Vehicle-seat control apparatus

• US 8,864,232 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, ALEXANDER SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/180,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20120007401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.13, 297/344.1, 297/344.11, 297/344.12, 297/344.15, 297/344.14, 297/344.17
• US Class Current: 297/344.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1803 with independent front and/or rear adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1814 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle-seat control apparatus includes an operation determination device, an exit determination device, a forward/backward adjusting device and a height adjusting device. The operation determination device is configured to determine whether a passenger operates a vehicle. The exit determination device is configured to determine whether the passenger exits the vehicle. The forward/rearward adjusting device is configured to move the vehicle seat rearward or forward according to a case where the passenger exits the vehicle or a case where the passenger operates the vehicle equipment. The height adjusting device is configured to move a rear part of the seat cushion to an upward state or move a front part of the seat cushion to a downward state when the passenger exits the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle-seat control apparatus comprising:

an operation determination device configured to determine whether a passenger operates a vehicle equipment that is provided forward of a vehicle seat in a vehicle, the vehicle seat being disposed in a vicinity of a doorway of the vehicle, the vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back;

an exit determination device configured to determine whether the passenger exits the vehicle;

a forward/rearward adjusting device configured to move the vehicle seat rearward in a case where the exit determination device determines the passenger exits the vehicle and to move the vehicle seat forward in a case where the operation determination device determines the passenger operates the vehicle equipment; and

a height adjusting device configured to move a rear part of the seat cushion to an upward state or to move a front part of the seat cushion to a downward state so as to shorten a distance between the passenger and the vehicle equipment in a period of time from a timing when the exit determination device determines the passenger exits the vehicle to a timing when the operation determination device determines the passenger operates the vehicle,

wherein the height adjusting device is configured to move the rear part of the seat cushion to the upward state or to move the front part of the seat cushion to the downward state when the exit determination device determines the passenger exits the vehicle, and

wherein the height adjusting device is configured to maintain a state where the rear part of the seat cushion is moved to the upward state or a state where the front part of the seat cushion is moved to the downward state until the operation determination device determines the passenger operates the vehicle.

2. The vehicle-seat control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height adjusting device is configured to set the rear part of the seat cushion higher than the front part of the seat cushion.

3. The vehicle-seat control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing device to store a position of the vehicle seat in a front-to-rear direction, a height of the seat cushion, and an inclination angle of the seat back before the forward/rearward adjusting device moves the vehicle seat rearward.

4. The vehicle-seat control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein forward/rearward adjusting device comprises:

a slider slidably disposed along a floor of the vehicle, the vehicle seat being supported by the slider; and

a forward/rearward adjustment motor configured to move the slider in forward and rearward directions.

5. The vehicle-seat control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the height adjusting device comprises:

a front-part adjustment motor provided on the slider;

a front linking member connecting the front-part adjustment motor to the front part of the seat cushion;

a rear-part adjustment motor provided on the slider; and

a rear linking member connecting the rear-part adjustment motor to the rear part of the seat cushion,

wherein the front-part adjustment motor is configured to drive the front linking member to vertically move the front part of the seat cushion, and

wherein the rear-part adjustment motor is configured to drive the rear linking member to vertically move the rear part of the seat cushion.

6. The vehicle-seat control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height adjusting device comprises:

a front-part adjustment motor;

a front linking member connecting the front-part adjustment motor to the front part of the seat cushion;

a rear-part adjustment motor; and

a rear linking member connecting the rear-part adjustment motor to the rear part of the seat cushion,

wherein the front-part adjustment motor is configured to drive the front linking member to vertically move the front part of the seat cushion, and

wherein the rear-part adjustment motor is configured to drive the rear linking member to vertically move the rear part of the seat cushion.