Vehicle seat alert system

• US 7,551,068 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Nathan, John F., Maue, H. Winston, Young, Oliver J., Powell, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/467,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/436, 340/439, 340/407.1, 340/425.5, 340/665, 340/666, 340/667, 340/903, 701/29, 701/45, 701/300, 701/301, 297/331, 297/335, 297/336
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

An alerting element for use with occupant seating to alert a seat occupant with a haptic and/or audible sensation. The alerting element being suitable for use with any type of seat, including vehicle seats. The alerting element optionally including a striking element for striking a structural component of the seat, and thereby, generating an alerting sensation.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for alerting an occupant within a vehicle seat, the system comprising:

a vehicle alert element for generating an alert signal in response to a triggering event;

a striker configured to strike a structural component of the vehicle seat upon receipt of the alert signal, the striker having a striking element slidable along a support, the striking element sliding from a first to a second position while in contact with the structural component; and

wherein the striking element is attached to a rotary actuated armature and the striking element is spring-loaded to progressively ride up an inclined face of the structural component to the second position as the armature rotates, the second position being defined as a compressed position proximate at top of the inclined face, when struck against the face and to reflex to the first position, the first position being defined as an uncompressed position when removed from the face by the rotary action of the armature.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the structural component is an exposed element of the vehicle seat.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the structural component is exposed from a bottom side of the vehicle seat.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the structural element is a bottom support frame of the vehicle seat.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the striking includes a chime that generates an audible sound each time the striking element reaches an extreme of each of the compressed and uncompressed positions.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle alert element controls a rotary speed of the striking element in order to vary a severity of the alert.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the armature includes a second striking element to counterbalance against the other striking element and prevent eccentric based vibrations.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the striker includes a bracket for mounting to an upwardly extending portion of the structural component, the bracket configured to orientate the armature so as to cause the striking element to strike a laterally extending portion of the vehicle seat, the laterally extending portion being define relative to the upwardly extending portion of the structural component.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the striker simultaneously creates haptic and audible sensations when generating the alert.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the striker is evenly balanced such that the alert is generated without eccentric based vibrations.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first position corresponds with the striking element being a first distance away from an end of the support and the second position corresponds with the striking element being a second distance away from the end of the support, the second distance being less than the first distance.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the striking element is configure to generate audible sounds upon reaching the compressed position and uncompressed position.

12. A vehicle system for alerting an occupant within a vehicle seat, the system comprising:

a striker controllable in response to an alert signal and mounted to the vehicle seat, the striker configured to strike a striking element against a structural component of the vehicle seat in order to generate audible and haptic sensation for use in alerting the occupant, the haptic sensation being caused by contact of the striking element inducing a vibration in the structural element and the audible sensation being caused by a chime within the striking element vibrating in response to the striking element contacting the structural component; and

wherein the striking element is spring-loaded and configured to ride up a face of the structural component to a compressed position when struck against the face and to reflex to an uncompressed position when removed from the face by the rotary action of the armature.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the striker includes a rotary actuated armature connected to the striking element and driven by a motor, the motor being controlled by an alert signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle alert element controls a rotary speed of the motor in order to vary a severity of the alert.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the armature includes a second striking element to counterbalance against the other striking element and prevent eccentric based vibrations.

17. A striker for use in alerting a seat occupant, the striker comprising:

a motor configured for rotating an armature as a function of an alert signal received from an alert element, the alert signal associated with alerting the seat occupant;

a striking element connected to the armature and configured to strike against a structural component of a seat in order to simultaneously generate an audible and haptic sensation for use in alerting the seat occupant; and

wherein the striking element is spring-loaded and configured to ride up a face of the structural component to a compressed spring position when struck against the face and to reflex to a less compressed spring position when removed from the face by the rotary action of the armature.

18. The striker of claim 17 wherein the striking element includes a chime to generate audible sounds upon reaching an extreme of each of the compressed and uncompressed positions.