HEAD RESTRAINT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEAD RESTRAINT

• US 20150123437A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Dillinger, Thomas, Lange-Mao, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,557,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.2
• 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 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/80 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/829 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• 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 2210/22 Optical; Photoelectric; Lidar [Light Detection and Ranging]
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00

Abstract

A head restraint for a vehicle seat has at least one sensor. The sensor is intended to determine the relative position of the head restraint in relation to the head of an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat. The sensor can include an optical sensor.

Claims

1. A head restraint for a vehicle seat, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to determine a relative position of the head restraint in relation to a head of a vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor.

2. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head restraint has a base element and a flexible head restraint element assigned to the head, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged between the base element and the flexible head restraint element.

3. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the head restraint has a multiplicity of sensors which are arranged on a front face of the base element facing the head restraint element.

4. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical sensor is in each case part of a photoelectric barrier.

5. The head restraint as claimed in claim 4, wherein the optical sensor comprises in each case a light source and a light detector, which are arranged in such a way that a light beam emerging from the light source is incident on the light detector if no pressure is applied to the head restraint element by the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head, and in that the light beam is interrupted if pressure is applied to the head restraint element by the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head.

6. The head restraint as claimed in claim 5, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode which is arranged on an edge side of the base element, and wherein the light detector comprises a photodiode which is arranged on an opposite edge side of the base element.

7. The head restraint as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multiplicity of sensors are arranged in such a way that the respective light beams run parallel with respect to one another and substantially horizontally.

8. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein grooves are formed in the head restraint element on a rear side of the head restraint element facing the base element, wherein in each case a light source and a light detector are arranged in each groove.

9. The head restraint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the head restraint element is configured such that when pressure is applied to the head restraint element by a vehicle occupant'"'"'s head, the corresponding groove located at the height of the contact point is compressed, and the light beam running in this groove is interrupted.

10. A vehicle seat having a seat part, a backrest and a head restraint as claimed in claim 1.

11. A vehicle seat component comprising:

at least one sensor which serves as a contact sensor for detecting a seat occupation and/or as an operator control element,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor.

12. The vehicle seat component as claimed in claim 11, wherein the optical sensor is in each case part of a photoelectric barrier.