Vehicle seat

• US 8,141,945 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Akaike, Fumitoshi, Tani, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/596,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20100117410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/862 with means for maintaining a desired position when the seat-back is adjusted, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms
• 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: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a first sensor that is disposed inside a seat back and is capable of detecting a back-side collision of a vehicle when pressed by a body of a sitting passenger, and a second sensor that is capable of detecting the back-side collision of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. A head rest is constructed to be moved forwardly based on detection signals when both of the sensors detect the back-side collision of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first sensor that is disposed inside a seat back and is capable of detecting a back-side collision of a vehicle when pressed by a body of a sitting passenger; and

a second sensor that is capable of detecting the back-side collision of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively oppositely disposed in a widthwise direction of the vehicle seat,

wherein a head rest is constructed to be moved forwardly based on detection signals when both of the first and second sensors detect the back-side collision of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor disposed inside the seat back comprises a position detection sensor that is actuated when pressed by the body of the sitting passenger, and

wherein a biasing force for maintaining the first sensor in an inactive condition is set to a force that is required to restore the first sensor from an active condition to the inactive condition,

wherein the position detection sensor comprises a rotation angle detection sensor that is attached to one of right and left sides of a back frame of the seat back,

wherein one end of a rod is connected to the position detection sensor,

wherein an other end of the rod is connected to the other of the right and left sides of the back frame, and

wherein when the rod is pressed by the body of the sitting passenger at the time of the back-side collision of the vehicle, a rotational force can be applied to the rotation angle detection sensor, so that the back-side collision of the vehicle can be detected.

20. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein the seat is supported by a slide rail such that a longitudinal position thereof can be adjusted, and

wherein the second sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that is disposed on the slide rail.

21. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 20, wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on an upper rail of the slide rail.

22. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 20, wherein a pair of slide rails are disposed on right and left sides of the vehicle seat, and

wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on the slide rail that is positioned adjacent to a central portion of the vehicle.

23. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein a head rest moving mechanism for moving the head rest has a biasing force that is capable of moving the head rest forwardly, and

wherein the head rest moving mechanism is locked and is capable of being unlocked based on the detection signals when both of the first sensor and the second sensor detect the back-side collision of the vehicle.

24. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 23, wherein the head rest moving mechanism comprises a connection link movably supporting the head rest, and an elongated hole capable of guiding a connection shaft integrally provided to the head rest in order to control a posture of the head rest in cooperation with the connection link when the head rest is moved, and

wherein the elongated hole is shaped such that the connection shaft at the time the head rest is moved forwardly can be guided from a normal position to a collision adaptable position at the time the back-side collision of the vehicle is detected.

2. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first sensor that is disposed inside a seat back and is capable of detecting a back-side collision of a vehicle when pressed by a body of a sitting passenger; and

a second sensor that is capable of detecting the back-side collision of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively oppositely disposed in a widthwise direction of the vehicle seat,

wherein a head rest is constructed to be moved forwardly based on detection signals when both of the first and second sensors detect the back-side collision of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor disposed inside the seat back comprises a position detection sensor that is actuated when pressed by the body of the sitting passenger, and

wherein a biasing force for maintaining the first sensor in an inactive condition is set to a force that is required to restore the first sensor from an active condition to the inactive condition,

wherein the position detection sensor comprises a rotation angle detection sensor that is attached to one of right and left sides of a back frame of the seat back,

wherein the position detection sensor has a wire that is wound up therein,

wherein one end of the wire is connected to the other of the right and left sides of the back frame, and

wherein when the wire is pulled by the body of the sitting passenger at the time of the back-side collision of the vehicle, a portion of the wire that is previously wound up in the position detection sensor is pulled out, so that a rotational force can be applied to the rotation angle detection sensor and as a result, the back-side collision of the vehicle can be detected.

3. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 2, wherein the seat is supported by a slide rail such that a longitudinal position thereof can be adjusted, and

wherein the second sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that is disposed on the slide rail.

4. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 3, wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on an upper rail of the slide rail.

5. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 3, wherein a pair of slide rails are disposed on right and left sides of the vehicle seat, and

wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on the slide rail that is positioned adjacent to a central portion of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 2, wherein a head rest moving mechanism for moving the head rest has a biasing force that is capable of moving the head rest forwardly, and

wherein the head rest moving mechanism is locked and is capable of being unlocked based on the detection signals when both of the first sensor and the second sensor detect the back-side collision of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 6, wherein the head rest moving mechanism comprises a connection link movably supporting the head rest, and an elongated hole capable of guiding a connection shaft integrally provided to the head rest in order to control a posture of the head rest in cooperation with the connection link when the head rest is moved, and

wherein the elongated hole is shaped such that the connection shaft at the time the head rest is moved forwardly can be guided from a normal position to a collision adaptable position at the time the back-side collision of the vehicle is detected.

8. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first sensor that is disposed inside a seat back and is capable of detecting a back-side collision of a vehicle when pressed by a body of a sitting passenger; and

a second sensor that is capable of detecting the back-side collision of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively oppositely disposed in a widthwise direction of the vehicle seat,

wherein a head rest is constructed to be moved forwardly based on detection signals when both of the first and second sensors detect the back-side collision of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor disposed inside the seat back comprises a position detection sensor that is actuated when pressed by the body of the sitting passenger, and

wherein a biasing force for maintaining the first sensor in an inactive condition is set to a force that is required to restore the first sensor from an active condition to the inactive condition,

wherein the position detection sensor comprises a Hall IC sensor that is attached to a back frame of the seat back,

wherein an end portion of a mat spring of the back frame is positioned adjacent to a front surface of the Hall IC sensor, and

wherein the end portion of the mat spring protrudes in front of the front surface of the Hall IC sensor in conjunction with movement of the body of the sitting passenger at the time of the back-side collision of the vehicle, so that the back-side collision of the vehicle can be detected by the Hall IC sensor.

9. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 8, wherein the seat is supported by a slide rail such that a longitudinal position thereof can be adjusted, and

wherein the second sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that is disposed on the slide rail.

10. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 9, wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on an upper rail of the slide rail.

11. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 9, wherein a pair of slide rails are disposed on right and left sides of the vehicle seat, and

wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on the slide rail that is positioned adjacent to a central portion of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 8, wherein a head rest moving mechanism for moving the head rest has a biasing force that is capable of moving the head rest forwardly, and

wherein the head rest moving mechanism is locked and is capable of being unlocked based on the detection signals when both of the first sensor and the second sensor detect the back-side collision of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 12, wherein the head rest moving mechanism comprises a connection link movably supporting the head rest, and an elongated hole capable of guiding a connection shaft integrally provided to the head rest in order to control a posture of the head rest in cooperation with the connection link when the head rest is moved, and

wherein the elongated hole is shaped such that the connection shaft at the time the head rest is moved forwardly can be guided from a normal position to a collision adaptable position at the time the back-side collision of the vehicle is detected.

14. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first sensor that is disposed inside a seat back and is capable of detecting a back-side collision of a vehicle when pressed by a body of a sitting passenger; and

a second sensor that is capable of detecting the back-side collision of the vehicle based on a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively oppositely disposed in a widthwise direction of the vehicle seat,

wherein a head rest is constructed to be moved forwardly based on detection signals when both of the first and second sensors detect the back-side collision of the vehicle,

wherein the first sensor disposed inside the seat back comprises a position detection sensor that is actuated when pressed by the body of the sitting passenger, and

wherein a biasing force for maintaining the first sensor in an inactive condition is set to a force that is required to restore the first sensor from an active condition to the inactive condition,

wherein the position detection sensor comprises an on-off type switch that is attached to a back frame of the seat back,

wherein a switching lever portion of the on-off type switch is connected to a spring member of the back frame, and

wherein the switching lever portion of the on-off type switch is switched by the spring member that is capable of moving in conjunction with movement of the body of the sitting passenger at the time of the back-side collision of the vehicle, so that the back-side collision of the vehicle can be detected by the on-off type switch.

15. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 14, wherein the seat is supported by a slide rail such that a longitudinal position thereof can be adjusted, and

wherein the second sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that is disposed on the slide rail.

16. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 15, wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on an upper rail of the slide rail.

17. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 15, wherein a pair of slide rails are disposed on right and left sides of the vehicle seat, and

wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed on the slide rail that is positioned adjacent to a central portion of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 14, wherein a head rest moving mechanism for moving the head rest has a biasing force that is capable of moving the head rest forwardly, and

wherein the head rest moving mechanism is locked and is capable of being unlocked based on the detection signals when both of the first sensor and the second sensor detect the back-side collision of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle seat as defined in claim 18, wherein the head rest moving mechanism comprises a connection link movably supporting the head rest, and an elongated hole capable of guiding a connection shaft integrally provided to the head rest in order to control a posture of the head rest in cooperation with the connection link when the head rest is moved, and

wherein the elongated hole is shaped such that the connection shaft at the time the head rest is moved forwardly can be guided from a normal position to a collision adaptable position at the time the back-side collision of the vehicle is detected.