Method and device for controlling headrest

• US 5,003,240 A
• Filed: 04/10/1990
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US07/507,149
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568, 318/55, 318/467, 318/434, 318/466, 318/469, 318/468, 318/484, 318/443, 318/15, 297/330, 297/374, 297/408, 297/61, 297/391, 297/410, 297/409, 297/284, 297/65.1, 364/424.05, 364/174, 364/425, 180/6.5, 180/907, 280/808
• US Class Current: 318/603
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/874 movable to an inoperative or stowed position B60N2/832, B60N2/856 take precedence

Abstract

A method and device for controlling a headrest, in which the headrest is controlled its displacement between the use and non-use positions and its fore-and-aft adjustment, independently of each other, and the corresponding displacement ranges and fore-and-aft adjustment ranges of the headrest are detected and limited by a headrest angle detector.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a headrest in automobile, in which said headrest is movably mounted on a seat such as to be movable between a use position for supporting a head of an occupant on said seat and a non-use position which allows another occupant on another seat to attain a good forward or backward view field, and said headrest is caused to move between said use and non-use positions by operation of an automatic operation switch, while being adjustable in a fore-and-aft direction within said use position by operation a manual adjustment switch, said method comprising the steps of:

presetting said use position and non-use position, to thereby provided a certain headrest displacement range, within which said headrest is displaceable therebetween;

presetting a forward limit point and backward limit point within said use position, to thereby provided a certain headrest fore-and-aft adjustment range within which said headrest is adjustable in said fore-and-aft direction;

wherein said first and second presetting steps are carried out, independently of each other, by means of a headrest angle detector which detects a location of said headrest;

supervising automatically said headrest displacement range, responsive to operation of said automatic operation switch; and

supervising automatically said headrest fore-and-aft adjustment range, responsive to operation of said manual adjustment switch.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein there is provided a voltage control circuit which controls a voltage to be applied to a motor for causing said displacement and fore-and-aft adjustment of said headrest, and wherein said method further includes the steps of:

(a) driving said motor at a high rate, when said headrest is displaced between said use and non-use positions by operation of said automatic operation switch; and

(b) driving said motor at a low rate, when said headrest is adjusted in said fore-and-aft adjustment range by operation of said manual adjustment switch.

3. A device for controlling a headrest in an automobile, in which said headrest is movably mounted on a top of a set back of a seat, such as to be movable between a use position for supporting a head of an occupant on said seat and a non-use position below a sight line of another occupant on another seat, thereby attaining a good forward or backward view field, said device comprising:

a motor for causing movement of said headrest;

an automatic operation switch for controlling said motor so as to cause said headrest to move between said use and non-use positions, said automatic operation switch being disposed adjacent to said another occupant;

a manual adjustment switch for controlling said motor so as to effect fine adjustment in position of said headrest in a fore-and-aft direction within said use position, said manual adjustment switch being disposed adjacent to said occupant;

a central processing unit which receives signals from said automatic operation switch and manual adjustment switch, then processes them according to a predetermined program, and emits a proper signal for causing an intended drive of said motor;

a headrest angle detector which permits presetting a forward limit and a backward limit with regard to said displacement of said headrest between said use and non-use positions, and supervising those two limits to avoid an excessive movement of said headrest therebeyond, in response to said automatic operation switch, through an interconnective relation with said central processing unit, wherein said headrest angle detector permits presetting the two limits with regard to said before and after adjustment of said headrest within said use position, and supervising said two limits to avoid an excessive movement of said headrest therebeyond, in response to said manual adjustment switch, through an interconnective relation with said central processing unit, said two detectors being capable of being activated, independently of each other; and

a voltage control circuit which controls a voltage to be applied to said motor in response to a signal from said central processing unit, in order to increase said voltage, responsive to said automatic operation switch being operated, thereby causing said motor to drive at a high rate, and decrease said voltage, responsive to said manual adjustment switch being operated, thereby causing said motor to drive at a low rate.

4. The device as defined in claim 3, wherein said headrest angle detector comprises a potentiometer which measures the rotation angle of said motor to detect said angle of said headrest.

5. The device as defined in claim 3, wherein said device further comprises a second motor for causing vertical movement of said headrest relative to said seat back, and wherein said manual adjustment switch is electrically connected with said second motor via said central processing unit, so that a fine adjustment of said headrest in height is effected by control of said motor through operation of said manual adjustment switch.