FR2884185A1 - POSITION DETECTING SYSTEM FOR REMOVABLE SEATS IN A VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The detachable seat position detection control system in a vehicle has a wireless communication member (7) mounted on each seat for communicating with a corresponding communication member mounted in the vehicle, the wireless communication member of each seat being associated with a position detecting circuit comprising a plurality of magnetic-controlled position detecting switches (9.1, 9.2), the vehicle being equipped with a series of control magnets (15) arranged to selectively control the position detection switches (9.1, 9.2) depending on the position of each seat.

Description

2884185 1

  The present invention relates to a position detection system of removable seats in a vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that to improve the management of the space available in a vehicle it is desirable that the rear seats are mounted removably. For certain applications, in particular for the control of the locking of the safety belts, it is necessary to be able to detect the position of each installed seat.

  Document US-A-5 804 887 discloses a detachable seat position detection system comprising a detection circuit implanted in the floor of the vehicle. The sensing circuit includes magnetically controlled switches at each of the locations where a removable seat is likely implanted, and each chair is equipped with a control magnet. When a seat is placed in the vehicle, the control magnet carried by the seat is next to the magnetic switch and causes a change of state thereof, which allows to detect the position from the headquarters. However the implementation of the circuit in the floor of the vehicle significantly increases the cost of realization of the vehicle and the circuit is difficult to access, so that in case of failure, the intervention for the rehabilitation of the circuit is com - plex.

  Also known from GB-A-2 383 879 is a detachable seat position detection system in which each seat is equipped with a wireless communication member for communicating with a corresponding communication member mounted in the floor. of the vehicle to allow selectively communication of a communication member carried by the seat with one of the communication devices located in the floor. As previously, it is necessary to provide a connection circuit 287 for the various communication elements with the central unit for managing the position of the seats so that this system has the same drawbacks of cost of production and complexity of intervention in case of failure. In addition to ensuring the correct detection of the seat position, this document proposes a complex system comprising two independent communication members associated with each seat.

  OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a position detection system of removable seats that can be easily implanted in the vehicle and on which an intervention can be performed in a simple manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

  With a view to achieving this object, the invention proposes a system for detecting the position of removable seats in a vehicle, each seat being equipped with a wireless communication element for communicating with a corresponding communication element. in the vehicle, wherein the wireless communication member of each detachable seat is associated with a position detection circuit comprising at least two magnetically-controlled position detecting switches, and the vehicle is equipped with a series of control magnets arranged to selectively control the position detection switches in accordance with the position of each seat.

  Thus the wireless communication unit of each seat emits a signal which is representative of the state of each of the position detection switches so that it is possible to implant at any point of the vehicle a single receiver. associated with a processing unit which determines the exact position of the seat according to the received signal. In addition, when the removable seat 2884185 3 is mounted on sliders movable longitudinally in rails, it is sufficient to arrange the control magnets on the sliders to locate the seat position, regardless of the location of the slider in the seat. rail.

  Furthermore, the removable seats are generally-equipped with two seatbelt locking boxes arranged on each side of the seat to allow locking of the seat belt on a side opposite to the seat belt retractor which whatever the position of the seat.

  According to an advantageous version of the invention, two position detection switches are connected in series with safety belt lock detectors carried by each seat. Thus the detection of the locking of the safety belt is effected in relation to the position of the seat so that it is possible to ensure that the buckle of the safety belt is well inserted into the locking box corresponding to the position of the seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

  Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of two particular nonlimiting embodiments of the invention in relation to the accompanying figures, in which: FIG. a schematic representation of a vehicle seat equipped with the system according to the invention, Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the position detection device incorporated in the seat, Figure 3 is a partial top view. of a vehicle floor showing the implantation of the control magnets in the first embodiment, FIG. 4 is a schematic view from above of three seats installed side by side, FIG. schematic top view of two centrally installed seats; FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the detection device incorporated into a seat FIG. 7 is a partial view from above of a floor illustrating the distribution of control magnets in the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view from above of three seats mounted contiguously.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the system according to the invention applies to a removable seat 1 comprising, in a manner known per se, two locking housings 2 intended to receive a buckle 3 of a safety belt 4. known per se, each lock housing 2 comprises a lock control switch 5 which is open at rest and which is tilted to the closed position when the buckle 3 of the safety belt is properly inserted into the lock housing 2.

  According to the invention each removable seat is equipped with a position detection device 6 comprising a wireless emitter 7 connected to a microprocessor 8 which generates a signal according to the state of two magnetically controlled switches 9.1 and 9.2 each having a terminal 10 connected in series with the control switch 5 of one of the lock boxes 2 so that for a so-called closed position of the position detection switches 9.1, 9.2 a voltage signal from the The microprocessor is received back to the microprocessor on a detection terminal 11. Each of the position detecting switches 9.1, 9.2 further comprises a second terminal 12 which, for a so-called open position of the position detection switch corresponding, provides a connection with a detection terminal 13 of the microprocessor.

  The wireless communication member 7 is adapted to communicate with a wireless communication member 14 carried by the vehicle.

  Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with a series of control magnets bearing the general numeral 15 and the particular numerals 15.11, 15.12; 15.21 and 15.22.

  In the first illustrated embodiment, the removable seats are intended to be mounted in a single row but in a configuration with three seats (Figure 4) or two seats centered (Figure 5). In this case the floor of the vehicle is equipped with four control magnets 15 arranged in pairs 15.11, 15.12; 15.21, 15.22 arranged in two offset lines each corresponding to the position of a position detection switch 9.1, 9.2 on the seat. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the seat belt buckle disposed to the left of the vehicle must be introduced into the right housing, the right seat seat belt buckle must be inserted into the housing disposed to the left of the seat and the seat belt of the central seat is equipped with two loops which must each be inserted into one of the locking boxes.

  In connection with this mode of locking the seat belts, the position detection switches 9.1, 9.2 are preferably in a closed position at rest, that is to say in the absence of magnetic control.

  With reference to FIG. 4, the implantation of the control magnets 15 is such that for a configuration of three contiguous seats, the control magnet 15.11 is opposite the position detection switch 9.1 of the seat on the left while the control magnet 15.21 is opposite the position detection switch 9.2 of the right seat and no control magnet is opposite the detection switches 9.1, 9.2 of the central seat. The position detection switch 9.1 of the left seat is therefore in the open position while the position detection switch 9.2 of the same seat is in the closed position. If a user accidentally enters the mouth 3 of the safety belt into the left lock housing 2 of this seat, the corresponding switch 5 is put into a closed state but the open position of the position detection switch 9.1 interrupts the circuit so that no effective locking signal is sent to the receiver 14. On the other hand, if the occupant of the left seat suitably feeds the loop 3 into the right lock housing 2, the two switches in series 9.2 and 5 are closed and a positive locking signal is then sent to the receiver 14. In the same manner it will be seen that, in view of the closed state of the position detection switches 9.1 and 9.2, a positive locking signal of the center seat will be sent only if the two lock housings 2 have received a loop 3. For the seat on the right a positive locking signal will be sent only if the security is introduced into the left lock box which corresponds to the position detection switch 9.1 in a closed state.

  Figure 5 illustrates a configuration of two centrally located seats. In order to allow proper detection of the seat position and to control the locking of the corresponding safety belt, the control magnet 15.12 is located in the position taken by the position detection switch 9. 1 the left seat when it is in place, and the control magnet 15.22 is located opposite the position taken by the position detection switch 9.2 of the right seat when it is put in place. The operation is then analogous to that described with reference to FIG.

  The position detection switches 9.11 and 9.12 form a first pair on one line and the position detection switches 9.21 and 9.22 form a second pair on a shifted line.

  Figures 6 to 8 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention, more particularly adapted to detect the position of the removable seats when they are arranged in two different rows. In FIG. 6 which illustrates the detection device carried by each of the removable seats, the elements common to the detection circuit 6 bear the same numerical reference. The only difference between the detection circuit 6 and the detection circuit 16 is the presence in the detection circuit 16 of a third position detection switch 9.3 which, in the so-called closed state of rest, illustrated by the figure, returns the control voltage to a terminal 17 of the microprocessor while in the so-called open state the control signal is returned to a terminal 18.

  In this embodiment of the system according to the invention, the control magnets 15 corresponding to the first row of removable seats are arranged as il-gloss in FIG. 3. Whatever the position of a seat in this row, the position detection switch 9.3 remains closed. The control magnets of the second row of the removable seats comprise, on the one hand, control magnets 15 similar to those of the first row and also a complementary series of control magnets bearing the general reference 19 and the special references 19.1, 19.2, 19.3, 19.4 and 19.5. In the illustrated embodiment, the position detection switches 9.3 are arranged in a line offset from the lines of the position detection switches 9.1 and 9.2, and the control magnets 19.1 - 19.5 are arranged in a third line.

  In the case of three seats contiguous to the second row of removable seats as illustrated in Figure 8, the control magnets 19.1, 19.3 and 19.5 are located to control the tilting of the position detection switches 9.3 of each of the seats, which allows to detect that the corresponding seats are the second row seats. Similarly, the control magnets 19.2 and 19.4 are located to face the position detection switch 9.3 of two seats arranged centrally in a configuration similar to that of FIG.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

  In particular, although the invention has been described in relation to seats that can be installed on the same row or in a configuration of three seats contiguous or a configuration of two seats centered, which involves the implantation of two pairs of control magnets 15, it can be provided that the removable seats are arranged in a single configuration. In this case, it is possible to reduce the number of control magnets to only two for the first row of seats and two or three additional control magnets for the second row of seats.

  Although closed position detecting switches have been provided, which minimizes the number of control magnets required, the positive safety can also be enhanced by providing open position detecting switches at rest. by associating the corresponding control magnets 2884185 9 for each seat put in place, including the central seat.

  Although the system according to the invention has been described in relation to control magnets arranged on offset lines, which allows better spacing of the control magnets and to avoid any interference between the magnets, it is possible to place on the same line of magnets corresponding to different position detection switches, or even to use the same control magnets to actuate different position detection switches at the end of the configuration.

Claims (6)

  A system for detecting removable seat positions in a vehicle, each seat being equipped with a wireless communication member (7) for communicating with a corresponding communication member (14) mounted in the vehicle, characterized in that wireless communication member (7) of each detachable seat is associated with a position detecting circuit comprising at least two magnetically controlled position detecting switches (9.1, 9.2, 9.3), and in that the vehicle is equipped with a series of control magnets (15; 19) arranged to selectively control the position detection switches (9.1, 9.2; 9.3) in accordance with the position of each seat.   Detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that two position detection switches (9.1, 9.2) are connected in series with seat belt locking control switches (5) carried by each seat.   3. Detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the position detection circuit of each seat comprises two position detection switches (9.1, 9.2) and in that the vehicle is equipped with four control magnets. (15) arranged in pairs (15.11, 15.12, 15.21, 15.22) along two offset lines.   4. Detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the position detection switches (9.1, 9.2, 9.3) are closed at rest.   5. Detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the position detection circuit comprises three position detection switches (9.1, 9.2, 9.3) arranged in three offset lines.   6. Detection system according to claim 5, characterized in that the vehicle is equipped with four control magnets arranged in pairs (15.11, 15.12, 15.21, 15.22) in two offset lines, and five control magnets (19.1- 19.5) arranged in a third line.