Apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles

• US 4,808,897 A
• Filed: 03/05/1986
• Issued: 02/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd. (Johnson Controls International plc), Niles Parts Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd. (Johnson Controls International plc), Niles Parts Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Takeda, Seiei, Saito, Masatsugu, Ikeda, Chikamasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, DAVID S
• Application Number:
  US06/836,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 318/466, 318/467, 318/603, 318/568, 307/9, 307/10 R, 307/10 SP, 340/52 F, 296/65 R, 297/330
• US Class Current: 318/590
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a seat of vehicles comprising mode selecting means for cyclically switching the control modes with respect to the position and the posture of said seat, a displaying section for displaying said control mode in accordance with the output from said mode selecting means, a selecting switch connected to the input of said mode selecting means for switching said control mode, an increasing/decreasing switch for controlling the amount of control with respect to the posture of said seat, and a control section for controlling the vehicle'"'"'s seat in accordance with the output signal from said mode selecting switch and the switching signal from said increasing/decreasing switch, wherein the number of switches may be reduced thereby reducing the space for providing the switches and making simple the switching operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of position and posture control modes of a seat of a vehicle comprising:

mode selecting means for automatically cyclically switching, upon command, to one of a plurality of control modes for said seat with respect to the position and the posture of said seat;

a displaying section for displaying a selected one of said control modes in accordance with the output from said mode selecting means;

a selecting switch connected to the input of said mode selecting means for initiating cyclical switching of said selected one of said control modes;

an increasing/decreasing switch for providing a control signal for controlling the amount of control on said selected control mode with respect to the position and posture of said seat, said increasing/decreasing switch being operative for each selected control mode; and

a control section responsive to said increasing/decreasing switch for controlling the position and posture of vehicle'"'"'s seat in accordance with the output signal from said mode selecting switch and the control signal from said increasing/decreasing switch.

2. An apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said mode selecting switch is composed of a Jonson Counter.

3. An apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said displaying section is composed of a liquid crystal display and a LCD driving circuit.

4. An apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said control section is composed of an electric motor, an electromagnetic solenoid and switching elements.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said seat includes means disposed at predetermined portions and positions of said seat for adjusting selected parameters of said seat such as the vertical adjustment of said seat, the angle of a reclining portion of said seat, and a position for side support portions for said seat, said increasing/decreasing switch controlling a predetermined one of said control modes in response to the control mode selected by said mode selecting means.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mode selecting means include an initial state representative of the absence of a driver at said seat of said vehicle, said displaying section displaying no control mode for such initial condition.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mode selecting means includes a counter for respectively controlling an output signal for displaying the control mode and for controlling the seat of the vehicle through various selective modes.

8. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of control modes for a seat of a vehicle of the type which includes means for controlling support portions of said seat and positioning of said seat, comprising:

mode selecting means, including a counter, for sequentially selecting a different mode each time said counter is actuated in response to a mode selecting signal with respect to the position and the posture of said seat and outputting a control mode signal representative thereof;

a mode selecting switch in circuit with said mode selecting means for providing said mode selecting signal for switching the control mode output by said mode selecting means;

display means responsive to said control mode signal for displaying the control mode exhibited by said mode selecting means;

an increasing/decreasing switch in circuit with said support portion and position control means in said seat and operative to control each of said means for controlling support portions and positions in each control mode; and

means for controlling the seat of said vehicle in response to said mode selecting means when said increasing/decreasing switch is operated, whereby a plurality of position and posture characteristics for said seat may be individually controlled by said increasing/decreasing switch depending on the cyclically-selected state of the mode selecting means.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said control means includes a plurality of solenoids for controlling a plurality of air bags for adjusting posture parameters mounted within said seat and a pump for increasing air pressure in the air bags, and cooperating with a plurality of motors for adjusting position parameters of said seat including the angle of its reclining portion, its vertical adjustment, and its horizontal adjustment.

10. An apparatus for controlling a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

a seat having a plurality of air bags disposed at support portions for said seat and respectively actuated by a like plurality of air bag switches, said seat being mounted so that a reclining position, a vertical position, and a horizontal position of said seat are adjustable in response to actuation of motor means to any one of a plurality of adjustment positions through respective adjustment modes;

a mode selection switch;

mode selecting means responsive to said mode selection switch and including a sequential counter for sequentially controlling one of said adjustment modes for said seat, said adjustment modes for said seat being cyclically changed in said mode selecting means for actuation of said mode selection switch;

displaying means responsive to said mode selecting means for displaying the mode as switched of said mode selecting means;

an increasing/decreasing switch for increasingly or decreasingly controlling posture and position of said seat depending upon the selected control mode; and

control means for controlling said seat in cooperation with the mode selecting means when the increasing/decreasing switch is operated by operatively connecting said increasing/decreasing switch to one of air bag switches and said motors depending on the control mode selected.