Automatic moving apparatus for pre-crash headrest

• US 8,292,020 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dymos Inc., Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Dymos Inc., Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Hwang, Su Hwan, Lee, Bong Joon, Kim, Gil Ju, Heo, Jun Yeol, Pyun, Jong Kweon, Lee, In Ho, Kim, Seung Jai, Kim, Do Hyoung, Park, Sang Nam, Kim, Dong Gi, Nam, Jin Young, Kim, Eun Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US12/956,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/274, 180/282, 297/216.1, 297/216.12, 297/216.14
• US Class Current: 180/282
• 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 2/829 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

An automatic moving apparatus may include a collision prediction sensor, a control unit comparing a value measured by the collision prediction sensor, with a reference value stored in the control unit, and outputting a control signal when it may be determined that the value measured by the collision prediction sensor is higher than the reference value, and a headrest moving unit moving a headrest unit toward a passenger'"'"'s head before the headrest unit comes into contact with the passenger'"'"'s head, and including a stay rod connected to the headrest unit, both sides of the stay rod being placed in a vertical direction, tilting device tilting the stay rod forwards or backwards relative to a seatback in response to the control signal of the control unit, and vertical moving device moving the stay rod in a vertical direction in response to the control signal of the control unit.

Claims

1. An automatic moving apparatus for a pre-crash headrest, comprising:

a collision prediction sensor provided on a rear of a vehicle to predict a rear-end collision;

a control unit comparing a value measured by the collision prediction sensor and input to the control unit, with a reference value stored in the control unit, and outputting a control signal when it is determined that the value measured by the collision prediction sensor is higher than the reference value; and

a headrest moving unit moving a headrest unit toward a passenger'"'"'s head before the headrest unit comes into contact with the passenger'"'"'s head when the control signal is input from the control unit to the headrest moving unit, and comprising;

a stay rod connected at an upper end thereof to the headrest unit, both sides of the stay rod being placed in a vertical direction;

tilting device tilting the stay rod forwards or backwards relative to a seatback in response to the control signal of the control unit, thus making the headrest unit come closer to the passenger'"'"'s head; and

vertical moving device moving the stay rod in a vertical direction in response to the control signal of the control unit so that an uppermost end of the headrest unit is not lower than the passenger'"'"'s head.

2. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control unit receives a signal from a head position sensor provided on a front of the headrest unit to provide a position of the passenger'"'"'s head, thus preventing the headrest unit from coming into contact with the passenger'"'"'s head.

3. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the head position sensor comprises a capacitive sensor which varies capacitance depending on a distance between the sensor and the passenger'"'"'s head.

4. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tilting device comprises:

a tilting motor driven by the control unit;

a tilting lead screw rotatably coupled to the tilting motor in a gear coupling manner, with a thread formed on an outer circumference of the tilting lead screw;

a guide part slidably fitted over a vertical part of the stay rod to provide a rotating force of the tilting motor to the stay rod and guide a vertical movement of the stay rod;

a hinge shaft secured to the guide part to transmit the rotating force of the tilting motor to the guide part; and

a connecting arm fitted at a first end thereof over the tilting lead screw, and fitted at a second end thereof over the hinge shaft to rotate the hinge shaft using a rotating force of the tilting lead screw.

5. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the vertical moving device comprises:

a vertical moving motor fixed to the hinge shaft and driven by the control unit;

a vertical moving lead screw rotatably coupled to the vertical moving motor in a gear coupling manner, with a thread formed on an outer circumference of the vertical moving lead screw; and

a vertical moving body rotatably engaged at a first side thereof to the vertical moving lead screw to move in a vertical direction by a rotation of the vertical moving lead screw, both side ends of the vertical moving body being coupled to a lower portion of the stay rod to transmit a vertical moving force to the stay rod.

6. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the vertical moving motor is mounted on the hinge shaft via a mounting bracket.

7. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the vertical moving body is slidably guided by a guide rod which is placed to the mounting bracket in a vertical direction and slidably inserted into the vertical moving body.

8. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collision prediction sensor comprises a radar sensor.

9. The automatic moving apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the headrest moving unit moves the headrest unit so that the headrest unit is spaced apart from the passenger'"'"'s head by 1 to 20 mm.