JP2010215166A - Seat lock detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seat lock detecting device enabling a user to perceive and certainly determine whether a joint portion is locked or not, when a detachable seat and the like or a child seat is installed. <P>SOLUTION: The seat lock detecting device 1 is a lock detecting device of the joint portion fitting a U-shaped groove of a lock piece equipped to the detachable seat with a striker 6 equipped to a vehicle or a seat, and includes: a light source 2; a control portion 5 controlling the light emitting of the light source 2; a light guiding body 3 guiding light emitted from the light emitting source 2 into the striker 6 and irradiating the light from a peripheral surface; and an opening 61 formed at a fitting part with the U-shaped groove of the striker 6 and through which the light emitted from the light guiding body 3 passes. The U-shaped groove of the lock piece blocks the opening 61 when fitted with the striker 6, so that irradiation light and reflection light are intercepted, thereby enabling the detection of the lock position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat lock detection device, and more specifically, can detect a lock state of a coupling portion for mounting a detachable vehicle seat, child seat, or the like on a vehicle or a vehicle seat, and is perceived by a user. The present invention relates to a seat lock detection device capable of performing the above.

In a car, a removable sheet or a sheet that can be flipped up and stored is used. In many cases, a child seat is placed and fixed on an adult seat (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle seat”) provided in the vehicle.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a conventional method for attaching a detachable sheet. A lock piece 72 extends from the lower part of the detachable sheet 80, and a U-shaped groove 73 is formed at the tip of the lock piece 72. On the other hand, the floor 91 of the passenger compartment is provided with a striker 62 which is a part for attaching the seat 80. When the seat 80 is mounted, the U-shaped groove 73 of the lock piece 72 and the striker 62 are fitted, and the latch built in the lock piece 72 is operated and locked.

  As for child seat mounting, there is a fixing method (ISOFIX) specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a conventional method of mounting a child seat of ISOFIX specifications on a vehicle seat. A lock piece 74 (child seat side connector) is provided extending from the lower back of the left and right sides (only one side is shown) of the child seat 84, and a U-shaped groove 75 is provided at the tip of the lock piece 74. On the other hand, a striker 64 (lower anchorage) for attaching a child seat 84 is provided on the vehicle seat 85 side. When the child seat 84 is mounted, the U-shaped groove 75 of the lock piece 74 and the striker 64 are fitted and locked by a lock mechanism provided on the lock piece 74.

  Normally, the detachable seat or child seat is mounted by the user, so the means for confirming whether or not the U-shaped groove of the lock piece and the striker are engaged and locked is obtained. Is important. Regarding the detection of the lock position, in addition to being detected using a limit switch or the like, the reliability has been improved by detecting the lock position and at least one other interval position using, for example, a hall sensor. A monitor device for a lock position of a child seat or the like has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Special table 2002-519243 gazette

However, in the case of the lock position monitoring device, for example, it is necessary to provide a special space for detecting the lock position of the seat, and there is a problem that the configuration is complicated and there are many components. Furthermore, there is a problem that the user who is trying to put on the seat cannot directly perceive whether or not the user is in the locked position.
Conventionally, when storing or unfolding a storage sheet or a detachable sheet, a user confirms that the sheet is locked by an impact sound generated by a lock mechanism. The same applies when the child seat is attached to the vehicle seat with a lock piece. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to determine whether or not the coupling portion of these sheets is locked.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation, and when a detachable seat or a child seat is attached, the user can perceive whether or not the coupling portion is locked, and can reliably determine it. An object of the present invention is to provide a seat lock detection device that has a simple configuration and does not require a special installation space.

The present invention is as follows.
1. A lock detecting device for a coupling portion for mounting a detachable seat by fitting a U-shaped groove provided on a lock piece provided on a removable seat to a striker provided on a vehicle or a vehicle seat. A light source, a control unit that controls light emission of the light source, a light guide that guides light emitted from the light source into the striker and emits the light from a peripheral surface, and the U-shaped groove of the striker An opening for allowing light emitted from the light guide to pass therethrough, and the U-shaped groove closes the opening when fitted with the striker. Detection device.
2. And a light receiving portion that receives light emitted from the opening or reflected by the U-shaped groove, and detects that the lock piece is in a position fitted with the striker according to the amount of light received. 1. The sheet lock detection apparatus described.
3. The opening is formed in a direction in which the U-shaped groove approaches when the sheet is mounted, and the light receiving portion receives light emitted from the opening and reflected from the U-shaped groove. The sheet lock detection apparatus described.
4). The opening is formed in the direction of the light receiving portion, and the light receiving portion receives light emitted from the opening. The sheet lock detection apparatus described.
5). The light emitted from the light source is visible light, and the control unit blinks the light source at a predetermined cycle. To 4. The seat lock detection device according to any one of the above.

  According to the seat lock detection device, a light source, a control unit that controls light emission of the light source, a light guide that guides light emitted from the light source into the striker and emits the light from a surrounding surface, and The light emitted from the light source installed at a distant place is guided to the light by being provided with an opening that allows the light emitted from the light guide to pass therethrough. Detecting the emitted light or the light reflected by the U-shaped groove until it reaches the locked position where the U-shaped groove of the locking piece is engaged with the striker, and / or is emitted from the opening of the striker through the body It can be visually recognized. And since the said U-shaped groove block | closes the said opening in a lock position, the said light is no longer detected or visually recognized, and it can detect that the said lock piece was set to the lock position. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably determine whether or not the coupling portion is locked when the seat that can be stored or detached is attached to the vehicle or when the child seat is attached.

If a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the opening or light reflected from the U-shaped groove is provided, it is possible to detect whether or not the lock piece has reached the lock position based on the amount of light received. Therefore, the lock position can be monitored by the detection signal.
If the opening is formed in a direction in which the U-shaped groove approaches when the sheet is mounted, and the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the opening and reflected from the U-shaped groove, a detection signal of the reflected light The lock position can be monitored.
Further, the opening is formed in the direction of the light receiving portion, and if the light receiving portion receives light emitted from the opening, the lock position can be monitored by a detection signal of the light emitted from the opening. .
Further, the light emitted from the light source is visible light, and if the control unit blinks the light source at a predetermined cycle, the coupling portion to the vehicle such as a detachable seat or the child seat coupling portion is locked. Since the user can visually recognize the radiated light from the opening or the reflected light from the opening in the state where it is not set to, the user's operation can be guided to the lock position. Then, since the detected light is interrupted when the lock position is set, the user can reliably determine whether or not the seat is locked.

The present invention will now be described in the following description with reference to a number of referenced figures, with reference to non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. Similar parts are shown throughout the figure.
It is a block diagram which shows the schematic circuit structure of this seat lock | rock detection apparatus. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the striker in which the light guide and the opening part were formed. It is AA 'sectional drawing of FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining Example 1. FIG. In Example 1, it is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the state which has a lock piece in a lock position. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining Example 2. FIG. In Example 2, it is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the state in which a lock piece exists in a lock position. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the method of attaching the conventional removable seat to the floor surface of a vehicle. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the method of attaching the conventional child seat for ISOFIX to the vehicle seat.

  The items shown here are exemplary and illustrative of the embodiments of the present invention, and are the most effective and easy-to-understand explanations of the principles and conceptual features of the present invention. It is stated for the purpose of providing what seems to be. In this respect, it is not intended to illustrate the structural details of the present invention beyond what is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how it is actually implemented.

The seat lock detection device of the present invention can be used to detect a lock of a connecting portion for attaching a seat that can be stored or removed by a user to a striker provided on a floor portion of a vehicle. Conventionally, a detachable sheet or the like is provided with a lock piece formed with a U-shaped groove, and the U-shaped groove is fitted and locked with a striker (see FIG. 8).
Further, the seat lock detection device is used to detect a lock of a connecting portion for attaching a child seat (for example, a child seat for ISOFIX) to a striker (lower anchorage) provided in a vehicle body or a vehicle seat. Can do. Conventionally, the ISOFIX child seat is provided with a lock piece (child seat side connector) formed with a U-shaped groove, the lock piece is pushed in, and the U-shaped groove is fitted with a striker to be locked (see FIG. 9). .

The “striker” used in the seat lock detection device can be fitted into a U-shaped groove provided in the lock piece, and as long as it is tubular so as to pass a light guide described later, its overall shape, size, and fixation A method etc. are not specifically limited.
Further, the “lock piece” used in the seat lock detection device is not particularly limited in its overall shape, size, etc., as long as it has a U-shaped groove for fitting with the striker. The position where the U-shaped groove of the lock piece fits with the striker is referred to as a “lock position”. Generally, the lock piece is provided with a lock mechanism that latches in a state of being fitted to the striker. However, this locking mechanism is omitted from the following description and drawings because it does not fall within the spirit of the present invention.

The seat lock detection device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows a circuit configuration example of the seat lock detection device of the present invention. The sheet lock detection device 1 includes a light source 2, a control unit 5 that controls light emission of the light source 2, and a light guide 3 that guides light emitted from the light source 2 into the tube of the striker 6 and emits light from the surrounding surface. And an opening 61 that is formed at a fitting portion of the striker 6 with the U-shaped groove and allows light emitted from the light guide 3 to pass therethrough.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the light guide 3, the striker 6, and the opening 61. The light guide 3 is passed through the tube of the striker 6, and light propagated from the peripheral surface 31 of the light guide 3 is emitted (light leakage). The striker 6 is provided with a hole (opening 61) in a fitting portion a with the lock piece 7. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 2, and the light (A) emitted from the opening 61 is reflected by the U-shaped groove 71 provided in the lock piece 7. When the lock piece 7 is pushed out in the direction b by the user, the U-shaped groove 71 approaches the striker 6, and the opening 61 is closed by the U-shaped groove 71 in a state where both are fitted (lock position). It will be.

The “light source” may be an arbitrary light emitter, and for example, a light emitting diode (LED), a light bulb, a fluorescent lamp (including a cold cathode fluorescent tube), and the like can be used. The arrangement place and method of the light source 2 can be arbitrary.
The “light guide” is a rod-shaped resin member that takes in light emitted from the light source from its end face, propagates the light inside, and emits light in its own circumferential direction. . A known rod-shaped light guide (light guide rod) can be used as the light guide. Since the light guide 3 is passed through the tube of the striker 6 and emits light from the opening 61 provided in the striker 6, for example, the light is emitted around the portion corresponding to the opening 61 in the entire length. It is possible to use a transparent resin light guide that has been processed in such a manner. Further, a light guide rod that leaks light in the circumferential direction over almost the entire length may be used.
One light guide 3 can be disposed through a plurality of strikers 6. A plurality of light sources 2 and light guides 3 may be used for the plurality of strikers 6.

  The opening 61 provided in the striker 6 is opened in the tube wall of the striker 6 so as to transmit light emitted from the light guide 3 in a predetermined direction. The shape of the opening 61 is not limited, and the shape and size of the opening 61 can be closed by the U-shaped groove of the lock piece 7 when the striker 6 and the lock piece 7 are fitted.

  The sheet lock detection device 1 can further include a light receiving unit 4. The light receiving unit 4 includes a light receiving element. For example, a phototransistor, a photodiode, or the like can be used. The light receiving unit 4 can be arranged to receive light emitted from the opening 61 and reflected by the U-shaped groove 71 of the lock piece 7. Further, as will be described later, the light emitted from the opening 61 may be directly received. In any case, when the striker 6 and the lock piece 7 are fitted, the opening 61 can be blocked by the U-shaped groove 71, so the amount of received light that is emitted or reflected is It becomes almost zero at the lock position, and it can be detected that the lock has been achieved. In order to ensure the detection of the light, the light generated from the light source 2 can be modulated at a constant frequency.

The control unit 5 can be configured, for example, by including peripheral circuits such as an input / output interface around a microcontroller (microcomputer) including a CPU, a memory (ROM, RAM, etc.), an input / output circuit, and the like.
The light emission of the light source 2 can be controlled by the control unit 5. For example, the light source 2 is a light source that generates visible light, and the control unit 5 can blink the light source 2 in a predetermined cycle (for example, about 1 second). This blinking makes it easier for the user to visually recognize the light. Further, the control unit 5 can perform control so that the light source does not emit light when it is unnecessary, such as stopping light emission of the light source 2 after detecting the lock position by the light receiving unit 4, for example.
Furthermore, the control unit 5 can be connected to another device 55 or the like. Although the kind of the other apparatus 55 is not ask | required, For example, a sounding device, a safety device, another monitor apparatus, etc. are mentioned. The control unit 5 can be configured to notify the user by sound or the like based on the detection signal from the light receiving unit 4 or to send a signal indicating a locked state to a related device.

Example 1
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the seat lock detection device of the present invention. The sheet lock detection device includes a light guide 3, a light receiving unit 4, a light source 2 (not shown), and the like disposed in the tube of the striker 6.
In the figure, reference numeral 9 denotes a vehicle body or a vehicle seat, and shows a striker mounting portion provided on the floor of the vehicle body (see 92 in FIG. 6) or the vehicle seat (see 8 in FIG. 7). The tubular striker 6 can be fixed to a mounting portion of the vehicle body or the vehicle seat 9 by, for example, a support 69. The light guide 3 is passed through the tube of the striker 6, and light emitted from the light source 2 is introduced into the light guide 3. The striker 6 is provided with an opening 61 for allowing light emitted from the light guide 3 in the circumferential direction to pass outside. The vehicle body or the vehicle seat 9 is provided with one or more light receiving portions 4.
In the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes a lock piece provided in a removable seat or the like or a child seat, and a U-shaped groove 71 for fitting with the striker 6 is formed at the tip of the lock piece.

When the user attaches a removable seat or the like to the vehicle body or attaches the child seat to the vehicle seat, the user moves the lock piece 7 toward the striker 6 (b). At this time, since light is radiated (b) from the opening 61 of the striker 6, the user can visually recognize its position and the like. Even in the state shown in FIG. 4 where the lock piece 7 is close to the striker 6, since the radiated light is reflected by the U-shaped groove 71 and the like, the lock piece 7 is not yet fitted. Can be visually recognized.
In this state, the radiated light is reflected by the U-shaped groove 71 and the reflected light (b) is detected by the light receiving unit 4. Based on this detection signal, the control unit 5 (not shown) detects that it is not yet fitted, and notifies the user by a separate means or sends a signal to a separate safety device or the like. Can inform you.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, when the U-shaped groove 71 of the lock piece 7 is pressed against the striker 6, the lock piece 7 is locked to the striker 6 by a lock mechanism (not shown). In a state where the lock piece 7 is fitted and locked with the striker 6, the opening 61 is closed by the U-shaped groove 71, so that light emitted from the light guide 3 to the outside is blocked. It will be. As a result, no light is detected by the user, and the user can surely know that a detachable sheet or the like has been combined.
Further, in this state, the reflected light is not detected by the light receiving unit 4. Thereby, the control part 5 can detect that it is in the state of being fitted and locked, and can notify the user by a separate means or send a signal to a separate safety device or the like. .

(Example 2)
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the seat lock detection device of the present invention. Except for the point that the position of the opening 61 provided in the striker 6 for passing the light emitted from the light guide 3 to the outside and the position of the light receiving part 4 provided in the vehicle body or the vehicle seat 9 are different. Is the same as in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the light (A) radiated from the opening 61 is directly received by the light receiving unit 4.

When the user attaches a removable seat or the like to the vehicle body or attaches the child seat to the vehicle seat, the user moves the lock piece 7 toward the striker 6 (b). At this time, since the light is radiated (b) from the opening 61 of the striker 6, the user can visually recognize the position of the coupling portion or the like by the radiated light or the reflected light from the surroundings. Even in the state shown in FIG. 6 in which the lock piece 7 is close to the striker 6, the radiated light is reflected by the mounting portion 9 or the like of the vehicle body or the vehicle seat, so that the lock piece 7 is still fitted. It is possible to visually recognize that it is not in the state.
In this state, the emitted light (c) is detected by the light receiving unit 4. Based on this detection signal, the control unit 5 (not shown) detects that it is not yet fitted, and notifies the user by a separate means or sends a signal to a separate safety device or the like. Can inform you.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, when the lock piece 7 is pressed against the striker 6, the lock piece 7 is locked to the striker 6 by a lock mechanism (not shown). In a state where the lock piece 7 is fitted and locked with the striker 6, the opening 61 is closed by the U-shaped groove 71 of the lock piece 7, so that light emitted from the light guide 3 to the outside is blocked. The Rukoto. As a result, light is not perceived by the user, and the user can surely know that a removable sheet or the like is connected.
Further, in this state, the emitted light is not detected by the light receiving unit 4. Thereby, the control part 5 can detect that it is in the state of being fitted and locked, and can notify the user by a separate means or send a signal to a separate safety device or the like. .

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various modifications or changes can be made within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Sheet lock detection apparatus, 2; Light source, 3; Light guide, 4; Light-receiving part, 5; Control part, 6, 62, 64; Striker, 61; Opening, 7, 72, 74; 73, 75; U-shaped groove, 8, 80, 85; Vehicle seat, 84; Child seat, 9; Car body or vehicle seat, A; Synchrotron radiation.

Claims (5)

A lock detecting device for a coupling portion for mounting a detachable seat by fitting a U-shaped groove provided on a lock piece provided on a removable seat to a striker provided on a vehicle or a vehicle seat. And
A light source and a control unit for controlling light emission of the light source;
A light guide that guides light emitted from the light source into the striker and emits the light from a peripheral surface;
An opening that is formed at a fitting site with the U-shaped groove of the striker, and that allows light emitted from the light guide to pass through;
With
The U-shaped groove closes the opening when fitted with the striker.   And a light receiving portion for receiving the light emitted from the opening or the light reflected by the U-shaped groove, and detecting that the lock piece is in a position fitted with the striker by the amount of light received. Item 1. A sheet lock detection device according to Item 1.   3. The seat lock detection device according to claim 2, wherein the opening is formed in a direction in which the U-shaped groove approaches when the sheet is mounted, and the light receiving portion receives light emitted from the opening and reflected from the U-shaped groove. .   The seat lock detection device according to claim 2, wherein the opening is formed in a direction of the light receiving portion, and the light receiving portion receives light emitted from the opening.   5. The seat lock detection device according to claim 1, wherein light emitted from the light source is visible light, and the control unit causes the light source to blink at a predetermined cycle.

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