Motor vehicle with seat unlocking system

• US 9,676,296 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Denne, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US15/205,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• 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 2/0024 for identifying, categorising or investigation of the occupant or object on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0033 mounted on or in the foam cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/929 linear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A motor vehicle with a seat unlocking system includes a seat with a seat part and a back part secured to a body at an attachment, an airbag, and an actuator for releasing the attachment of the seat to the body. Following activation of the actuator, the attachment between the seat and the body is disconnected such that the seat is moveable relative to the body. A control unit is configured to activate the actuator following an accident exclusively in the case of an opened airbag and exclusively with the motor vehicle at a standstill.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle configured with a seat unlocking system comprising:

a body defining an interior compartment;

a seat having a seat part and a back part;

an airbag deployable in the interior compartment adjacent the seat;

an attachment releasably connecting the seat to the body;

an actuator cooperating with the attachment and configured to selectively disconnect the seat and the body, wherein activation of the actuator releases the attachment such that the seat is disconnected from and moveable relative to the body; and

a control unit configured to activate the actuator, wherein the actuator is activated only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a force sensor in the back part of the seat and configured to detect a seat back force exerted on the back part, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and a value of the seat back is greater than a force limit value.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the force limit value is in a range between 200 N and 700 N.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state, and a value of the seat back force is greater than a time limit value.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the time limit value is in a range between 2 seconds and 7 min.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a deployed state of the airbag, wherein the sensor is operable to communicate the deployed state of the airbag to the control unit.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a body control module configured to deploy the airbag and in data communication with the control unit, wherein the body control module is operable to communicate the deployed state of the airbag to the control unit.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is activated only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state for a time limit value.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the time limit value is in a range between 2 seconds and 7 min.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a speed sensor in communication with the control unit and configured to determine a vehicle speed, wherein the stationary state is based on the vehicle speed.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an accident determining device in communication with the control unit and configured to determine no future secondary accident is possible, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and no future secondary accident is possible.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the accident determining device comprises a distance sensor on a rear region of the body, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and a stationary object is detected behind the motor vehicle by the distance sensor.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only after the airbag has been deployed for a time limit value and when the motor vehicle is in a stationary state.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the time limit value is a range between 2 s and 7 min.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting an upside down orientation of the motor vehicle, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and not in an upside down orientation.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of an electromagnet actuator, an electric motor, a pyrotechnical propelling charge or a combination thereof.