GB2511206A

GB2511206A - Vehicle seat and method for operating a vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2511206A
Application number: GB201401596A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sriram Chandramouli; Dayananda Gowda; Parthiv Shah
Original assignee: Daimler AG
Current assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority date: 2014-01-30
Filing date: 2014-01-30
Publication date: 2014-08-27
Also published as: GB201401596D0

Abstract

A vehicle seat 14 comprises a seat base 20 for supporting a seat occupant 38. A gap closing device 28 operates to at least partially close a gap 22 between the seat base 20 and a component 18 of the vehicle located adjacent to the seat base 20. The gap closing device 28 comprises a mobile part 36 which moves into a gap closing position when the vehicle seat 14 is occupied by the seat occupant 38.

Description

Vehicle Seal and Method for Operating a Vehicle Seat The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seal base which is configured to support a seat occupant. The vehicle seat further comprises a gap closing device configured to at least partially close a gap between the seat base and a component of the vehicle which is located adjacent to lhe seat base. The invention further relates to a method for operating a vehicle seat.

In vehicles such as automobiles there exists a gap between a vehicle seal and components located adjacent to a seat base of the vehicle seat, for example between the vehicle seat and a centre console. Small objects such as pens, coins, mobile phones and the like may therefore fall into this gap. This can occur in particular when a seat occupant is sitting on the seat base of the vehicle seal. It is rather laborious and annoying 10 retrieve objects from the gap between the seal base and (for example) lhe centre console. Further a driver may be distracted when he is trying to retrieve the objects while driving.

To address this problem document US 8454 085 Bi proposes a seal with a seat base having integral or detachable upwardly extending walls that shall prevent items from falling into the gap between the seat and the centre console of the vehicle.

Other documents such as US 2011/0266820 Al or US 2009/0224563 Al propose a gap closing device which may be inserted in the gap between the seat base and the centre console.

These solutions either require an operator to arrange the gap closing device in its appropriate location, or they decrease the convenience when utilizing the vehicle seat.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat and a method of the initially mentioned kind which is particularly simple in operation.

This object is solved by a vehicle seat having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 9. Advantageous configurations with convenient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

According to the invention the gap closing device comprises a mobile part which can be moved into a gap closing position in dependence on the occupation of the vehicle seat by the seat occupant. Thus a size of the gap is reduced, in particular by completely closing the gap, whenever the vehicle seat is in fact occupied by the seat occupant. This renders the operation of the gap closing device particularly simple and reliable.

In an advantageous embodiment the mobile part is hinged to an upper edge portion of the seat base. Thus the upper edge portion of the seat base constitutes a pivot location for the mobile part with a single degree of freedom. The link mechanism in such a kinematic pair provides for a particularly smooth operation of the gap closing device.

It has further proven advantageous if the gap closing device comprises a lever element which is configured to move the mobile part into the gap closing position due to the force exerted by the seat occupant seated on the seat base. In such a configuration the lever element is moved downward or pulled by the occupant sitting on the seat base. This results in lifting the mobile part or free end of the gap closing device. This upward movement of the mobile part closes the gap between the seat base and the component of the vehicle which can in particular be the centre console.

It is particularly convenient if the mobile part touches the centre console or such a component located adjacent the seat base when the mobile part is in the gap closing position. With such a configuration even very small items such as coins are efficiently prevented from falling into the gap between the seat base and the component.

To accommodate the mobile part in its storage position the seat base may have a slot or a recess or the like.

Additionally or alternatively the gap closing device can comprise a spring element configured to move the mobile part in the gap closing position. The spring element can be released by the seat occupant sitting down on the seat base.

Still further the gap closing device may comprise a pneumatic device configured to move the mobile part into the gap closing position. Herein the pneumatic device is actuated as the seat occupant sits down on the seat base. For example, air filled pockets such as the pockets used for supporting the lumbar region of the seat occupant may be actuated when the occupant sits down. The activation can be achieved by a switch located in the seat. In particular the switch can trigger the inflation of at least one pocket, which in turn causes the mobile part to move into the gap closing position.

In another embodiment the gap closing device can comprise an actuator which is controlled by an electronic device. The actuator is configured to move the mobile part into the gap closing position upon a signal provided to the electronic device by an occupant classification system of the vehicle. Such an occupant classification system may classify the occupant type into a driver or a child or determine whether an object on the vehicle seat is a child seat or another object such as a heavy bag or the like.

Such a configuration is particularly useful if the vehicle already utilizes the signal of the occupant classification system, for example for the activation or deactivation of an airbag or the like. Than the signal provided by the occupant classification system may be further utilized to move the mobile part into the gap closing position when the seat is occupied and back to a storage position if no occupant is present on the vehicle seat.

At least the mobile part of the gap closing device can be composed of a rigid plastic material. Such a rigid plastic material allows for cheap manufacturing and a reliable performance of the gap closing device.

Finally it has proven advantageous if a contour line of the mobile part corresponds to a contour lire of the seat base. Thus a variation of the gap size due to the conture line of the seat base may be compensated for. The mobile part can also comprise an opening configured to accommodate a seat belt buckle.

In the method for operating a vehicle seat according to the invention the vehicle seat comprises a seat base configured to support a seat occupant. A gap between the seat base and a component of the vehicle, which is located adjacent to the seat base is at least partially closed by a gap closing device. Herein a mobile part of the gap closing device is moved into a gap closing position in dependence on the occupation of the vehicle seat by the seat occupant.

The advantages and preferred embodiments described with respect to the vehicle seat correspondingly apply to the method for operating a vehicle seat.

The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, implementations not explicitly shown in the figures or explained, but which result and can be generated by separated feature combinations of the explained implementations are also to be considered encompassed and disclosed by the invention.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are apparent form the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments as well as based on the drawings.

Therein show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a cabin of a vehicle wherein the location of a gap between a vehicle seat and a centre console is marked; Fig. 2 a section view of a vehicle seat and the centre console adjacent to the vehicle seat in a situation where the vehicle seat is not occupied by a seat occupant; Fig. 3 a sectional view according to Fig. 1, wherein the vehicle seat is provided with a gap closing device comprising a mobile part hinged to an upper edge portion of a seat base of the vehicle seat; Fig. 4 a situation in which a seat occupant takes place on the vehicle seat thus increasing the size of the gap between the centre console and the edge portion of the seat base; and Fig. 5 the gap being closed by a mobile plastic part of the gap closing device.

Fig. 1 shows the interior or cabin 10 of a vehicle 12. Two vehicle seats 14, 16 in the form of a drivers seat and a passengers seat are partially shown. A centre console 18 is located between the two vehicle seats 14, 16. Between a seat base 20 of each vehicle seat 14, 16 and the centre console 18 there is a gap 22. In Fig. 1 a line 24 illustrates a region in which the gap 22 between the seat base 20 of the drivers seat and the centre console 18 is located.

Fig. 2 shows a situation in which there is no seat occupant on the vehicle seat 14 adjacent to the centre console 18. Accordingly, the gap 22 between an edge portion 26 of the seat base 20 and the centre console 18 is present, and objects such as pens, coins, mobile phones etcetera may fall into the gap 22.

According to Fig. 3 the vehicle seat 14 is equipped with a gap closing device 28. The gap closing device 28 comprises a first part 30 which extends from a corner stitch 32 at the base of the edge portion 26 to a hinge 34. The first part 30 is thus integrated within the seat base 20. The gap closing device 28 further comprises a mobile part 36, which may rotate or pivot about the hinge 34. This rotating mobile part 36 is located outside the seat base 20. The mobile part 36 can be moved into a position, in which its free end touches the centre console 18 and thus closes the gap 22.

To accomplish this, the gap closing device 28 can be of a wedge shape which rotates about the hinge 34. The corresponding movement of the mobile part 36 is effected by a seat occupant 38 taking place on the seat base 20. This mechanism will be explained with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 shows how the size of the gap 22 between the centre console 18 and the seat base 20 increases as the seat occupant 38 sits down on the seat base 20. This is due to the fact that the edge portion 26 moves away from the centre console 18 due to the weight of the seat occupant 38.

Due to the gap closing device 28 there is a link mechanism with a single degree of freedom at the pivot location which is provided by the hinge 34. By the seat occupant 38 sitting down on the seat base 20 the first part 32 moves downward or is rotated about a pivot axis which coincides with the hinge 34. This first part 32 thus acts like a lover element of the gap closing device 28. The first part 32 being pulled down causes the mobile part 36 to pivot about the hinge 34. The mobile part 36 is thus moved or lifted into a gap closing position, in which it closes the gap 22 between the centre console 18 and the edge portion 26 of the seat base 20.

Thus, the wedge mechanism allows the hinged part, which is made of a hard or rigid plastic material to be lifted when someone sits on the vehicle seat 14, 16. As the free end of the mobile part 36 touches the centre console 18, the gap 22 is closed and no objects can fall into the gap 22. As in this position the mobile part 36 covers the gap 22, a size of the formerly existing gap 22 between the seat base 20 and the centre console 18 is reduced to zero.

The mobile part 36 extends all the way back from a front corner of the seat base 20 to the side on which the backrest of the vehicle seat 14, 16 is located. Herein the contour of the mobile part 36 follows the contour of the seat base 20. Furthermore the mobile part 36 preferably has a hole were the seat belt buckle is located.

As the gap 22 between the centre console 18 and the vehicle seat 14, 16 is closed automatically when the seat occupant 38 sits down on the vehicle seat 14, 16, the accessability to small objects which may otherwise fall into the gap 22 is assured.

List of reference signs cabin 12 vehicle 14 vehicle seat 16 vehicle seat 18 centerconsole seat base 22 gap 24 line 26 edge portion 28 gap closing device first part 32 corner stitch 34 hinge 36 mobile part 36 seat occupant

Claims

Claims Vehicle seat (14) comprising a seat base (20) configured to support a seat occupant (38), and a gap closing device (28) configured to at least partially close a gap (22) between the seat base (20) and a component (18) of the vehicle (12), which is located adjacent to the seat base (20), characterized in that the gap closing device (28) comprises a mobile part (36) which is movable into a gap closing position in dependence on the occupation of the vehicle seat (14, 16) by the seat occupant (38).
2. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the mobile part (36)is hinged to an upper edge portion (26) of the seat base (20).
3. Vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gap closing device (28) comprises a lever element (30) configured to move the mobile part (36) into the gap closing position due to the force exerted by the seat occupant (38) seated on the seat base (20).
4. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gap closing device (28) comprises a spring element configured to move the mobile part (36) into the gap closing position, wherein the spring element is releasable by the seat occupant (38) sitting down on the seat base (20).
5. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gap closing device (28) comprises a pneumatic device configured to move the mobile part (36) into the gap closing position, wherein the pneumatic device is activated by the seat occupant (38) sitting down on the seat base (20).
6. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the gap closing device (28) comprises an actuator controlled by an electronic device and configured to move the mobile part (36) into the gap closing position upon a signal provided to the electronic device by an occupant classification system of the vehicle.
7. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least the mobile part (36) of the gap closing device (28) is composed of a rigid plastic material.
8. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a contour line of the mobile part (36) corresponds to a contour line of the seat base (20), wherein the mobile part (36) comprises an opening configured to accommodate a seat belt buckle.
9. Method for operating a vehicle seat (14, 16) comprising a seat base (20) configured to support a seat occupant (38), wherein a gap (22) between the seat base (20) and a component (18) of the vehicle, which is located adjacent to the seat base (20) is at least partially closed by a gap closing device (28), characterized in that a mobile part (36) of the gap closing device (28) is moved into a gap closing position in dependence on the occupation of the vehicle seat (14. 16) by the seat occupant (38).