JP4189463B2 - Automotive seat with position sensor - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automobile slide seat that is installed so that its position can be moved by a slide rail in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and relates to an automobile slide seat that includes a position sensor that detects the position of the seat and emits a position signal of the seat. is there.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, when the airbag module is mounted on the steering wheel as an occupant restraint device, the deployment start timing of the airbag E is advanced when the position of the slide seat S is in front of the steering wheel H as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the operation of the airbag module is controlled so as to delay the deployment start timing of the airbag E when it is behind.
[0003]
Conventionally, since it is necessary to control the airbag module, it has been proposed to equip the slide rail R with a position sensor P that detects the relative position of the slide seat S with respect to the airbag module.
[0004]
As the position sensor P, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a magnetic actuator 10a such as a magnet piece or an electromagnet and a magnetic detection sensor 10b such as a limit switch or Hall element that reacts with a magnetic field are made to face each other. A sensor unit 10 assembled therein and a magnetic shielding plate 11 that blocks the magnetic field generated from the magnetic actuator 10b from acting on the magnetic detection sensor 10b are provided.
[0005]
The sensor unit 10 is attached by a bracket plate 13 projecting to a side portion at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 12. On the other hand, the magnetic shielding plate 11 is attached so as to protrude from a predetermined position of the upper rail 14 to the side portion of the front region extending in the longitudinal direction (Patent Document 1).
[0006]
On the contrary, there is also proposed a magnetic sensor that protrudes from the side of the upper rail and is attached, and a magnetic shielding plate is attached to the side of a predetermined region extending in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail (Patent Document 2). ).
[0007]
The position sensor detects whether or not the magnetic detection sensor 10b slides against the airbag module depending on whether or not the magnetic shielding plate 11 is positioned at a relative distance between the magnetic actuator 10a and the magnetic detection sensor 10b as the seat moves. The circuit is designed to detect the relative position of the airbag and to generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the airbag module.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
US Pat. No. 6,053,529 [Patent Document 2]
US Pat. No. 5,967,549
All of the position sensors are attached to the outside on the side of the slide rail. For this reason, it is easy to be influenced by articles, such as a metal product inserted between a seat cushion and a vehicle body floor, and there exists a possibility of producing a malfunction. In addition, there is a risk of problems such as deformation and damage due to the insertion of an umbrella or a long object.
[0010]
To solve the problem, a cover, a wire frame, or the like that guards the position sensor may be attached to the side of the slide rail. However, this increases the number of parts and restricts the space around the slide rail, which is not preferable.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
While reducing the number of parts, the present invention prevents the deterioration of the sensor performance due to external factors, disconnection, damage, etc., improves the positioning accuracy during installation, improves the sensor performance from the reduced clearance, and further downsizing , It aims at providing the slide seat for vehicles with a position sensor which can achieve weight reduction.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the automotive slide seat with a position sensor according to claim 1 of the present invention, the upper rail attached to the lower side of the seat cushion and the lower rail attached to the vehicle body floor are provided as slide rails, and the seat is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The slide rail is installed so that it can be moved, and the slide rail is equipped with a magnetic detection sensor that emits a magnetic field and reaction or non-reaction as a seat position signal, and a position sensor consisting of a magnet piece.
The magnetic detection sensor includes a sensor housing portion that takes out the strength of the magnetic field as an electric signal through an overhang of the outer case and a connector portion that is connected to the signal cable, and the sensor housing portion is provided on the upper surface of the upper rail. The upper rail opening is covered with a large overhang, and the sensor housing is positioned downward on the inside of the upper rail and the connector is positioned upward on the outside of the upper rail. , Fixed to the upper surface of the predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail,
The magnet piece is configured by being attached and fixed to the bottom surface of the front region or the rear region in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail.
[0013]
The slide seat for an automobile with a position sensor according to claim 2 of the present invention includes an exterior case in which a pair of spring clips extending in a substantially U shape from the opposite side surfaces of the sensor housing portion are provided on the lower side of the overhang. The spring clip of the outer case is engaged with the inner surface of the top portion from the opening of the upper rail, and the magnetic detection sensor is attached by pressing the overhanging bar against the outer surface of the upper portion of the upper rail.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slide seat for an automobile with a position sensor, comprising an exterior case in which an application piece with respect to the top surface of the upper rail is extended and provided flush with the flange, and the application piece of the outer case is attached to the upper rail. It is configured by attaching a magnetic detection sensor to the outer surface of the top with a tapping screw.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the illustrated embodiment is a slide sheet that is installed so that the position of the slide sheet 1 can be moved in the front-rear direction in the vehicle, and detects the position of the slide sheet. A position sensor 2 that emits a control signal for controlling the operation of the occupant restraint device based on the relative position of the seat with respect to the occupant restraint device as shown in FIG.
[0016]
The slide rail 1 is assembled from an upper rail 1a attached to the lower side of the seat cushion and a lower rail 1b attached to the vehicle body floor. The lower rail 1b is installed in the front-rear direction in the vehicle over the movement distance of the seat. The upper rail 1a is provided with rollers (not shown) on the lower side in the longitudinal direction and is supported by the lower rail 1b so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction.
[0017]
The upper rail 1a has a substantially U-shaped cross section from the top surface 100 and the left and right side surfaces 101, 102, and the outer bending flanges 103, 104 rise in an L shape from the lower ends of the side surfaces 101, 102. It is formed with a bend. The upper rail 1a is provided with an opening 105 on the top surface 100 for attaching a magnetic detection sensor to be described later.
[0018]
The lower rail 1b has a substantially upward U-shaped cross section that is relatively larger than the upper rail 1a from the bottom surface 110 and the left and right side surfaces 111, 112, and the outer bending flanges 103, 104 of the upper rail 1a are inward. The downwardly bent L-shaped inner bending flanges 113 and 114 are bent from the upper ends of the side surfaces 111 and 112, respectively.
[0019]
The position sensor 2 includes a magnetic detection sensor 2a that emits a control signal as a reaction signal or non-reaction with a magnetic field, and a substantially quadrilateral magnet piece 2b.
[0020]
The magnetic detection sensor 2a is housed in an exterior case 23 with a sensor housing portion 21 facing downward and a connector portion 22 connected to a signal cable facing upward via an overhanging bar 20 facing the top surface 105 of the upper rail 1a. It is constituted by. As the magnetic detection sensor 2 a, it is preferable to provide a Hall element or a Hall IC in which the strength of the magnetic field is extracted by an electrical signal due to the Hall effect, in the sensor housing 21.
[0021]
As a means for attaching the outer case 23 according to the first embodiment, a pair of spring clips 24, 25 extending in a substantially U shape from the opposite side surfaces of the sensor housing portion 21 are provided on the lower side of the overhang bar 20. ing. The spring clips 24 and 25 are formed by cutting out the front end surfaces of the clip bodies 24a and 25a at the step portions 24b and 25b as shown in FIG. The spring clips 24, 25 are engaged with the top inner surface of the clip body 24a, 25a by hooking the front end surface to the rim of the opening 105 with the step portions 24b, 25b, and the overhanging bar 20 on the outer surface of the top part. It is attached to the upper rail 1a so as to hold it down.
[0022]
The magnetic detection sensor 2a is positioned inside by fitting the sensor accommodating portion 21 to the opening 105 of the upper rail 1a, covering the opening 105 with a large overhanging flange 20, and projecting the connector portion 22 outward. The spring clips 24 and 25 are attached and fixed to the top surface 100 of the upper rail 1a from the outside. The magnetic detection sensor 2a is set so as to be provided substantially in the middle in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface of the top portion of the upper rail 1a.
[0023]
The magnet piece 2b is attached to the lower rail 1b by bonding and fixing to the inner surface of the bottom of the lower rail 1b. The magnet piece 2b is set to be attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion in the rear region extending in the longitudinal direction from the substantially middle position of the lower rail 1b with respect to the arrangement position of the magnetic detection sensor 2a.
[0024]
Examples of the occupant restraint device include an airbag module installed inside the steering wheel and an airbag module installed inside the instrument panel. The control configuration is configured with a CPU so that the airbag deployment start time is advanced when the seat is in the front, while the airbag deployment start timing is delayed when the seat is in the rear.
[0025]
In the slide seat with the position sensor configured as described above, the region in which the magnetic detection sensor 2a reacts to the magnetic field generated from the magnet piece 2b while the entire seat moves on the slide rail 1 in the region extending between the front and rear most. Since the magnet piece 2b is not provided, the magnetic detection sensor 2a is divided into regions that do not react with the magnetic field.
[0026]
Since either the reaction or non-reaction of the magnetic field by the magnetic detection sensor 2a is transmitted to the CPU as a control signal, the deployment start time of the airbag is advanced by assuming that the seat position is ahead in the reaction region, In the non-reactive region, the airbag of the airbag module can be controlled so as to delay the deployment start timing of the airbag assuming that the seat is behind.
[0027]
In the position sensor 2, the magnetic detection sensor 2 a is attached and fixed to the inner surface of the upper portion of the upper rail 1 a, and the magnet piece 2 b is adhered and fixed to the inner surface of the bottom portion of the lower rail 1 b. Since the clearance can be kept small in a narrow interior, the sensor performance can be improved. In addition, since the opening 105 of the upper rail 1a is closed with the overhanging bar 20 of the outer case 23 and the magnetic detection sensor 2a is attached downward inside the upper rail 1a, the sensor performance can be prevented from being deteriorated due to adhesion of dust or the like. .
[0028]
In addition, since the magnetic detection sensor 2a including the magnet piece 2b is provided inside the slide rail 1, it is affected by external factors such as a metal product inserted between the seat cushion and the vehicle body floor. It is difficult to prevent deformation or damage caused by the insertion of an umbrella or a long object, and a normal operating state can be maintained. In addition, since the position sensor guard cover and wire frame are unnecessary, the number of parts can be reduced, and the size and weight can be reduced.
[0029]
In addition to the means for attaching the outer case 23 described above, as a second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an application piece 24 ′ to the top surface of the upper rail 1a is flush with the overhanging bar 20 ′. Is provided with an outer case 23 '. In the case of the exterior case 23 ', the magnetic detection sensor 2a' is attached to the upper rail 1a by screwing the attaching piece 24 'on the top surface of the upper rail 1a with the tapping screw 3.
[0030]
In the above-described embodiments, the airbag module installed inside the steering wheel or the airbag module installed inside the instrument panel as the occupant restraint device is described, but it is installed inside the door or side body panel. The present invention can also be applied to the case where the positional relationship between the airbag module and the seat is determined. Further, the front of a tip-up seat or the like that moves the seat cushion up to the seat back in a standing posture and moves the rear seat to the back of the front seat can also be applied as a position sensor that detects a strike or a rear most.
[0031]
As a control form by the position sensor, the front most side is set as the magnetic field non-reactive region and the rear most side is set as the magnetic field reactive region. However, this can be set in reverse.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the vehicle slide sheet with a position sensor according to the present invention, the magnetic detection sensor includes the sensor housing portion that extracts the strength of the magnetic field as an electric signal through the overhang of the outer case, and the signal cable. Connector part to be connected to the top and bottom, the sensor housing part is fitted into the opening provided on the upper surface of the upper rail, the upper rail opening part is covered with a large overhang, and the sensor housing part is The connector part is positioned downward on the inner side of the rail and upwardly on the outer side of the upper rail, and is fixedly attached to the upper surface at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail. Metal products, etc. that are inserted between the seat cushion and the vehicle body floor to fix and attach to the bottom surface of the rear area Hardly affected by external factors, deformation due to-inserting umbrella or long ones, can maintain a normal operation state prevents also produce a adhesion of damage and dust. In addition, since the position sensor guard cover, wire frame, and the like are not required, the number of parts can be reduced, and the size and weight can be reduced.
[0033]
In addition to this, the sensor receiving part of the magnetic detection sensor is attached downward in the upper rail, and the magnet pieces are positioned and fixed to the inner surface of the bottom of the front region or the rear region in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail. Sensor performance can be improved because accuracy can be increased and clearance can be kept small. Further, since the opening of the upper rail is closed with the overhang of the outer case, it is possible to prevent the sensor performance from being deteriorated due to adhesion of dust or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram mainly showing a slide rail of an automobile slide seat, a magnetic detection sensor of a position sensor, and a magnet piece according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a case where the magnetic detection sensor of FIG. 1 is attached to the inner surface of the upper portion of the upper rail with a spring clip.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram mainly showing a slide rail of an automobile slide seat, a magnetic detection sensor of a position sensor, and a magnet piece according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an explanatory diagram showing a case where the magnetic detection sensor of FIG. 3 is attached to the inner surface of the upper portion of the upper rail with a spring clip. FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an automobile slide seat with a position sensor according to a general example.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view mainly showing a slide rail and a position sensor of an automobile slide seat according to a conventional example.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the slide rail and the position sensor of FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slide rail 1a Upper rail 100 Upper rail top part 105 Upper rail opening part 1b Lower rail 2 Position sensor 2a Magnetic detection sensor 20 Overhang hook 21 Sensor accommodating part 22 Connector part 23 Exterior case 24, 25 Spring clip 2b Magnet piece 2a 'Magnetic detection sensor 20' Overhang rod 21 'Sensor housing portion 22' Connector portion 23 'Exterior case 24'

Claims (3)

The upper rail attached to the lower side of the seat cushion and the lower rail attached to the vehicle floor are provided as slide rails, and the seat is installed so that the position of the seat can be moved by the slide rail in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. In a slide seat for automobiles equipped with a magnetic sensor for generating a position signal of the seat and a position sensor consisting of a magnet piece on the slide rail,
The magnetic detection sensor includes a sensor housing portion that takes out the strength of the magnetic field as an electric signal through an overhang of the outer case and a connector portion that is connected to the signal cable, and the sensor housing portion is provided on the upper surface of the upper rail. The upper rail opening is covered with a large overhang, and the sensor housing is positioned downward on the inside of the upper rail and the connector is positioned upward on the outside of the upper rail. , Fixed to the upper surface of the predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail,
An automotive slide seat with a position sensor, wherein the magnet piece is fixedly attached to the bottom surface of the front region or the rear region in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail. A pair of spring clips extending in a substantially U shape from the opposite sides of the sensor housing are provided on the lower side of the overhang, and the spring clip of the outer case is engaged with the inner surface of the top from the opening of the upper rail. 2. The slide seat for an automobile with a position sensor according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic detection sensor is attached by pressing the overhanging bar against the top surface of the upper rail. It is equipped with an exterior case that has a protruding piece for the top surface of the upper rail and is flush with the flange, and the magnetic detection sensor is attached by screwing the attached piece of the outer case to the top surface of the upper rail with a tapping screw. The slide sheet for automobiles with a position sensor according to claim 1, wherein the slide sheet is provided with a position sensor.

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