Vehicle seat, particularly a motor vehicle seat

• US 7,547,069 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Heeg, Norbert, Diehl, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEX, JAMES S
• Application Number:
  US12/150,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20080203789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.3, 297/362.11, 297/378.1, 297/378.13, 324/207.2, 324/207, 270/49
• US Class Current: 297/362.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• 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: B60N 2/366 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/14 Inductive; Magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle seat (1), particularly a motor vehicle seat, comprising a seat part (3), at least one fitting (5) which is provided with a first fitting part (7) and a second fitting part (8) that can be swiveled relative to the first fitting part (7) about an axis (A), and a backrest (4) which is mounted on the seat part (3) by way of the fitting (5) and can be swiveled relative to the seat part (3) about the axis (A). A sensor (15) is provided on the first fitting part (7) while a signaler (14) is provided on the second fitting part (8). The sensor (15) transmits a signal by cooperating with the signaler (14) when the second fitting part (8) swivels relative to the first fitting part (7), the signal making it possible to determine the relative angular position of the fitting parts (7, 8).

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat part;

a backrest;

at least one fitting including

(a) a first fitting part,

(b) a second fitting part which is pivotable about an axis relative to the first fitting part, wherein the backrest is attached at least by way of the fitting to the seat part so that the backrest is pivotable about the axis relative to the seat part,

(c) a signaler that is on the second fitting part,

(d) a sensor that is on the first fitting part and is responsive to the signaler so that

(1) the sensor outputs a signal when the second fitting part pivots relative to the first fitting part, and

(2) the signal is indicative of a relative angular position between the fitting parts,

(e) a locking element movably mounted on the first fitting part, and

(f) a mating element that is on the second fitting part, wherein the mating element interacts with the locking element to lock the fitting, the locking element and the mating element are disengaged with respect to one another while the fitting is unlocked, and the backrest is capable of being locked at least by way of the fitting being locked; and

a control unit connected to the sensor for evaluating the signal from the sensor to determine the position of the locking element and the mating element with respect to one another, in order to determine whether the locking element and the mating element are appropriately aligned for locking the fitting.

2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signaler is a periodic sequence of different regions.

3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensor is a Hall sensor.

4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the signaler is a periodic sequence of different regions;

the sensor is responsive to the periodic sequence of different regions so that the signal comprises pulses; and

the control unit is operative for

counting the pulses, and

determining, at least by way of the counting of the pulses, the relative angular position between the fitting parts.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is operative for determining, at least by way of the signal, the relative angular position between the fitting parts.

6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle seat has opposite first and second sides;

the fitting is a first fitting located at the first side of the vehicle seat;

the vehicle seat further comprises a second fitting that is located at the second side of the vehicle seat and includes

(a) a first fitting part,

(b) a second fitting part which is pivotable relative to the first fitting part of the second fitting, wherein the backrest is attached at least by way of the second fitting to the seat part so that the backrest is pivotable about the axis relative to the seat part,

(c) a signaler that is on the second fitting part of the second fitting, and

(d) a sensor that is on the first fitting part of the second fitting and is responsive to the signaler of the second fitting so that

(1) the sensor of the second fitting outputs a signal when the second fitting part of the second fitting pivots relative to the first fitting part of the second fitting, and

(2) the signal of the sensor of the second fitting is indicative of a relative angular position between the fitting parts of the second fitting; and

the control unit is also connected to the sensor of the second fitting for synchronizing locking of the first and second fittings in a final position.

7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mating element is a first mating element, and the vehicle seat further comprises a lock and a second mating element which interacts with the lock for locking the backrest to vehicle structure.

8. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a backrest drive unit for moving the second mating element or the lock relative to the vehicle structure while the second mating element and the lock are separated from one another.

12. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the periodic sequence of different regions is a periodic sequence of alternating magnetized and non-magnetized regions.

13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the periodic sequence of different regions is a periodic sequence of magnetized regions with an alternating direction of magnetization.

14. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the sensor is a Hall sensor; and

the periodic sequence of different regions is selected from the group consisting of

(a) a periodic sequence of alternating magnetized and non-magnetized regions, and

(b) a periodic sequence of magnetized regions with an alternating direction of magnetization.

16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit is operative for determining inclination of the backrest at least from the relative angular position between the fitting parts.

17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control unit is operative for determining, at least from the relative angular position between the fitting parts, whether a final position of the backrest has been reached.

18. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a backrest drive unit for pivoting the backrest about the axis relative to the seat part, wherein the control unit is operative for actuating the backrest drive unit to cause the locking element and the mating element to become appropriately aligned for locking the fitting, and the control unit'"'"'s actuating of the backrest drive unit is responsive to the control unit'"'"'s evaluating of the signal from the sensor.

19. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 8, wherein while the fitting is unlocked and the backrest is locked to vehicle structure by way of the second mating element, the lock and the backrest drive unit:

the backrest drive unit is operative for moving the second mating element and the lock relative to the vehicle structure, so that the backrest is pivoted about the axis relative to the seat part, and the first mating element is moved relative to the locking element, to cause the locking element and the first mating element to become appropriately aligned for locking the fitting.

9. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat part;

a backrest;

a lock and a first mating element which interacts with the lock for locking the backrest to vehicle structure;

a backrest drive unit for moving the first mating element or the lock relative to the vehicle structure while the first mating element and the lock are separated from one another;

at least one fitting including

(a) a first fitting part,

(b) a second fitting part which is pivotable about an axis relative to the first fitting part, wherein the backrest is attached at least by way of the fitting to the seat part so that the backrest is pivotable about the axis relative to the seat part,

(c) a signaler that is on the second fitting part,

(d) a sensor that is on the first fitting part and is responsive to the signaler so that

(1) the sensor outputs a signal when the second fitting part pivots relative to the first fitting part, and

(2) the signal is indicative of a relative angular position between the fitting parts;

(e) a locking element movably mounted on the first fitting part, and

(f) a second mating element that is on the second fitting part, wherein the second mating element interacts with the locking element to lock the fitting, the locking element and the second mating element are disengaged with respect to one another while the fitting is unlocked, and the backrest is locked by way of the fitting while the fitting is locked; and

a control unit connected to the sensor for evaluating the signal from the sensor, wherein the control unit is operative

for determining, at least by way of the signal from the sensor, whether the locking element and the second mating element are appropriately aligned for locking the fitting,

for actuating the backrest drive unit, while the backrest is locked to the vehicle structure by way of the first mating element and the lock, to cause the locking element and the second mating element to become appropriately aligned for locking the fitting, and

so that the actuating of the backrest drive unit is responsive to the determining as to whether the locking element and the second mating element are appropriately aligned for locking the fitting.

10. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and the lock has a second sensor for determining whether the lock is in a locked state.

11. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit is operative for:

determining, at least by way of the signal from the first sensor, inclination of the backrest,

including determining whether the backrest is in a predetermined inclined position; and

indicating correct locking of the backrest, wherein the indicating of the correct locking includes

linking information about the inclination of the backrest and information about the state of the lock, and

providing an indication of correct locking only if the lock is locked to the first mating element and the backrest is in the predetermined inclined position.

20. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein while the fitting is unlocked and the backrest is locked to vehicle structure by way of the first mating element, the lock and the backrest drive unit:

the backrest drive unit is operative for moving the first mating element and the lock relative to the vehicle structure, so that the backrest is pivoted about the axis relative to the seat part, and the second mating element is moved relative to the locking element, to cause the locking element and the second mating element to become appropriately aligned for locking the fitting.

15. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat part;

a backrest; and

at least one fitting including

(a) a first fitting part,

(b) a second fitting part which is pivotable about an axis relative to the first fitting part, wherein the backrest is attached at least by way of the fitting to the seat part so that the backrest is pivotable about the axis relative to the seat part,

(c) a signaler that is on the second fitting part, wherein the signaler is a periodic sequence of different regions,

(d) a sensor that is on the first fitting part and is responsive to the signaler so that the sensor outputs a signal when the second fitting part pivots relative to the first fitting part, and the signal is indicative of a relative angular position between the fitting parts, wherein the sensor is responsive to the periodic sequence of different regions so that the signal comprises pulses,

(e) a locking element movably mounted on the first fitting part, and

(f) a mating element that is on the second fitting part, wherein the mating element interacts with the locking element to lock the fitting, the locking element and the mating element are disengaged with respect to one another while the fitting is unlocked, and the backrest is locked by way of the fitting while the fitting is locked; and

a control unit connected to the sensor for evaluating the signal from the sensor, wherein

the control unit is operative for counting the pulses and determining, at least by way of the counting of the pulses, the relative angular position between the fitting parts, and

the control unit is operative for determining, at least from the relative angular position between the fitting parts, whether the locking element and the mating element are appropriately aligned for locking the fitting.