Vehicle seat

• US 9,718,378 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2012
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keiper Seating Mechanisms Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Components Gmbh & Co. Kg (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Schulz, Jens, Christoffel, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US14/233,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20140138997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,858 Days
• Field of Search: 2973441, 29734424, 29734423
• 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 2/07 Slide construction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling a longitudinally adjustable and rotatable vehicle seat with upper rails guided in lower rails, motors for respectively driving the upper rails and a seat shell. An aligned displacement of the upper rails relative to the lower rails displaces the seat shell in a straight line. A displacement of the first upper rail relative to the second upper rail rotates the seat shell about a vertical axis. An initial position is stored. The seat shell is moved in a straight line out of the initial position into a starting position. From the starting position the seat shell is rotated by a first angle into an intermediate position. The seat shell is moved in a straight line in the direction of travel into a first central position. The seat shell is rotated by a second angle into an end position.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a longitudinally adjustable and rotatable vehicle seat which seat comprises a first upper rail movably guided in a first lower rail, a second upper rail movably guided in a second lower rail, a seat shell, a first motor for driving the first upper rail and a second motor for driving the second upper rail wherein by means of an aligned displacement of the upper rails relative to the lower rails the seat shell is displaced in a straight line and by means of a displacement of the first upper rail relative to the second upper rail the seat shell undergoes a rotation about a vertical axis, the method comprising the steps of:

displacing the seat shell rearwardly in a straight line from an initial position into a starting position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor and moving the second upper rail via the second motor;

rotating the seat shell, by a first angle, from the starting position into an intermediate position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor to provide a rotated seat shell;

displacing the rotated seat shell in a straight line forwardly in the direction of travel into a first central position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor and moving the second upper rail via the second motor wherein during displacing the rotated seat shell in a straight line forwardly, the seat shell remains in a rotated orientation; and

rotating the rotated seat shell by a second angle into an end position by at least moving the first upper rail via the first motor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the initial position is located in front of the starting position with respect to a direction of travel, wherein the seat shell is displaced into the first central position after the seat shell is rotated by the first angle, the seat shell being rotated by the second angle after said the seat shell is displaced into said first central position, the first central position being located in front of the intermediate position with respect to the direction of travel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat shell is moved back from the end position into the initial position, wherein the rotated seat shell is rotated by the second angle into the end position after the rotated seat shell is moved to the first central position.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first motor is stopped during the rotation by the first angle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat shell is displaced in a straight line from the first central position until the second central position is reached, and the seat shell is subsequently rotated by the second angle until the end position is reached.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second motor is stopped during the rotation by the second angle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat shell is rotated from the first central position by the second angle and at the same time displaced in a straight line until the end position is reached.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein during the rotation by the second angle the second motor operates at a reduced speed in comparison with at least one of the operational speed of the second motor during the step of displacing the seat shell in a straight line in the direction of travel into the first central position and a speed of the first motor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a steering wheel is moved away from the seat shell in the longitudinal direction via an adjusting drive.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein during the rotation by the first angle the steering wheel is moved away from the seat shell in the longitudinal direction via said adjusting drive.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the same time a steering wheel is moved away from the seat shell in the longitudinal direction via an adjusting drive.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein during the rotation by the first angle the steering wheel is moved away from the seat shell in the longitudinal direction via said adjusting drive.

11. A longitudinally adjustable and rotatable vehicle seat control method comprising:

providing a vehicle seat comprising a first upper rail movably guided in a first lower rail, a second upper rail movably guided in a second lower rail, a seat shell, a first motor for driving the first upper rail and a second motor for driving the second upper rail;

displacing the seat shell rearwardly in a straight line from an initial position into a starting position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor and moving the second upper rail via the second motor;

rotating the seat shell, by a first angle, from the starting position into an intermediate position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor to provide a rotated seat shell;

displacing the rotated seat shell in a straight line forwardly in the direction of travel into a first central position by moving the first upper rail via the first motor and moving the second upper rail via the second motor wherein during displacing the rotated seat shell in a straight line forwardly, the seat shell remains in a rotated orientation; and

rotating the rotated seat shell by a second angle into an end position by at least moving the first upper rail via the first motor.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the initial position is located in front of the starting position with respect to a direction of travel, the seat shell being displaced into the first central position after the seat shell is rotated by the first angle, the seat shell being rotated by the second angle after the seat shell is rotated by the first angle and after the seat shell is displaced into said first central position, the first central position being located in front of the intermediate position with respect to the direction of travel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seat shell is moved back from the end position into the initial position, wherein the rotated seat shell is rotated by the second angle into the end position after the rotated seat shell is moved to the first central position.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first motor is stopped during the rotation by the first angle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seat shell is displaced in a straight line from the first central position until the second central position is reached, and the seat shell is subsequently rotated by the second angle until the end position is reached.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second motor is stopped during the rotation by the second angle.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seat shell is rotated from the first central position by the second angle and at the same time displaced in a straight line until the end position is reached.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein during the rotation by the second angle the second motor operates at reduced speed in comparison with at least one of the operational speed of the second motor during the step of displacing the seat shell in a straight line in the direction of travel into the first central position and a speed of the first motor.