GB2567423A

GB2567423A - A seating assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2567423A
Application number: GB1716278.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fillinger Tomas
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-05
Filing date: 2017-10-05
Publication date: 2019-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-05
Also published as: DE102018215863B4; DE102018215863A1; GB201716278D0; GB2567423B

Abstract

A seating assembly 19 for a vehicle, comprising a damping component 50 arranged between a moveable seat-back 24 and a vehicle cabin structure (e.g. a bulkhead 8). An actuator (42, figure 3, e.g. an electric motor 25) is controllable to bias the seat-back 24 towards the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between them to attenuate vibrations in the seatback. Absorbing seatback vibrations may reduce unwanted rattling noise. The damping component may comprise an elastomeric resilient member 52 or a spring. The seatback may define a squab 24, movable between stowed and deployed positions relative to a bulkhead or partition 8. Preferably, a control unit (60, figure 6) may actuate a headrest to lower or retract towards the squab 24 upon receiving a signal indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in the seatback, shifting the squab’s centre of mass lower and thus reducing the level of vibrations. The signal may be from a user operated input (66), or comprise a signal indicative of occupancy of a seat, or a signal representative of the vehicle speed.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a seating assembly. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a seating assembly for use in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, for example a saloon car or sport utility vehicle (SUV). Aspects of the invention relate to a controller for a damping system for use in a seating assembly and a vehicle comprising a seating assembly and/or a controller for a damping system.

BACKGROUND

The seats used in luxury sport utility vehicles (SUV), and luxury vehicles generally, often comprise additional functionality compared with seats of standard passenger vehicles because they tend to be optimised for passenger comfort. For example, it may be desirable for a rear seat to have the ability to recline in order to afford more comfort to a seated passenger. To achieve this, individual components of the seat may be movable relative to a bulkhead (or partition), which separates the seating compartment from the loading bay of the vehicle.

The movement of the seat components may be driven by a system of motors which can be housed within the structure of the seating assembly. The increased manoeuvrability of the seat arrangement can lead to individual seat components being unsupported by the underlying structure of the vehicle. The motion of the vehicle can cause the unsupported seat components to rattle against other components of the seating assembly and/or the underlying support structure of the seat, particularly when the seating assembly is unoccupied. This is a particular problem with luxury SUVs, which can be used off-road where the rough and undulating terrain can cause large tremors and vibrations to be transmitted to the seats.

It is therefore desirable to provide a solution to inhibit unwanted vibrations of the seat components when the seats are not in use and it is against this background that the present invention has been devised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a seating assembly for a vehicle, the seating assembly comprising: a moveable seat-back; a damping component arranged to be disposed between the seat-back and a vehicle cabin structure; and an actuator controllable to bias the seat-back towards the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure; wherein the damping component is arranged to attenuate vibrations in the seat-back when pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure.

The damping component forms a connection between the seat back and the vehicle cabin structure such that the vibrations in the seat back are damped by the damping component. The damping system provides an effective means of reducing vibrations in the seat back that would otherwise be a disturbance to the occupants of the vehicle and which may even prove distracting to the driver of the vehicle.

The inventors of the present invention have identified that the vibrations within the seat back occur during particular operating conditions, namely when the seat is configured in a deployed position away from the vehicle cabin structure and when the seating assembly is unoccupied. The damping system provides an advantageous way of preventing the vibrations from occurring, wherein the solution does not require unnecessary strengthening of the actuator or seating assembly that would add weight to the seating assembly.

Furthermore, the vibrations are a particular problem with the seating assemblies for luxury vehicles, which often comprise enhanced comfort features. For example, a headrest actuator of an adjustable seat headrest may be housed within a headrest of the seat assembly which increases the mass of the seat back. It also causes a relative displacement of the seat-back’s centre of mass away from a pivotable joint, which connects the seat-back to the vehicle cabin structure. The increased mass of the seatback results in a greater deflection of the seat-back at lower vehicle speeds, which leads to a greater risk of NVH disturbance within the vehicle cabin.

The damping component may be fixed to at least one of the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure of the seating assembly. The damping component may be fixed to either the seat-back or the vehicle cabin structure and may be releasably engageable with the other of the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure. The damping component may be formed integrally with the seat back, and in particular with a rearward facing surface of the seat back. Thus, the manufacture and installation of the damping component may be simplified to ease construction of the damping system within the seating assembly.

The damping component may be configured to engage the seat-back at a position that is spaced from a location at which the actuator connects to the seat-back. The actuator may be arranged a pivotable junction formed between the vehicle cabin structure and the seat back. The pivotable junction and/or the actuator may be arranged within the base of the seating assembly such that the remainder of the seat back is free to be manoeuvred relative to the vehicle cabin structure such that it can be adjusted to suit the needs of the seat occupant.

The damping component may form a further joint or connection between the seat back and the vehicle cabin structure when the seat back is arranged in the damping condition. Advantageously, by arranging the damping component at a position which is spaced away from the actuator the vibrational forces being transmitted between the seat back and the vehicle cabin structure are dissipated over a greater area of the seat back which in turn provides greater support for the seat back when it is arranged in the damping position.

The actuator optionally comprises an electric motor. The damping component optionally comprises a resilient member. The resilient member may be formed from an elastomeric material. The resilient member may be configured to deform in response to being pressed between the seat back and the vehicle cabin structure. The resilient member may be further configured to deform in order to absorb, or attenuate, any vibrational forces that are transmitted between the vehicle cabin structure and the seat back.

The resilient member may comprise a spring. The seat-back may be connected by a hinge to the vehicle cabin structure. The hinge may define a pivotable joint about which the seat back is able to pivot with respect to the vehicle cabin structure.

The actuator may be connected to the seat-back at the hinge connecting the first and vehicle cabin structures. The seat-back may define a seat squab and the vehicle cabin structure may define a bulkhead of the seating assembly.

The squab may be movable relative to the bulkhead between a stowed position and at least one deployed position. The stowed positon may define a damping position of the seat back, which corresponds to the position in which the damping component is pressed between the seat back and the vehicle cabin structure.

The actuator may be configured to move the squab toward the stowed position to bring the squab into engagement with the bulkhead through the damping component. Advantageously, the actuator is configured to actively damp vibrations within the seat back. The actuator may be conveniently activated in order to pre-empt any vibrations and/or respond to any vibrations that are detected in the seat back.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a controller for a damping system of a vehicle seating assembly, the damping system may comprise: a damping component arranged to be disposed between a seat-back of the seating assembly and a vehicle cabin structure; and an actuator controllable to bias the seatback towards the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure; wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more signals indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in the seat-back, and output a control signal configured to control the actuator to bias the seat-back against the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure to attenuate vibrations in the seat-back.

The one or more signals may comprise a signal from a user operated input of the seating assembly.

The one or more signals may comprise a signal indicative of occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly.

The signal indicative of occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly may be received from an occupant detection system.

The occupant detection system may comprise a sensor provided in the seat of the seating assembly, the sensor being configured to generate the signal indicative of occupancy of a seat if the seat is occupied.

The one or more signals may comprise a signal indicative of an operating parameter of a vehicle in which the seating assembly is disposed. The operating parameter of the seating assembly may comprise an position of the seat-back relative to the other components of the seating assembly. Advantageously, by controlling the damping system in this way, the unwanted operation of the damping system can be avoided in the event that the seat-backs is, for example, already arranged in the damping position.

The signal indicative of an operating parameter of the vehicle may be received from a vehicle controller.

The operating parameter may be the speed of the vehicle. Advantageously, by controlling the damping system to attenuate vibrations in dependence on the speed of the vehicle and/or the occupancy of a seat, the damping system is configured to take pre-emptive action to prevent unwanted vibration of the seating components.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method comprising: receiving one or more signals indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in a seatback of the seating assembly, and outputting a control signal configured to control the actuator to bias the seat-back against the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure to attenuate vibrations in the seat-back.

As used herein, the term “controller” will be understood to include both a single controller or control unit and a plurality of controllers or control units collectively operating to provide the required control functionality. A set of instructions could be provided which, when executed, cause said controller(s) or control unit(s) to implement the control techniques described herein (including the method(s) described below). The set of instructions may be embedded in one or more electronic processors, or alternatively, the set of instructions could be provided as software to be executed by one or more electronic processor(s). For example, a first controller may be implemented in software run on one or more electronic processors, and one or more other controllers may also be implemented in software run on or more electronic processors, optionally the same one or more processors as the first controller. It will be appreciated, however, that other arrangements are also useful, and therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to any particular arrangement. In any event, the set of instructions described above may be embedded in a computerreadable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory storage medium) that may comprise any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a machine or electronic processors/computational device, including, without limitation: a magnetic storage medium (e.g., floppy diskette); optical storage medium (e.g. CD-ROM); magneto optical storage medium; read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); erasable programmable memory (e.g. EPROM and EEPROM); flash memory; or electrical or other types of medium for storing such information/instructions.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a luxury vehicle including a rear seating arrangement suitable for use in embodiments of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear seating arrangement of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear seating arrangement of Figure 2, showing an actuator suitable for use with embodiments of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a component of the seating arrangement of Figure 2 showing a damping component according to embodiments of the invention;

Figures 5a and 5b are perspective views of the seating arrangement of Figure 2 showing a component of the seating arrangement moving through a series of stages of a damping sequence according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic view of a damping system according to embodiments of the present invention; and

Figure 7 is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus for damping the movement of components of a motorised seating assembly for a vehicle. In particular, the apparatus is configured to attenuate vibrations in the seating assembly by pressing a component of the assembly against a vehicle cabin structure.

Before moving on to consider these embodiments in detail, to put the invention into context a seating arrangement to which such embodiments are applicable is described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 1 shows in plan view, and in simplified form, a luxury vehicle 6 including a rear seating arrangement (or assembly) 1 and a damping system 3 for controlling movement of components of the rear seating arrangement 1 according to embodiments of the invention. The rear seating arrangement 1 is disposed in a passenger compartment 2 of the vehicle 6, and a loadspace 4 is defined behind the seating arrangement 1. Figure 2 shows the rear portion of the passenger compartment 2 and the loadspace 4 in perspective view.

In the description that follows, the terms “forwards” and “backwards” are used to describe positions or locations of features relative to the vehicle 6. For example, the term “forwards” refers to locations or positions towards or nearer the front of the vehicle 6, and “backwards” refers to locations or positions towards or nearer the rear of the vehicle 6.

As seen most clearly in Figure 2, the passenger compartment 2 is separated from the loadspace 4 by a bulkhead 8 or partition that extends transversely between opposed sides of the vehicle 6. The loadspace 4 is commonly referred to as the “trunk” or “boot” or “cargo space” or “loading bay” of a vehicle. Luggage and other items are typically loaded into the loadspace 4 by opening a hinged hatch or door (not shown) at the rear of the vehicle 6 to provide access to the loadspace 4. The bulkhead 8 has a first surface 10 and a second surface 12. When the bulkhead 8 is arranged in an unfolded, or upright, configuration as shown in Figure 2, its first surface 10 and the second surface 12 define a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface of the bulkhead 8, respectively.

The rear portion of the passenger compartment 2 includes the seating arrangement 1, which is shown in a default configuration in Figure 2, with the first surface 10 of the bulkhead 8 facing the passenger compartment 2 and the second surface 12 facing the loadspace 4. Figures 1 and 2 will now be described together.

The seating arrangement 1 comprises a first seat 18, a second seat 16 and a separating portion defining a central seat 20, the central seat 20 being located between the first seat 18 and the second seat 16. With particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, each seat comprises a seat cushion 22, a squab (or seat-back) 24, a headrest 26 and a calf rest 27. The squabs 24 are located adjacent to the first surface 10 of the bulkhead 8 but are moveable with respect to the bulkhead 8 when in use. The central seat 20 comprises a central cushion 28 and a backrest that is pivotable to function as an armrest 30. The headrest 26 is provided with a headrest actuator (not shown) that is arranged within a headrest housing 26a. The headrest actuator is configured to raise and lower the headrest 26 with respect to the top of squab 24 as would be commonly understood by the skilled person.

The seating arrangement 1 is referred to in the art as a 40-20-40 split: the first seat 16 comprises 40% of the seating of the seating arrangement 1, the central seat 20 comprises 20% of the seating of the seating arrangement 1 and the second seat 18 comprises 40% of the seating of the seating arrangement 1.

The bulkhead 8 is asymmetrically divided into a first bulkhead portion 17a and a second bulkhead portion 19a. Accordingly, the seating arrangement 1 is divided into a first seating assembly 17 and a second seating assembly 19, as shown in Figure 2. The first seating assembly 17 comprises the first seat 18, the central seat 20 and armrest 30, and the first bulkhead portion 17a.

The second seating assembly 19 comprises the second seat 16 and the second bulkhead portion 19a. In the example shown, the seating arrangement 1 has a 40-2040 split meaning the first bulkhead portion 17a and the second bulkhead portion 19a is typically a 60-40 split. In this way, the first and second bulkhead portions 17a, 19a define major and minor portions of the bulkhead 8, respectively.

The first, second and central seats 18, 16, 20 are arranged so that the squabs 24 and armrest 30 may each fold forward about an axis 33 extending transversely across the vehicle 6 parallel to the plane of the bulkhead 8. The bulkhead 8 is also arranged to fold forward in cooperation with the seats 18, 16, 20.

With particular reference to Figure 2, it is noted that the squabs 24 of the first and second seats 16, 18 are separate to the bulkhead 8 of the seating arrangement 1, such that they can be moved independently from the bulkhead 8. It will be appreciated that the rear seating arrangement 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is a seating assembly according to a particular embodiment of the invention, and many alternatives are possible.

Figure 3 shows the seating arrangement 1 with the upholstery and cushioning removed to reveal the underlying support structure. The seating arrangement 1 is shown in Figure 3 in a configuration in which the squabs 24 of the first and second seating assemblies 17, 19 are spaced apart from the bulkhead 8.

Each bulkhead portion 17a, 19a comprises an upper-support structure 38 and a bulkhead bracket 40 whereas the squabs 24 each comprise a squab-support structure 24a, which is connected pivotably to the bulkhead bracket 40 such that it can move relative to the bulkhead 8. Specifically, the bulkhead bracket 40 is connected to the squab-support structure 24a by a pair of pivotable joints 46, which are located on opposite sides of each seating assembly.

The pivotable joints 46 define a pivot axis 33 of each seating assembly about which the squab 24 is pivoted. The pivotable joints 46 define a hinge which connects the squab 24 to the bulkhead 8. The seating assemblies 17, 19 are further connected by the pivotable joint 46 to a cabin structure 34 of the vehicle 6.

The seating arrangement 1 further comprises a pair of catches 36 that are mounted at the sides of the bulkhead 8 towards the upper corners of the seating arrangement 1. The catches 36 are configured to engage with a latch mechanism (not shown), which is mounted to a part of the vehicle cabin structure in an upper region of the cabin (not shown). The latch mechanism is operable to lock the bulkhead 8 in place, thereby providing a secure foundation for movement of other components of the seating arrangement including, for example, the squabs 24. It also acts to minimise vibration, and in turn noise, arising from movement of the bulkheads 8 whilst the vehicle 1 is in motion. Accordingly, when the bulkhead 8 is latched in place it forms an extension of the vehicle cabin structure 34.

Each movable seating assembly 17, 19 comprises a respective damping system 3 which is arranged to control the movement of the respective squab 24 between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration. Each damping system 3 comprises an actuator 42 which is controllable to move the associated squab 24 between a stowed position and a number of deployed positions.

The actuator 42 comprises an electric motor 25, which is mounted to the bulkhead bracket 40. The squab motor 25 is configured to exert respective forces on the squabsupport structure 24a in order to rotate the squab 24 about the pivot axis 33. In this way the squabs 24 are pivoted, relative to the bulkhead 8 of each seating assembly, such that they can be arranged in a number of seating configurations including the deployed position and the stowed position. In the deployed positon an upper portion of the squab 24 is pivoted forward of the bulkhead 8 and in the stowed positon the upper portion of the squab 24 is pivoted back toward the bulkhead 8.

As can be seen most clearly in Figure 4, the damping system 3 of the second seating assembly 19 further comprises a damping component 50 which is disposed between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8 of the seating assembly 19. The actuator 42 is controllable to bias the squab 24 towards the bulkhead 8 so that the damping component 50 is pressed between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8. In so doing, the damping component 50 is arranged to attenuate vibrations in the squab 24 when pressed between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8.

The damping component 50 comprises a resilient member 52 of elastomeric material which is fixed to the squab 24. The resilient member 52 is substantially cubic in form, having six square faces joined by orthogonal vertices, one of which faces is configured to be fixed to the rearward facing surface 26 of the squab 24.

In alternative embodiments, the resilient member is cuboid in form, or has a substantially cylindrical shape and is arranged such that the flat circular ends of the damping component 50 are configured such that a rearward facing surface and a forward facing surface of the component are arranged to face the bulkhead 8 and the squab 24, respectively.

A rearward facing surface of the resilient member 52 comprises a wear coating. The wear resistant surface 54 is arranged to engage with a receiving pad 56, or landing pad, of the damping system 3. The receiving pad 56 is arranged on a forward facing surface 58 of the bulkhead 8. In alternative embodiments, the relative arrangement of the receiving pad 56 and the resilient member 52 are reversed such that the receiving pad 56 is arranged on the rearward facing surface 26 of the squab 24 and the resilient member 52 is arranged on the forward facing surface 58 of the bulkhead 8. The receiving pad 56 comprises a lip around its edge which prevents the resilient member 52 from sliding laterally across a forward facing surface of the receiving pad 56 as the resilient member 52 is pressed against the bulkhead 8.

The damping component 50 is secured to the squab 24 by bolts or screws (not shown) that pass through the body of the resilient member 52 before engaging with drillings in the underlying squab support structure 24a of the seating assembly 19. The bolts enter the resilient member 52 through the wear-resistant surface 54 orthogonally to an outer surface of the resilient member 52. In alternative embodiments, the resilient member 52 may be secured to the squab 24 by a layer of adhesive which is applied between the rearward surface 26 of the squab 24 and a squab facing surface of the resilient member 52. In alternative embodiments, the damping component 50 is formed integrally with the rearward facing surface 26 of the squab 24.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4 the resilient member 52 is positioned towards the upper right corner of the squab 24, when viewing the squab 24 from the rear of the seating assembly 19. By arranging the damping component 50 towards the top of the squab 24, and therefore away from the pivot axis 33, the damping component 50 is configured to support the region of the squab 24 which is most susceptible to vehicle motion induced movement. However, it will be clear to the skilled person that the damping component 50 can be positioned elsewhere on the rearward facing surface of the squab 24 without departing from the principles of the present invention.

In embodiments the seating assembly 19 comprises multiple damping components 50 with at least one damping component 50 being arranged on the rearward facing surface of the squab 24 and a further damping components 50 being arranged on the forward facing surface of the bulkhead 8. Alternatively, the two or more damping components 50 may be arranged on either the squab 24 or the bulkhead 8 alone. The damping components 50 may be spaced apart so as to more evenly dissipate the forces exerted therethrough as they are pressed between the bulkhead 8 and the squab 24.

The receiving pad 56 comprises a housing for the catch 36 of the bulkhead 8, as shown in Figure 4. The catch 36 is configured to engage with the corresponding latch mechanism which is mounted to a portion of the vehicle cabin structure 34 such that when the bulkhead 8 is latched in place it forms an extension of the vehicle cabin structure 34. The receiving pad 56 forms a releasable cover over the catch 36, the cover being detachable from the bulkhead 8 to allow access to the catch 36.

Arranging the receiving pad 56 at the same location as the catch 36 means that, when the squab 24 is arranged in the damping position, the damping component 50 is engaged with the bulkhead 8 at the point where it connects directly to the vehicle structure 34. Hence, the damping component 50 forms a connection between the squab 24 and bulkhead 8 at the most rigidly supported region of the bulkhead 8. The receiving pad 56 is formed from an ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM). The receiving pad 56 may comprise any engineering material with suitable mechanical properties.

In alternative embodiments, in which the latch mechanism is mounted to the bulkhead 8 and the catch 36 is mounted to the vehicle cabin structure 34, the receiving pad 56 provides access to the latch mechanism to facilitate routine maintenance and/or configuration of the latch mechanism.

Figure 6 shows a schematic view of the damping system 3 according to the present embodiment. Each damping system 3 comprises a controller, in the form of a damping system control unit 60, which is arranged to process incoming data from a number of vehicle sensors that are indicative of a demand to attenuate vibrations of the seating assembly.

The damping system control unit 60 is configured to receive signals from a vehicle controller 62, the signals containing information that indicate the status of components of the vehicle 6. Specifically, the vehicle controller 62 is in communication with an engine sensor which is configured to produce a signal indicative of the speed of the engine. In this way, the damping system control unit 60 is configured to receive signals that are indicative of an operating parameter of the vehicle 6. In particular, the control unit 60 is configured to receive signals that are indicative of the speed of the engine. The vehicle controller 62 is also in communication with a vehicle speed sensor (not shown) which is configured to provide signals that are indicative of the speed of the vehicle 6.

The damping system 3 is configured to control the movement of the squab 24 in dependence on the vehicle speed being above a pre-determined threshold value. The pre-determined threshold value is 5 mph which corresponds to a driving locking speed, or a drive-away locking speed, of the vehicle. The driving locking speed is the speed at which vehicle door locks are engaged so as to prevent the doors from opening whilst the vehicle 1 is in motion. In alternative embodiments, the threshold speed value may be any suitable value between 0 and 20 mph.

The damping system control unit 60 also receives one or more signals which are indicative of occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly 19. The signal indicative of the occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly 19 is received from an occupant detection system 64. The occupant detection system 64 comprises a seat sensor provided in the seating assembly 19, the sensor being embedded within the cushions of the seats and configured to generate signals indicative of the presence of objects being placed on the seats.

The occupancy detection system 64 also comprises a seat belt sensor, which is arranged within a seat belt mechanism of the seating assembly 19 and is configured to determine whether the seat belt has been engaged such that the control unit 60 can detect whether or not the seat is occupied.

The damping system 3 is also configured to receive one or more control signals from a user operated input 66. Specifically, the damping system 3 is in communication with one or more switches (not shown) that are operable to control the actuators 42 so as to effect movement of the squabs 24 within the seating assembly 19. Pressing a switch generates an electronic request signal that is indicative of a demand to attenuate vibration within the seating assembly 19. The switches are arranged in a door nearest to the respective seating assembly, which enables an occupant of the seat to input control requests to operate the relevant motor and thereby move the seat as desired.

The control unit 60 is further configured to receive seat position signals which are indicative of the position of the squab 24 relative to the bulkhead 8. The seat position signal is determined from control signals which are sent to and from the actuator 42 in order to configure the squab 24 relative to the bulkhead. In alternative embodiments, the squab position may be determined from seat position information stored within the control unit 60.

The seat position information may relate to the control signals that are received from the user operated input 66. In this way, the control unit 62 may be configured to determine the position of the squab 24, either directly from the configuration of the actuator 42 itself, or from user request information received from the user inputs.

To enable the reader to appreciate the advantages associated with the damping system 3 of this embodiment, the operation of the damping system 3 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 5a and 5b, which show perspective views of the second seating assembly 19 incorporating the bulkhead 8, the squab 24 and damping component 50. Figures 5a and 5b show the second seating assembly 19 in sequential stages of a damping sequence as the squab 24 moves under the control of the damping system 3.

During operation, the damping system control unit 60 receives one or more signals indicative of a demand to attenuate or reduce vibrations in the squab 24. Upon receiving such a signal, the control unit 60 is configured to output a control signal to the actuator 42. The control signal is configured to control the actuator 42 to bias the squab 24 against the bulkhead 8 so that the damping component 50 is pressed between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8 to attenuate vibrations in the squab 24.

The first stage of the damping sequence shown in Figure 5a has the squab 24 in the deployed configuration. Upon receiving an appropriate signal indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in the squab 24, the damping system 3 is activated and proceeds to take appropriate action to eradicate the cause of the vibrations. Accordingly, in the next stage of the damping sequence, shown in Figure 5b, the squab 24 is moved towards the bulkhead 8 to adopt the stowed position thus pressing the damping component 50 between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8.

As described previously, the damping system 3 is configured to activate the damping sequence in dependence on receiving a signal that is indicative of a demand to attenuate vibrations in the seating assembly. Such a demand does not necessarily relate to a direct user input, and may take many forms.

Figure 7 illustrates the method steps of the damping sequence according to an embodiment of the invention. Damping system 3 is turned on as the vehicle ignition is activated. The first step of the sequence 80 comprises the monitoring of vehicle inputs in order to receive a signal that is indicative of a demand to attenuate vibrations.

As described previously, the control unit 60 is arranged to received signals from a number different inputs, including the occupant detection system 64, the vehicle controller 62, and the user operated input 66 and the actuator 42 of the damping system 3 itself. The control unit 60 processes these inputs and in a second step 84 of the damping sequence, it determines whether the vehicle speed is above the predetermined threshold value. If the vehicle speed is below the threshold value then the damping sequence proceeds, but if the speed is below the threshold value then the sequence resets to the beginning and awaits to further input signals.

Following the second step 82, a third step 84 in the damping sequence comprises checking whether squab 24 is already arranged in the stowed position. The position of the squab 24 relative to the bulkhead 8 is determined from input signals received from the actuator 42 or from the user operated control input as described previously. If the seat squab 24 is already arranged in the stowed position then the damping sequence resets to the first step and waits to receive further input signals. If the squab 24 is arranged in a deployed position then the damping proceeds to a fourth step 86 in which the control unit 60 determines whether the seat 19 is occupied.

If it is determined that the seat is occupied then the sequence resets to the beginning but if the seat is unoccupied then the sequence proceeds to a fifth step 88 in which the control unit 60 outputs a control signal configured to control the actuator 42 to bias the squab 24 against a bulkhead 8 so that the damping component 50 is pressed between the squab 24 and the bulkhead 8 thereby resulting in the attenuation of vibrations in the squab 24.

The damping sequence may be terminated at any time by the vehicle ignition being switched off. Termination of the damping sequence triggers a response from the damping system 3 whereby the squab 24 is arranged in a deployed position, or it is returned to a deployed position if it has previously been arranged in the stowed position. In this way, the damping system 3 is configured to drive the squab 24 out of the damping position and into a deployed position so that it is ready to receive an occupant of the vehicle 1. In alternative embodiments, the termination of the damping sequence may be triggered when the vehicle door is opened below a predetermined vehicle speed. Accordingly, the control unit 60 may be configured to receive input signals indicative of a vehicle door being opened and closed.

In embodiments, the control unit 60 is further configured to output control signals to the headrest actuators which control raising and lowering of the seat headrests 26. A control signal is outputted to the headrest actuators to lower, or retract, the headrest 26 toward the squab 24 in dependence on receiving a signal indicative of a need to reduce vibrations within the squab 24 (i.e. when the squab 24 is arranged in the damping position). Lowering of the headrest 26 causes a shift in the squab’s centre of mass towards the pivotable joints 46 that connect the squab 24 to the bulkhead 8. Consequently, the effective torque exerted by the squab 24 is reduced which results in a reduction in the level of vibrations occurring within the squab 24. Lowering the headrest 26 also helps to increase driver visibility out the back of the vehicle by moving the headrest from the driver’s eye-line, when the seats are arranged in the damping position.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, if the vehicle speed exceeds a pre-determined threshold value, as determined by the vehicle controller, and if the seating assembly is unoccupied, as determined by the seat occupancy system, then the damping system 3 will arrange the squab 24 in the damping position.

The likelihood of vibrations being caused by the squab 24 vibrating against the bulkhead 8 is increased as the vehicle speed is increased. The vibrations are also most likely to occur when the seat is unoccupied, which lacks the damping effect of the weight of an occupant on the squab 24. The squab 24 vibrations are a particular problem with luxury vehicles that comprise seats with enhanced comfort features which increase the mass of the squab 24. In particular, the headrest actuator of the seat assembly 19 is arranged such that it is housed within the headrest housing 26a of the seat assembly 19. This results in a relative displacement of the squab’s 24 centre of mass away from the pivotable joints 46 that connect the squab 24 to the bulkhead 8. The torque resulting from the mass of the squab 24 causes greater deflections of the squab 24 at lower vehicle speeds, which leads to a greater risk of NVH disturbance within the vehicle cabin. The damping system 3 is advantageously configured to attenuate the vibrations and thereby mitigate the potential risk of NVH disturbances within the cabin.

Thus, by controlling the damping system 3 to attenuate vibrations in dependence on the speed of the vehicle and/or the occupancy of a seat, the damping system 3 is configured to take pre-emptive action to prevent unwanted vibration of seating components.

Claims

1. A seating assembly for a vehicle, the seating assembly comprising:

a moveable seat-back;

a damping component arranged to be disposed between the seat-back and a vehicle cabin structure; and an actuator controllable to bias the seat-back towards the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure;

wherein the damping component is arranged to attenuate vibrations in the seatback when pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the damping component is fixed to at least one of the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure of the seating assembly.

3. The seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the damping component is fixed to either the seat-back or the vehicle cabin structure and is releasably engageable with the other of the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure.

4. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the damping component is configured to engage the seat-back at a position that is spaced from a location at which the actuator connects to the seat-back.

5. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor.

6. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the damping component comprises a resilient member.

7. The seating assembly of claim 6, wherein the resilient member is formed from an elastomeric material.

8. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the damping component comprises a spring.

9. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the seat-back is connected by a hinge to the vehicle cabin structure.

10. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the actuator is connected to the seatback at the hinge connecting the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure.

11. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the seat-back defines a seat squab and the vehicle cabin structure defines a bulkhead of the seating assembly.

12. The seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the squab is movable relative to the bulkhead between a stowed position and at least one deployed position.

13. The seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the actuator is configured to move the squab toward the stowed position to bring the squab into engagement with the bulkhead through the damping component.

14. A controller for a damping system of a vehicle seating assembly, the damping system comprising:

a damping component disposed between a seat-back of the seating assembly and a vehicle cabin structure; and an actuator controllable to bias the seat-back towards the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure;

wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more signals indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in the seat-back, and output a control signal configured to control the actuator to bias the seat-back against the vehicle cabin structure so that the damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure to attenuate vibrations in the seat-back.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the one or more signals comprises a signal from a user operated input.

16. The controller of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the one or more signals comprises a signal indicative of occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the signal indicative of occupancy of a seat of the seating assembly is received from an occupant detection system.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the occupant detection system comprises a sensor provided in the seat of the seating assembly, the sensor being configured to generate the signal indicative of occupancy of a seat if the seat is occupied.

19. The controller of claims 14 to 18, wherein the one or more signals comprises a signal indicative of an operating parameter of a vehicle in which the seating assembly is disposed.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein the signal indicative of an operating parameter of the vehicle is received from a vehicle controller.

21. The controller of claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the operating parameter of the vehicle is representative of the speed of the vehicle.

22. A vehicle comprising a seating assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and/or a controller according to any one of claims 14 to 21.

23. A method of controlling a damping system of a vehicle seating assembly, the method comprising:

receiving one or more signals indicative of a demand to reduce vibrations in a seat-back of the seating assembly, and outputting a control signal configured to control an actuator to bias the seatback against a vehicle cabin structure so that a damping component is pressed between the seat-back and the vehicle cabin structure to attenuate vibrations in the seat-back.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the vehicle seating assembly comprises the vehicle seating assembly of any one of claims 1 to 13.

Intellectual Property Office