METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEAT AND BOLSTER ADJUSTMENT

• US 20180141477A1
• Filed: 02/08/2017
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NextEV USA, Inc.
• Inventors: Stevens, Colin, Eckert, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0256 Arrangements for facilitating the occupant to get in or out of the vehicle, e.g. stowing a seat forward
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/0212 the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/022 the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a vertical axis

Abstract

A method and apparatus of facilitating ingress or egress of a seat having bolsters includes detecting a potential ingress or egress of an occupant to the seat. Upon detection a configuration of the seat is altered from a first position to a second position, wherein a substantially flat surface is formed by a top of a seat portion of the seat and an associated bolster attached to the seat portion.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating ingress or egress of a seat having bolsters, the method comprising:

detecting a potential ingress or egress of an occupant to the seat; and

altering a configuration of the seat from a first position to a second position, wherein a substantially flat surface is formed by a top of a seat portion of the seat and an associated bolster attached to the seat portion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein altering the configuration of the seat from the first position to the second position includes pivoting one or more seat bolsters about an axis.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a hinge is disposed at a connection point between a seat cushion and the bottom of the bolster such that the bolster is in a substantially upright position in the first position and pivots to a substantially planar position with respect to the seat cushion in the second position.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a hinge is disposed at a connection point between a back portion and a portion of a bolster connected to the back portion such that the bolster is in a substantially perpendicular position in relation to the back portion when the bolster is in the first position and pivots to a substantially planar position in the second position with respect to the back portion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering the configuration of the seat includes moving a seat cushion from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position includes the seat cushion lower than the top of an associated bolster, and the second position includes the seat cushion being in a substantially planar position with respect to the top of the associated bolster.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering the configuration of the seat includes moving a back portion from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position includes the back portion situated behind the front of an associated bolster, and the second position includes the back portion being in a substantially planar position with respect to the front of the associated bolster.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a potential ingress includes receiving a signal from a key fob for the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting of a potential egress includes detecting that a vehicle the seat is in has been placed in park or a parking brake for the vehicle has been engaged.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering the configuration of the seat from the second position to the first position after a predefined duration.

10. An active vehicle bolster system, comprising:

a seat;

at least one bolster disposed on one side of the seat;

a detector; and

a drive motor coupled to the at least one bolster and the detector, the drive motor operable, upon receiving a first signal from the detector, to cause the at least one bolster to alter position from a first position to a second position.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the detector sends the first signal to the drive motor upon detecting a potential ingress to or egress from the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the detector receives a transmission from a key fob from the vehicle indicating a potential ingress.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the detector receives a transmission from the vehicle indicating the vehicle has been placed in park or a parking brake of the vehicle has been set.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the detector is coupled to a timer that sends a signal to the detector that a predefined amount of time has elapsed, and the detector sends a second signal to the drive motor to cause the at least one bolster to proceed from the second position to the first position.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one bolster is associated with a seat cushion of the seat.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one bolster is associated with a back portion of the seat.

17. A system comprising:

a seat;

at least one bolster disposed on one side of the seat;

a detector; and

a drive motor coupled to a first portion of the seat and the detector, the drive motor operable, upon receiving a first signal from the detector, to cause the first portion to alter position from a first position to a second position.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first portion is seat cushion portion of the seat.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the first portion is a back portion of the seat.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a timer in communication with the detector, wherein the timer sends a signal to the detector that a predefined amount of time has elapsed, and the detector sends a second signal to the drive motor to cause the first portion to proceed from the second position to the first position.