JP2006224808A - Seat controller and seat controlling method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seat controller and a seat controlling method which certainly reduce physical load applied to an occupant when a vehicle is clearing a corner. <P>SOLUTION: The seat controller includes a control means 4 which judges on the amount of a centrifugal force acting on the vehicle, and a tilt driving mechanism 3 which tilts an occupant seat 2 relative to the body of the vehicle on the basis of a judgement result given by the control means 4. The seat controller tilts the seat surface of the seat 2 against a direction in which the centrifugal force acts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat control device and a seat control method for reducing a physical load on an occupant during cornering, for example.

  In the present invention, “the amount of centrifugal force state” is synonymous with “the magnitude and direction of centrifugal force”.

  At the time of cornering in the vehicle, a physical load is applied to the vehicle occupant due to the centrifugal force. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a technique for tilting a vehicle body with respect to a wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1), a technique for controlling the operation of a side support by driving a motor according to traveling conditions, and preventing an occupant's posture collapse (for example, see Patent Document 2). Etc. have been proposed.

JP-T-2001-516673 Japanese Patent No. 2589107

  In the prior art, no measures are taken to reduce the load on the occupant's body. In the technique of Patent Document 1, since the vehicle body must be tilted, the structure of the vehicle itself is large and complicated. Therefore, the production cost is increased. In addition, when the vehicle body is tilted, the center of gravity of the vehicle is greatly changed and the center of gravity is also increased. Therefore, it is conceivable that cornering results in lack of vehicle stability and reduced turning ability. In the technique of Patent Document 2, the body is restrained, but no measures for reducing the load on the body are taken.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a seat control device and a seat control method capable of reliably reducing a physical load on an occupant in a cornering state of a vehicle.

The present invention is a seat control device for controlling a seat of a passenger of a vehicle,
Determining means for determining a state quantity of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle;
A seat control device comprising: tilting means for tilting the occupant's seat with respect to the vehicle main body based on a determination result by the determination means.

In the present invention, the determining means includes
Based on the detection result of the vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle and the detection result of the steering angle detection means for detecting the steering angle of the steering, the state amount of the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle is determined. It is characterized by that.

  The present invention is further characterized by further comprising switching means capable of switching the switching state of the tilting means.

In the present invention, the determining means includes
Determining the amount of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed and the detection result of the difference obtained by subtracting the inner ring rotation speed from the outer ring rotation speed of the vehicle. Features.

The present invention further includes a detecting means for detecting the seating of an occupant on the seat,
The tilting means is configured to be able to tilt by detecting the seating of an occupant by the detecting means.

The present invention also provides a seat control method for controlling a seat of a vehicle occupant,
A determination step of determining a vehicle status;
And a tilting step of tilting the occupant's seat with respect to the vehicle body based on the determination result of the determination step.

  According to the present invention, the determination means determines the amount of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle, and the tilting means tilts the occupant's seat with respect to the vehicle body based on the determination result. The seat can be inclined so that the seating surface of the seat approaches a vertical posture with respect to the direction in which the centrifugal force acts. Therefore, the lateral G (acceleration) received by the occupant can be reliably reduced in a cornering state where the action of centrifugal force is large. In this way, the physical load on the occupant can be reliably reduced. In addition, since the seat is tilted with respect to the vehicle body, the center of gravity of the vehicle is maintained in a substantially initial state without significantly changing the center of gravity of the vehicle as compared with the prior art (Patent Document 1) in which the vehicle body is tilted. Can do. Therefore, compared with Patent Document 1, it is possible to suppress a decrease in turning ability of the vehicle during cornering.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the vehicle is in a cornering state based on the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steering. That is, the seat can be tilted under the condition that the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a certain speed and the steering angle is equal to or greater than a certain angle.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to arbitrarily switch ON / OFF of the function of the tilting means by the operator switching the switching means.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the vehicle is in a cornering state based on the vehicle speed and the difference between the inner and outer ring rotational speeds.

  Further, according to the present invention, the tilting means tilts on the condition that the detection means detects the seating of the occupant. Only the seat on which the occupant sits can be tilted. In other words, a seat on which no occupant is seated can be prevented from tilting.

  Moreover, according to this invention, the state quantity of the centrifugal force which acts on a vehicle is determined, and a passenger | crew's seat is inclined with respect to the said vehicle main body based on the determination result in an inclination process. The seat can be inclined so that the seating surface of the seat approaches a vertical posture with respect to the direction in which the centrifugal force acts. Therefore, the lateral G received by the occupant can be reliably reduced in the cornering state where the action of the centrifugal force is large. In this way, the physical load on the occupant can be reliably reduced. In this way, the seat control method can be realized.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding forms in each form are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is described, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those described above. In addition to the combination of parts specifically described in each embodiment, the embodiments may be partially combined as long as the combination is not particularly troublesome. The seat control device according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. This seat control device is a device for reducing the physical load on the vehicle occupant. The following description also includes a description of the seat control method.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a seat control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the tilt drive mechanism 3 of the seat 2. The seat control device 1 mainly includes an inclination drive mechanism 3 as an inclination means, a control means 4 as a determination means, and sensors. The tilt drive mechanism 3 is provided in the seat portion 2 a of the seat 2. The seat 2 is a passenger seat or a rear seat excluding the driver seat. The tilt drive mechanism 3 to be provided in the rear seat may be provided in a plurality of seats that are continuous in the vehicle width direction, that is, the entire rear seat, and the entire rear seat may be driven to tilt. Inclination driving may be performed in units of sheets.

  The tilt drive mechanism 3 includes a height adjustment pump 5 for right cornering, a height adjustment support 6 fixed to a seat rail of the vehicle, and a height adjustment support 6 for right cornering, and a longitudinal direction of the seat 2a. The height adjustment dampers 7 and 8 for right cornering are provided at one end and the other end of the height adjustment support 6 extending along the vertical axis. Further, the tilt drive mechanism 3 includes a height adjusting pump 9 for left cornering, a height adjusting support 10 fixed to the seat rail of the vehicle, and a height adjusting support 10 for left cornering, and front and rear of the seat 2a. The height adjustment dampers 11 and 12 for the left cornering are provided at one end and the other end of the height adjustment support 10 extending along the direction. A wire 13 is installed on the shaft of each pump motor 5 (9), extending to one side (forward) in the radial direction and connected to the height adjustment damper 7 (11) at one end. Further, a wire 14 is installed on the shaft of each of the pump motors 5 (9) so as to extend to the other radially outward (rearward) and to be connected to the height adjusting damper 8 (12) at the other end.

  The control means 4 includes a microcomputer 15 including a central processing unit (abbreviated as CPU: Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (RAM: Random Access Memory), a motor drive circuit 16 and a power supply circuit. 17 is included. The microcomputer 15 is electrically connected to the motor drive circuit 16, the power supply circuit 17, and a function ON / OFF changeover switch 18 (referred to as a changeover switch 18) that is a switching means. The changeover switch 18 is configured so that an operator, that is, an occupant can switch the switching state of the tilt drive mechanism 3. Further, the microcomputer 15 is electrically connected to the height adjusting dampers 7, 8, 11, and 12 for left and right cornering. The motor drive circuit 16 is electrically connected to the height adjusting pumps 5 and 9 for left and right cornering, respectively. The sensors include a steering angle detection sensor 19 as a steering angle detection means for detecting the steering angle of the steering, a vehicle speed detection sensor 20 as a vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle, and a detection means for detecting the weight of the occupant. The weight detection sensor 21 is included. The weight detection sensor is provided on the seat 2a. These sensors 19, 20, and 21 are electrically connected to the microcomputer 15.

  When the vehicle travels in a straight line, the tilt drive mechanism 3 does not operate, and is configured to operate under certain conditions during cornering. When the microcomputer 15 receives signals from the vehicle speed sensor 20 and the rudder angle detection sensor 19 and determines that the vehicle is in the right cornering state, for example, the microcomputer 15 sends the height adjustment pump 5 for right cornering via the motor drive circuit 16. A command signal is output. Then, the height adjusting pump 5 for the right cornering rotates this motor to drive the height adjusting dampers 7 and 8 for the right cornering to the ascending side. At the same time, the microcomputer 15 outputs a command signal to the height adjusting pump 9 for left cornering via the motor drive circuit 16. Then, the height adjusting pump 9 for the left cornering rotates this motor to drive the height adjusting dampers 11 and 12 for the left cornering downward. In this way, the seat 2 can be tilted around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the seat tilt process 1. The control subject of the seat tilt process 1 is the CPU unless otherwise specified. For example, this processing starts under the condition that the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. However, it is not limited only to this starting condition. After the start of this process, it is determined in step a1 whether or not the changeover switch 18 is ON. If it is OFF, this process ends. If it is ON, the process proceeds to step a2. In step a2, it is determined using the vehicle speed sensor 20 whether the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1 (for example, V1 is 30 km / h). V1 is not necessarily limited to 30 km / h.

  When it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1, the process proceeds to step a3, where it is determined whether the steering angle is α (α is, for example, 5 degrees) or more using the steering angle sensor 19. If the vehicle speed is less than V1, the process returns to step a2. α is not necessarily limited to 5 degrees. If it is equal to or larger than α, the process proceeds to step a4, and the tilting drive of the seat 2 is executed as described above in accordance with the cornering direction, that is, the left and right cornering, and then the present process is terminated. If less than α, the process returns to step a2. A process when the seat 2 returns to the original state (horizontal state) with respect to the vehicle main body will be described. After the inclination process is once performed, the process returns to the step of the discriminating means, and when the condition of the inclination is not satisfied, the original (horizontal state) is restored.

  In the present embodiment, steps a2 and a3 (estimating state quantities such as the magnitude and direction of centrifugal force from the vehicle speed and the steering angle) that are inclined based on the vehicle speed and the steering angle correspond to “determination means”. “Determining” in the present invention is synonymous with determining that the load on the occupant is large when the estimated centrifugal force exceeds a predetermined level. The “tilting means” in the present invention is synonymous with a command step for tilting based on the determination result. How the seat is tilted is determined as follows. The direction of the centrifugal force determined by the determining means is tilted in such a direction as to hit the seat surface of the seat. The direction and magnitude of the centrifugal force are estimated by the judging means based on the steering angle and the vehicle speed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the seat tilt process 2. The control subject of the seat inclination process 2 is also the CPU unless otherwise specified. However, the seat control device 1 has a configuration in which the changeover switch 18 is omitted. For example, this processing starts under the condition that the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. However, it is not limited only to this starting condition. After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step b1, and it is determined using the vehicle speed sensor 20 whether the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1. When it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1, the process proceeds to step b2, and it is determined using the steering angle sensor 19 whether the steering angle is equal to or higher than α. If the vehicle speed is less than V1, the process returns to step b1. If it is equal to or larger than α, the process proceeds to step b3, and the tilting drive of the seat 2 is executed as described above according to the direction of cornering, that is, the left and right cornering, and then this process is terminated. If it is less than α, the process returns to step b1.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the seat tilt process 3. The control subject of the seat inclination process 3 is also a CPU unless otherwise specified. However, the seat control device has a configuration in which the changeover switch is omitted. For example, this processing starts under the condition that the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. However, it is not limited only to this starting condition. After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step c1, and it is determined using the vehicle speed sensor 20 whether the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1. If it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V1, the process proceeds to step c2, and whether or not the difference obtained by subtracting the inner ring speed from the outer ring speed is greater than or equal to δ based on a detection signal from a differential device (not shown) of the vehicle. Is determined. Here, at the time of right cornering, the outer ring is synonymous with the left wheel and the inner ring is synonymous with the right wheel. During left cornering, the outer ring is synonymous with the right wheel and the inner ring is synonymous with the left wheel. The outer ring and inner ring rotational speeds can be detected by a detection mechanism including, for example, an LED and a photodiode. Specifically, the number of rotations can be obtained by detecting light emitted from the LED through a slit formed in a wheel (not shown) and detected by the photodiode. It is not necessarily limited to such a detection mechanism.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, for example, when the vehicle 22 attempts to corner on the right side, the centrifugal force F tends to act on the left side. Conventionally, the force tries to move the occupant in the same size regardless of the seat 2, so that if the occupant tries to regain his / her posture, only the force of the centrifugal force F is required and a load is applied. On the other hand, in this case, as shown in FIG. 6B, the seat 2 is tilted against the centrifugal force, so that a part of the centrifugal force can be absorbed by the seat surface, and thus the centrifugal force on the occupant Will become weaker and it will be easier to regain the occupant's posture.

  According to the seat control device 1 described above, the control means 4 determines the magnitude of the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle, and based on the determination result, the tilt drive mechanism 3 moves the occupant's seat 2 to the vehicle body. Tilt. The seat 2 can be tilted so that the seat surface of the seat 2 slightly approaches a vertical posture with respect to the direction in which the centrifugal force acts. Therefore, the lateral G (acceleration) received by the occupant can be reliably reduced in a cornering state where the action of centrifugal force is large. In this way, the physical load on the occupant can be reliably reduced. Moreover, since the seat 2 is tilted with respect to the vehicle body, the center of gravity of the vehicle is maintained in a substantially initial state without significantly changing the center of gravity of the vehicle as compared with the prior art (Patent Document 1) in which the vehicle body is tilted. be able to. Therefore, compared with Patent Document 1, it is possible to suppress a decrease in turning ability of the vehicle during cornering.

  The tilt drive mechanism 3 tilts under the condition that the weight detection sensor 21 detects the weight of the occupant. Only the seat 2 on which the occupant sits can be tilted. In other words, the seat 2 on which no occupant is seated can be prevented from tilting. Further, according to the present seat control device 1, the passenger seat or the rear seat excluding the driver seat in the vehicle can be tilted. The physical load on the passenger in the passenger seat or the rear seat can be surely reduced, and the driver's steering operation, pedal operation, and the like can be prevented from being affected.

  As another embodiment of the present invention, the control means which is a determination means may determine only the presence or absence of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle. In this case, the number of steps of the seat tilt process can be reduced, and the seat tilt can be performed quickly. You may make it determine the presence or absence of the centrifugal force which a vehicle works based on winker operation etc. Based on the map information of the navigation system or the like, the presence or the magnitude of the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle may be determined. In addition, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

It is a block diagram of seat control device 1 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows schematically the inclination drive mechanism 3 of the seat. It is a flowchart which shows the seat inclination process 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the seat inclination process 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the seat inclination process 3. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat control apparatus 2 Seat 3 Inclination drive mechanism 4 Control means 15 Microcomputer 19 Rudder angle detection sensor 20 Vehicle speed detection sensor 21 Weight detection sensor

Claims (6)

A seat control device for controlling a seat of a vehicle occupant,
Determining means for determining a state quantity of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle;
A seat control device comprising: an inclination means for inclining the occupant's seat with respect to the vehicle body based on a determination result by the determination means. The determination means includes
Based on the detection result of the vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle and the detection result of the steering angle detection means for detecting the steering angle of the steering, the state amount of the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle is determined. The seat control device according to claim 1.   The seat control device according to claim 2, further comprising switching means capable of switching a switching state of the tilting means. The determination means includes
Determining the amount of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed and the detection result of the difference obtained by subtracting the inner ring rotation speed from the outer ring rotation speed of the vehicle. The seat control device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein And further comprising detection means for detecting the seating of the passenger on the seat,
The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein the tilting unit is configured to be able to tilt by detecting the seating of an occupant by the detecting unit. A seat control method for controlling a seat of a passenger of a vehicle,
A determination step of determining a vehicle status;
And a tilting step of tilting the occupant's seat with respect to the vehicle body based on the determination result of the determination step.

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