Method for setting the fill level when filling a cavity system and a vehicle seat system

• US 9,348,341 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Heger, Thomas, Winterling, Peter, Sadoune, El Hassan, Santl, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/723,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/00 Level control, e.g. controlling quantity of material stored in vessel
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/12 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A method for setting the fill level when filling a cavity system, in particular a cavity system in vehicle seat that exhibits one or more pressure chambers or bubbles for lumbar adjustments. With the method, a fill level set by the user is measured and a value representative thereof is stored. The value representative for the fill level is determined from a curve line that is characteristic for the respective cavity system.

Claims

1. A method for setting the fill level when filling a cavity system having one or more pressure chambers for lumbar adjustment in vehicle seats and for which cavity system a pressure over time curve line (1) is initially generated and stored in memory for both a pressure chamber fill operation and a pressure chamber emptying operation prior to a user using said cavity system to fill and empty said pressure chamber, said curve line (1) including a first curve branch (1a) including a plurality of time steps each representative of a value of pressure over time curve for said pressure chamber fill operation and a second curve branch 1(b) including a plurality of time steps each representative of a value of pressure over time curve for said pressure chamber emptying operation, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a current time step value for a current filled or emptied value of said pressure chamber;

receiving, by a processor, from a cavity system actuation device, an indication to perform one of said pressure chamber fill operation or said pressure chamber emptying operation, said indication including a desired pressure chamber fill level time step value; and

responsive to said received indication, said processor comparing said stored current chamber fill level time step value with said desired chamber fill level time step value and for causing said pressure chamber to fill or empty based on said comparison and said curve line (1) stored memory.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that to determine the desired chamber fill level time step value from the curve line (1), time step values of the curve line (1) are determined for every point or for every specified time interval of the curve line (1) are added for a duration of the pressure chamber fill operation to said stored current chamber fill level time step value representative for a chamber fill level stored prior to the pressure chamber filling operation.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that only the time step values from the first branch (1a) of the curve line are used for the pressure chamber fill operation.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that to determine the desired chamber fill level time step value from the curve line (1), time step values of the curve line (1) are determined for every point or for every specified time interval of the curve line (1) are subtracted for a duration of the pressure chamber emptying operation from said stored current chamber fill level time step value representative for a chamber fill level stored prior to the pressure chamber emptying operation.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that only the time step values from the second branch (1b) of the curve line (1) are used for the pressure chamber emptying operation.

8. A vehicle seat system as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that that the control function is designed to carry out the method as set forth in claim 1.

6. A vehicle seat system with a vehicle seat having a cavity system having one or more pressure chambers for lumbar adjustment in said vehicle seat, and for which cavity system a curve line (1) is initially generated and stored in memory for both a pressure chamber fill process and a pressure chamber emptying process prior to a user using said cavity system to fill and empty said pressure chamber, curve line (1) including a first curve branch (1a) including curve data configured for use during said pressure chamber fill process and a second curve branch 1(b) including curve data configured for use during said pressure chamber emptying process, said vehicle seat including a control function for controlling the filling and emptying processes of the cavity system based on said curve line (1) stored in memory, with a memory for storing said curve data from said curve line (1) of the cavity system, said curve data including step values that are representative of a current fill level of the cavity system as well as an actuation device for controlling filling and/or emptying the cavity system, characterized in that the memory stores data of said curve line (1) that is characteristic for said filling and emptying process of the cavity system.

7. A vehicle seat system as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the curve data stored in memory includes data of the step values of the curve line (1) determined at every point or specified time interval of the curve line (1).

9. A method for setting the fill level when filling a cavity system having one or more pressure chambers for lumbar adjustment in vehicle seats and for which cavity system a pressure over time curve line (1) is initially generated and stored in memory for both a pressure chamber fill operation and a pressure chamber emptying operation prior to a user using said cavity system to fill and empty said pressure chamber, said curve line (1) including a first curve branch (1a) including a plurality of time steps each representative of a value of pressure over time curve for said pressure chamber fill operation and a second curve branch 1(b) including a plurality of time steps each representative of a value of pressure over time curve for said pressure chamber emptying operation, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a current time step value for a current filled or emptied value of said pressure chamber;

receiving, by a processor, from a cavity system actuation device, an indication to perform one of said pressure chamber fill operation or said pressure chamber emptying operation, said indication including a desired pressure chamber fill level time step value; and

responsive to said received indication, said processor comparing said stored current chamber fill level time step value with said desired chamber fill level time step value and for causing said pressure chamber to till or empty based on said comparison and said curve line (1) stored in memory, wherein for said pressure chamber fill operation, said processor determines said time step values from the first branch (1a) of the curve line (1) for every point or for every specified time interval of the first branch (1a) of the curve line (1) and said step values are added for a duration of the pressure chamber fill operation to said stored current chamber fill level time step value representative for a chamber fill level stored prior to the chamber filling operation, and wherein for said chamber emptying operation, said processor determines time step values from the second branch (1b) of the curve line (1) for every point or for every specified time interval of the second branch (1b) of the curve line (1) and said step values are subtracted for a duration of the pressure chamber emptying operation from said stored current pressure chamber fill level time step value representative for a pressure chamber fill level stored prior to the pressure chamber emptying operation.