Optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipments

• US 4,811,226 A
• Filed: 12/23/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shinohara, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/139,121
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/425, 318/466, 318/467, 318/468, 296/64, 296/65 R
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• 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: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/351 the positional error is used to control continuously the servomotor according to its magnitude
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36463 Manual switch to drive motor to wanted position, store, memorize position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37175 Normal encoder, disk for pulses, incremental
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37462 Resistor, potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42187 Position mirror, axis, display, back of seat as function of position of seat, other axis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45022 Auto seat, dentist chair, roll wheel chair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45185 Auto mirror

Abstract

An automatic angle adjusting apparatus for adjusting vehicle equipments to be adjusted to optimum angular positions to a driver such as a fender mirror, an inner mirror, blowing ports of an air conditioner, a speaker and a meter is disclosed. Amounts of adjustment of vehicle seat parts are detected by amounts of adjustment detectors and the optimum angles of the vehicle equipments, a height of the driver or an eye position of the driver are calculated based on the detection signals to automatically adjust the vehicle equipments to the optimum angular position. When the height or the eye position of the driver is calculated, the optimum angles are further calculated based on the calculated height or eye position.

Claims

1. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for equipment in a movable vehicle comprising:

means for detecting an amount of adjustment of at least one part of a vehicle seat from a reference position, and for producing signals indicative of said amount of adjustment;

processing means for storing a first basic formula which represents a relation between an optimum angular position of said equipment of said vehicle and said amount of adjustment, and for calculating an optimum angle of said equipment based on signals from said detecting means; and

driving means for driving said equipment to said optimum angular position in accordance with the calculated optimum angle from said processing means.

2. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for movable vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes means for storing a plurality of formulas, including said first formula and a second formula indicative of a relation between a height of the driver and said optimum angular position, and means for executing said second formula to determine a height of the driver for calculating an optimum angular position of said vehicle equipment.

3. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes means for storing a plurality of formulas, including said first formula and an eye position formula indicative of a relation between an eye position of the driver and said optimum angular position, and means for executing said eye position formula to determine an eye position of the driver for calculating an optimum angular position of said vehicle equipment.

4. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, where said processing means includes means for correcting terms of said first formula in accordance with at least one of a reclining angle of a seat back from a reference position, an upward/downward displacement of a head rest from a reference position, and a forward/backward displacement of said head rest from said reference position thereof.

5. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes:

means for storing three formulas including said first formula and two additional formulas which respectively represent a relationship between said optimum angular position, and (1) a height of the driver, and (2) an eye position of the driver, and means for calculating said optimum angular position using one of said three formulas.

6. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes means for correcting terms of said formulas in accordance with at least one of a vehicle seat cushion forward/backward displacement, a seat back reclining angle, a head rest upward/downward displacement and a head rest forward/backward displacement.

7. An optimum angle adjusting apparatus for vehicle equipment as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a power seat having parts that are automatically adjusted by said drive means; and

a plurality of amount of adjustment detectors arranged in said parts of said power seat, each of said detectors including a photo-interrupter, a light emitting element, and a photo-sensing element arranged on opposite sides of said photo-interrupter to detect when said photo-interrupter passes therebetween.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said means for detecting an amount of adjustment of at least one vehicle seat part detects a forward/backward displacement of said vehicle seat from said reference position.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle equipment includes at least one of a fender mirror, an inner mirror, a blowing port of an air conditioner, an audio speaker, and a meter.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a light emitting element, a photo-sensing element, and a photo-interrupter arranged between said light emitting element and said light sensing element, said photo-interrupter being coupled to said vehicle seat to move in proportion with movements of said vehicle seat.