Anti-pinch system for vehicle seating

• US 9,211,821 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kreder, Richard Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/063,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/005 Buckles combined with other articles, e.g. with receptacles
• 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 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0256 Arrangements for facilitating the occupant to get in or out of the vehicle, e.g. stowing a seat forward
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/919 Positioning and locking mechanisms B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/948 the actuation of the positioning or locking mechanism for one seat part being dependent on the position of another seat part, e.g. the seats floor lock being unlocked when the back-rest is inclined or the backrest can be tilted only when the seat is in its rear position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle

Abstract

An anti-pinch system for vehicle seating includes a front seat that has an actuator configured to automatically slide the front seat between the driving position and entry/exit position. A rear seat is fixed rearward from the front seat and has a seatbelt that releasably engages a clasp. A memory module prevents the front seat from automatically moving rearward to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

Claims

1. An anti-pinch system for vehicle seating, comprising:

a front seat having an actuator configured to automatically slide the front seat between a driving position and an entry/exit position;

a memory module that prevents the front seat from automatically moving rearward to the entry/exit position when a seatbelt is engaged with a rear seatbelt clasp unless manually overridden; and

a display providing an alert when the front seat is prevented from moving.

2. The anti-pinch system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle ignition switch that is movable between a run position and an off position, wherein the actuator automatically slides the front seat rearward to the entry/exit position when the ignition switch moves to the off position.

3. The anti-pinch system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled with the clasp that senses when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp, wherein the sensor is electrically coupled with the memory module to indicate when seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

4. The anti-pinch system of claim 1, further comprising:

an override switch that is manually actuatable to override the memory module to move the front seat to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

5. The anti-pinch system of claim 1, wherein a back surface of the front seat in the entry/exit position is in closer proximity to the rear seat than in the driving position, and wherein the seatbelt spans across the rear seat for securing a passenger in the rear seat, such that the back surface may contact the passenger when the front seat moves to entry/exit position.

10. The anti-pinch system of claim 1, wherein a back surface of the front seat in the entry/exit position is in closer proximity to the rear seat than in the driving position, and wherein the seatbelt spans across the rear seat for securing a passenger in the rear seat, such that the back surface may contact the passenger when the front seat moves to entry/exit position.

6. An anti-pinch system for memory seating in a vehicle, comprising:

a front seat slidably coupled within the vehicle;

a rear seat having a seatbelt that removably engages an attachment sensor that senses when the seatbelt is engaged;

a memory module that automatically slides the front seat rearward to an entry/exit position when the vehicle turns off and that prevents the front seat from automatically sliding to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engage; and

a display coupled with the memory module and configured to display an alert message when the memory module prevents the front seat from moving to the entry/exit position, wherein the alert message includes an override selection that is manually selectable to override the memory module to move the front seat to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

7. The anti-pinch system of claim 6, further comprising:

a vehicle ignition switch that is movable between a run position and an off position, wherein the actuator automatically slides the front seat rearward to the entry/exit position when the ignition switch moves to the off position.

8. The anti-pinch system of claim 6, further comprising:

a sensor coupled with the clasp that senses when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp, wherein the sensor is electrically coupled with the memory module to indicate when seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

9. The anti-pinch system of claim 6, further comprising:

an override switch that is manually actuatable to override the memory module to move the front seat to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

11. A method for operating memory seating in a vehicle, comprising:

providing a front seat having an actuator that is configured to automatically slide the front seat between a driving position and an entry/exit position;

positioning a rear seat fixed rearward from the front seat;

providing a seatbelt proximate the rear seat that releasably engages a clasp;

automatically moving the front seat rearward to the entry/exit position when an ignition switch of the vehicle moves from a run position to an off position such that the back surface may contact the passenger when the front seat moves to entry/exit position;

positioning a back surface of the front seat in the entry/exit position closer to the rear seat than when the front seat is in the driving position;

positioning the seatbelt to span across the rear seat to secure a passenger in the rear seat; and

preventing the front seat from automatically moving rearward to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sensing when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp with a sensor coupled with the clasp that, wherein the sensor indicates when seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

actuating an override switch to move the front seat to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying an alert message when the front seat is prevented from moving to the entry/exit position, wherein the alert message includes an override selection that is manually selectable to override the memory module to move the front seat to the entry/exit position when the seatbelt is engaged to the clasp.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the entry/exit position of the front seat is a set distance from the driving position, such that the entry/exit position is based on the driving position.