Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/02—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable
  • B60N2/0224—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
  • B60N2/0244—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation with logic circuits
  • B60N2/0248—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation with logic circuits with memory of positions
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/02—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable
  • B60N2/0224—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
  • B60N2/0244—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation with logic circuits
  • B60N2/0277—Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation with logic circuits characterised by the calculation method or calculation flow chart of sensor data for adjusting the seat
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/90—Details or parts not otherwise provided for
  • B60N2/919—Positioning and locking mechanisms
  • B60N2/929—Positioning and locking mechanisms linear
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
  • G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
  • G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
  • G05B19/18—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form
  • G05B19/401—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes
  • G05B19/4015—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes going to a reference at the beginning of machine cycle, e.g. for calibration
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/02—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable
  • B60N2/22—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable the back-rest being adjustable
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/90—Details or parts not otherwise provided for
  • B60N2/995—Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
  • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
  • G05B2219/20—Pc systems
  • G05B2219/26—Pc applications
  • G05B2219/2637—Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
  • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
  • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
  • G05B2219/41—Servomotor, servo controller till figures
  • G05B2219/41099—Calibration by going to two extremes, limits, counting pulses, storing values
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
  • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
  • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
  • G05B2219/45—Nc applications
  • G05B2219/45022—Auto seat, dentist chair, roll wheel chair

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for automatic calibration of an actuating device of at least one element to be actuated by a structure, the actuation device comprising a calculation unit and at least one actuator configured to actuate at least one element to be actuated.
• the invention applies to the field of devices for actuating elements to be actuated, in particular seat elements. It relates more specifically to a method of calibrating an actuating device of one or more elements to be actuated, in particular of one or more seat elements.
• a seat may for example comprise seat elements such as a reclining backrest articulated at one end of a seat and an articulated legrest at the other end of the seat.
• the configuration of each seat element can be modified by means of an actuating device able to control, independently or simultaneously, the movement of actuators placed at the seat elements.
• an actuating device able to control, independently or simultaneously, the movement of actuators placed at the seat elements.
• the actuators transducers such as potentiometers for collecting measurement values representative of the physical positions. actuators.
• each actuator Before using the seat, it is necessary to calibrate each actuator, in particular by means of the potentiometer associated with the actuator, so that the actuating device is able to control the movement of each actuator in its operating range. permitted clearance (between its minimum stop and its maximum stop, these resulting from mechanical or imposed limits), to allow a change of configuration of each seat element.
• the invention aims to meet all or part of these needs.
• the invention relates to an automatic calibration method of the aforementioned type, comprising the steps of:
• the calibration of the seat requires neither positioning the seat in a predefined configuration, nor the intervention of an operator during calibration. Indeed, by the implementation of such a method, the seat is placed autonomously in a predetermined reference position, then automatically determines a stop of the actuators, so as to calibrate each actuator.
• the automatic calibration method comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken separately or in any technically possible combination:
• the method further comprises the steps of:
• the method comprises the determination of a mechanical stroke of the actuator, the mechanical stroke of the actuator being taken equal to the absolute value of the difference between the position associated with the first mechanical stop and the position associated with the second stop; mechanical actuator;
• the method further comprises the steps of:
• the minimum auxiliary abutment being calculated by adding a positive predetermined offset to the smallest of the first mechanical abutment and the second mechanical abutment, the maximum abutment being calculated by adding the auxiliary stroke to the calculated minimum auxiliary abutment;
• the maximum auxiliary stop being calculated by subtracting a positive predetermined offset from the largest of the first mechanical stop and the second mechanical stop, the minimum auxiliary stop being calculated by subtracting the auxiliary stroke from the calculated maximum auxiliary stop;
• the structure is in any position and each actuator is in any position;
• the placement step comprises, as long as the structure is not in the predetermined reference position:
• At least one condition is selected from the group consisting of:
• the value of the characteristic quantity associated with the actuator is greater than a reference value
• time setpoint corresponding to a maximum delay elapsed between the actuation of the actuator during the control of the displacement of the actuator and a current instant
• the structure is a seat, including an aircraft seat, or the elements to be actuated being seat elements.
• the invention relates to an actuating device comprising a calculation unit configured to implement the automatic calibration method as defined above.
• the invention also relates to a seat comprising movable elements, the seat being provided with an actuating device as defined above, the actuating device being configured to control the position of the movable elements.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a structure equipped with an actuating device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a logic diagram illustrating the progress of the method according to the invention.
• FIG. 3 is a logic diagram illustrating the progress of a placement step of the method of FIG. 2;
• FIG. 4 is a logic diagram illustrating the progress of a mechanical stroke calculation step of the method of FIG. 2.
• FIG. 1 An example of a structure 10 in the form of a seat, for example an aircraft seat, is shown in FIG. 1.
• the structure 10 comprises three elements to be actuated 2 in the form of seat elements.
• the seat elements 2 correspond, for example, a recline, a seat and a legrest.
• the seat elements 2 of the seat 10 are capable of being set in motion by means of an actuating device 1 comprising actuators 3, in order to modify the configuration of use of the seat 10.
• the use configuration of the seat 10 includes, for example, a TTL position (ie “taxiing, take-off and landing", ie “runway, take-off and landing”) , or a sleeping position, also called “bed position”.
• the use configuration of the seat 10 further comprises at least one reference position, described later.
• the actuators 3 are, for example, electric actuators. Alternatively, the actuators are hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, or any other known type of actuator.
• the actuators 3 are connected to a calculation unit 4 configured to perform the automatic calibration of the actuators 3 of the actuating device 1.
• the calculation unit 4 is configured to determine, for each actuator 3, a minimum mechanical stop and a maximum mechanical stop defining the maximum range of movement of the actuator 3.
• the maximum range of movement of the actuator 3 corresponds to the defined range between the two extreme positions in which the actuator 3 is in abutment. More specifically, the minimum mechanical stop is reached either when the actuator is in a fully retracted position, or when the seat member 2 set in motion by the actuator 3 is no longer likely to move further, preventing a 3. In addition, the maximum mechanical stop is reached either when the actuator is in a fully deployed position, or when the seat member 2 set in motion by the actuator 3 is no longer likely to move further, preventing full deployment of the actuator 3.
• the calculation unit 4 is also configured to determine, for each actuator 3, a minimum auxiliary stop and a maximum auxiliary stop.
• the minimum auxiliary abutment and the maximum auxiliary abutment define a range of clearance allowed from a reference position of the seat 10, taken as the original position.
• the calculation unit 4 calculates the minimum auxiliary stop by adding a predetermined positive offset to the minimum mechanical stop. Then the calculation unit 4 calculates the maximum auxiliary stop by adding a predetermined positive auxiliary stroke to the calculated minimum auxiliary stop.
• the calculation unit 4 calculates the maximum auxiliary stop by subtracting a positive predetermined offset from the maximum mechanical stop. Then the calculation unit 4 calculates the minimum auxiliary stop by subtracting a predetermined positive auxiliary stroke from the calculated maximum auxiliary stop.
• the auxiliary stroke of the actuator 3 is a predetermined parameter corresponding to the allowable stroke for the actuator 3 as a function of the seat element 2 to which the actuator 3 is connected. The auxiliary stroke of the actuator 3 is less than or equal to the mechanical stroke of the actuator 3.
• the calculation unit 4 is furthermore configured to compare the value of a characteristic value of the operation of each actuator 3 with at least one predetermined reference value associated with the actuator 3.
• a characteristic quantity is the electric current consumed by the actuator.
• a characteristic quantity is the pressure of the drive fluid of the actuator.
• a seat 10 provided with an actuating device 1 to be calibrated is provided.
• the seat 10 is in any position before the implementation of the automatic method of calibration.
• each actuator 3 is in any position, a priori unknown.
• At least one actuator 3 of the actuating device 1 is not calibrated.
• the actuating device 1 and the corresponding actuators 3 were mounted on the seat 10 without being calibrated.
• at least one actuator 3 of the actuating device 1 has been replaced and requires calibration.
• an operator triggers the calculation unit 4 for implementing the automatic calibration method by the calculation unit 4.
• the calculation unit 4 acts on the actuators 3 to place the seat 10, in particular the seat elements 2, in a predetermined reference position.
• the reference position is defined in advance and corresponds, for example, to a configuration in which actuators 3 are positioned on one of their mechanical stops, or to a predetermined position allowing a free movement of the actuators 3 without prior knowledge of the position of the actuators 3.
• a plurality of reference positions are determined beforehand according to the architecture of the seat 10. During the various steps of the automatic calibration method, one of these positions reference is used among all of said predetermined reference positions.
• the placement step 22 will be more precisely described later.
• the calculation unit 4 acts on a non-calibrated actuator 3 designated, during a step 24 of calculation of the mechanical stroke of the actuator 3, to determine the Actuator mechanical stroke 3. More precisely, the calculation unit 4 acts on the actuator 3 to determine the minimum mechanical stop and the maximum mechanical stop associated with the actuator 3.
• Step 24 of calculation of the mechanical stroke of the actuator 3 will be more precisely described later.
• the calculation unit 4 compares the mechanical stroke of the actuator 3 to the corresponding auxiliary stroke.
• the step following the comparison step 26 is a step 28 for calculating auxiliary stops.
• the calculation unit 4 calculates the auxiliary stops associated with the actuator 3, from the auxiliary travel associated with the actuator 3 and the minimum mechanical stop or the maximum mechanical stop of the actuator 3 calculated during step 24 of calculation of the mechanical stroke of the actuator 3.
• the step following the comparison step 26 is an error detection step 30.
• the automatic calibration process is interrupted.
• the calculation unit 4 determines, during a verification step 32, whether all the actuators 3 have been calibrated, that is to say if steps 22 to 28 were performed for all the actuators 3. If, during the verification step 32, the calculation unit 4 determines that all the actuators 3 have been calibrated, then, during a subsequent replacement step 34, the calculation unit 4 controls the actuators 3 of the actuating device 1 to place the seat in a predetermined use position.
• the predetermined use position is such that the position of each actuator 3 is between the minimum auxiliary stop and the maximum auxiliary stop.
• the predetermined use position is, for example, the TTL position.
• step 22 of placing the seat in the reference position and the following steps are implemented for another actuator 3 which has not yet been calibrated said "uncalibrated actuator next".
• the reference position during the implementation of step 22 and the following steps for the next non-calibrated actuator 3 is potentially different from the reference position corresponding to the verification step 32 that has been most recently executed.
• the next step in the replacement step 34 is an exit step 36, during which the seat 10 is likely to be used by an end user.
• the output step 36 is also the next step in the error detection step 30. In this case, an operator is able to intervene on the actuating device to determine the causes of the failure of the automatic calibration process.
• the placement step 22 will now be described with reference to FIG.
• the placement step 22 comprises a phase 40 for controlling an actuator 3 among all the actuators of the actuating device 1.
• the calculation unit 4 controls the actuator 3 to provoke his displacement.
• the calculation unit 4 determines whether a corresponding predetermined condition, among a set of predetermined conditions, is fulfilled.
• the predetermined conditions are preferably successive and ordered according to a pre-established sequence. In this case, the calculation unit 4 verifies the fulfillment of a given condition only if the previous conditions have already been verified, in the corresponding order.
• the calculation unit 4 is configured to first determine whether the value of the characteristic quantity associated with the actuator 3 is greater than the corresponding predetermined reference value. For example, in the case of an electric actuator, the calculation unit 4 is configured to determine whether the electric current consumed by the actuator 3 is greater than a reference current.
• the calculation unit 4 is configured to then determine if a time setpoint has been reached. Such a set time corresponds to a maximum time elapsed between the actuation of the actuator during the driving phase 40 and a current time.
• the calculation unit 4 is configured to then determine if a reference position of the actuator 3 has been reached.
• the calculation unit 4 determines that the seat 10 is in the reference position. If the seat 10 is in the reference position, then the next step is the step 24 of mechanical stroke calculation.
• the calculation unit 4 continues to control the displacement of the actuator 3 in accordance with the piloting phase 40.
• the calculation unit 4 determines that the seat 10 is not in the reference position. In this case, during a tracking phase 46, the calculation unit 4 evaluates whether the movement of the actuator 3 in the opposite direction is required, in accordance with the predetermined sequence. In the case where the calculation unit 4 determines that the displacement of the actuator 3 in an opposite direction is required, then, during the driving phase 40, the calculation unit 4 controls the displacement of the actuator 3 in a direction opposite to the displacement of the actuator 3 during the preceding piloting phase 40. Simultaneously, during the monitoring phase 42, the calculation unit 4 evaluates whether a new predetermined condition is fulfilled.
• the calculation unit 4 determines that the displacement of the actuator 3 in the opposite direction is not required, then, during the same monitoring phase 46, the calculation unit 4 evaluates whether the movement of the actuator 3 in the same direction is required.
• the calculation unit 4 controls the displacement of the actuator 3 in the same direction; simultaneously, during the monitoring phase 42, the calculation unit 4 determines whether a new predetermined condition is fulfilled.
• the new predetermined condition is the next predetermined condition of the predetermined sequence of conditions. Otherwise, during the tracking phase 46, the calculation unit 4 determines that the actuator 3 to be controlled during the next driving phase 40 is an actuator 3 different from the current actuator 3.
• the piloting 40, monitoring 42 and tracking 46 phases are repeated until the seat 10 is in the reference position.
• Step 24 of mechanical stroke calculation will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.
• the step 24 of mechanical stroke calculation comprises a control phase 60 in a first direction of the actuator 3.
• the calculation unit 4 controls the actuator 3 to to provoke its displacement in a first sense.
• the calculation unit 4 determines whether, for the actuator 3, the value of the magnitude characteristic associated with the actuator 3 is greater than a first predetermined reference value.
• the calculation unit 4 continues to control the displacement of the actuator 3 in the first direction, in accordance with the first piloting phase 60.
• the calculation unit 4 controls the actuator 3 to provoke its displacement in a second direction opposite to the first sense.
• the calculation unit 4 determines whether the value of the characteristic quantity associated with the actuator 3 is greater than a second reference value.
• the calculation unit 4 continues to control the displacement of the actuator 3 in the second direction, in accordance with the phase 64 steering in the second direction.
• the calculation unit 4 records the position of the actuator 3, corresponding to a first mechanical stop of the actuator 3.
• the calculation unit 4 controls the actuator 3 to cause its movement in the first direction.
• the calculation unit 4 determines whether the value of the characteristic quantity associated with the actuator 3 is greater than the first reference value.
• the calculation unit 4 continues to control the movement of the actuator 3 in the first direction, in accordance with the second control phase 70 in the first direction.
• the calculation unit 4 records the position of the actuator 3, corresponding to a second mechanical stop of the actuator 3.
• the first reference value and the second reference value are distinct.
• each of the first reference value and the second reference value is variable over time and / or according to the position of the actuator 3.
• the calculation unit 4 calculates the mechanical stroke associated with the actuator 3.
• the mechanical stroke is taken as equal to the absolute value of the difference between the position associated with the the first mechanical stop and the position associated with the second mechanical stop of the actuator 3.
• the actuating device 1 is fully calibrated, without having to position the seat 10 in a predefined configuration and without having needed the intervention of an operator during calibration.
• the invention therefore allows the incorporation of the actuating device 1 on the seat 10, regardless of the position of the seat 10, and the automatic calibration of the actuators 3 in place on the seat 10, and without the intervention of a operator.
• the driving phases of the actuator 3 in a first direction and a second direction lead to the precise determination of the mechanical and electrical stops of the actuator, and are likely to lead to the detection of defects in the stroke of the actuators 3 .
• the various phases of the placement step 22 lead to the automatic placement of the seat in a desired reference position for the calibration of a given actuator 3, which makes it unnecessary for an operator to intervene when calibrating the actuator 3.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Seats For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=58401752

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2016
  • 2016-12-16 FR FR1662686A patent/FR3060777B1/fr active Active
• 2017
  • 2017-12-14 WO PCT/FR2017/053576 patent/WO2018109403A1/fr unknown
  • 2017-12-14 US US16/468,854 patent/US11413989B2/en active Active
  • 2017-12-14 EP EP17822003.4A patent/EP3555716A1/de active Pending

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