GB2189989A - Power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles - Google Patents

Power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2189989A
GB2189989A GB08710627A GB8710627A GB2189989A GB 2189989 A GB2189989 A GB 2189989A GB 08710627 A GB08710627 A GB 08710627A GB 8710627 A GB8710627 A GB 8710627A GB 2189989 A GB2189989 A GB 2189989A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
seat
control
servomotors
sensors
power adjustable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08710627A
Other versions
GB8710627D0 (en
GB2189989B (en
Inventor
Ulrich Budde
Dr Wendel Schindele
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Continental Teves AG and Co oHG
Original Assignee
Alfred Teves GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Alfred Teves GmbH filed Critical Alfred Teves GmbH
Publication of GB8710627D0 publication Critical patent/GB8710627D0/en
Publication of GB2189989A publication Critical patent/GB2189989A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2189989B publication Critical patent/GB2189989B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • G05B19/414—Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller
    • G05B19/4142—Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller characterised by the use of a microprocessor
    • 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
    • B60N2/02246—Electric motors therefor
    • 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
    • B60N2/0226—User interfaces specially adapted for seat adjustment
    • B60N2/0228—Hand-activated mechanical switches
    • 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
    • G05B2219/33—Director till display
    • G05B2219/33182—Uart, serial datatransmission, modem
    • 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
    • G05B2219/37—Measurements
    • G05B2219/37174—Encoder with infrared
    • 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

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Control Of Position Or Direction (AREA)

Abstract

In a power adjustable seat, in particular for automotive vehicles, with servomotors arranged below the seat and acting on the elements of the seat via adjusting elements or power transmission elements a control device (31) is provided for the generation of switching signals by means of which the servomotors (11, 12, 13) are actuable, via cable (26, 27), the control device (31) being connected with respectively the control or connection elements (20 to 25) of the servomotors (11, 12, 13), and a bus system being used for the transmission of the control signals or rather of data between the control device (31) and/or the sensors (14, 15, 19) and the control and connection elements (20 and 21 through 25, respectively) at the seat. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Power Adjustable Seat, for Example for Automotive Vehicles This invention relates to a power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles, with a seat element which is horizontally and/or vertically adjustable within holding elements and with a back element the inclination of which is adjustable with respect to the seat element and with electric servomotors arranged below the seat element and acting on the holding elements of the seat element and/or of the back element via adjusting elements or power transmission elements.
Such an adjustable seat already has been suggested in West German Patent Application P 32 24 251.4. In this seat, fastening rails are connected with each other by two spaced cross bars. The height adjusting spindle's gear is supported at one of said cross bars so as to be swingable around an axis essentially extending horizontally. The horizontal and vertical adjustment motors are mounted on a motor carrier bridge connecting the cross bars. The drive shaft of the motor runs in parallel with the cross bars and at right angles with regard to the height adjusting spindle.
The power transmission from the height adjusting spindle to the adjusting shaft is effected by means of a connecting rod and by means of a drive lever mounted on the adjusting shaft.
Further, a vehicle seat with electric power adjustment is known (West German Published Patent Application-DE-OS-No. 34 03 246) which has a plurality of adjusting devices such as for the back of the seat, for the inclination of the seating, for the horizontal adjustment or the like, which are actuated by electric power. Via a drive shaft, the electric motor can alternately be coupled with one or another of the input shafts of the adjusting devices. The electric motor itself is supported on the seat frame so as to be mobile and alternatively can be displaced or swung into positions where in each case its output shaft comes into engagement with a coupling which is stationarily supported and which in each case, via a shaft coupling, is non-rotatably connected with an associated adjusting device's input shaft.
Finally, a seat base is known which has a slide arrangement comprising static rails and slide rails (West German Published Patent Application-DE- OSNo. 34 01 230). The slide rails of said arrangement which are arranged on the two longitudinal sides of the seat are connected with each other by means of two cross-ties. For the purpose of the longitudinal displacement of the slide rails in each case a threaded spindle is held in spindle bearings at the slide rails, said threaded spindle penetrating a spindle nut connected with the static rail. The adjusting gears co-operating with the spindles here are connected by means of a bridge element screwed to them, on said bridge element a plurality of servomotors being rigidly arranged and the bridge element extending in parallel with the two cross-ties.
Although, in principle, these known adjustable seats essentially work satisfactorily, still need is felt for optimising them so as to ensure that manufacture of those parts of the vehicle seat which carry the servo-motors and the associated peripheral circuit will be possible at less cost while allowing easier assembly and simpler checking, too.
For instance, if after assembly of the servomotors and of the electric connection elements any one of said elements or any one of said motors proves to be defective then it will be necessary to remove the entire seat from the manufacturing line and to exchange the parts responsible for the defect. In practice, this proves to be very complicated and time-consuming.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles where the parts effecting adjustment of the seat form compact controlling units which, even during assembly of the seat, can easily be removed and checked and which, if necessary, can be replaced without the manufacture of the vehicle seat having to be interrupted.
Moreover, said compact controlling units are to feature a particularly light-weight design and to enable the seat to be adjusted by means of operating push buttons located especially suitably in terms of ergonomics.
According to the present invention there is provided a power adjustable seat, in particular for automotive vehicles, with a seat element which is horizontally and/or vertically adjustable within holding elements and with a back element the inclination of which is adjustable with respect to the seat element and with servomotors arranged below the seat element and acting on the holding elements of the seat element and/or of the back element via adjusting elements or power transmission elements, characterised by a control device for the generation of switching signals by means of which the servomotors are actuatable, the control device being connected via cable with respectively the control and connection elements of the servomotors, which are arranged at the vehicle seat, and a bus system being used for the transmission of control signals or rather of data between the control device and/or the sensors and the control and connection elements at the seat.
Preferably, the control element receives position signals from the sensors of the servomotors, to this end said sensors, or potentiometers of the servomotors, being connected with the control element via data transmission lines.
Expediently, the sensors of the servomotors are infrared light barriers co-operating with the slotted disks driven by output shafts of the servomotors and permitting the revolutions of each motor shaft to be counted and thus the position of the vehicle seat to be determined.
Advantageously, the control element is equipped with an integrated circuit converting codes into serially encoded data for the data transmission lines.
So as to keep the weight of the control equipment particularly low several actuating controls are connected to one data transmission line at a time.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic perspective view.
A carrier plate 1 essentially consists of an injection-moulded part having laterally and forwards extending arm pairs 2 to 7. At its upper side, the carrier plate 1 has trough-shaped depressions 8,9, 10 wherein the servomotors 11, 12, 13 are supported. The longitudinal axes of the servomotors 11,12,13 are arranged in parallel with one another, with output shafts 16,17, 18 thereof in each case protruding that much outside as to automatically couple with the gears and transmission rods arranged at the seat (not shown), when the carrier plate 1 is fastened at the vehicle seat. All servomotors 11,12,13 have potentiometers or sensors 14,15, 19 annularly surrounding the motor-or-output shafts 16,17,18.On the carrier plate 1, there are further arranged electric control circuits and connection elements 20 to 25, the control elements or rather the storage or the memory 20 further being provided with feeder cables 26,27 by means of which, after the assembly of the carrier plate 1 at the vehicle seat, they are connectible with a control device 31 or rather a central control assembly provided with the operating push buttons 28,29,30.
Serial data transmission is used for the transmission of the data between the control element 20 for the seat and the operating pushbuttons 28,29,30.
A bus system considerably simplifies the line system between the operating push buttons 28, 29, 30 and the control element 20 or rather reduces the number of respectively the control lines or cables 26, 27 considerabiy.
Another advantage--likewise of major importancis also to be seen in the fact that this provides the car manufacturer with far-reaching possibilities with regard to the design of the control device 31 and its arrangement in the vehicle.
The control element 20 receives position signals from the motor sensors 14,15,19 and control signals via data transmission lines 37,38, 39 and via the cables 26,27, respectively. Built-in relays control the operation of the servomotors 11, 12, 13. Central control or rather the control element 20 can be programmed in accordance with the individual wishes of any car manufacturer. Preferably the CMOS technique will be used, thus power consumption will be very low when the system is not operating. The circuit is protected against improper pole connection, excess voltages from secondary batteries and contains filters against the influence from the dynamo.
The motor sensors 14, 15, 19 have an infrared light barrier and slotted disks (opto-sensors). This enables the revolutions of the motors to be counted accurately. By means of this method it is possible to determine the seat position with utmost accuracy. It is thus characteristic of the seat that it is able to return into the programmed position with an accuracy of +1 mm. The energy required by the opto-sensors is supplied by the central control unit or rather by the control element 20. When the system is not operating the sensors switch off.
Each of the control switch housings, or rather each operating push button 28, 29,30, contains an integrated circuit converting the respective codes into serially encoded data for the data transmission lines. The data to be transferred are decoded by the control element 20 and thus control a movement of the seat or a programming ofthe storage positions.
It is possible to connect more than one control device 31 to the same data transmission lines or rather to the cables 26, 27. As regards the seat control system it is e.g., possible to accommodate the position adjusting functions and the storage programming functions at two different points in the vehicle.
Each control point or rather each control device 31 then will be a transmitter of serial data via the data transmission lines. In parallel therewith, separate transmitters will be connected. A predetermined encoding signal is used for the serial system for access to the data transmission lines by individual transmitters. This is particularly necessary if there is a possibility of further operative ranges of the bus system for controlling other functions in the vehicie.
Expediently, the actuating switches are supplied with power by the central control unit or by the control element 20. In serial systems it might possibly be necessary to provide a separate power supply for the switches. In this case, the number of the data transmission lines would be reduced to 2 lines, only.
The here-described type of car seat control needs but 3 or even 2 control lines or rather cables 26, 27, which do not have to switch the servomotors' operating currents which are operated by relays arranged near the motors 11,12,13, e.g. in a central control housing.
The here-described system has about 40% of the weight of the versions known hitherto. The spatial volume required for the actuating switches is reduced by about 60%.
It thus is possible to realize the ergonomically correct arrangement of the operating elements or rather of the control devices 31 without any comprising.
This system allows to be expanded without any great efforts to other components.

Claims (7)

1. A power adjustable seat, in particular for automotive vehicles, with a seat element which is horizontally and/or vertically adjustable within holding elements and with a back element the inclination of which is adjustable with respect to the seat element and with servomotors arranged below the seat element and acting on the holding elements of the seat element and/or of the back element via adjusting elements or power transmission elements, characterised by a control device (31) for the generation of switching signals by means of which the servomotors (11,12, 13) are actuable, the control device (31) being connected via cable (26, 27) with respectively the control and connection elements (20 to 25) of the servomotors (11, 12, 13), which are arranged at the vehicle seat, and a bus system being used for the transmission of control signals or rather of data between the control device (31) and/or the sensors (14, 15, 19) and the control and connection elements (20 and 21 to 25, respectively) at the seat.
2. A power adjustable seat as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the control element (20) receives position signals from the sensors (14, 15, 19) of the servomotors (11,12, 13), to this end said sensors (14,15,19) being connected for this purpose with the control element (20) via data transmission lines.
3. A power adjustable seat as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the sensors potentiometers are connected to the control element.
4. A power adjustable seat as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the sensors of the servomotors (11,12,13) are infrared light barriers co-operating with slotted disks driven by output shafts (16, 17, 18) of the servomotors and permitting the revolutions of each output shaft to be counted and thus the position of the vehicle seat to be determined.
5. A power adjustable seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control element (20) is equipped with an integrated circuit converting codes into serially encoded data for the data transmission lines.
6. A power adjustable seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that several actuation controls or control devices are connected to one data transmission line at a time.
7. A power adjustable seat as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB8710627A 1986-05-06 1987-05-05 Power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles Expired - Lifetime GB2189989B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19863615216 DE3615216A1 (en) 1986-05-06 1986-05-06 MOTOR ADJUSTABLE SEAT, IN PARTICULAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8710627D0 GB8710627D0 (en) 1987-06-10
GB2189989A true GB2189989A (en) 1987-11-11
GB2189989B GB2189989B (en) 1990-08-01

Family

ID=6300231

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8710627A Expired - Lifetime GB2189989B (en) 1986-05-06 1987-05-05 Power adjustable seat, for example for automotive vehicles

Country Status (5)

Country Link
DE (1) DE3615216A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2598359A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2189989B (en)
IT (1) IT1202621B (en)
SE (1) SE8701575L (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2384171A (en) * 2001-11-22 2003-07-23 Smartasystems Ltd Power-controlled articulated bed

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4315210C2 (en) * 1993-05-07 1997-08-21 Dewert Antriebs Systemtech Method for controlling the adjustment device of a piece of furniture by voice input
DE19952560C2 (en) * 1999-11-01 2002-03-07 Deutsch Zentr Luft & Raumfahrt Method for adjusting and / or adjusting a motor vehicle seat, parts of the motor vehicle seat and / or devices supporting the driver and device for carrying out the method
DE10246318A1 (en) * 2002-10-04 2004-04-15 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag A seat adjuster
DE102004015047A1 (en) 2004-03-26 2005-10-13 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag Adjustment method for a motor vehicle seat
DE102011120854A1 (en) * 2011-12-13 2013-06-13 Gm Global Technology Operations, Llc Locking device for use in discontinuous adjuster of seat of passenger car, has operating mechanism coupled with adjuster and comprising switching device for switching releasing or locking of adjuster, where device has actuator

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2013367A (en) * 1978-01-30 1979-08-08 Nissan Motor Apparatus for adjusting the position and/or angle of each movable equipment of a motor vehicle
GB2060844A (en) * 1979-10-17 1981-05-07 Weber K Incinerator apparatus
GB2074442A (en) * 1980-03-21 1981-11-04 Cox Ltd T I Vehicle seat slides

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DE2262558A1 (en) * 1972-12-21 1974-06-27 Bosch Gmbh Robert DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING A MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT
DE2640528C3 (en) * 1976-09-09 1981-02-05 Keiper Automobiltechnik Gmbh & Co Kg, 5630 Remscheid Adjustable vehicle seat
DE2734264A1 (en) * 1977-07-29 1979-02-08 Bosch Gmbh Robert Positioning device for motor vehicle seats - has control circuits whose actual and required values are preset by electronic counters and logic units
DE2818806A1 (en) * 1978-04-28 1979-11-15 Bosch Gmbh Robert Position adjuster for motor vehicle seat - has setting switches and logic circuits with comparator for desired and actual position values
DE2754689A1 (en) * 1977-12-06 1979-06-07 Krone Gmbh Servo-controlled seat adjustment for car - uses potentiometer-regulated servomotors and programmed settings for each occupant
DE2812306A1 (en) * 1978-03-21 1979-10-04 Audi Nsu Auto Union Ag Control for servo driven vehicle seat adjustment - has control voltage from potentiometer monitored by motor control circuit
FR2437320B2 (en) * 1978-09-27 1984-10-12 Keiper Automobiltechnik Gmbh DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING THE SITTING POSITION OF A PERSON IN A VEHICLE
JPS56138024A (en) * 1980-03-31 1981-10-28 Aisin Seiki Co Ltd Driver's seat
IT1128262B (en) * 1980-04-01 1986-05-28 Gilardini Spa DEVICE TO ADJUST THE LONGITUDINAL POSITION OF A SEAT AND THE INCLINATION OF A BACK OF THE SEAT
DE3313633A1 (en) * 1983-04-15 1984-10-25 Daimler-Benz Ag, 7000 Stuttgart SAFETY DEVICE FOR A MANUAL AND / OR PROGRAMMABLE ADJUSTMENT OF A SEAT
DE3403246A1 (en) * 1984-01-27 1985-08-01 Gebr. Isringhausen, 4920 Lemgo ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE VEHICLE SEAT

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2013367A (en) * 1978-01-30 1979-08-08 Nissan Motor Apparatus for adjusting the position and/or angle of each movable equipment of a motor vehicle
GB2060844A (en) * 1979-10-17 1981-05-07 Weber K Incinerator apparatus
GB2074442A (en) * 1980-03-21 1981-11-04 Cox Ltd T I Vehicle seat slides

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2384171A (en) * 2001-11-22 2003-07-23 Smartasystems Ltd Power-controlled articulated bed

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8710627D0 (en) 1987-06-10
DE3615216A1 (en) 1987-11-12
IT1202621B (en) 1989-02-09
SE8701575L (en) 1987-11-07
SE8701575D0 (en) 1987-04-15
FR2598359A1 (en) 1987-11-13
GB2189989B (en) 1990-08-01
IT8719567A0 (en) 1987-03-04

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19920505