VEHICLE SEAT POWER TRACK ENHANCEMENTS

• US 20110022274A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S..R.L.
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Dobry, Thomas, Yukihisa, Ishii, Krause, Richard T., Bozintan, Vasile E., Harutomi, Nishide, Koji, Uno, Hiyoyuki, Honda, Jefferies, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms

Abstract

A vehicle seat power track for an automobile vehicle seat which includes a sensor arrangement to detect the seat position along the track relative to a front airbag apparatus and generate a signal to control the apparatus of the airbag. The vehicle seat power track also includes brackets configured to reduce horizontal movement of the track components.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat power track for an automobile vehicle seat in a vehicle comprising:

a lower rail secured to a vehicle;

an upper rail having an upper surface wherein, the upper rail supports the vehicle seat, and travels with support of the lower rail;

a lead screw member coupled to one of the upper and lower rails and disposed between the lower and upper rails and extending in the longitudinal direction of the rails;

a transmission member including a mounting bracket coupled to the lead screw and positioned between the rails, the mounting bracket including a shunt;

a motor coupled to the transmission member to move the transmission along the lead screw and to adjust the lower and upper rails with respect to one another thereby adjusting the position of the vehicle seat; and

a position sensor coupled to the top surface of the upper rail that senses to sense the shunt to generate a signal indicating a position of the vehicle seat.

2. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 further comprising a first bracket for mounting one end of the lead screw to the upper rail and a second bracket for mounting the other end of the lead screw to the upper rail and the transmission and the mounting bracket are coupled to the lower rail to enable relative movement of the upper rail to the lower rail.

3. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 wherein the position sensor responds to a magnetic field generated by the shunt, and the shunt includes a magnet and a detecting cell located proximate the position sensor.

4. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket includes flanges extending along the lower rail and the mounting bracket is coupled to front and back surfaces of the transmission member with a clip.

5. The vehicle seat power track of claim 3 wherein first and second support member couples the lead screw to the upper rail.

6. The vehicle seat power track of claim 5 wherein the first support member contacts a rear surface of the transmission to form a stop surface and control the seat movement.

7. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 wherein one end of the shunt is aligned at the level of the stop surface of the transmission.

8. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 wherein one end of the shunt extends in one direction from the mounting bracket.

9. The vehicle seat power track of claim 1 wherein the shunt is coupled to the mounting bracket by a laser welding.

10. The vehicle seat power track of claim 3 wherein the shunt is welded to the mounting bracket to minimize any welding projections from the resulting combination of the shunt and mounting bracket.

11. The vehicle seat power track of claim 3 wherein when the vehicle seat is in a full rearward position, the position sensor is externally located proximate a rear end of the upper rail and the mounting bracket and the shunt are located toward a front end of the lower rail to detect a seat position which is a front most position to control deployment of an airbag for protecting an occupant of the vehicle seat.

12. The vehicle seat power track of claim 11 wherein the front airbag will be deployed with a lower force when the position sensor detects the shunt.

13. The vehicle seat power track of claim 11 wherein the front airbag is deactivated when the position sensor detects the shunt.

14. The vehicle seat power track of claim 5 including a spacer coupled to the lead screw proximate the transmission mounting bracket and located between the transmission mounting bracket and one of the lead screw support members to provide a stop.