JP2010105539A - Apparatus and method for adjusting headrest position - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically adjust the position of a headrest without affecting occupant's operation of a vehicle as much as possible with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: An apparatus for adjusting a headrest position is provided with: a detection electrode 1 and a detection circuit 2 built in a headrest 13 fitted to a seat 10; an arithmetic circuit 5; a headrest drive motor 3; and a motor control circuit 4. The arithmetic circuit 5 calculates a distance between the head 22 of an occupant 21 and the headrest 13 based on an electrostatic capacity from the detection circuit 2. The motor control circuit 4 controls the headrest drive motor 3 according to the calculation result and adjusts the position of the headrest 13. The arithmetic circuit 5, when a vehicle signal from a vehicle signal output circuit 6 is a particular signal, outputs the calculation result for stopping movement of the head rest 13 or moving the position of the headrest 13 to an origin return position, to the motor control circuit 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a headrest position adjustment device and a headrest position adjustment method for adjusting the position of a headrest for a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to automatically adjusting the position of the headrest without affecting the operation of the vehicle by an occupant as much as possible. The present invention relates to a headrest position adjusting device and a headrest position adjusting method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a headrest control system disclosed in Patent Document 1 described below is known as an apparatus that adjusts the position of a headrest to an appropriate position without causing discomfort to vehicle occupants. This headrest control system has a hybrid sensor arranged on the head contact surface of the headrest body.

  This hybrid sensor includes a contact sensor that detects that the head is in contact and a capacitance sensor that detects that the head is in proximity to the head. The headrest drive motor drives the headrest body in a direction approaching or separating from the head, and the headrest control circuit is configured so that the headrest body is positioned with respect to the head via a predetermined gap based on the output of the hybrid sensor. Drives the headrest drive motor.

JP 2006-218083 A

  However, in the headrest control system disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, for example, the driving operation may be affected in the following cases. That is, since the headrest body is controlled so as to be positioned with a predetermined gap from the head, for example, (1) Even when the occupant turns his / her face to the left or right during a right / left turn operation, There is a problem that it is difficult to drive because it approaches the face.

  In addition, (2) there is also a problem that the headrest may collide with the head when returning to the back after putting the face forward for operation when operating the instrument panel. In addition, (3) even if the vehicle is turned around when the vehicle is turned back, it is difficult to drive if the headrest is close. (4) When the passenger opens or closes when the door is opened or closed. There is also a problem that it is uncomfortable if the headrest operates when there is no head.

  Further, since the hybrid sensor includes a contact sensor and a capacitive sensor, there is a problem that the structure of the sensor is complicated and the cost is increased.

  In order to eliminate the above-described problems caused by the prior art, the present invention provides a headrest position adjusting device capable of automatically adjusting the position of a headrest with a simple configuration and without particularly affecting the operation of a vehicle by an occupant as much as possible. An object of the present invention is to provide a headrest position adjustment method.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a headrest position adjusting device according to the present invention is provided in a headrest provided in a seat of a vehicle, and electrostatic between a head of a human body to be seated and the headrest. Output at least one detection electrode for detecting the capacitance, a detection circuit for detecting a capacitance value based on the capacitance from the detection electrode, and a vehicle signal relating to at least one of the operation of the vehicle and the state of the seat And a vehicle signal output means for inputting the vehicle signal output from the vehicle signal output means, and calculating a distance between the head and the headrest based on a capacitance value detected by the detection circuit And a position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the headrest by moving the headrest to an appropriate position in accordance with a calculation result, the position adjusting means is configured to output the vehicle signal. When the vehicle signal output from the stage is a specific signal indicating a specific state, and moving the stop or the position of the headrest movement of the headrest to homing position.

  Further, the headrest position adjusting method according to the present invention includes a capacitance value based on a capacitance from at least one detection electrode provided on a headrest provided on a vehicle seat, and a vehicle operation and a seat state. A headrest position adjustment method for adjusting the position of the headrest by moving the headrest to an appropriate position based on at least one vehicle signal, the head of a human body seated on the seat based on the capacitance value, A calculation step of calculating a distance between the headrest, a determination step of determining whether the vehicle signal is a specific signal indicating a specific state based on the vehicle signal, and a calculation result of the calculation step; And a control step for controlling the movement of the headrest according to the determination result of the determination step, and in the control step, the determination result of the determination step To indicate that a particular signal, and performs control to move the stop or the position of the headrest movement of the headrest to homing position.

  The specific signal may be, for example, an instruction operation signal related to turning left or right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an instruction operation signal related to the brake of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, It is any one of a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, an operation signal related to opening and closing of the door of the vehicle, and a signal related to whether a human body is seated on the seat.

  For example, the position adjusting means may be configured such that the specific signal is an operation instruction signal related to turning left or right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an operation instruction signal related to the brake of the vehicle, or a reverse instruction to the gear handle of the vehicle. When it is one of the operation signal and the parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, the movement of the headrest is stopped.

  Further, the position adjusting means may be configured such that, for example, the specific signal is an operation instruction signal related to braking of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a door of the vehicle When the operation signal relating to the opening / closing of the vehicle and the signal relating to the presence / absence of seating of the human body on the seat are any one of the signals indicating no seating, the position of the headrest is moved to the home position.

  The detection electrode and the detection circuit are formed on the same substrate, for example. Moreover, the said board | substrate is any one of a flexible printed circuit board, a membrane circuit, and a rigid printed circuit board, for example.

  In the control step, for example, the specific signal is an instruction operation signal related to turning left or right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an operation instruction signal related to the brake of the vehicle, or a reverse instruction operation to the gear handle of the vehicle. When the signal is one of the signal and the parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, control for stopping the movement of the headrest is performed.

  Further, in the control step, for example, the specific signal is an operation instruction signal related to the brake of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, and a door door of the vehicle. When the operation signal related to opening and closing and the signal related to whether or not the human body is seated on the seat are signals indicating no seating, control is performed to move the position of the headrest to the home position.

  According to the headrest position adjustment device and the headrest position adjustment method according to the present invention, the position of the headrest can be automatically adjusted with a simple configuration and particularly without affecting the operation of the vehicle by the occupant as much as possible.

  Exemplary embodiments of a headrest position adjusting device and a headrest position adjusting method according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle seat to which a headrest position adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the headrest position adjusting device. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the position adjustment process sequence by the headrest position adjustment method which concerns on one Embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 10 is a seat mounted on a vehicle (not shown), and a seating portion 11 on which the occupant 21 sits, and stands from the back side of the seating portion 11 and supports the backside of the occupant 21. The backrest portion 12 and a headrest 13 provided on the upper end side of the backrest portion 12 are configured.

  Further, for example, a headrest drive motor 3 for moving the headrest 13 is built in the upper end portion of the backrest portion 12, and the headrest 13 approaches the head 22 of the passenger 21 by the headrest drive motor 3. (In the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 1 (a)) or driven away. Although not shown, the headrest 13 is driven by the headrest drive motor 3 so as to be movable in the vertical direction so as to follow the vertical movement of the head 22 of the passenger 21 in addition to the approach or separation. May be.

  The headrest 13 is mounted on a headrest body 14 made of a cushion material such as urethane that receives the head 22 of the occupant 21 by a head contact surface (front surface) 14a and the head contact surface 14a side of the headrest body 14. In addition to the output from the detection electrode 1 and the detection circuit 2 and the detection circuit 2, the vehicle signal from the vehicle signal output circuit 6 as shown in FIG. An arithmetic circuit 5 that determines the content of the vehicle signal and calculates the distance between the head 22 and the headrest 13 is provided.

  Information on the calculation result from the calculation circuit 5 is output to, for example, a motor control circuit built in the backrest unit 12, and the motor control circuit 4 controls the operation of the headrest drive motor 3 based on the input information on the calculation result. To do. In this example, the arithmetic circuit 5, the motor control circuit 4, and the headrest drive motor 3 constitute a position adjusting means that moves and adjusts the position of the headrest 13 to an appropriate position.

  The detection electrode 1 and the detection circuit 2 are respectively formed on the same surface or different surfaces on the same substrate (not shown) such as a flexible printed circuit board, a membrane circuit, and a rigid printed circuit board. When the substrate is made of a flexible printed circuit board, the detection electrode 1 is formed on a substrate made of an insulating member such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI) or glass epoxy resin. It is made of a conductive material such as copper, copper alloy, or aluminum that is patterned, and at least one is provided on the headrest 13.

  In this example, the arithmetic circuit 5 is configured separately from the detection electrode 1 and the detection circuit 2. However, the arithmetic circuit 5 is also provided on the same substrate as the detection electrode 1 and the detection circuit 2. The motor control circuit 4 may also be built in the headrest 13 and provided on the same substrate.

  In the headrest position adjusting device configured as described above, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the capacitance between the head 22 of the passenger 21 and the headrest 13 is detected by the detection electrode 1 built in the headrest 13. Is done. A signal indicating the capacitance detected by the detection electrode 1 is input to the detection circuit 2, converted into a voltage value by the detection circuit 2, and output as a capacitance value.

  The arithmetic circuit 5 calculates the distance between the head 22 and the headrest 13 based on the capacitance value output from the detection circuit 2, for example, so that the distance between the head 22 and the headrest 13 is constant. (That is, the capacitance value between the head 22 and the headrest 13 becomes a constant value) is output to the motor control circuit 4. The motor control circuit 4 outputs a control signal for controlling the driving of the headrest drive motor 3 to the headrest drive motor 3 according to the calculation result.

  The arithmetic circuit 5 inputs the vehicle signal output from the vehicle signal output circuit 6 to determine the content of the vehicle signal, and when the vehicle signal is a specific signal indicating a specific state, the headrest 13 is moved. Is output to the motor control circuit 4 in order to stop or move the position of the headrest 13 to the home position.

  In this example, the detection circuit 2 includes a CV conversion circuit (capacitance-voltage conversion circuit) and an A / D conversion circuit, and the arithmetic circuit 5 and the motor control circuit 4 include a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like. It is composed of The vehicle signal output circuit 6 is composed of an ECU (electronic control unit), and outputs a vehicle signal relating to the operation of the vehicle and the state of the seat 10 to the arithmetic circuit 5.

  The vehicle signal specifically includes various signals related to the vehicle (signals related to the operation of the vehicle, signals related to the behavior of the vehicle, signals related to the state of the vehicle, etc.). In the arithmetic circuit 5, the vehicle signal is the specific signal. It is determined whether or not. Here, the specific signal refers to the following signal, for example.

  That is, the specific signal includes, for example, an instruction operation signal (a blinker operation signal) related to turning left and right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an instruction operation signal related to the vehicle brake, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, Similarly, it is one of the case where the parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle, the operation signal related to the opening / closing of the vehicle door, and the signal related to the presence / absence of seating of the human body on the seat 10 are signals indicating no seating.

  Each operation signal is detected by, for example, a detection sensor (such as a mechanical switch sensor or a contact sensor) provided on a winker, an instrument panel, a gear handle, and a door to obtain a vehicle signal output circuit 6 and relates to the presence or absence of seating. The signal is detected by, for example, a pressure sensor built in the seating portion 11 of the seat 10 or an infrared sensor whose directivity is set toward the seat 10 to obtain the vehicle signal output circuit 6.

  These specific signals are signals that represent a situation that affects the operation of the vehicle by the occupant 21 particularly when the headrest 13 is adjusted in position. The arithmetic circuit 5 uses the specific signal as a signal for the vehicle signal. In the case shown, a calculation result for stopping the movement of the headrest 13 and a calculation result for moving the position of the headrest 13 to the origin return position are output to the motor control circuit 4. Here, the origin return position refers to, for example, an initial setting position of the headrest 13, a factory shipment position, or a position before starting operation.

  As a result, the headrest position adjusting device can adjust the position of the headrest 13 so that the headrest 13 is in an appropriate position with respect to the head 22 during normal operation, and stops the movement of the headrest 13 when a specific signal is received. Therefore, the position of the headrest 13 can be automatically adjusted without affecting the operation of the vehicle as much as possible.

  Specifically, the headrest position adjusting device can apply the brake even when, for example, the passenger 21 operates the turn signal and moves the head 22 while turning his / her face left and right when performing a right / left turn operation. Even when the head 22 moves forward by stepping, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the headrest 13 approaches the face (head 22) and it is difficult to drive and is dangerous.

  In addition, the headrest position adjusting device can be used when, for example, the passenger 21 puts the face (head 22) forward for operation when operating the instrument panel, and then returns the face (head 22) to the back. The situation where 13 collides with the head 22 can be avoided. Furthermore, the headrest position adjustment device, for example, when the passenger 21 turns the face (head 22) backward when the vehicle is turned back, when the head 22 is returned backward when parked. Even so, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the headrest 13 is close and it becomes difficult to drive.

  Further, the headrest position adjusting device operates the headrest 13 when, for example, the passenger 21 enters or exits when the door is opened or closed, when the passenger 21 is not in the seat 10, or when parking as described above. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which wasteful power is consumed and it may become uncomfortable.

  And this headrest position adjustment apparatus can perform position adjustment by obtaining the electrostatic capacitance value from the electrostatic capacitance type sensor which has the detection electrode 1 while the vehicle signal output circuit 6 consists of existing ECU etc. Therefore, it is possible to automatically adjust the position adjustment of the headrest 13 without affecting the operation of the vehicle as much as possible while keeping the structure simple and reducing the cost.

  The position adjustment process when the headrest position adjustment method according to the present invention is executed by the headrest position adjustment apparatus configured as described above is performed as follows, for example. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, first, the headrest position adjusting device waits until the process is started after the ignition switch of the vehicle becomes an accessory, ON or start (N in step S101), and the process starts. If it is (Y in Step S101), the detection circuit 2 detects the capacitance value based on the capacitance from the detection electrode 1 (Step S102).

  Then, based on the capacitance value from the detection circuit 2, the arithmetic circuit 5 calculates the distance between the head 22 of the passenger 21 and the headrest 13 (step S 103), and the vehicle signal is output from the vehicle signal output circuit 6. It is determined whether or not it has been received (step S104). In step S103, if the capacitance value is not output from the detection circuit 2, the calculation process may not be performed.

  If it is determined that the vehicle signal is not received (N in step S104), the motor control circuit 4 controls the headrest drive motor 3 according to the distance based on the calculation result output from the calculation circuit 5 as a normal operation, for example. Then, the headrest 13 is moved (step S108) to adjust the position. When it is determined that the vehicle signal has been received (Y in step S104), the arithmetic circuit 5 further determines whether or not the vehicle signal is the specific signal described above (step S105), and when it is determined that the vehicle signal is not the specific signal. (N of step S105) transfers to said step S108, and moves the headrest 13. FIG.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the signal is a specific signal (Y in step S105), the determined specific signal type (that is, a type indicating that each operation signal or a signal related to the presence / absence of seating is present). In response, the arithmetic circuit 5 generates a calculation result, and the motor control circuit 4 stops the movement of the headrest 13 based on the calculation result, or moves the position of the headrest 13 to the origin return position (step S106). adjust.

  Then, the arithmetic circuit 5 determines whether or not the received vehicle signal remains the specific signal and the vehicle is continuing the specific state (step S107), and when it is determined that the vehicle is continuing (step S107) In step S107 (Y), the process proceeds to step S106, and the position adjustment of the headrest 13 is continued. If it is determined that the operation is not continued (N in step S107), the process proceeds to step S108 to adjust the position during normal operation.

  When the headrest 13 is thus moved in step S108, the headrest position adjusting device determines whether or not the process is terminated by turning off the ignition switch of the vehicle, for example (step S109), and determining that the process is terminated. If it is determined (Y in Step S109), the series of position adjustment processing according to this flowchart is completed, and if it is determined not to end the processing (N in Step S109), the process proceeds to Step S102 and the processing is performed. repeat.

  By performing the position adjustment processing in this way, it is possible to automatically adjust the position of the headrest 13 with a simple configuration headrest position adjustment device without particularly affecting the operation of the vehicle by the passenger 21 as much as possible. Become. In the headrest position adjusting device, for example, when the specific signal is any one of an operation instruction signal related to turning left and right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, and a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle. In step S106, the movement of the headrest 13 may be stopped.

  In addition, the headrest position adjusting device is configured such that, for example, the specific signal is an operation instruction signal related to vehicle braking, a reverse instruction operation signal to the vehicle gear handle, a parking instruction operation signal to the vehicle gear handle, and an operation signal related to opening and closing of the vehicle door. If the signal is one of signals indicating that no human body is seated on the seat 10, the position of the headrest 13 may be moved to the origin return position in step S106.

  The movement of the headrest 13 in step S106 is performed based on other arbitrarily set conditions (for example, the movement of the headrest 13 is stopped when the specific signal is a signal indicating that there is no seating, etc.). It may be. The stop of the headrest 13 and the movement to the origin return position based on the specific signal may be set for each specific signal. That is, in the above-described example, for example, when the specific signal is a parking instruction operation signal, the headrest 13 is moved to the home position, but the headrest 13 may be stopped.

  As described above, the headrest position adjustment device and the headrest position adjustment method according to the present invention are useful for position adjustment of a headrest of a vehicle, and are particularly suitable for position adjustment of a headrest of a driver's seat of an automobile.

It is a mimetic diagram showing a vehicular seat to which a headrest position adjustment device concerning one embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the whole structure of the headrest position adjustment apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the example of the position adjustment process sequence by the headrest position adjustment method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Detection electrode 2 Detection circuit 3 Headrest drive motor 4 Motor control circuit 5 Arithmetic circuit 6 Vehicle signal output circuit 10 Seat 11 Seating part 12 Backrest part 13 Headrest 14 Headrest main body 14a Head contact surface (front surface)
21 Passenger 22 Head

Claims (10)

At least one detection electrode that is provided on a headrest provided in a seat of a vehicle and detects a capacitance between the head of the human body to be seated and the headrest;
A detection circuit for detecting a capacitance value based on a capacitance from the detection electrode;
Vehicle signal output means for outputting a vehicle signal related to at least one of the operation of the vehicle and the state of the seat;
While inputting the vehicle signal output from the vehicle signal output means, the distance between the head and the headrest is calculated based on the capacitance value detected by the detection circuit, and according to the calculation result A position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the headrest by moving the headrest to an appropriate position;
The position adjusting means stops the movement of the headrest or moves the position of the headrest to the origin return position when the vehicle signal output from the vehicle signal output means is a specific signal indicating a specific state. A headrest position adjusting device characterized.   The specific signal includes an instruction operation signal relating to a right / left turn of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an instruction operation signal relating to the brake of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, The headrest position adjustment according to claim 1, wherein the headrest position adjustment signal is any one of a parking instruction operation signal to a gear handle, an operation signal related to opening / closing of the vehicle door, and a signal related to whether or not a human body is seated on the seat. apparatus.   The position adjusting means is configured such that the specific signal is an instruction operation signal related to turning left and right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an operation instruction signal related to the brake of the vehicle, and a reverse instruction operation to the gear handle of the vehicle 3. The headrest position adjusting device according to claim 2, wherein when the signal is one of a signal and a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, the movement of the headrest is stopped.   The position adjustment means is such that the specific signal relates to an operation instruction signal related to braking of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, and opening and closing of the door of the vehicle. The headrest position is moved to an origin return position when the operation signal and the signal related to whether or not a human body is seated on the seat are any one of signals indicating no seating. Item 3. The headrest position adjusting device according to Item 2.   The headrest position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection electrode and the detection circuit are formed on the same substrate.   The headrest position adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is one of a flexible printed circuit board, a membrane circuit, and a rigid printed circuit board. Based on a capacitance value based on a capacitance from at least one sensing electrode provided on a headrest provided in a seat of the vehicle, and a vehicle signal related to at least one of the operation of the vehicle and the state of the seat, A headrest position adjustment method for adjusting a headrest position by moving the headrest position to an appropriate position,
A calculation step of calculating a distance between the headrest of the human body seated on the seat and the headrest based on the capacitance value;
A determination step of determining whether the vehicle signal is a specific signal indicating a specific state based on the vehicle signal;
A control step of controlling movement of the headrest according to the calculation result of the calculation step and the determination result of the determination step;
In the control step, when the determination result in the determination step indicates that the signal is a specific signal, control is performed to stop the movement of the headrest or move the position of the headrest to the origin return position. Adjustment method.   The specific signal includes an instruction operation signal relating to a right / left turn of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an instruction operation signal relating to the brake of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, 8. The headrest position adjustment according to claim 7, wherein the headrest position adjustment signal is any one of a parking instruction operation signal for a gear handle, an operation signal for opening / closing of a door of the vehicle, and a signal regarding whether or not a human body is seated on the seat. Method.   In the control step, the specific signal is an instruction operation signal related to turning left and right of the vehicle, an operation signal to the instrument panel of the vehicle, an operation instruction signal related to the brake of the vehicle, and a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle 9. The headrest position adjusting method according to claim 8, wherein when the signal is any one of a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a control for stopping the movement of the headrest is performed.   In the control step, the specific signal is an operation instruction signal related to braking of the vehicle, a reverse instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, a parking instruction operation signal to the gear handle of the vehicle, and an operation related to opening and closing of the door of the vehicle. When the signal and the signal related to whether or not the human body is seated on the seat are any one of the signals indicating no seating, control is performed to move the position of the headrest to the origin return position. The headrest position adjusting method according to claim 8.

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