DE102022210762A1 - Vehicle seat with seating zone module - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle seat (10) is provided, which comprises a seat support frame (26), a seat pan (22) and a seating zone module (30). The seat support frame (26) is configured so that the vehicle seat (10) can be attached to a vehicle floor. The seat pan (22) is supported by the support frame (26) and includes a seat pan surface for supporting a seat cushion on which a user can sit. The seating module (30) includes control, power and data communication electronics for operating the electronic seating functionality and is attached to the seat pan (22) in a position below the seat pan surface.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat that includes seating electronics for controlling electronic seating functionality. The present disclosure further relates to a vehicle that includes one or more such vehicle seats.

BACKGROUND

Modern cars and other vehicles tend to have more and more electronic functions such as seat heating, seat and back adjustment, car seat massage systems or automatic seat folding to allow passengers to move to a seat in a row behind the vehicle seat. All of these electronic functions need to be powered and controlled, and may need to exchange sensor data and other data with other control systems in (or even outside of) the vehicle. At the same time, customer expectations for aesthetics, safety and seating comfort have increased, leading to additional design specifications for upholstery, body structures and seat belt integration. As a result, efficiently packaging all the required electronics, allowing for easy assembly and easy access for repair and maintenance while providing a functional, secure, and comfortable fit is a major challenge.

A known packaging solution is to provide a seating module, which includes control, power supply and data communication electronics, and to install this seating module in a location close to the seat, e.g. B. on the vehicle floor below the seat or on the seat frame in a position below the seat. While such locations provide enough space to keep the seating zone module in a convenient position and out of sight during normal use of the vehicle, routing the electrical wiring and harnesses can present new challenges. If the seat is designed to move and pivot relative to the seat frame, the wiring harnesses must be routed to allow such movement without risk of damaging the electrical wiring and the functionality of the electronic seat is affected.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a vehicle seat and vehicle having the seating zone module mounted below a seat pan surface.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat is provided that includes a seat support frame, a seat pan, and a seating zone module. The seat support frame is configured to attach the vehicle seat to a vehicle floor. The seat pan is supported by the support frame and includes a seat pan surface for supporting a seat cushion for a user to sit on. The seating module includes control, power, and data communication electronics for operation of the electronic seating functionality and is attached to the seat pan in a position below the seat pan surface.

Installing the seat zone module below the surface of the seat pan has the advantage that it moves with the seat pan. When the vehicle seat is displaced or pivoted relative to the vehicle floor, the seating zone module moves along with the seat pan. Thus, all cable connections between the seat zone module and the electronic seat zone functionality integrated in the vehicle seat move with the seat pan and the seat zone module and do not run the risk of being damaged by this movement. In addition, this solution for positioning the seat zone module makes good use of the free space between the seat pan and the vehicle floor. This not only enables easy assembly of the seating zone module, but also later easy access for connection cables and for repair and maintenance purposes. In addition, this new installation position of the seat zone module below the seat pan surface in no way affects the comfort and safety of the vehicle seat.

It is noted that the fact that the seating zone module is mounted to the seat pan does not require that the seating zone be bolted, glued, or otherwise attached directly to the underside of the seat pan. For example, in one embodiment, a seat zone module support is mounted to the seat pan at a position below the seat pan surface. The seating zone module carrier is designed to hold the seating zone module, which therefore does not have to be in direct contact with the seat pan itself. An important advantage of using such a seat zone module carrier is that the complete vehicle seat can be assembled separately from the seat zone module and the seat zone module later in the fer assembly process of the vehicle can be easily installed. During assembly, different versions of the seating zone module can be installed in the seating zone module carrier of different vehicles. Later, the seating zone module can be easily removed from the seating zone module carrier and reinserted for maintenance, repair and/or hardware upgrades.

Optionally, the seat pan surface includes a front and a rear portion, and the seating zone module mounts to the seat pan at a position below the front portion of the seat pan surface. The assembly of the seat zone module below the front part of the seat shell surface has the advantage that the electronic cables connected to the seat zone module in the area of the free front end of the seat shell can be routed into the seating area above the seat shell surface, where there is typically much more space than at the lateral or rear ends of the seat shell.

Preferably, the front portion of the seat pan surface is higher than the rear portion. This raised front portion of the seat pan not only allows for solid support for the user's legs and a comfortable seating experience, but also creates a nice cavity under the seat pan that provides ample space for mounting the seating zone module and some protection from mechanical damage.

In one embodiment, the seating zone module includes at least one cable connector located on a front edge of the seat pan. If electronic cables can be connected to the seating zone module at a front edge of the seat pan, the cables can be kept relatively short and routed around the free front end of the seat pan toward the seating area above the seat pan surface. It should be noted that "at a leading edge" as used herein means that it is accessible from the front of the seat pan and is in a position that coincides with or is not too far behind that leading edge. Typically, the sockets are positioned slightly behind the front edge to ensure that the entire plug that is to be inserted into the sockets remains below the surface of the seat pan. If the cable is to be bent around the front edge of the seat pan, the female connectors are preferably positioned so that the first part of the cable bend is also below the seat pan surface. In some embodiments, the seat pan surface has a front edge with a notch to allow a cable connected to the cable outlet to pass within the notch and wrap around the front edge of the seat pan surface.

Alternatively or additionally, the seat pan surface may have at least one cable passage that allows a cable connected to the seat zone module to run directly through the seat pan surface. If cables can be routed through the seat pan, this may allow for even shorter cables with fewer bends and therefore a more durable and cost effective cable assembly. If the seat shell has such cable bushings, it is advantageous to arrange one or more cable connection sockets on an upper side of the seat zone module in order to enable direct and straight cable routing through the seat shell surface.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising at least one vehicle seat as described above. While the invention described herein can be used to advantage for any seat in any type of vehicle, it is believed to be particularly advantageous for seats that are moveable and/or foldable. For example, the invention can be very useful for use in a row two seat or rear seat.

It is expressly intended within the scope of this application that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives presented in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, independently or can be viewed in any combination. This means that all embodiments and/or features of an embodiment can be combined with one another in any way and/or combination, provided these features are not incompatible. Applicant reserves the right to amend any originally filed claim or to file a new claim accordingly, including the right to amend an originally filed claim to depend on another claim and/or to incorporate a feature of another claim, even if it was not originally claimed in this way.

character list

• 1 zeigt ein Fahrzeug, das einen oder mehrere Fahrzeugsitze gemäß den Ausführungsformen der Erfindung aufweisen kann;
• 2 zeigt eine perspektivische Seitenansicht von zwei Reihen von Fahrzeugsitzen für das Fahrzeug von 1;
• 3 zeigt die Fahrzeugsitze aus 2, wobei die zweite Sitzreihe in eine Position gebracht wurde, die den Fahrgästen den Zugang zu einer dritten Sitzreihe ermöglicht;
• 4 zeigt einen Sitzrahmen für einen Fahrzeugsitz, wie er in der zweiten Sitzreihe der 2 und 3 verwendet werden kann;
• 5 zeigt eine teilweise Explosionsdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Fahrzeugsitzes;
• 6 zeigt eine Nahaufnahme eines Sitzzonenmoduls, das unter einer Sitzschalenoberfläche installiert ist; und
• 7 zeigt zwei Fahrzeugsitze gemäß den Ausführungsformen der Erfindung.

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

• 1 12 shows a vehicle that may include one or more vehicle seats according to embodiments of the invention;
• 2 shows a perspective side view of two rows of vehicle seats for the vehicle of FIG 1 ;
• 3 shows the vehicle seats 2 wherein the second row of seats has been moved to a position that allows passengers access to a third row of seats;
• 4 shows a seat frame for a vehicle seat, as in the second row of seats 2 and 3 can be used;
• 5 shows a partially exploded view of a vehicle seat according to the invention;
• 6 Figure 12 shows a close-up of a seating zone module installed beneath a seat pan surface; and
• 7 Figure 12 shows two vehicle seats according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1 10 shows the interior of a vehicle 100, which may include one or more vehicle seats according to embodiments of the invention. 2 12 shows a side perspective view of two front seats and two rear seats 10 installed in the vehicle 100 of FIG 1 can be provided. A third row of smaller seats may be provided behind the second row. Each seat 10 consists of a seat part 12 on which a user can sit and a backrest 14 which supports the user's back. In modern passenger cars, such as those in 1, as well as many other vehicles, the vehicle seats 10 are often positionally adjustable by being moved forward or rearward via a seat support track 28 fixedly attached to the vehicle floor of the vehicle 100. Referring now to FIG. Additionally, the backrest 14 may be configured to pivot relative to the seat portion 12 . In all vehicle seats 10, such a pivoting of the backrest can be used, for example, to adjust the posture of the user while using the vehicle seat 10. For vehicle seats 10 that are not driver's seats, particularly rear seats 10, the pivoting can be used, for example, to convert the vehicle seat 10 into a table or to create space for transporting luggage. In vehicles with rows of seats that are not directly accessible through a dedicated passenger door, translational and/or pivoting movements of the vehicle seat 10 or portions of the vehicle seat 10 can be used to allow a passenger to access a seat in the additional row of seats. For example, in a three-row, four- or five-door vehicle, such movement of the vehicle seat in the second row may allow passengers to move behind the second row seats and into one of the third row seats. shows the vehicle seats 10, for example , with the seats of the second row of seats 10 moved to a position that allows passengers access to a third row of seats (not shown). In this example, the backrest 14 and seat portion 12 have been moved together relative to the vehicle floor and seat support rail 28 . Alternatively, the seat back 14 may be pivoted relative to the seat portion 12, possibly in combination with translational and/or pivotal movement of the seat portion relative to the support rail 28.

4 shows a seat frame 20 for a vehicle seat 10, as z. B. in the two-seater seats 10 of 2 and 3 is used. The seat frame 20 includes a seat support frame 26 movably attached to a seat support track 28 fixedly mounted to the vehicle floor. The seat support frame 26 is configured to slide fore and aft over the seat support track 28 and may include a hinge that allows for pivoting relative to the seat support track 28 and the vehicle floor. A seat pan 22 is carried by the seat support frame 26 and provides a seat pan surface for supporting a seat cushion upon which a user may sit. In the seat pan surface shown includes a front portion 22a and a rear portion 22b. The front portion 22a is in a slightly elevated position relative to the rear portion 22b and is designed to provide good support to the user's thighs. A backrest portion 24 of the seat frame 20 is pivotally attached to the seat support frame 26 . By pivoting about the pivot axis 50, the backrest portion 24 can be adjusted to place the user in a more or less upright position when seated in the vehicle seat 10.

5 shows a partially exploded view of a vehicle seat 10 according to the invention. In this figure, the seat support rail 28, the seat support frame 26 and the seat shell 22 of the seat frame 20 are shown. The seat back portion 24 of the seat frame is now fitted with padding and a seat cover to complete the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 10 . In the exploded view, a seat zone module 30, a seat zone module carrier 40, a cable harness 35 and a cable holder 42 are shown.

The seating module 30 includes control, power, and data communication electronics for operation of the electronic seating functionality. The seat zone module is configured to provide seat zone functions such as seat heating, seat and backrest adjustment, Massa systems for car seats or automatic folding of the seats. All of these electronic functions can be powered and controlled from a single central seating zone module 30 . The power supply can B. by an electric battery integrated into the seating zone module 30 . Alternatively or additionally, the power supply may consist of an electronic power pack connected to a larger central electric battery located elsewhere in the vehicle 100 . Likewise, the available electronic seating zone functionality can be controlled entirely independently of seat-based sensors and user input controls, or configured to exchange data with controllers and user interfaces provided elsewhere in the vehicle or even outside the vehicle. This data exchange can be wired, wireless, or a combination of both.

The wiring harness 35 includes connectors for connection to the seating module 30 and connectors 37 for connection to sensors, motors, heaters and other electronics that provide the electronic seating function of the vehicle seat 10 . The optional wire bracket 42 is used to properly position and support a portion of the wire harness 35 on top of the seat pan 22.

As already shown in the exploded view of indicated, the seating zone module 30 is attached to the seat pan 22 in a position below the seat pan surface 22a, 22b. Figure 12 shows a close-up of the seating zone module 30 when mounted below the seat pan surface 22a, 22b. The assembly of the seat zone module 30 below the seat pan surface 22a, 22b has the advantage that it moves together with the seat pan 22. When the vehicle seat 10 is displaced or pivoted relative to the seat carrier rail 28, the seat zone module 30 moves together with the seat shell 20. All cable connections between the seat zone module 30 and the electronic seat zone functionality integrated in the vehicle seat 10 with the seat shell 22 and the seat zone module 30 move with and are not at risk of being damaged by this movement. As in 6 As can be seen, this solution for positioning the seat zone module 30 also makes good use of the free space between the seat pan 22 and the vehicle floor. This allows not only a comfortable assembly of the seat zone module 30, but also later easy access to connect the wiring harness 35 and for repair and maintenance purposes. In addition, this new installation position of the seat zone module below the seat pan surface 22a, 22b in no way affects the comfort and safety of the vehicle seat 10.

in the in embodiment shown, the seat zone module 30 is carried by the seat zone module carrier 40 . In alternative embodiments, the seating zone module 30 can be attached directly to the seat pan 22 itself. An important benefit of using the seating zone module carrier 40 is that the complete vehicle seat 10 can be assembled separately from the seating zone module 30 and the seating zone module 30 can be easily installed later in the vehicle 100 manufacturing process. During assembly, different versions of the seat zone module 30 can be built into the seat zone module carrier 40 of different vehicles 100 . Later, the seating zone module 30 can be easily removed from the seating zone module carrier 40 and reinserted for maintenance, repair and/or hardware upgrades.

The seat zone module carrier 40 used in this embodiment is shaped in such a way that a certain distance is created between the seat zone module 30 and the seat pan 22 . This additional clearance may allow airflow to help cool the electronics of the seating zone module 30 and allow other structural seat parts to pass between the seating zone module 30 and the seat pan 22 . In this embodiment, for example, a structural support 29 runs under the seat shell 22 and above the seat zone module 30 , while the seat zone module support 40 fastens the seat zone module 30 to the underside of the seat shell 22 .

As in As shown, the seating zone module 30 is preferably attached to the seat pan 22 below the forward portion 22a of the seat pan surface. The assembly of the seat zone module 30 below the front section 22a of the seat shell surface has the advantage that the electronic cables 35 connected to the seat zone module 30 can be routed above the seat shell surface around the free front end of the seat shell 22 into the seating area, where typically many there is more room for it than at the side or rear ends of the seat pan 22. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the seating zone module 30 may be mounted beneath a middle or rear portion 22b of the seat pan surface.

Preferably, as with all of the seat pans 22 shown in the drawings, the front portion 22a of the seat pan surface is higher than the rear portion 22b. This increased front part 22a of the seat shell 22 not only enables a solid Support for the user's legs and a comfortable seating experience, but also provides a nice cavity under the seat shell 22, which offers sufficient space for the assembly of the seating zone module 30 and some protection against mechanical damage.

In the in the 5 and 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the seating zone module 30 comprises a plurality of cable connection sockets 31 which are located on the front of the seating zone module 30 . To facilitate connection of the cables to the seating zone module 30 near the front end of the vehicle seat 10, the cables can be kept relatively short and routed around the free front end of the seat pan 20 toward the seating area above the seat pan surface 22a, 22b. As in As shown, the female connectors 31 are typically located slightly rearward of the front edge of the seat pan to ensure that the completed male connectors 36, when inserted into these female connectors 31, remain below the seat pan surface 22a. Because the cables 35 are bent around the front edge of the seat pan 22, the female connectors 31 are positioned so that the first portion of the cable bend is also below the seat pan surface 22a. In this embodiment, the seat pan surface 22a has a front edge with a notch to allow the cables 35 connected to the cable outlet 31 to pass within the notch and wrap around the front edge of the seat pan surface 22a.

Alternatively or additionally, the seat pan surface 22a, 22b may have at least one cable passage (not shown) that allows a cable 35 connected to the seating zone module 30 to run directly through the seat pan surface 22a, 22b. If cables 35 can be routed through the seat pan 22, this can allow for even shorter cables 35 with fewer bends and thus a more durable and less expensive cable assembly. If the seat shell 22 has such cable bushings, it is advantageous to arrange one or more cable connection sockets on an upper side of the seat zone module 30 in order to enable direct and straight cable routing through the seat shell surface 22a, 22b.

7 12 shows two vehicle seats 10 according to embodiments of the invention. When the right seat is a vehicle seat 10, as already in the 5 and 6 is shown, but the seat part 12 is covered with upholstery and the backrest 14 with upholstery and a seat cover. On the left seat 10, the seat part 12 is also provided with a seat cover.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims (10)

Vehicle seat, comprising: - a seat support frame which is designed to fasten the vehicle seat to a vehicle floor, - a seat pan supported by the support frame and having a seat pan surface for supporting a seat cushion for a user to sit on, and - a seating zone module comprising control, power supply and data communication electronics for the operation of an electronic seating zone functionality, wherein the seating zone module is attached to the seat pan in a position below the seat pan surface. vehicle seat claim 1 , further comprising a seating zone module support attached to the seat pan at a position below the seat pan surface and supporting the seating zone module. vehicle seat claim 1 or 2 wherein the seat pan surface includes a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the seating zone module is attached to the seat pan at a position below the front portion of the seat pan surface and wherein the front portion is in a higher position than the rear portion. Vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seating zone module comprises at least one cable connection socket located at a front edge of the seat pan. vehicle seat claim 4 wherein the seat pan surface has a front edge with a recess that allows a cable connected to the cable outlet to pass within the recess and wrap around the front edge of the seat pan surface. The vehicle seat of any preceding claim, wherein the seat pan surface includes at least one cable passage that allows a cable connected to the seating zone module to pass through the seat pan surface. vehicle seat claim 6 , wherein the seating zone module has at least one cable connection socket located at a top thereof. The vehicle seat of any preceding claim, wherein the seat pan is pivotally and/or slidably attached to the seat support frame, with the seating zone module optionally configured to pivot and/or slide together with the seat pan. Vehicle with at least one vehicle seat according to one of the preceding claims. vehicle after claim 9 wherein the at least one vehicle seat is a second row seat.

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