JPH06227297A - Car seat adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To install seat regulating mechanisms and condition sensors, store in memory the data about the correlation between the specified cushion pressure and back pressure, control the mechanisms with sensor signals so that the given correlation is met, and set properly the seat condition through a simple operation. CONSTITUTION:A car seat adjusting device is composed of a sliding mechanism 10 for a car seat S, height adjusting front/rear vertical mechanisms 20, 30 for the front extremity and the tail of a seat cushion SC, a seat reclining mechanism 40 for the seat back SB, and a lumbar support mechanism 50. The cushion pressure and back pressure are sensed, and a microcomputer operates the mechanisms 20, 30, 40, 50 so that the sensed values are met for the correlation between the cushion pressure and back pressure for the front and rear positions of the seat S stored in its memory device. Therefore, the person seated can set the seat in proper condition automatically only by adjusting the seat slide mechanism 10 to lead to enhancement of easiness in seat operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle seat adjusting device, and more particularly to a seat slide mechanism for adjusting the front and rear position of the entire seat, a front vertical mechanism for adjusting the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion, and a seat cushion. Seat adjustment for vehicles equipped with a rear vertical mechanism for adjusting the height of the rear end, a seat reclining mechanism for adjusting the angle of the seat back, and a lumbar support mechanism for adjusting the position of the lumbar support that supports the lumbar region of the seat occupant Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one type of vehicle seat, a seat slide mechanism for adjusting the front-back position of the seat, a front vertical mechanism for adjusting the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion, and a height of the rear end portion of the seat cushion are adjusted. A seat adjusting device including a rear vertical mechanism that adjusts a seat reclining mechanism that adjusts a seat back angle, and a lumbar support mechanism that adjusts a position of a lumbar support that supports a lumbar region of a seated person have been put into practical use.

According to this type of seat adjusting device, not only the front and rear positions of the seat and the angle of the seat back but also the heights of the front and rear ends of the seat cushion and the lumbar are controlled by controlling the operation of each mechanism. Since the seat can be set in a desired state by adjusting the support force of the support, it is possible to obtain a desired sitting posture.

[0004]

However, in this type of seat adjusting apparatus, in order to adjust the seat to a desired setting state, a large number of switches provided for each mechanism must be operated, In addition, the operation of each mechanism must be adjusted in association with each other, which requires a very troublesome adjustment operation.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat adjusting device capable of setting a seat to an appropriate state by a simple operation.

[0006]

A vehicle seat adjusting device according to the present invention comprises a seat slide mechanism for adjusting the front-rear position of a seat, a front vertical mechanism for adjusting the height of a front end portion of a seat cushion, and a rear portion of a seat cushion. A rear vertical mechanism that adjusts the height of the end, a seat reclining mechanism that adjusts the angle of the seat back, a lumbar support mechanism that adjusts the position of the lumbar support that supports the waist of the seat occupant, and a seat that detects the front and rear position of the seat. Slide sensor, front vertical sensor that detects the height of the front end of the seat cushion, rear vertical sensor that detects the height of the rear end of the seat cushion, seat reclining sensor that detects the angle of the seat back, waist of the seat occupant A run that detects the position of the lumbar support that supports the -Support sensor, cushion pressure sensor that detects the cushion pressure applied to the seat cushion by the seated person, back pressure sensor that detects the back pressure applied to the seat back by the seated person, front and rear position of the seat, and the cushion pressure and back pressure Storage means for storing data that gives a predetermined correlation between the seat slide mechanism and the seat slide mechanism based on the output signals of the respective sensors so that the cushion pressure and the back pressure satisfy the data with respect to the front-back position of the seat. And an operation control means for controlling the operation of each mechanism other than the above.

[0007]

According to the present invention, each of the above-mentioned seat slide mechanisms is excluded based on the output signal of each sensor so that the cushion pressure and the back pressure satisfy predetermined data with respect to the front and rear positions of the seat. Since the operation of the mechanism is controlled, if the seated person operates the seat slide mechanism and adjusts the front-back position of the seat as desired, the angle of the seat back, the height of the front end and the height of the rear end of the seat cushion can be adjusted. And the position of the lumbar support is automatically adjusted.

Therefore, the data defines the correlation between the front and rear position of the seat, which is closely related to the height of the seated person, and the cushion pressure and the back pressure, which are closely related to the weight and the sitting posture of the seated person. Therefore, by setting such data appropriately based on experiments, etc.,
The angle of the seat back, the height of the front and rear ends of the seat cushion, and the position of the lumbar support necessary for obtaining an appropriate sitting posture can be obtained from the front and rear position of the seat. Therefore, the seated person only needs to adjust the seat front-rear position by operating the seat slide mechanism, and the seat is automatically adjusted based on the data without the need to individually operate other mechanisms such as the seat reclining mechanism. Since the state is set, the operability of the seat is significantly improved.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a vehicle seat adjusting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The seat adjusting device includes a seat slide mechanism 10 that adjusts the front-rear position of the seat, a front vertical mechanism 20 that adjusts the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC, and a rear vertical mechanism that adjusts the height of the rear end portion of the seat cushion SC. 30, a seat reclining mechanism 40 for adjusting the angle of the seat back SB, and a lumbar support 5 for supporting the lumbar region of a person sitting on the seat S.
The lumbar support mechanism 50 for adjusting the position of No. 1 is provided.

The seat slide mechanism 10 is provided with a pair of left and right lower rails 11 fixed to the vehicle body floor and an upper rail 12 assembled to the lower rails 11 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.
A seat cushion SC is fixed to the upper rail 12. Each upper rail 12 has a screw shaft 13
Is attached along the front-rear direction, and a seat slide motor 15 fixed to a frame 14 whose ends are fixed to both upper rails 12 and a screw shaft 13 are connected via a transmission mechanism. On the other hand, a nut member 16 screwed onto the screw shaft 13 is non-rotatably attached to the lower rail 11.

Since the seat slide mechanism 10 has such a structure, when the seat slide motor 15 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 13, the nut member 16 is rotated.
Is attached to the lower rail 11 so that it cannot rotate,
The screw shaft 13 moves forward and backward with respect to the nut member 16, and the upper rail 12 integrally moves forward and backward with the screw shaft 13. As a result, the sheet S
The front and rear positions of are adjusted.

The front vertical mechanism 20 includes a front vertical rod 21 extending in the left-right direction, a link mechanism 22 for supporting both ends of the rod 21 vertically with respect to the upper rails 12, and a front vertical motor fixed to the frame 14. 23 and a transmission mechanism that connects the motor 23 and the link mechanism 22 to each other, and is configured to support the front end portion of the seat cushion SC by brackets 24 provided at both ends of the front vertical rod 21.

Since the front vertical mechanism has such a structure, when the front vertical motor 23 is driven, the front vertical rod 21 pivots in the vertical direction, whereby the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC can be adjusted.

The rear vertical mechanism 30 is a rear vertical rod 31 extending in the left-right direction, a link mechanism 32 for supporting both ends of the rod 31 so as to be vertically rotatable with respect to the upper rails 12, and a rear vertical mechanism fixed to the frame 14. A motor 33 and a transmission mechanism that connects the motor 33 and the link mechanism 32 are provided, and the rear end portion of the seat cushion SC is supported by brackets 34 provided at both ends of the rear vertical rod 31.

Since the rear vertical mechanism 30 has such a structure, when the rear vertical motor 33 is driven, the rear vertical rod 31 rotates in the vertical direction, whereby the height of the rear end portion of the seat cushion SC can be adjusted. it can.

The seat reclining mechanism 40 includes a lower arm 41 fixed to each upper rail 12 and a gear box 4.
The upper arm 43 is attached to the lower arm 41 via the upper arm 43 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, and the reclining motor 44 fixed to one of the upper arms 43 is provided. The seat back SB is configured to be pivotable in the direction, and thereby the inclination angle of the seat back SB can be adjusted.

The lumbar support mechanism 50 includes a lever 52 for supporting the lumbar support 51 built into the seat back SB on the upper arm so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, a lumbar support motor 53 fixed to the upper arm 43, and the lever 52 and the lumbar support motor. The lumbar support 51 is provided with a transmission mechanism for connecting 53, and when the lumbar support motor 53 is driven, the lumbar support 51 rotates in the front-back direction inside the seat back SB, thereby supporting the lumbar region of the person sitting on the seat S. The power can be adjusted.

The seat slide mechanism 10, the front vertical mechanism 20, the rear vertical mechanism 30, the seat reclining mechanism 40, and the lumbar support mechanism 50 are each operated by a seat slide when a seated person adjusts the front and rear positions of the seat S individually. A seat slide sensor S1 that detects the same front and rear position as the switch SW1, a front vertical sensor S2 that detects the same height as a front vertical switch SW2 that is operated when individually adjusting the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC, and a seat cushion SC. A rear vertical switch SW3 that is operated when individually adjusting the height of the rear end portion, a rear vertical sensor S3 that detects the same height, and a seat reclining switch S that is operated when individually adjusting the angle of the seat back SB.
Seat reclining sensor S that detects the same angle as W4
4, and lumbar support 51 for supporting the lumbar region of the seated person
A lumbar support switch SW5 that is operated when individually adjusting the position is attached, and a lumbar support sensor S5 that detects the same position is attached.

The seat slide switch SW1 is arranged on the console box 60 shown in FIG. 2. When the switch SW1 is slid along a scale 61 provided on the console box 60, the seat slide motor 15 is driven, The seat S can be set to the front-rear position corresponding to the value of the scale 61. Front vertical switch SW2, rear vertical switch SW3, reclining switch S
W4 and lumbar support switch SW5 are switch boxes 62 arranged on the right side of the seat cushion SC.
(See FIG. 1).

The sensors S1 to S5 are magnets attached to the output shafts of the motors 15, 23, 33, 44 and 53 of the attached mechanism, and the magnetic flux density changes caused by the position changes of the magnets as the output shafts rotate. A well-known position sensor including a hall element for detecting and a circuit for converting an output signal of the hall element into a pulse voltage is used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a first cushion pressure sensor S6 for detecting the cushion pressure applied to the seat cushion SC by the seated person's hips is provided inside the seat cushion SC, and the seated person's thigh. A second cushion pressure sensor S7 that detects the cushion pressure applied to the seat cushion SC is provided. On the other hand, inside the seat back SB, a first back pressure sensor S8 that detects the back pressure applied to the seat back SB by the waist of the seated person and a first back pressure sensor S8 that detects the back pressure applied to the seat back SB from the back of the seated person. A two-back pressure sensor S9 is provided. Each of these pressure sensors S6 to S9 is of a film type whose contact resistance changes depending on the applied pressure.

The operations of the seat slide mechanism 10, the front vertical mechanism 20, the rear vertical mechanism 30, the seat reclining mechanism 40, and the lumbar support mechanism 50 are coordinately controlled by the control means CPU shown in FIG. The control means CPU is connected to the sensors S1 to S9, the switches SW1 to SW5, the reset switch SW6 and the semi-automatic start switch SW7 arranged on the console box 60 via the input interface IF1, and the seat slide motor 15 and the front. Vertical motor 23, rear vertical motor 33,
Reclining motor 44, lumbar support motor 5
3 and reset switch SW of console box 60
6, a warning lamp L provided integrally with the microcomputer 6 and a microcomputer CPU connected via an output interface IF2. Each motor 15, 23, 33, 44,
The operation of 53 indicates the correlation between the signals from the switches SW1 to SW7 and the sensors S1 to S9 by the microcomputer CPU and the front and rear position of the seat S stored in the storage device of the microcomputer CPU and the cushion pressure and the back pressure. It is controlled by performing arithmetic processing on the experimental data set based on the experiment according to a predetermined procedure.

The procedure for controlling the operation of each motor 15, 23, 33, 44, 53 by the microcomputer CPU will be described below with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS. In step 101, it is determined whether or not the occupant has operated the reset switch SW6. If not, the process proceeds to step 102 and the warning lamp L is controlled to blink to display a warning. When the reset switch SW6 is operated, the routine proceeds to step 103, where the seat slide motor 15 is moved so that the seat S returns to the preset original position.
The operations of the front vertical motor 23, the rear vertical motor 33, the reclining motor 44, and the lumbar support motor 53 are controlled based on the output signals of the sensors S1 to S5 additionally provided. As an example of this original position, the front and rear position of the seat S is set to the rearmost position, and the heights of the front and rear end portions of the seat cushion SC, the angle of the seat back SB, and the position of the lumbar support 51 are respectively set to the center value of the variation range. It is set.

After the seat S is returned to the original position in step 103, the presence or absence of a seated person is determined in step 104 based on the output signals of the pressure sensors S6 to S9.
If the user is not seated, the process proceeds to step 105, resets the timer built in the microcomputer CPU, and then returns to step 104. When the driver is seated and pressure is applied to the seat cushion SC and the seat back SB, the time from the time of resetting by the timer is measured in step 106, the measured time is compared with the preset reference time in step 107, and the reference is set. When the time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step 108 to reset the timer again, and then proceeds to step 114 described later. On the other hand, if the reference time is not exceeded, the process proceeds to step 109. This reference time is set to one hour as an example.

In step 109, it is determined whether or not the seat S is set at the front-rear position instructed by the seat occupant slidingly operating the seat slide switch SW1, based on the output signal of the seat slide sensor S1, and the instruction is given. If the position is not set, the process proceeds to step 110, and the seat slide motor 15 is moved until the seat S reaches the designated position.
Is driven, and when the designated position is reached, the process proceeds to step 111.

In step 111, it is judged whether or not the seated person has operated the semi-automatic start switch SW7.
If not operated, the process proceeds to step 118 described later.
On the other hand, when the seated person operates the semi-automatic start switch SW7, the process proceeds to step 112, and the seat S set by the seated person slidingly operating the seat slide switch SW1 first.
The seat slide sensor S1, the first cushion pressure sensor S6, the second cushion pressure sensor S7, and the first back pressure sensor S8, the second The determination is made based on the output signal of the back pressure sensor S9. An example of this correlation is shown in the graph (A) of FIG. In the graph (A), the horizontal axis represents the front-back position of the seat S, and the vertical axis represents the sum of the cushion pressure and the back pressure. Sheet S
When the sum of the cushion pressure and the back pressure with respect to the front and rear positions is within a predetermined region surrounded by the closed curve a, a predetermined correlation is established between the front and rear positions of the seat S and the cushion pressure and the back pressure.

In step 112, the sum of the cushion pressure and the back pressure at the front and rear positions of the seat S is the closed curve a.
When it is outside the predetermined area surrounded by, the process proceeds to step 113, and the front vertical motor 23, the rear vertical motor 33, the reclining motor 44, and the lumbar support motor 53 are driven until the seat cushion SC front end portion is reached until the predetermined area is reached. The height of the rear end portion, the angle of the seat back SB, and the position of the lumbar support 51 are adjusted. At that time, the operation of the front vertical motor 23 is controlled so that the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC with respect to the front-rear position of the seat S falls within a predetermined area surrounded by a closed curve b in the graph (B) of FIG. 7. Similarly, in the operation of the rear vertical motor 33, the height of the rear end portion of the seat cushion SC with respect to the front and rear position of the seat S is shown in the graph (C) of FIG.
Is controlled so as to be within a predetermined area surrounded by a closed curve c, and the angle of the seat back SB with respect to the front-back position of the seat S of the reclining motor 44 is graphed in FIG.
Is controlled so as to fit in a predetermined area surrounded by the closed curve d. Also, the operation of the lumbar support motor 53 is such that the position of the lumbar support 51 falls within a predetermined area surrounded by the closed curve e in the graph (E) of FIG. 7 with respect to the pressure applied to the seat back SB by the waist of the seated person. Controlled. Data corresponding to each of the graphs (A) to (E) shown in FIG. 7 is obtained by an experiment in which a large number of persons having different physiques are seated on the seat S, and is stored in advance in the storage device of the microcomputer CPU.

In step 112, when the sum of the cushion pressure and the back pressure with respect to the front and rear positions of the seat S falls within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step 114, in which the pressure applied to the seat cushion SC from the hip of the seated person is Whether or not the ratio of the pressure applied to the seat cushion SC from the thigh is within a predetermined range is determined by comparing the output values of the first cushion pressure sensor S6 and the second cushion pressure sensor S7. If the ratio of the two pressures is outside the predetermined range, the routine proceeds to step 115, where the front vertical motor 23 and the rear vertical motor 33 are set so that they fall within the predetermined range.
The height of the front end portion and the rear end portion of the seat cushion SC is adjusted by controlling the operation of. At that time, the graph (B) of FIG.
Both motors 23 and 33 are controlled so that the correlation shown by (C) is also satisfied at the same time.

When the output values of the first cushion pressure sensor S6 and the second cushion pressure sensor S7 are within the predetermined range in step 114, the process proceeds to step 116, in which the pressure applied to the seat back SB from the waist of the occupant and the back. Whether or not the ratio of the pressure applied to the seat back SB is within a predetermined range is determined by comparing the output values of the first back pressure sensor S8 and the second back pressure sensor S9. Step 1 if the ratio of both pressures is outside the specified range
Moving to 17, the operation of the reclining motor 44 and the lumbar support motor 53 is controlled so as to be within a predetermined range, and the angle of the seat back SB and the position of the lumbar support 51 are adjusted. At that time, both motors 44 and 53 are controlled so that the correlations shown by the graphs (D) and (E) in FIG. 7 are simultaneously satisfied. On the other hand, when the output values of the first back pressure sensor and the second back pressure sensor are within the predetermined range, the process returns to step 104.

Next, when the seated person does not operate the semi-automatic start switch SW7 in step 111, the process proceeds to step 118, it is determined whether or not the seated person operates the front vertical switch SW2, and the step is continued while the seated person operates. At 119, the front vertical motor 23 is operated to adjust the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC.
If the front vertical switch SW2 is not operated, the routine proceeds to step 120, where it is determined whether or not the occupant has operated the rear vertical switch SW3, and while operating the rear vertical switch SW3, the rear vertical motor 33 is operated to operate the seat cushion. Adjust the height of the SC rear end.
When the rear vertical switch SW3 is not operated, the routine proceeds to step 122, where it is determined whether or not the seat occupant has operated the seat reclining switch SW4, and while operating, the reclining motor 44 is operated to operate the seat back SB. Adjust the angle of. If the seat reclining switch SW4 is not operated, the process proceeds to step 124, where the seated person is the lumbar support switch S.
Whether or not W5 has been operated is determined, and during operation, the lumbar support motor 53 is operated in step 125 to adjust the position of the lumbar support 51. If the lumbar support switch SW5 is not operated, step 10
Return to 4.

According to this embodiment, if the seated person slides the seat slide switch SW1 to adjust the front-back position of the seat S to his / her preference and operates the semi-automatic start switch SW7, the angle of the seat back SB can be adjusted. The heights of the front and rear ends of the seat cushion SC and the position of the lumbar support 51 are automatically adjusted based on the data stored in the storage device of the microcomputer CPU.

Therefore, the data shows the correlation between the front and rear position of the seat S, which has a close relationship with the height of the seated person, and the cushion pressure and the back pressure, which have a close relationship with the weight and the sitting posture of the seated person. Since these values are set, the angle of the seat back SB and the height of the front end portion of the seat cushion SC required to obtain an appropriate sitting posture from the front and rear position of the seat S can be set by appropriately setting such data based on experiments and the like. Height of rear end and lumbar support 51
The position of can be calculated. Therefore, the seated person only needs to adjust the front-back position of the seat S, and the seat S is automatically set to an appropriate state based on the data without individually operating other mechanisms such as the seat reclining mechanism 40. Therefore, the operability of the seat S is significantly improved.

Further, since the heights of the front and rear ends of the seat cushion SC, the angle of the seat back SB and the position of the lumbar support 51 are readjusted every hour, the accumulation of fatigue caused by long-term sitting Can be reduced.

Further, if the semi-automatic start switch SW7 is not operated, the seated person operates the front vertical switch SW2, the rear vertical switch SW3, the seat reclining switch SW4 and the lumbar support switch SW5 individually to put the seat S in a desired state. It is also possible to set.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a vehicle seat adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of a vehicle seat equipped with the same device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control means of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of control by the control means.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of control by the control means.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of control by the control means.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of data stored in the control means.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Seat slide mechanism, 11 ... Lower rail, 12 ...
Upper rail, 13 ... Screw shaft, 14 ... Frame, 15 ... Seat slide motor, 20 ... Front vertical mechanism, 21 ... Front vertical rod, 22
... Link mechanism, 23 ... Front vertical motor, 24
... Bracket, 30 ... Rear vertical mechanism, 31 ... Rear vertical rod, 32 ... Link mechanism, 33 ... Rear vertical motor, 34 ... Bracket, 40 ... Seat reclining mechanism, 41 ... Lower arm, 42 ... Gearbox, 43 ... Upper arm, 44 ... seat reclining motor, 50 ... lumbar support mechanism, 51 ... lumbar support, 52 ... lever, 53 ... lumbar support motor, 60 ... console box, 61 ... scale, 62 ... switch box, S ... seat, SC ... seat cushion, SB ... seat back.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A seat slide mechanism for adjusting a front-back position of a seat, a front vertical mechanism for adjusting a height of a front end portion of a seat cushion, a rear vertical mechanism for adjusting a height of a rear end portion of a seat cushion, and a seat back. Seat reclining mechanism that adjusts the angle, lumbar support mechanism that adjusts the position of the lumbar support that supports the waist of the seated person, seat slide sensor that detects the front and rear position of the seat, front that detects the height of the front end of the seat cushion Vertical sensor, rear vertical sensor that detects the height of the rear end of the seat cushion, seat reclining sensor that detects the angle of the seat back, lumbar support sensor that detects the position of the lumbar support that supports the waist of the seat occupant, seating Seat cushion A cushion pressure sensor that detects the cushion pressure applied, a back pressure sensor that detects the back pressure applied to the seat back by a seated person, and data that gives a predetermined correlation between the front and rear positions of the seat and the cushion pressure and the back pressure. And a control means for controlling the operation of each mechanism except the seat slide mechanism based on the output signal of each sensor so that the cushion pressure and the back pressure satisfy the above-mentioned data with respect to the front-back position of the seat. A vehicle seat adjusting device comprising: a control unit.