JP2000153730A - Control part of vehicular electric seat apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of steps required for assembling an electric seat apparatus and effectively utilize the space under the apparatus by providing a control unit for outputting a control signal for moving the electric seat apparatus to a prescribed position according to a selected stored value, and an operation switch for transmitting a control signal to the control unit. SOLUTION: A connector 23b of a harness 23 drawn from a shield body 21a attached to a seat adjuster is connected to a seat wire harness. Then, an ECU 25 and an operation switch 22 are fitted in a recess 21b of the shield body 21a. More specifically, a stopping pawl 22g of the operation switch 22 is successively introduced through a through hole of the ECU 25 and a through hole 21c of the shield body 21a. Thus, the ECU 25 and the operation switch 22 are simultaneously fixed to be accommodated. Thus, the number of steps required for assembling can be reduced. Moreover, the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 need not be connected through a harness. Therefore, an electric wire can be omitted, as well as disconnection and short-circuit resulting from bending of the harness can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control component for controlling a vehicle electric seat device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric seat apparatus 1 for vehicles such as automobiles.
As shown in FIG. 5, a seat adjuster 2 fixed to a floor panel (not shown) of the vehicle body, a seat cushion 3 mounted on an upper portion of the adjuster 2, and a rear end of the adjuster 2, It is composed of a tiltable seat back 4 and the like.

[0003] Generally, such an electric seat device 1 is used to adjust the attitude of the electric seat device in order to make it easier for the driver to drive.
That is, the position of the seat cushion 3 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the angle of the seat back 4 can be adjusted. Then, instead of manually adjusting these positions and angles, a plurality of motors attached to the seat adjuster 2 and the like are driven to perform the adjustment.

The seat adjuster 2 of the electric seat apparatus 1 includes a slide motor 2a for moving the seat cushion 3 in the vehicle front-rear direction, a front vertical motor 2b for moving the front portion of the seat cushion 3 up and down, and a rear portion of the seat cushion 3. And a reclining motor 2d for adjusting the inclination angle of the seat back 4 are attached.
A lumbar support motor 4b for rotating the lumbar support bar 4a is mounted inside the seat back 4 of the electric seat device 1. The torque of these motors is used to adjust the electric seat device 1 to a desired posture via a known power transmission mechanism.

Note that the seat adjuster 2 further includes
, An electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 5 may be mounted. This ECU 5
This is a unit in which a position memory for storing at least one driver's seat position and a CPU for adjusting and controlling the electric seat device to a desired posture using the memory value are mounted.

An operation switch 6 for sending a control signal to the ECU 5 is mounted on the side of the seat adjuster 2 via a mounting bracket (not shown). The operation switch 6, the ECU 5, and the motors 2a to 2d and 4b are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, they are electrically connected by a seat wire harness 7 arranged in the electric seat device 1. Further, an elongated plate-shaped resin shield member 8 as shown in FIG. 5 or an L-shaped resin shield member 9 as shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the lower side surface or the front surface of the seat adjuster 2. The shield members 8 and 9 cover the mechanism of the electric seat apparatus 1 and serve to protect the mechanism from external impact, dust and dirt.

[0007]

In assembling the electric seat apparatus 1 described above, as shown in FIG. 7, an operation switch 6 is attached to the seat adjuster 2, and a seat wire harness 7 is connected from the operation switch 6 to the ECU 5 and each motor. Requires work to route. In this wiring work, the seat wire harness 7 is crawled from the operation switch 6 along the side of the seat adjuster 2 to the front end of the adjuster 2, and from there, is wired to the ECU 5 or each motor arranged inside the adjuster 2. This is commonly done. Therefore, when the shield member 8 is subsequently mounted, the sheet wire harness 7
Care must be taken so as not to protrude, and it takes time to mount the shield member 8.

[0008] In the case of an electric seat apparatus having a seat position memory function, the ECU 5 operates the seat adjuster 2.
Therefore, the ECU 5 occupies a part of the space formed in the adjuster 2. Therefore, for example, a passenger in the rear seat of the electric seat device 1 can relax his / her legs by entering the space below the electric seat device, that is, the space formed in the seat adjuster 2, or use this space as a luggage space. I can't do that.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-76335 is known as a conventional technique for forming a space below the electric seat apparatus 1. This is an electronic control unit (ECU described above) that controls the driving of the seat attitude setting mechanism (each of the above-described motors).
Is housed inside the seat back of the electric seat device. By arranging the electronic control device in such a place, so-called space saving can be achieved, and the lower portion of the electric seat device can be effectively used as a space.

However, in such a configuration, the operation switch 6
The distance between the ECU, the ECU 5 and each motor increases, and the overall length of the seat wire harness 7 for establishing electrical connection between them also becomes very long. In the case of an electric seat device with a position memory function, five electric wires (2
In addition to the three power supply lines, the connection of the three position sensors is required, so that the seat wire harness 7 is required.
Is also very thick throughout. As a result, when the ECU 5 is stored inside the seat back, a very thick seat wire harness 7 is routed between the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4, and every time the seat back 4 tilts, the seat wire harness 7 Is bent, and if the electric seat device 1 is used for a long period of time, there is a possibility that the electric wire will be disconnected or short-circuited.

When the ECU 5 and the operation switch 6 are spaced apart from each other, the ECU 5 is attached to the seat adjuster 2 as in a conventional electric seat apparatus 1 having a seat position memory function shown in FIG. 7 need to be connected to the ECU 5. or,
It is also necessary to attach the operation switch 6 to the seat adjuster 2, and it is necessary to separately perform a harness wiring operation to the side of the adjuster 2. Therefore, the number of assembly steps is extra. The operation switch 6 and the ECU 5
It is necessary to connect with a harness between
The total length of the harness becomes long, so that it is not possible to reduce the wiring, and there is a possibility that the wire may be disconnected or short-circuited due to the excessive bending of the harness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a control part for a vehicle electric seat device which reduces the number of steps for assembling the vehicle electric seat device. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control part for a vehicle electric seat device that can reduce the number of steps for assembling the vehicle electric seat device and can effectively use the space below the electric seat device.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a control component according to the present invention stores at least one position, and moves an electric seat device to a predetermined position according to a selected storage value. A control unit for outputting a control signal to be moved and an operation switch electrically connected to one side surface of the control unit for transmitting the control signal to the control unit are provided.

Since it is not necessary to connect a harness between the control unit and the operation switches, the number of assembling work steps is significantly reduced, the seat wire harness is largely saved, and the harness is forcibly bent. Wire breakage
Prevent short circuit. Further, the space under the electric seat device, which has conventionally been occupied by the control unit, can be effectively used as a luggage space.

[0015]

Next, a control component according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Such control parts include an ECU (control unit) 25 for controlling the electric seat device 20.
Is electrically connected to one side of the ECU 25,
5 is provided with an operation switch 22 for transmitting a control signal. The control components are housed in the shield body 21a. As shown in FIG. 1, the shield main body 21a has a long and narrow plate shape with a bent front end and a wide rear end. One end of the shield body 21a is connected to the ECU2.
5, a harness 23, etc., which is electrically connected to the other end of the shield main body 21 a and led out from the vicinity of the bent end portion of the shield body 21 a, is embedded therein.

The overall length and width of the shield main body 21a are sufficient to cover the mechanism on the side of the electric seat device 20 and to protect the mechanism from external impact, dust and dirt. Further, the material of the shield main body 21a may be any material, for example, polypropylene or ABS resin, or any other material that can be easily molded. A recess 21b into which the ECU 25 and the operation switch 22 are fitted is formed at a substantially central portion of an outer side surface (a front side surface in the figure) of the shield main body 21a. Furthermore, a through hole 21 for accommodating control components is provided on the bottom
c is drilled.

A connection board 23a is buried in the bottom surface of the recess 21b of the shield body, and a plurality of connection terminals (pressure contact) 21d are provided on the top surface of the board 23a. The ECU 25 is fitted into the recess 21b so as to maintain electrical contact with the connection terminal. As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 25 includes a connection terminal (pressure contact) 25a for connection to an operation switch 22 described later on one side, and a shield body 21a on the other side.
And a housing provided with a connection terminal 25b for connection to the terminal 21d of the electric seat device 20 stored in the housing and electrically connected to these connection terminals, and storing at least one position of the electric seat device 20; It comprises a control circuit board (not shown) for outputting a control signal for moving the electric seat device 20 to a predetermined position according to the value. A through hole 25c for fixing the ECU 25 to the concave portion 21b is formed near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

An operation switch 22 is further fitted into the recess 21b of the shield body 21a. The operation switch 22 has a housing structure, has a seat position operation knob on one side, and has an electric connection terminal with the ECU 25 on the other side. More specifically, as shown in FIG.
2 has a knob 22a for operating a seat cushion, a knob 22b for operating a seat back, a knob 22c for adjusting a lumbar support, a memory button 22d for storing a seat position, and any one of a plurality of stored seat positions. Select button 22e to move the sheet to that position
It has. The other side of the operation switch has a connection terminal (pressure contact) 22f for electrically connecting the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25. Further, engaging claws 22g for attaching the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 to the shield main body 21a protrude from both ends in the longitudinal direction on the other side of the operation switch 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the engaging claw 22g penetrates through the hole of the ECU 25 and the hole 21c of the shield main body 21a to engage with the inner side surface of the shield main body 21a, and connects the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 to the shield main body 2a.
1a is housed in the concave portion 21b.

The ECU 25 and the operation switch 22 constitute control components. The harness 23 embedded in the shield body 21a is a flat cable, and an electric wire for supplying electric power from the vehicle body to the operation switch 22, an electric wire for supplying electric power to each motor, and an electric wire for detecting the position of each motor are added. These are arranged in parallel. The harness 23 is embedded in the shield body 21a along the longitudinal direction, one end of the harness 23 is connected to the connection board 23a, the other end is led out from near the tip of the shield member 21a, and a connector 23b is attached to the tip. Is connected. The harness 23 is coated with, for example, any of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and other materials suitable for protecting electric wires.

Next, a procedure for attaching the control parts to the electric seat device 20 will be described. Prior to attaching the control components to the seat device, the assembly of the electric seat device 20 is completed. In assembling the electric seat apparatus 20, as shown in FIG. 3, the motors 2a to 2d and 4b are attached to the seat adjuster 2, and the seat wire harness 14 is routed to each motor. Next, the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4 are assembled, and the shield body 21a is attached to a predetermined position on the side of the seat adjuster 2. Subsequently, the connector 23b of the harness 23 led out from the shield body 21a is connected to the sheet wire harness 14. Next, the ECU 25 is connected to the shield body 21.
Then, the operation switch 22 is fitted into the concave portion 21b. At this time, the locking claw 22g of the operation switch 22 is connected to the through-hole 25c of the ECU 25,
The shield body 21a is inserted into the through hole 21c of 1a, and is engaged with the inner side surface (contact surface with the electric seat device) of the shield main body 21a. By this operation, the ECU 25 and the operation switch 22 can be simultaneously housed and fixed in the recess 21b of the shield main body 21a. Therefore, there is no need to attach the ECU 5 to the seat adjuster 2 and then connect the seat wire harness 7 to the ECU 5 as in the conventional electric seat device 1 with a seat position memory function shown in FIG. or,
It is not necessary to attach the operation switch 22 to the seat adjuster 2, and it is not necessary to separately perform a harness laying operation on the side of the adjuster 2. Therefore, the number of assembling work steps can be significantly reduced. Further, since there is no need to connect the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 with a harness, it is possible to realize a great reduction in the number of wires, and it is possible to prevent disconnection and short circuit of the electric wire due to excessive bending of the harness.

Further, since the ECU 25 is housed in the shield body 21a, a space as a luggage space can be secured under the seat adjuster 2, that is, under the electric seat device. The shape of the shield body may be substantially L-shaped as shown in FIG. This shield body 21
By using u, the mechanism of the electric seat device 20 can be more reliably protected.

Unlike the above-described embodiment, the operation switch 22 is fixed to the shield body 21a by a clip type.
A magnet type or a screw type may be used. Further, the connection between the terminal 21d on the bottom surface of the shield main body concave portion and the terminal 25b of the ECU 25 may be connected by a connector.

Further, the ECU 25 includes the shield main body 21a.
If it can withstand the molding heat during injection molding of E
The CU 25 may be formed integrally with the shield body 21a. Further, the operation switch 22 may be divided into a plurality of parts, and a part thereof may be embedded in the shield main body 21a as in the above embodiment.

[0024]

As described above, the control component according to the present invention stores at least one position and outputs a control signal for moving the electric seat device to a predetermined position according to the selected stored value. A control unit and an operation switch electrically connected to one side surface of the control unit and transmitting the control signal to the control unit are provided.

Since there is no need to connect a harness between the control unit and the operation switches, the number of assembling work steps can be significantly reduced, the seat wire harness can be largely saved, and the harness can be unnecessarily bent. Wire breakage
Short circuit can be prevented. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively utilize the space under the electric seat device, which has conventionally been occupied by the control unit, as a luggage space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shield member 21 of a vehicle electric seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shield member 21 of the vehicle electric seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an electric seat device 20 equipped with a shield member 21 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the shield member 21 of the vehicle electric seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a state in which a conventional shield member 8 is attached to the electric seat apparatus 1.

FIG. 6 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a state in which a conventional shield member 9 is attached to the electric seat device 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a harness 7 of a conventional electric seat device 1 is arranged.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 vehicle electric seat device 21 shield member 21a shield member 22 operation switch 21b recess 25 control unit 23 harness

Claims (1)

[Claims] A control unit that stores at least one position and outputs a control signal for moving the electric seat device to a predetermined position in accordance with the selected stored value; A control switch connected to the control unit for transmitting the control signal to the control unit.