Apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles

• US 4,967,178 A
• Filed: 02/13/1990
• Issued: 10/30/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Niles Parts Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Niles Parts Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Saito, Masatsugu, Ikeda, Chikamasa, Katsutani, Kazuji, Takeoka, Seiei
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tumm, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US07/480,337
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/459, 340/460, 340/461, 340/686, 340/995, 296/65.1, 297/330, 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/425
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus in which the posture of a seat for vehicles is controlled in accordance with the output from a mode selecting circuit in response to the operation of a manually operated switch composed of a mode select switch and increasing/decreasing switches, and the posture controlling direction is announced by means of displaying means. By contrast, in the second embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2, the input to the LCD controlling circuit 260 and to the voice synthesizer 210'"'"' is dependent only upon the control mode selected by the switch 13. Thus, only the selected control mode is displayed in the audio and visual ways. Of course, the invention includes all such variations and modifications of combinations of the features disclosed for both embodiments. Such announcement is made visually and audiometrically. The mode selecting circuit supplies a signal representing the posture controlling direction to an announcing device by operation of the increasing/decreasing switches. An apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles in which the control mode selected by an operator is displayed and the control direction of the seat is also displayed. In the case where the announcing device utilizes a voice, there are provided inhibiting means for inhibiting the voice announcing signal when the mode selecting means is continuously operated, and reset means for resetting or turning off or disabling the mode selecting device when no operation of the manually operated switch is effected for a predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the settings of each of a plurality of degrees of freedom of parts of a vehicle, including parts of a seat of the vehicle for changing the posture of the seat for the comfort of the driver sitting in it, said apparatus comprising

a manually-operated mode select switch for selecting one at a time in a predetermined order by the repeated operation of said mode select switch each of a plurality of control modes of said seat, each said control mode corresponding to a respective one of said degrees of freedom, and a manually-operated increasing/decreasing switch means for selecting an increasing or decreasing of the respective setting of the degree of freedom of the currently selected control mode, said increasing/decreasing switch means being operated identically in each said selected mode for said selective increasing or decreasing of the respective setting,

a control circuit for selecting each said control mode and for changing the setting of each said degree of freedom in accordance with the operation by the driver of said mode select switch and increasing/decreasing switch means, and

display means for visually displaying which of said control mode is currently selected and whether said respective setting for said selected control mode is being increased or decreased, according to respective signals input thereto,

wherein said control circuit comprises means for generating and supplying said signals to said display means representing said currently selected control mode and whether the respective setting is being changed according to said operation of said increasing/decreasing switch means, and

wherein said display means comprises a voice generating means for announcing, after a predetermined delay, which of said control modes was selected by said driver, said voice generating means including

a start input section for receiving a start signal indicating that said announcing of said selected control mode is to begin,

an inhibiting means connected to said start input section for providing said start signal thereto with a delay of a first predetermined period after said selecting by said driver of said selected control mode, for delaying said announcing of each said selected control mode for said predetermined period, wherein if a subsequent control mode is selected by operation of said mode select switch during said first predetermined period the announcement of the previously selected control mode does not occur, and

reset means for resetting said control circuit to an initial condition in accordance with no operation of either said mode select switch or said increasing/decreasing switch means for at least a second predetermined period which is longer than said first predetermined period, said initial condition of said control circuit being such that subsequent operation of said mode select switch by said driver recommences said selection of said control modes in said predetermined order from said initial state.

2. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said display means for said visual display comprises a liquid crystal display.

3. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein said display means includes a CRT display in combination with another display in said vehicle.

4. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said display means includes a CRT display.

5. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said display means includes a CRT display in combination with another display means in said vehicle.

6. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a liquid crystal display.

7. The apparatus for controlling a seat for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said display means is provided in combination with another display in said vehicle.