Longitudinal adjuster for a vehicle seat

• US 8,398,044 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Christoffel, Thomas, Heeg, Norbert, Pluta, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tan
• Application Number:
  US12/840,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20110017897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 248/429, 248/430, 248/420, 248/423, 248/424, 248/550, 297/344.1, 297/344.11, 297/341, 297/468, 324/207.2, 324/207.24, 324/207.13, 324/207.22, 324/207.23, 324/207.25
• US Class Current: 248/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0722 Constructive details
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A longitudinal adjuster for a vehicle seat (3) has a first seat rail (5) fixed to the vehicle structure and arranged on a vehicle floor (10) and a second seat rail (8) fixed to the seat and displaceable in relation to the first seat rail (5) and guided in same. A position detection device (20) is provided with a sensor (24), having a magnet and a Hall element. The sensor (24) is arranged in the interior of the second seat rail (8) and aligned with a flat area associated with the first seat rail (5) in which one end of the flat area corresponds to the end of the rail and the flat area forms a detection area. The sensor (24) is used to detect an end of the detection area. The sensor (24) has a certain detection range and the distance between the sensor (24) and the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor (24). The distance between the sensor (24) and the vehicle floor (10) lies outside of the certain detection range of the sensor (24).

Claims

1. A longitudinal adjuster for a vehicle seat, the longitudinal adjuster comprising:

a first seat rail fixed to vehicle structure and arranged on a vehicle floor, the first seat rail having a flat area comprised of at least one of an integral first rail flat area, which is adjacent to the floor and extends along a longitudinal direction of the rails to an end corresponding to an end of the first seat rail and a connected flat area, which is connected to the first seat rail and positioned adjacent to the floor and extends along the longitudinal direction of the rails to an end corresponding to an end of the first seat rail;

a second seat rail fixed to the seat and displaceable in relation to the first seat rail and guided in same;

a position detection means with a sensor having a magnet and a Hall element, wherein;

the sensor is arranged in the interior of the second seat rail fixed to the seat;

the sensor is aligned in a direction of a flat area of the first rail;

the flat area forms a detection area;

the sensor detects an end of the detection area, the sensor having a detection range including a certain detection range and an uncertain detection range; and

the distance between the sensor and the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor; and

the distance between the sensor and the vehicle floor lies outside of the certain detection range and outside the uncertain detection range of the sensor.

2. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distance between the detection area and the vehicle floor at the end of the detection area is maximally as large as twice the size of the certain detection range including twice the size of the uncertain detection range.

3. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 2, wherein the distance between the detection area and the vehicle floor at the end of the detection area is maximally as large as the certain detection range plus the uncertain detection range.

4. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 1, wherein the material thickness of sheet metal forming the first seat rail is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor at least in the detection area, wherein the distance between the sensor and the surface of the seat rail forming the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.

5. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sheet metal forming the first seat rail is bent upwards in the detection area in such a way that the material thickness of the sheet metal including the raised part is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor, wherein the distance between the sensor and the surface of the seat rail forming the detection area in the raised area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.

6. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first seat rail consists essentially of a non-magnetically conductive material, and a metal plate which forms the detection area and ends at the same height as the seat rail, is arranged at the first seat rail opposite the sensor.

7. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 1, wherein a spacer is arranged between the first seat rail and the vehicle floor and/or a metal plate is arranged in the first seat rail to form the connected flat area, wherein the material thickness of the first seat rail in the detection area including the height of the spacer and/or of the metal plate is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor, and the distance between the sensor and the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.

8. A longitudinal adjuster for a vehicle seat, the longitudinal adjuster comprising:

a first seat rail fixed to the vehicle structure and arranged relative to a vehicle floor, the first seat rail having a flat area comprised of at least one of an integral first rail flat area, which is adjacent to the floor and extends along a longitudinal direction of the rails to an end corresponding to an end of the first seat rail and a connected flat area, which is connected to the first seat rail and positioned adjacent to the floor and extends along the longitudinal direction of the rails to an end corresponding to an end of the first seat rail;

a second seat rail fixed to the seat and displaceable in relation to the first seat rail and guided in the first seat rail;

a sensor, wherein;

the sensor is arranged in the interior of the second seat rail fixed to the seat;

the sensor has a detection range directed toward the flat area of the first rail;

the flat area forms a detection area, and the sensor detects an end of the detection area;

the sensor detection range has a certain detection range and an uncertain detection range;

the distance between the sensor and the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor; and

the distance between sensor and vehicle floor lies outside of the detection range of the sensor.

9. A longitudinal adjuster in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least the second seat rail, in which the sensor is arranged, is bent in a U-shape, wherein the sensor is arranged between two legs of the U-shape.

10. A motor vehicle seat comprising a seat part and a longitudinal adjuster, the longitudinal adjuster comprising:

a first seat rail fixed to vehicle structure and arranged relative to a vehicle floor, the first seat rail having an integral flat area or being connected to a structure forming a connected flat area, wherein one end of the integral flat area or the connected flat area corresponds to an end of the rail and the flat area defines a detection area;

a second seat rail fixed to the seat part and displaceable in relation to the first seat rail and guided in same;

a sensor arranged in the interior of the second seat rail and being fixed thereto, the sensor being directed downwardly toward the detection area and toward the vehicle floor and detecting an end of the detection area, the sensor having a detection range comprised of a certain detection range and an uncertain detection range, the distance between the sensor and the detection area being within the certain detection range of the sensor, and the distance between sensor and vehicle floor being outside of the detection range.

11. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 10, wherein the distance between the detection area and the vehicle floor at the end of the detection area is maximally as large as twice the size of the certain detection range including twice the size of the uncertain detection range.

12. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 11, wherein the distance between the detection area and the vehicle floor at the end of the detection area is maximally as large as the certain detection range plus the uncertain detection range.

13. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 10, wherein the material thickness of sheet metal forming the first seat rail is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor at least in the detection area, wherein the distance between the sensor and the surface of the seat rail forming the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.

14. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 10, wherein the sheet metal forming the first seat rail is bent upwards in the detection area in such a way that the material thickness of the sheet metal including the raised part is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor, wherein the distance between the sensor and the surface of the seat rail forming the detection area in the raised area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.

15. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first seat rail consists essentially of a non-magnetically conductive material, and the structure forming a connected flat area is a metal plate which forms the detection area and ends at the same height as the seat rail, the metal plate being arranged at the first seat rail opposite the sensor.

16. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 10, wherein a spacer is arranged between the first seat rail and the vehicle floor to space the integral flat area from the vehicle floor and/or a metal plate as the structure forming a connected flat area is arranged in the first seat rail, wherein the material thickness of the first seat rail in the detection area including the height of the spacer and/or of the metal plate is greater than the uncertain detection range of the sensor, and the distance between the sensor and the detection area lies within the certain detection range of the sensor.