Active headrest of a vehicle that rotates horizontally and moves laterally based on angle and direction of inertia force caused by rear-impact

• US 7,640,090 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yuichi, Uchida, Kiyoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong; Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US12/048,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• 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 2/0277 characterised by the calculation method or calculation flow chart of sensor data for adjusting the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0278 using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/806 movable or adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/868 providing a lateral movement parallel to the occupant's shoulder line
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras

Abstract

A headrest control apparatus includes: a headrest moving mechanism that supports a headrest in such a manner that at least one of a rotation of the headrest about an axis of the headrest, which extends in the vehicle-height direction, and a movement of the headrest in the vehicle-width direction is permitted; a drive unit that causes at least one of the rotation and the movement of the headrest; and a control unit that controls the drive unit.

Claims

1. A headrest control apparatus, comprising:

a headrest moving mechanism that supports a headrest in such a manner that the headrest is allowed to rotate about an axis of the headrest, which extends in a height direction of a vehicle;

an actuator that generates drive power used to rotate the headrest;

a headrest control unit that controls an orientation of the headrest by operating the actuator; and

an inertia force direction prediction unit that predicts a direction of an inertia force applied to an occupant in the vehicle when a collision to a rear portion of the vehicle occurs,

wherein the headrest control unit calculates a target value for a rotation amount of the headrest based on an angle between the direction of the inertia force predicted by the inertia force direction prediction unit and a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and rotates the headrest based on the calculated target value.

3. The headrest control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inertia force direction prediction unit predicts the direction of the inertia force applied to the occupant in the vehicle when the collision to the rear portion of the vehicle occurs based on a resultant of an impact force and a centrifugal force that are produced when the collision to the rear portion of the host vehicle occurs.

2. A headrest control apparatus, comprising:

a headrest moving mechanism that supports a headrest in such a manner that the headrest is allowed to move in a width direction of a vehicle;

an actuator that generates drive power used to move the headrest;

a headrest control unit that controls a position of the headrest in the vehicle width direction by operating the actuator; and

an inertia force direction prediction unit that predicts a direction of an inertia force applied to an occupant in the vehicle when a collision to a real portion of the vehicle occurs,

wherein the headrest control unit changes the position of the headrest in the vehicle width direction in such a manner that a center position of the headrest in a lateral direction of the headrest is located on a line extending in the direction in which the inertia force is applied, which is predicted by the inertia force direction prediction unit.

4. The headrest control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inertia force direction prediction unit predicts the direction of the inertia force applied to the occupant in the vehicle when the collision to the rear portion of the vehicle occurs based on a resultant of an impact force and a centrifugal force that are produced when the collision to the rear portion of the host vehicle occurs.