Vehicle seat, in particular a motor-vehicle seat

• US 7,746,011 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Company KG (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Company KG (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Bethge, Thomas, Gerding, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCLOUD, RENATA D
• Application Number:
  US11/639,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 318/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle, and equipped with a central control unit, motors, peripheral motor control devices each associated to one motor and connected to the central control unit. To allow rapid and accurate adjustments while providing versatility, the invention provides that each motor and its associated motor control device shall constitute a closed regulation loop.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a central control unit,

peripheral motor control devices operably connected to the central control unit,

motors, each associated to one peripheral control device,

each motor and an associated peripheral control device constituting a closed regulation loop to carry out one or more functions without data transmission to the central control unit,

the motor control devices are connected to one another and to the central control unit by a serial bus,

the central control unit and the peripheral motor control devices are configured as a master-slave control system, and

the motor control devices are connected to power lines that issue from the central control unit.

2. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bus system is expandable to receive further motor control devices.

3. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor control devices are connected to joint power lines.

4. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power lines issuing from the central control unit to the peripheral motor control devices are polarized-connected to the central control unit.

5. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the central control unit and the peripheral motor control devices are connected in parallel to the power lines.

6. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the closed regulation loops assumes one or more of the following functions:

angular-speed detection, angular-speed regulation, detection of direction of rotation, adjusting direction of rotation, detection of position, regulating position, obstacle detection, obstacle-detected limitation of excursion based on obstacle detection or on stops, protection against misuse, self-testing, easy-entry function to allow quick seat access or adjustment, easy-exit function to quickly release seat or adjust it, heat regulation, air circulation regulation, adjustment of seat pneumatics, adjustment of seat hydraulics.

7. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angular-speed regulation is carried out by means of PWM.

8. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angular-speed regulation is carried out as a function of obstacle detection.

9. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one closed regulation loop comprises at least one memory function including the storage of setpoint values in a memory of the peripheral motor control devices.

10. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein the minimum of one closed regulation loop is fitted with at least one memory function, one learning function for the initial determination of the setpoint values, including regular resetting of setpoint values.

11. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sleep mode of the peripheral motor control devices is adjustable in the central control unit.

12. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral motor control devices are integrated into the motors.

13. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral motor control devices are identical in design but programmed differently.

14. Vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein user operated switches are present at or in the central control unit for the purpose of seat adjustment and in that, after actuation of the switches, control signals shall be issued by said central control unit to the peripheral motor control devices.