JP2003072438A - Control part of electric seat device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control part of an electric seat device for a vehicle capable of reducing man-hours of assembling the electric seat device for vehicle, and effectively utilizing the space of the lower part of the electric seat device. SOLUTION: A operation switch 22 for indicating the movement of electric seat device 20 and the control unit 25 integrally mounted on the electric seat device with the switch 22 for detecting the selective operation of the operation switch 22 and outputting control signals to move the electric seat device are equipped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control part for controlling a vehicle electric seat device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric seat device 1 for vehicles such as automobiles
As shown in FIG. 5, a seat adjuster 2 fixed to a floor panel (not shown) of the vehicle body, a seat cushion 3 attached to the upper portion of the adjuster 2, and a rear end portion of the adjuster 2, It is composed of a tiltable seat back 4 and the like.

Such an electric seat device 1 generally adjusts the posture of the electric seat device in order to facilitate the driver's driving.
That is, the seat cushion 3 can be positionally adjusted in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the angle of the seat back 4 can be adjusted. Then, these positions and angles are adjusted by driving a plurality of motors attached to the seat adjuster 2 or the like instead of manually adjusting them.

The seat adjuster 2 of the electric seat device 1 includes a slide motor 2a for moving the seat cushion 3 in the vehicle front-rear direction, a front vertical motor 2b for vertically moving a front portion of the seat cushion 3, and a rear portion of the seat cushion 3. A rear vertical motor 2c for vertically moving the vehicle and a reclining motor 2d for adjusting the inclination angle of the seat back 4 are attached.
Further, inside the seat back 4 of the electric seat device 1, a lumbar support motor 4b for rotating the lumbar support bar 4a is attached. The rotational force of these motors is used to adjust the electric seat device 1 to a desired posture via a known power transmission mechanism.

It should be noted that the seat adjuster 2 is further shown in FIG.
An electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 5 may be mounted as shown in FIG. This ECU 5
It is a unit in which a position memory that stores the seat position of at least one driver and a CPU that adjusts and controls the electric seat device to a desired posture by using this memory value are mounted.

An operation switch 6 for sending a control signal to the ECU 5 is attached to a side portion of the seat adjuster 2 via a mounting bracket (not shown), and the operation switch 6, the ECU 5, and the motors 2a to 2d and 4b are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, they are electrically connected by a seat wire harness 7 arranged in the electric seat device 1. Further, an elongated plate-shaped resin shield member 8 as shown in FIG. 5 or an L-shaped resin shield member 9 as shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the lower side surface or front surface of the seat adjuster 2. The shield members 8 and 9 cover the mechanical portion of the electric seat device 1 and play a role of protecting the mechanical portion from external impact, dust, and the like.

[0007]

In assembling the above-described electric seat device 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation switch 6 is attached to the seat adjuster 2, and the seat wire harness 7 is connected from the operation switch 6 to the ECU 5 and each motor. Installation work is required. In this wiring work, the seat wire harness 7 is laid along the side portion of the seat adjuster 2 from the operation switch 6 to the front end portion of the adjuster 2, and is wired from there to the ECU 5 or each motor arranged inside the adjuster 2. Is commonly done. Therefore, when the shield member 8 is mounted thereafter, the seat wire harness 7 is
It is necessary to work with care so that the shield member 8 does not stick out, and the work of mounting the shield member 8 is troublesome.

Further, in the case of the electric seat device having the seat position memory function, the ECU 5 causes the seat adjuster 2 to operate.
Therefore, the ECU 5 occupies a part of the space formed in the adjuster 2. Therefore, for example, passengers in the rear seats of the electric seat device 1 can invade their legs into the space below the electric seat device, that is, the space formed in the seat adjuster 2 to relax or use this space as a luggage space. I can't do it.

Incidentally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-76335 is known as a conventional technique for forming a space under the electric seat device 1. This is an electronic control unit (ECU described above) that controls the drive of the seat attitude setting mechanism (Each motor described above).
Is housed inside the seat back of the electric seat device. By arranging the electronic control device in such a place, so-called space saving can be achieved, and the lower part of the electric seat device can be effectively utilized as a space.

However, in such a configuration, the operation switch 6
The distance between the ECU 5 and each motor becomes large, and the total length of the seat wire harness 7 for electrical connection between them becomes very long. In the case of the electric seat device with position memory function, one motor has five electric wires (2
Seat wire harness 7 since it is necessary to connect three power supply lines and three position sensors
The thickness of the whole becomes very thick. As a result, when the ECU 5 is housed inside the seat back, a very thick seat wire harness 7 is routed between the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4, and the seat wire harness 7 is tilted each time the seat back 4 tilts. Since the sheet is bent, if the electric seat device 1 is used for a long period of time, the electric wire may be broken or short-circuited.

When the ECU 5 and the operation switch 6 are arranged apart from each other, the ECU 5 is attached to the seat adjuster 2 as in the conventional electric seat device 1 with a seat position memory function shown in FIG. It is necessary to connect 7 to the ECU 5. or,
It is also necessary to attach the operation switch 6 to the seat adjuster 2, and it is also necessary to separately perform the harness installation work on the side portion of the adjuster 2. Therefore, extra assembly work is required. Also, the operation switch 6 and the ECU 5
Since it is necessary to connect between and with a harness,
The total length of the harness becomes long, so that it is not possible to reduce the number of wires, and there is a risk that the wire will be broken or short-circuited due to the excessive bending of the harness.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control component for a vehicle electric seat device, which reduces the number of assembling steps of the vehicle electric seat device. A further object of the present invention is to provide a control component for an electric vehicle seat device that can reduce the number of steps for assembling the electric vehicle seat device and can effectively use the space under the electric seat device.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a control part of an electric seat device for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises an operation switch for instructing movement of the electric seat device for a vehicle, and this operation switch. And a control unit that is integrally attached to the electric seat device for a vehicle, detects a selective operation of the operation switch, and outputs a control signal for moving the electric seat device for the vehicle. .

Incidentally, the operation switch comprises a knob and / or button supported by a casing and manually operated, and the control unit has the knob and / or button on a surface on which the operation switch is integrally mounted. It is configured as having a contact point that is biased by the operation of.
According to the control component having such a configuration, the harness connection between the control unit and the operation switch is not necessary, so that the man-hours for assembling work can be significantly reduced and the seat wire harness can be significantly reduced in wire. At the same time, it prevents wire breakage and short circuit due to excessive bending of the harness. Furthermore, the space under the electric seat device, which was conventionally occupied by the control unit, can be effectively utilized as a luggage space.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, a control component according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. This control component is assembled to the shield member 8 as shown in FIG. 4 and the shield member 9 as shown in FIG. 5, and outputs a control signal for controlling the movement of the electric seat device 20. The ECU (control unit) 25 is provided with an operation switch 22 that is electrically connected to one side surface of the ECU 25 and sends a control signal to the ECU 25. That is, this control component covers the mechanical portion on the side of the electric seat device 20 and is integrally assembled to, for example, the shield member 21 as shown in FIG. 1, and is an operation for instructing the movement of the electric seat device 20. The switch 22 and a control unit (ECU) 25 that detects a selective operation of the operation switch 22 and outputs a control signal for moving the electric seat device 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shield member 21 is mainly composed of a shield body 21a having a slender plate shape with a bent front end portion and a wide rear end portion. A recess 21 into which the ECU 25 and the operation switch 22 are fitted is provided at a substantially central portion of a front side surface in the drawing).
b is formed. Further, a through hole 21c for accommodating a control component is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 21b. The total length and width of the shield body 21a are the same as those of the electric seat device 20.
The size is sufficient to cover the side mechanical part and protect the mechanical part from external impacts, dust, and the like. The material of the shield body 21a is, for example, polypropylene or A
Any material such as BS resin or any other material that can be easily molded may be used.

On the back side of the shield body 21a, one end is electrically connected to the ECU 25, and the other end is embedded with a harness 23 and the like led out from the vicinity of the bent portion of the shield body 21a to the outside. There is. A connection board 23a is embedded in the bottom surface of the recess 21b of the shield body. The ECU 25 and the harness 2 are provided on the upper surface of the board 23a.
A plurality of connection terminals (pressure contact points) for electrical connection with 3
1d is provided. The ECU 2 is provided in the recess 21b.
5 is fitted so as to maintain electrical contact with the connection terminal 21d.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 25 fitted in the recess 21b of the shield body 21a has a terminal (press contact) 25a for connection with an operation switch 22 described later on one side.
And a housing having a terminal 25b for connecting to the terminal 21d of the shield body 21a on the other side, and housed in the housing and electrically connected to these connecting terminals.
The control circuit board (not shown) is configured to store at least one position of 0 and output a control signal for moving the electric seat device 20 to a predetermined position according to the selected stored value. The ECU 2 is provided near both ends of the housing in the longitudinal direction.
A through hole 25c for fixing 5 to the recess 21b is formed.

An operation switch 22 is further fitted in the recess 21b of the shield body 21a. The operation switch 22 has a housing structure, and has a seat position operation knob on one side and an electric connection terminal with the ECU 25 on the other side. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation switch 2
The seat cushion operation knob 22a, the seat back operation knob 22b, and the lumbar support adjustment knob 22c are provided on one side of 2, and a memory button 22d for storing a seat position and any of a plurality of stored seat positions. Select button 22e that selects or moves the sheet to that position
Is equipped with. Further, on the other side of the operation switch, a connection terminal (pressure contact) 22f for electrically connecting the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 is provided. Further, engaging claws 22g for attaching the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 to the shield body 21a project from both ends in the longitudinal direction on the other side of the operation switch 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the engagement claw 22g penetrates the hole of the ECU 25 and the hole 21c of the shield body 21a and engages with the inner side surface of the shield body 21a, thereby connecting the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 to the shield body 2a.
It is stored in the concave portion 21b of 1a.

The harness 23 embedded in the shield body 21a is a flat cable, and detects the position of each motor in addition to the electric wire for supplying electric power from the vehicle body to the operation switch 22 and the electric wire for supplying electric power to each motor. The electric wire for is added and these are arranged in parallel. Harness 23
Is embedded in the shield body 21a along the longitudinal direction thereof, one end of the harness 23 is connected to the connection board 23a,
The other end is led out from the vicinity of the tip of the shield member 21a, and the connector 23b is connected to the tip.
The harness 23 is covered with, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, or any other material suitable for protecting electric wires.

Next, the ECU 25 and the operation switch 2 described above
Electric seat device 20 which is a control component constituted by
The procedure for attachment to the will be described. Prior to attaching the control parts to the electric seat device 20, the electric seat device 2
Complete the assembly of 0. In assembling the electric seat device 20, as shown in FIG.
d, 4b are attached to the seat adjuster 2, and the seat wire harness 14 is routed to each motor. Next, while assembling the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4,
The shield body 21a is attached to a predetermined position on the side of the seat adjuster 2. Subsequently, the connector 23b of the harness 23 led out from the shield body 21a is connected to the seat wire harness 14. Next, the ECU 25 is fitted into the recess 21b of the shield body 21a, and the operation switch 22 is fitted into the recess 21b. At this time, the operation switch 2
The second locking claw 22g is inserted into the through hole 25c of the ECU 25 and the through hole 21c of the shield body 21a to engage with the inner surface of the shield body 21a (contact surface with the electric seat device). By this work, the ECU 25 and the operation switch 2
2 can be housed and fixed in the recess 21b of the shield body 21a at the same time. Therefore, as in the conventional electric seat device 1 with a seat position memory function shown in FIG.
It is not necessary to attach the CU 5 to the seat adjuster 2 and then connect the seat wire harness 7 to the ECU 5. Further, it is not necessary to attach the operation switch 22 to the seat adjuster 2, and it is not necessary to separately perform the harness installation work on the side portion of the adjuster 2. Therefore, the number of assembly work steps can be significantly reduced. Further, since it is not necessary to connect the operation switch 22 and the ECU 25 with a harness, it is possible to realize a great saving of wire and prevent the wire from being broken or short-circuited due to the excessive bending of the harness. Further, since the ECU 25 is housed in the shield body 21a, the seat adjuster 2, that is, the electric seat device 2
A space as a luggage space can be secured below 0.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the control parts of the electric seat device are incorporated in the shield member mounted on the right front seat is explained, but the seat provided with the electric seat device is not limited to this. Needless to say.
Further, the shape of the shield body may be substantially L-shaped as shown in FIG. By using this shield body 21u, the mechanical portion of the electric seat device 20 can be protected more reliably. Further, it is of course possible to incorporate the above-described control component in a shield member that covers only the front of the mechanical portion of the electric seat device 20.

Further, unlike the above-mentioned embodiment, the operation switch 22 is fixed to the shield body 21a by a clip type,
It may be a magnet type or a screw screw type. Further, the terminal 21d on the bottom surface of the recess 21d of the shield body 21a and the terminal 25b of the ECU 25 may be connected by a connector. Further, the operation switch 22 may be divided into a plurality of parts, and a part thereof may be embedded in the shield body 21a as in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the shield member
The seat adjuster 2 is not necessarily the same as the above-described embodiment.
Need not be attached to the seat cushion 3, but may be attached to the seat cushion 3.

[0024]

As described above, the control component according to the present invention is attached to the vehicle electric seat device integrally with the operation switch for instructing the movement of the vehicle electric seat device. And a control unit which detects a selective operation of the operation switch and outputs a control signal for moving the vehicle electric seat device.

Therefore, since the harness connection between the control unit and the operation switch is not necessary, the man-hours for assembling work can be significantly reduced, the wire-saving of the seat wire harness can be greatly reduced, and the harness can be flexibly bent. It is possible to prevent the wire from breaking or short-circuiting. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively use the space under the electric seat device occupied by the control unit as a luggage space.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shield member 21 of a vehicle electric seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1 of the shield member 21 of the vehicle electric seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an electric seat device 20 equipped with a shield member 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the shield member 21 of the vehicle electric seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a state in which a conventional shield member 8 is attached to the electric seat device 1.

FIG. 6 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a state in which a conventional shield member 9 is attached to the electric seat apparatus 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the harness 7 of the conventional electric seat device 1 is installed.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Electric seat device for vehicles 21 Shield member 21a Shield body 21b recess 22 Operation switch 25 Control Unit (ECU) 23 harness

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hirokazu Takewaki             2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Kawa Electric Industry Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B087 AA02 DB06 DE09

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation switch for instructing the movement of an electric seat device for a vehicle, and an operation switch integrally attached to the electric seat device for a vehicle, which detects the selective operation of the operation switch to detect the operation. A control component for a vehicle electric seat device, comprising a control unit that outputs a control signal for moving the vehicle electric seat device. 2. The operation switch comprises a manually operated knob and / or button, and the control unit is urged by an operation of the knob and / or button on a surface on which the operation switch is integrally mounted. The control part of the electric seat device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: