Method for controlling a lumbar support device in a powered seat and motor control device provided therein in association therewith
First Claim
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1. A device for controlling a lumbar support device in a powered seat, which includes a lumbar plate to support a lumbar part of an occupant sitting on said seat, said device comprising:
- a motor for causing fore-and-aft movement of said lumbar plate;
a fore-and-aft switch means for controlling said motor under a manual control mode so as to adjust a forward reciprocation limit and a backward reciprocation limit of said lumbar plate within a fore-and-aft reciprocation range of said lumbar plate;
an automatic switch means for executing an automatic control mode for said lumbar plate;
a position detecting means for detecting the fore-and-aft position of said lumbar plate; and
a central processing unit which processes an input data according to a predetermined program to control said motor;
wherein if said automatic control mode is executed by operation of said automatic switch means, said motor is subject to repeated reversal drive, and said lumbar plate is reciprocated forwardly and backwardly between said forward reciprocation limit and said backward reciprocation limit for a predetermined operation time in a periodic way, to thereby provide a dynamic or moving support to said lumbar portion of said occupant on the seat.
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Abstract
A method and device for controlling a lumbar support device, wherein a motor is controlled its drive under a repeated reversal drive operation to provide a fore-and-aft reciprocation of a lumbar plate within a predetermined operation time in a periodic way, so as to provide a massage effect to the lumbar part of an occupant on the seat. A manual control mode for giving a static lumbar support and in addition thereto, an automatic control mode for giving a dynamic lumbar support to the occupant'"'"'s lumbar part.
21 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A device for controlling a lumbar support device in a powered seat, which includes a lumbar plate to support a lumbar part of an occupant sitting on said seat, said device comprising:
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a motor for causing fore-and-aft movement of said lumbar plate; a fore-and-aft switch means for controlling said motor under a manual control mode so as to adjust a forward reciprocation limit and a backward reciprocation limit of said lumbar plate within a fore-and-aft reciprocation range of said lumbar plate; an automatic switch means for executing an automatic control mode for said lumbar plate; a position detecting means for detecting the fore-and-aft position of said lumbar plate; and a central processing unit which processes an input data according to a predetermined program to control said motor; wherein if said automatic control mode is executed by operation of said automatic switch means, said motor is subject to repeated reversal drive, and said lumbar plate is reciprocated forwardly and backwardly between said forward reciprocation limit and said backward reciprocation limit for a predetermined operation time in a periodic way, to thereby provide a dynamic or moving support to said lumbar portion of said occupant on the seat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for controlling a lumbar support device in a powered seat, in which a lumbar plate may be adjusted in position in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the seat through control of drive of a motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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manually controlling the drive of said motor when in a manual mode to adjustably set a desired position of said lumbar plate at a forward reciprocation to give a static or stationary support to a lumbar part of an occupant sitting on the seat under a predetermined lumbar support force; and
thereafter manually controlling the drive of said motor when in said manual mode to adjustably set a backward limit of said lumbar plate within a backward limit point of said lumbar plate within a movable range thereof in the fore-and-aft direction;
setting a backward reciprocation limit of said lumbar plate at a point occupying a certain ratio of a distance between said forward reciprocation limit and said backward limit;automatically effecting a repeated reversal drive of said motor when in an automatic mode so as to cause fore-and-aft reciprocating motion of said lumbar plate between said forward reciprocation limit and said backward reciprocation limit for a predetermined period of time in a periodic manner, thereby providing a comfortable touch of dynamic or moving support to the lumbar part of said occupant sitting on the seat. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for controlling a lumbar support device in a powered seat, in which a lumbar plate may be adjusted in position in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the seat through control of drive of a motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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manually controlling the drive of said motor when in a manual mode to adjustably set a desired position of said lumbar plate as a forward reciprocation limit of the same lumbar plate to give a static or stationary support to a lumbar part of an occupant sitting on the seat under a predetermined lumbar support force, and also manually controlling the drive of said motor when in said manual mode to adjustably set a backward limit of said lumbar plate within a movable range thereof in the fore-and-aft direction; effecting a repeated reversal drive of said motor when in an automatic mode so as to cause fore-and-aft reciprocating motion of said lumbar plate between said forward reciprocation limit and backward reciprocation limit for a predetermined period of time in a periodic manner, thereby providing a comfortable touch of dynamic or moving support to the lumbar part of said occupant sitting on the seat; and permitting an interval operation mode for causing repeated reversal drive of said motor to provide one cycle of said fore-and-aft reciprocation motion of said lumbar plate, with at least one pause interval, during which the reciprocation of lumbar plate is to be effected at a predetermined number of times with said pause interval. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification