DE102020215210A1 - Vehicle seat with side bolster adjustment - Google Patents

Abstract

Proposed is a vehicle seat a) with a seat cushion (2) and a backrest (3), b) in which the seat cushion (2) and / or the backrest (2) have two side panels (6,6 '), c) in which each Side bolster (6, 6') has an actuator (12) with which the side bolster (6, 6') can be moved transversely to the seat direction, d) with a central unit (11) integrated in the vehicle seat, which has control electronics (20) for control or regulation of a compressed air supply to the actuator system (12).

Description

Vehicle seats for a motor vehicle such as a passenger car regularly have side bolsters for the seat cushion and/or for the backrest in order to provide the driver with more support, especially when cornering.

It is also known to dynamically adapt the side bolsters to the driving situation using electronic control, ie to dynamically move the left or right side bolster towards the center of the seat in order to give the driver more support when sitting for this driving situation. From the prior art, such is, for example, from the DE 35 05 088 C1 , the WO 97/48571 or the DE 10 2007 009 891 A1 known.

In contrast, it is an object of the present invention to further improve driving comfort when using dynamically adjustable side bolsters.

These and other objects are fulfilled by the features of the independent claim. Advantageous developments result from the features of the dependent claims.

In this respect, a vehicle seat is proposed, in particular for a passenger car and, for example, for a driver or passenger. The vehicle seat has a seat cushion and a backrest, and the seat cushion and/or the backrest has two side bolsters. In this case, each side bolster has an actuator, in particular a pneumatic actuator, with which the side bolster can be moved or is moved transversely to the direction of the seat. If the vehicle seat is installed in the vehicle, “transverse to the seat direction” means the transverse direction of the vehicle, which runs parallel to the vehicle or wheel axles. In particular, at least part of the side bolster, in particular the part of the side bolster facing the center of the seat, is designed to be movable in this way. Furthermore, the vehicle seat has a central unit integrated in the vehicle seat with control electronics for controlling compressed air supply to the actuator system.

The central unit with its control electronics is used to control the actuators and it can be used to control or regulate an adjustment of the side bolster or bolsters that is related to the respective driving situation and is therefore dynamic. The central unit thus controls or regulates the side bolster movement of an individual vehicle seat in a decentralized manner and is designed integrally with it. This simplifies assembly in the vehicle manufacturing process, as otherwise compressed air lines and signal lines would have to be routed from central locations, e.g. from a central compressed air source or from a central control unit such as the central vehicle control module BCM (body control module) and the vehicle manufacturer would have to have the complete vehicle seat as Unit can be delivered to the line. In addition, the latency time when adjusting the side bolsters is reduced if, as here, the control electronics for controlling or regulating the compressed air supply to the (side bolster) actuators are integrated in the vehicle seat. This paves the way for dynamic sidewall adjustment in real time and thus at times when the sidewall is actually supposed to provide the additional support.

In one embodiment, a flap that interacts with an air bubble is provided as the actuator system arranged in the side wall. With this structurally simple, pneumatic actuator, an inflating air bubble presses against the flap and pivots it about a corresponding axis. In a further embodiment, the control electronics are arranged in a first chamber of the central unit and can be placed flat under the vehicle seat for this purpose, for example.

In one refinement of the last-mentioned embodiment, the first chamber has an air bladder for receiving compressed air. With such a pressure accumulator, there is no need to seal a closed or airtight chamber, for example made of a plastic such as PP or PE. In fact, if an elastic air bladder is present, for example one made of rubber, the chamber can also be designed as an air-permeable cage. In such a case, the compressed air is supplied via an air line to the air bladder, which is routed through one of the openings of the cage.

In a further embodiment, the central unit has at least one second chamber, which acts as a pressure reservoir for the compressed air that can be supplied to the actuator system. The second chamber can be impermeable to air. Alternatively, it is designed as an air-permeable cage. In the first case, the chamber has a closed wall, for example made of a plastic such as PP or PE, and has a connection through which compressed air can be supplied in order to operate the actuators. In the second case, one saves material for the wall, which can also be thicker depending on the required pressure level.

The central unit can have two, three or even more chambers. The number and size of the second and third chambers or other chambers that may be present are measured, among other things, according to the power source of the compressed air source or air pump. Not each of these at least one second chamber requires a compressed air connection for compressed air an external pressure source. There can only be a single compressed air connection. Depending on the number of second chambers, one or more compressed air lines are chosen between the chambers so that all chambers can act as compressed air reservoirs. These compressed air lines can be designed as channels integrated into the chamber walls. With a powerful compressed air source, you could also do without the second and third chamber and still manage the dynamic sidewall adjustment with only a low latency time. With the chambers, on the other hand, the use of less powerful and therefore less expensive compressed air sources is possible.

If the second chamber is designed as a cage and is therefore permeable to air, the chamber houses an air bladder, for example made of rubber, for holding compressed air. The cage then holds the air bladder in place and may have a compressed air fitting to which the inlet portion of the air bladder can be connected. Alternatively, with a cage-like design of the chamber, an air line can also be guided through an opening in the cage and the air line and the inlet section can be connected directly to one another.

In a further embodiment, at least one electronically controllable or regulatable valve for controlling or regulating the compressed air supply to the actuator system is located in one of the chambers, in particular in the first chamber accommodating the control electronics. With this choice, the signal path from the control electronics is only inside the central unit, which in this respect is also delivered as a prefabricated unit to the vehicle manufacturer's assembly line and no separate signal lines have to be laid between the control electronics and the valve in the vehicle.

Provision can also be made for control electronics designed as a printed circuit board (21) to be selected, which includes the at least one valve, which reduces the assembly effort.

Furthermore, an embodiment can be selected in which the electronic control system includes an acceleration sensor for providing acceleration data in real time. “Real time” is intended to mean that the acceleration sensor can deliver sensor data to the microprocessor with a time interval of less than 10 ms and in particular less than 5 ms, whether for acceleration in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the vehicle. With this choice, there is only a very short time delay between an actual change in acceleration values and their detection. This in turn causes a minimal delay in the dynamic movement of the side panels with the aim of giving the driver more support.

A further embodiment provides that the central unit is set up to control or regulate the compressed air supply to a lumbar support and/or a massage unit. This means on the one hand that the software used for control and/or regulation also supports or enables these functions and on the other hand that valves are provided from which compressed air can be supplied to the lumbar support or the massage unit.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of a MEMS sensor for detecting translational accelerations in three different spatial directions and optionally for detecting rotational accelerations in two or three different directions of rotation for controlling or regulating a compressed air supply to the side bolsters of a seat cushion and/or a backrest vehicle seat.

• 1 schematisch einen Fahrzeugsitz;
• 2 einen Teil des Fahrzeugsitzes der 1 mit Blick in Sitzrichtung;
• 3a, 3b den Klappenmechanismus zum Verstellen der Seitenwangen;
• 4 eine erste Ausführungsform einer Zentraleinheit des Fahrzeugsitzes;
• 5 eine zweite Ausführungsform einer Zentraleinheit des Fahrzeugsitzes
• 6 eine Ausführungsform einer Platine mit Steuerungselektronik und Ventilen,
• 7 einen Fahrzeugsitz.

An embodiment of the invention is to be explained below with reference to the accompanying figures, which are not to scale, in which the same reference symbols denote the same objects and which should only be understood as an example of how the invention could be implemented. It shows:

• 1 schematically a vehicle seat;
• 2 part of the vehicle seat 1 facing the direction of the seat;
• 3a , 3b the flap mechanism for adjusting the side panels;
• 4 a first embodiment of a central unit of the vehicle seat;
• 5 a second embodiment of a central unit of the vehicle seat
• 6 an embodiment of a circuit board with control electronics and valves,
• 7 a vehicle seat.

1 shows schematically a vehicle seat 1 with a seat cushion 2 and a backrest 3. With the associated Cartesian coordinate system, this results in a seat direction in x or Vehicle longitudinal direction to the front. The y-direction designates the vehicle transverse direction and the z-direction indicates the geodetic direction upwards.

2 shows the area of the seat cushion 2 looking in the direction of the seat or in the x-direction of the associated vehicle, for example a motor vehicle such as a passenger car. The seat cushion 2 points in the vertical direction or z-direction in its outer region a seat foam 4 with a slat base 5 underneath. Relative to the y-direction and there on the outside or laterally left and right is the left side bolster 6 , the weight of which is absorbed by the metal seat structure 7 .

Adjacent to the seat structure 7 is an air pump 8 which supplies air to the interior of the in 2 CPU 11 shown can be pumped. Air can also be drawn from the central unit 11 via in 2 Air lines, not shown, flow to the actuators 12 of the left side cheeks 6 and the right side cheek 6'. In this case, the actuator system 12 includes an air bladder 13 or 13′ of a flap system with a base 14 and the flap 14′. While the base 14 is stationary, for example because it is attached to the seat structure, the flap 14' can be pivoted clockwise with the aid of the hinge 15. The force of an additional spring (not shown) can be used to swing the flap 14' back inwards or counterclockwise when the air bubble 13 or 13' is reduced. Specifically, with this design of the actuator system 12, air flows from the central unit 11 to the air bladder 13 or 13' or vice versa from the air bladder 13 or 13' to the central unit 11.

When air flows into the air bubble 13 of 3a that related to 1 is arranged in the left side bolster 6 of the vehicle seat 1, its volume increases because of its elastic design. As a result, the flap 14' pivots clockwise in the plane of the drawing, shifting the seat foam 4, so that a person sitting on the seat cushion 2 has less free space in the left hip area in relation to the y-direction when sitting. The resulting end position shows 3b . Conversely, when air flows out of the air bubble 13, the decreases 3b whose volume on the in 3a smaller volumes shown. In the process, flap 14' pivots counterclockwise about hinge 15 in the plane of the drawing. As a result, a person sitting on seat cushion 2 has more freedom in the left hip area in relation to the y-direction when sitting because the part of side bolster 6 facing the center of the vehicle moves in y-direction has moved back.

4 shows an embodiment of the central unit 11 in more detail. This has a housing 16 made of, for example, injection-molded plastic such as polypropylene and three chambers 17, 17' and 17" on the inside. The outer wall 18 of the chamber 17 has a connection 10 for the supply of compressed air from of the pump 8 (not shown). The air can now completely fill the chamber 17, so that the chamber 17 functions as a pressure accumulator. This requires a wall 18 which is closed towards the outside. There is also a second chamber 17', which has a distributor channel 19 is connected to chamber 17 for air supply, so that chambers 17 and 17' form a common pressure accumulator, which results in more free space when arranging it under the seat. The third chamber 17" arranged centrally between the two chambers 17, 17' is above a distribution channel 19' is connected to the chamber 17' in order to supply air.

alternative to 4 and in 5 shown, there is another air bladder 13" in the chamber 17, to which air can flow from the connection 10. When using such an additional air bladder 13", the wall 18 can have openings (not shown) and act as a cage for the additional air bladder 13". . Through the openings, material can be saved and in this respect the central unit 11 is lighter. The electronic control system 20 arranged in the central chamber 17" is also shown schematically, which is shown in 6 is shown in more detail.

The control electronics 6 comprises as a basis a board 21 with a microprocessor 22, the RAM 23 and a flash memory 24 is assigned. Flash memory 24 houses a computer program which, when run in RAM 23, provides microprocessor 22 with machine-readable or executable instructions. When they are processed, the electronically controllable valves 25 are controlled so that they open or close. One-way and multi-way valves can be used here, with multi-way valves enabling active venting of the air bubbles 13, 13' of the side walls 6, 6', as a result of which latency times in the dynamic side wall adjustment are shortened. The valve unit 29 comprises an upper and a lower valve bank, each with three valves 25 with air inlets 25d, 25e, 25f and air outlets 25a, 25b, 25c. For example, an air hose (not shown) leads from the air inlet 25c to the outlet opening 10' of the first chamber 17" and from there ultimately to the actuator system 12.

It follows from the above statements that the circuit board 21 with its components not only represents control electronics 20, but also a valve unit 29 for the central compressed air supply of the actuators of the side panels.

The number of in 6 The valves 25, 25' shown on the circuit board 21 are freely chosen and should only be understood as examples. The number of valves 25, 25' also depends on whether and for what other purposes the central unit 11 is to be used. Thus, the valve unit 29 can also be used to control and/or regulate the compressed air supply for the air bubbles of a lumbar support in the lower Backrest area or used for a massage function in the vehicle seat by corresponding compressed air lines from valve outlets of the valve unit 29 to said air bladder of the lordosis support or to air bladders of a massage unit are performed to supply air to them or to empty them.

Circuit board 21 also has two acceleration sensors 26 and 27, with the same functionality also being able to be provided by a single sensor 25, so that the number of sensors is only an example. Sensor 26 is or includes a MEMS sensor for detecting translational accelerations in up to three different spatial directions and only optionally for detecting rotational accelerations in up to three different directions of rotation, the directions each spanning a Cartesian coordinate system. The MEMS sensor is therefore a maximum three-axis gyroscope and at the same time a maximum three-axis acceleration sensor. For the sake of simplicity, this type of sensor is referred to below as a MEMS sensor or simply as a “sensor”.

In this context, MEMS stands for microelectromechanical system, which is a miniaturized electronic sensor when designed as a sensor. In the present case, this sensor senses axial or translatory accelerations for up to three spatial directions that are different from one another and, in particular, orthogonal to one another, and additionally in up to three rotational accelerations that are different from one another, in particular in spatial directions that are orthogonal to one another.

Sensing by the sensor occurs in real time, which is intended to mean that sensor data is delivered to the microprocessor with a time interval of less than 10 ms and in particular less than 5 ms. Since the central unit 11 with its control electronics 20 is integrated inside the vehicle seat 1 or alternatively on the underside of the vehicle seat 1 and thus in both cases, this means that the adjustment of the seat bolster position takes place with almost no latency. The better grip that the driver is given, especially when cornering, occurs with almost no delay exactly when this better grip is needed, which a decentralized control system with the necessary signal flow via the bus system cannot provide to this extent.

The acceleration values measured by the acceleration sensor 26 are recorded and evaluated by the software permanently stored in the flash memory 24 . In the simplest case, the vehicle drives through a left-hand bend on level ground. The microprocessor 22 serves as a control which, based on the measured values of the acceleration sensor 26, calculates the required position of the flap 14' of the side bolster 6 or 6' of the seat cushion 2 or the backrest 3. In the case of a left turn, the driver or the front passenger should be given more support when sitting, so that only the flap 14' of the right side bolster 6' is changed, in that air is blown into the associated air bladder 13'. As a result, the flap 14' of the right-hand side bolster 6' pivots counterclockwise and presses the right-hand side bolster 6' in the y-direction against the right hip area of the seated person, resulting in better lateral support. Towards the end of the left turn, the centrifugal forces on the seated person decrease, so that the air bubble 13' is increasingly emptied. As a result, the flap 14' pivots increasingly clockwise back into its initial position and the side wall 6' also moves back outwards in the y-direction. In the case of a right turn, all this works in reverse, i.e. here the flaps 14' of the left side panel 6 are actuated.

Furthermore, a pressure sensor (not shown) can be integrated in the valve 25 in order to determine the filling level of the respective air bubble. For this purpose, the pressure at which the air bladder is 100% filled is determined during the course of seat development. The inflation of an air bubble while driving is then closed when this (maximum) pressure is reached. Filling levels below 100% can be set quite precisely by determining the pressure while driving. Without such a pressure sensor in the valve, seat development will determine how long an inflation process will take for the air bladder to be 100% inflated. When driving, the valve assigned to this air bubble is then opened for such a time.

7 shows the vehicle seat 1 described above in a three-dimensional representation, which has a lumbar support 31 and a massage unit 32 . Lumbar support 31 and massage unit 32 are pneumatic in nature and receive compressed air from a valve 25 of the central unit 11.

Reference List

1

vehicle seat

2

seat cushion

3

backrest

4

seat foam

5

spring base

6

left sidewall

6'

right sidewall

7

seat structure

8th

air pump

9

air line

10

connection

10'

exit port

11

central unit

12

actuators

13

bubble

13'

bubble

13"

bubble

14

base of the flap

14'

flap

15

hinge

16

Housing

17

chamber

17'

chamber

17"

chamber

18

wall

19

distribution channel

19'

distribution channel

20

control electronics

21

circuit board

22

microprocessor

23

RAM

24

Flash memory

25

Valve

25'

Valve

25a

air intake

25b

air outlet

25c

air intake

26

sensor

27

sensor

28

Interface (for voltage and signal supply)

29

valve unit

30

valve bank

31

lordosis support

32

massage unit

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 3505088 C1 [0002]
• WO 9748571 [0002]
• DE 102007009891 A1 [0002]

Claims (12)

vehicle seat a) with a seat cushion (2) and a backrest (3), b) in which the seat cushion (2) and/or the backrest (2) have two side panels (6, 6'), c) in which each side bolster (6, 6') has an actuator (12) with which the side bolster (6, 6') can be moved transversely to the direction of the seat, d) with a central unit (11) integrated in the vehicle seat, which has control electronics (20) for controlling or regulating a compressed air supply to the actuator system (12). vehicle seat claim 1 , in which a flap (14, 14') that interacts with an air bladder (13, 13') is provided as the actuator (12). vehicle seat claim 1 or 2 , in which the central unit (11) has a first chamber (17"), in which the control electronics (20) are arranged. vehicle seat claim 3 , in which the first chamber (17") has an air bladder (13") for receiving compressed air. Vehicle seat according to any of the previous ones Claims 1 until 4 , in which the central unit (11) has at least one second chamber (17, 17') which acts as a pressure reservoir for the compressed air that can be supplied to the actuator system (12). vehicle seat claim 5 , in which the at least second chamber (17) is a) impermeable to air and has a connection (10) for the supply of compressed air, or b) is designed as an air-permeable cage and has an air bladder (13") for receiving compressed air. Vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims, in which in one of the chambers (17, 17', 17"), in particular in the first chamber (17"), at least one electronically controllable or regulatable valve (25) for controlling or regulating the compressed air supply for Actuators (12) is provided. Vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims, in which control electronics (20) in the form of a printed circuit board (21) are provided in the first chamber (17") and comprise the at least one valve (25). Vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control electronics (20) comprises an acceleration sensor (25) for the provision of acceleration data in real time. vehicle seat claim 9 , in which a MEMS sensor for detecting translational accelerations in three different spatial directions and optionally for detecting rotational accelerations in two or three different directions of rotation is provided as an acceleration sensor. Vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control electronics (20) are set up to control or regulate a compressed air supply to a lumbar support (31) and/or a massage unit (32) of the vehicle seat. Use of a MEMS sensor for detecting translational accelerations in three different spatial directions and optionally for detecting rotational accelerations in two or three different directions of rotation for controlling a compressed air supply to the side walls (6, 6') of a seat cushion (2) or a backrest ( 3) a vehicle seat (1).

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