signal regarding seat occupancy of the seat (2).

18. The headrest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat (2) is a vehicle seat, and the evaluation electronics (5) are connected to a drive unit for motors of an electrically adjustable outside mirror in order to provide signals regarding optimum adjustment of the outside mirror to the position of the head.

19. A headrest (1) for a seat (2), having a front facing the head of a person to be seated and a rear facing away from the head of a person to be seated, said headrest comprising:

at least two signal electrodes (4) toward the front of the headrest each of which carries a measurable electrical charge that is influenced by the characteristics of a person'"'"'s head when the head is positioned in proximity to the signal electrodes;

an evaluation circuit connected to the at least two signal electrodes for determining the position of the head relative to the headrest by processing the measured charges; and

a signal compensation device (6) having electric field sensors situated toward the rear of the headrest behind the signal electrodes and connected to the evaluation circuit (5), responsive to electric fields in a rear region of the headrest facing away from the head (1), and producing a compensation applied to the determination of the position of the person'"'"'s head.

20. The headrest as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

each signal electrode is a charged plate that establishes a capacitive relationship with the person'"'"'s head as a counter-electrode when the person'"'"'s head is in proximity to the front of the headrest;

each electric field sensor of the signal compensating device is a compensation electrode in the form of a charged plate and each signal electrode is operatively associated with a respective compensation electrode;

wherein each signal electrode is shielded by its respective compensation electrode from electric fields in said rear region of the headrest.