JP7205738B2 - Seat slide device for driver's seat - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat slide device for a driver's seat that allows the driver's seat to slide between a drivable position suitable for driving and a non-driving position unsuitable for driving.

A driver's seat and a passenger's seat of the vehicle are provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. In general, the front passenger seat can be slid as far as the rear seat, making it easier to get in and out of the car and to take things in and out. Here, the driver's seat also has a long slide in consideration of usability when getting in and out of the rear seat and when a child seat is installed in the rear seat. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a seat slide device that allows the driver's seat to slide close to the rear seat.

By the way, when the driver's seat is close to the rear seat, there are safety problems such as the driver's inability to fasten the seat belt, the effect of the airbag being insufficient, and deterioration of visibility and steering stability. Therefore, when the driver's seat is in such a non-driving position, it is not suitable for the driver to drive. Therefore, for safety reasons, Patent Document 2 describes prohibiting engine start-up when the driver's seat is in a non-driving position that is not suitable for driving. When the driver's seat slides forward from the non-driving position close to the rear seat to the drivable position, safety can be ensured by installing airbags and seat belts. When in an operable position suitable for such operation, the engine is permitted to start.

JP-A-2000-344136 JP 2007-168469 A

However, if the driver erroneously operates the slide lever on the driver's seat after the engine has started, the driver's seat slides from the operable position to the non-driving position, making it impossible for the driver to drive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat slide device for a driver's seat that can ensure safe driving by regulating the sliding of the driver's seat to the non-driving position after the engine or motor is started.

A seat slide device for a driver's seat of the present invention is provided so that the driver's seat is slidable between an operable position suitable for driving and a non-driving position unsuitable for driving. It is provided with a restricting portion that restricts the slide to. As a result, even if the driver's seat slides due to an erroneous operation during driving, it does not slide to the non-driving position.

The regulation unit regulates the sliding of the driver's seat to the non-driving position when the vehicle is ready to start even if the prime mover is stopped, and closes the driver's seat when the vehicle is not ready to start while the prime mover is stopped. Allows sliding to non-driving position. When the vehicle is ready to start, the vehicle can be driven as soon as the prime mover starts. When the vehicle is not ready to start, the driver's seat can be slid to the non-driving position.

According to the present invention, the driver's seat does not slide from the operable position to the non-driving position during driving, thereby preventing the driver from being unable to drive. Therefore, driving safety can be enhanced.

Side view of the driver's seat and rear seats in the vehicle of the present invention A plan view of the driver, front passenger and rear seats in the vehicle Diagram showing the position of the sliding driver's seat Control block diagram of the seat slide device for the driver's seat Flowchart of slide regulation at engine start Flowchart of slide regulation when the engine is stopped

1 and 2 show a vehicle equipped with a seat slide device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle is provided with a driver's seat 1 and a front passenger's seat 2 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, and left and right rear seats 3 are provided so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction. A seat slide device for sliding a driver's seat 1 and a passenger's seat 2 is provided on the floor 4 of the vehicle.

A driver's seat 1 is formed by a seat cushion 5 , a seat back 6 and a headrest 7 . A seat back 6 is rotatably supported by the seat cushion 5, and the seat back 6 reclines. A seat cushion 5 is supported by a seat base 8 . The seat base 8 is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the floor 4 . The passenger seat 2 has the same structure as the driver's seat 1 .

The rear seat 3 is formed by a seat cushion 5, a seat back 6 and a headrest 7, and is storable. The seat back 6 is rotatable with respect to the seat cushion 5 , and the seat cushion 5 is slidable and rotatable with respect to the floor 4 . The rear seat 3 is stowed by tilting the seat back 6 forward and rotating the seat cushion 6 forward.

The seat slide device for the driver's seat includes a seat rail 10 that supports the driver's seat 1 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, a lock mechanism (not shown) that locks the driver's seat 1 at a predetermined position with respect to the seat rail 10, and a release lever 11 for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism. The passenger seat slide device has the same structure.

The seat rails 10 are formed as a left and right pair of lower rails fixed to the floor 4 and upper rails attached to the seat base 8, and the upper rails are slidably supported by the lower rails. The locking mechanism is known, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-158201. By operating an operation lever 12 provided below the seat cushion 5, the lock is released and the driver's seat 1 is opened. can be slid.

A release lever 11 is provided on the seat back 6 so that the driver's seat 1 can be slid from the rear seat 3. The release lever 11 is rotatably attached via a support shaft 13 in a recess formed in the back surface of the seat back 6 . One end of the wire 14 is connected to the release lever 11 and the other end of the wire 14 is connected to the operation lever 12 . When the release lever 11 is operated, the wire 14 is pulled, the operation lever 12 is operated, and the lock is released.

A seat rail 10 is provided near the rear seats, and the driver's seat 1 and the front passenger's seat 2 can be slid long. By the way, when the driver's seat 1 slides close to the rear seat 3, a safety problem such as a seatbelt occurs, which hinders driving. That is, the long slide of the driver's seat 1 may cause the driver's seat 1 to slide to a position unsuitable for driving. As shown in FIG. 3, the driver's seat 1 slides in a slide range X and a slide range Y. As shown in FIG. In the slide range X, the position of the driver's seat 1 is set to a drivable position suitable for driving. In the sliding range Y, the position of the driver's seat 1 is a non-driving position unsuitable for driving due to safety concerns.

As shown in FIG. 4, the seat slide device for the driver's seat prohibits starting of the engine 20 when the driver's seat 1 is in the non-operating position, and prohibits starting of the engine 20 when the driver's seat 1 is in the operable position. a start control unit 21 that permits, a regulation unit 22 that regulates the sliding of the driver's seat 1 to the non-driving position, a driving condition detection unit 23 that detects the driving condition of the vehicle, and the regulation unit 22 is activated according to the driving condition. and a control unit 24 for causing the

The start control unit 21 outputs a prohibition signal to the control unit 24 when the driver's seat 1 is in the non-driving position, and outputs a permission signal to the control unit 24 when the driver's seat 1 is in the drivable position. The control unit 24, which is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), instructs the engine ECU 26 to start the engine 20 when the start button 25 is turned on when the permission signal is input. When the prohibition signal is input, the control unit 24 instructs the engine ECU 26 not to start the engine 20 even if the start button 25 is turned on. As the starting control unit 21, for example, one using two switches that are turned on and off according to the position of the driver's seat 1, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-168469, can be mentioned. Alternatively, a position detection switch for detecting the position of the driver's seat 1 may be used. The position detection switch is turned on to output a permission signal when the driver's seat 1 is in the drivable position, and turned off to output a prohibition signal when the driver's seat 1 is in the non-driving position.

The restricting portion 22 has a stopper 27 that stops the driver's seat 1 from sliding to the non-driving position. The stopper 27 is provided so as to be retractable with respect to the driver's seat 1 and is driven by an actuator 28 . The actuator 28 is one of a solenoid, a motor, and a cylinder, and is operated by a drive signal from the control section 24 .

The stopper 27 is movably provided on the outside of the lower rail, and is arranged at a position where the driver's seat 1 comes into contact with the driver's seat 1 when the driver's seat 1 reaches the rear end of the slide range X. When the stopper 27 moves to the projecting position, the stopper 27 enters the lower rail and the upper rail of the driver's seat 1 abuts against the stopper 27 . As a result, the driver's seat 1 cannot slide rearward, the driver's seat 1 is restricted from sliding to the non-driving position, and the driver's seat 1 can slide only within the slide range X. - 特許庁When the stopper 27 moves to the retracted position, it retracts from the lower rail, the upper rail becomes slidable rearward, and the driver's seat 1 becomes slidable to the non-driving position. Note that the stopper 27 does not protrude outside the seat rail at the projecting position of the stopper 27 . Therefore, the stopper 27 does not interfere with passengers in the rear seats, and does not interfere with loading and unloading luggage.

The control unit 24 controls the regulation unit 22 according to the position of the driver's seat 1 when the engine 20 is started. Further, after the engine 20 is started, the control unit 24 controls the regulation unit 22 according to the driving conditions of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 5, when the start button 25 is turned on (S1), the control unit 24 confirms the position of the driver's seat 1 (S2). Here, the position of the driver's seat 1 is confirmed by the signal output from the start control unit 21 . When the prohibition signal is input, the control unit 24 determines that the driver's seat 1 is in the non-driving position, prevents the engine 20 from being started, and issues a warning by sound or display (S3). The warning is given by audible sound, lighting or blinking of a warning lamp, warning display in the instrument panel, or the like.

When the driver's seat 1 is in the operable position, the permission signal is input from the start control unit 21, so the control unit 24 instructs the engine ECU 26 to start the engine 20 (S4), and the control unit 22 (S5). When the controller 24 drives the actuator 28, the stopper 27 moves to the projecting position. This restricts the driver's seat 1 from sliding to the non-driving position. However, since the driver's seat 1 is slidable within the slide range X, the position of the driver's seat 1 can be adjusted.

When the vehicle runs after the engine 20 is started, the control unit 24 checks the driving condition through the driving condition detection unit 23 . During this time, the stopper 27 is in the projecting position, and the sliding of the driver's seat 1 to the non-driving position is restricted. The driving condition detection unit 23 detects the shift position 30, the ON/OFF of the parking brake 31, the opening/closing of the door 32, the input of the vehicle speed sensor 33, and the input of the seating sensor 34 of the driver's seat 1, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 24 determines whether or not the vehicle is being driven based on the information detected by the driving condition detection unit 23 (S10). For example, the control unit 24 determines that the shift position 30 is any of D range, R range, or N range, the parking brake 31 is off, the door 32 is closed, there is an input from the vehicle speed sensor 33, and the driver is seated in the driver's seat 1. Based on a plurality of pieces of information indicating that the vehicle is being driven, it is determined whether the vehicle is being driven. During operation, the control unit 24 continues the operation of the regulation unit 22 . If the vehicle is not driving, that is, if there is no input from the vehicle speed sensor 33 and the vehicle is stopped, the control unit 24 confirms whether the engine 20 is stopped (S11). When the engine 20 is not stopped, the vehicle can be started immediately, so the control unit 24 continues to operate the restricting unit 22 .

When the engine 20 is stopped, the control unit 24 confirms whether the stop is due to idle stop (S12). When the idle stop is activated, the engine 20 stops, but the start button 20 is not turned off. Then, when the idle stop is operating, the engine 20 is automatically restarted after a while, and the vehicle becomes ready to start (S13). In this case, the controller 24 continues to operate the restrictor 22 . When the engine 20 is not stopped due to idle stop, that is, when the start button 25 is turned off, the control unit 24 determines that the start is not possible, turns off the regulation unit 22, and cancels the regulation of the slide. (S14). The stopper 27 moves to the retracted position, and the driver's seat 1 becomes slidable to the non-driving position.

Here, when the idle stop is operating, the vehicle starts when the parking brake 31 is turned on, the door 32 is opened, the seat belt is unfastened, and the start button 25 is turned off. It is no longer possible (S13). It should be noted that the engine 20 does not automatically restart in such a situation. After confirming that such a situation has occurred, the control unit 24 turns off the regulation unit 22 (S14). The stopper 27 moves to the retracted position, the restriction on the sliding of the driver's seat 1 is released, and the driver's seat 1 becomes slidable to the non-driving position.

The driver's seat 1 can also be slid by operating the release lever 11 . Therefore, another embodiment of the restricting portion 22 is configured to disable the operation of the release lever 11 . When the operation of the release lever 11 is invalidated, the lock by the lock mechanism is not released and the sliding of the driver's seat 1 is restricted. Specifically, a structure is adopted in which a connector that connects the release lever 11 and the wire 14 can be detached. The coupler moves by turning on and off the energization to switch between coupling and disconnection. When the connector is energized, the wire 14 and the release lever 11 are separated, and the operation of the release lever 11 becomes invalid. That is, the release lever 11 is in a state of idling, and this operation is not transmitted to the operation lever 12 . When the energization to the connector is turned off, the wire 14 and the release lever 11 are connected, and the operation of the release lever 11 becomes effective. When the release lever 11 is operated, the lock is released and the driver's seat 1 becomes slidable.

The control unit 24 turns on the power supply to the coupler when the vehicle is in operation, and turns off the power supply to the coupler when the vehicle is not in a state in which the vehicle can be started, such as when the vehicle is not in operation or when the engine is stopped. As a result, even if the release lever 11 is operated from the rear seat 3 during driving, the lock of the driver's seat 1 is not released and the driver's seat 1 does not slide.

By the way, when the release lever 11 is operated, the driver's seat 1 slides even if the driver is sitting in the driver's seat 1 . Sudden sliding is undesirable for the driver even when the vehicle is stopped. Therefore, when detecting that the driver is seated in the driver's seat 1, the control part 24 turns on the energization of the connector, and turns off the energization of the connector when the driver is not seated. Thus, when the driver is sitting on the driver's seat 1, even if the release lever 11 is operated from the rear seat 3, the driver's seat 1 is not unlocked and the driver's seat 1 does not slide. Therefore, if the driver is seated, it is possible to prevent the driver's seat 1 from sliding from the rear seat 3 not only during driving but also while the vehicle is stopped.

Further, when the vehicle is subjected to an external impact due to a collision or the like, the restriction on the sliding of the driver's seat 1 is released. An acceleration sensor detects acceleration generated in the vehicle. When the acceleration due to the impact is detected, the control section 24 turns off the regulation section 22 to cancel the regulation of the slide. The stopper 27 moves to the retracted position, and the driver's seat 1 becomes slidable to the non-driving position. By sliding the driver's seat 1 rearward, the driver can easily get out of the vehicle.

Here, the vehicle to which the seat slide device for the driver's seat is applied may be a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. In the case of the motor, when the start button 25 is turned on, the motor becomes energized and ready to run. Here, the start of the motor is defined as the state in which the motor can be energized. When the start of the motor is prohibited, even if the start button 25 is operated, the motor cannot be energized and the vehicle cannot be driven.

As described above, in the seat slide device for the driver's seat of the present invention, the driver's seat 1 is slidably provided between a drivable position suitable for driving and a non-driving position unsuitable for driving. A seat slide device for a driver's seat 1, comprising a start control unit 21 for prohibiting starting of a prime mover such as an engine and a motor when the driver's seat 1 is in the drivable position, and permitting the start of the prime mover when the driver's seat 1 is in a drivable position. , a restricting portion 22 is provided for restricting the sliding of the driver's seat 1 to the non-operating position after the prime mover is started. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver's seat 1 from sliding to a position unsuitable for driving during driving, thereby increasing safety.

The regulation unit 22 regulates the sliding of the driver's seat 1 to the non-driving position when the vehicle is ready to start even if the prime mover is stopped, and when the vehicle is not ready to start when the prime mover is stopped. Allow seat 1 to slide into the non-driving position. As a result, the driver's seat 1 does not slide to the non-driving position when the vehicle starts immediately after the motor stops, so that the driver can reliably perform the driving operation. Further, when the vehicle does not start immediately, by sliding the driver's seat 1 to the non-driving position, it becomes easier for the driver to get in and out of the vehicle, and it becomes possible to easily take things in and out of the rear seat.

The restriction unit 22 allows the driver's seat 1 to slide to the non-driving position when the vehicle is not ready to start when the engine 20 is stopped by idle stop. Further, when the vehicle is ready to start even if the engine 20 is stopped by idle stop, the driver's seat 1 is restricted from sliding to the non-driving position. Since the driver's seat 1 does not slide to the non-driving position when waiting for a signal, the vehicle can be started immediately.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and of course many modifications and changes can be made to the above-described embodiments within the scope of the present invention. As the restricting portion 22, a pin projecting from the driver's seat 1 is provided, and a stopper 27 fixed to the floor 4 or the lower rail is provided. The control unit 24 protrudes the pin during operation and retracts the pin during non-operation. When the pin protrudes, the driver's seat 1 slides and when the pin comes into contact with the stopper 27, the sliding of the driver's seat 1 is restricted.

The driver's seat 1 may be slid by a motor. When the slide switch is turned on, the driver's seat 1 slides. The position of the driver's seat 1 can be detected by the number of revolutions of the motor. The regulation unit 22 confirms the position of the driver's seat 1 from the number of revolutions of the motor, and outputs a prohibition signal to the control unit 24 when the driver's seat 1 exceeds the operable position. The control unit 24 stops the motor upon input of the prohibition signal.

The drivable position differs depending on the driver. Therefore, the stopper 27 may be provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The stopper 27 may be moved manually, or may be automatically moved by a motor. By moving the stopper 27 in the front-rear direction according to the driver, it is possible to set the drivable position according to the driver. Alternatively, a plurality of stoppers 27 may be arranged at regular intervals in the front-rear direction. The control unit 24 detects the position of the driver's seat 1 adjusted by the driver, and causes one of the plurality of stoppers 27 to appear or disappear according to the position of the driver's seat 1 . For example, when the driver's seat 1 is on the front side, the stopper 27 on the front side moves to the projecting position to restrict the sliding of the driver's seat 1 .

The engine may be allowed to start when the driver's seat is in the non-driving position. However, the operation for starting is prohibited. That is, the shift lever is locked and cannot be operated, and the off operation of the parking brake is prohibited. When the driver's seat is slid from the non-driving position to the driving position and it is detected that the driver's seat is in the driving position, the operation for starting is permitted and the vehicle is ready to start.

1 driver's seat 2 passenger's seat 3 rear seat 10 seat rail 11 release lever 12 operation lever 20 engine 21 start control section 22 regulation section 23 driving condition detection section 24 control section 27 stopper

Claims (2)

a regulating part in which the driver's seat is slidable in the longitudinal direction between an operable position suitable for driving and a non-driving position unsuitable for driving, and which regulates the sliding of the driver's seat from the operable position to the non-driving position; , a driving condition detection unit that detects the driving condition, and a control unit that controls the regulation unit according to the driving condition including the driver's seating in the driver's seat ,
When sliding from the operable position to the non-operating position is restricted, the driver's seat is slidable within a predetermined range in the operable position,
The control unit determines whether the driver is driving based on the information detected by the driving condition detection unit, and determines that the driver is driving based on the seating information that the driver is seated in the driver's seat and other driving condition detection information. A seat slide device for a driver's seat, characterized in that, when the determination is made, a regulating part is actuated so as to regulate the sliding from the operable position to the non-driving position. The regulation unit regulates the sliding of the driver's seat from the operable position to the non-driving position when the vehicle is ready to start even if the prime mover is stopped, and when the vehicle is not ready to start while the prime mover is stopped. 2. The seat slide device for the driver's seat according to claim 1 , wherein the driver's seat is allowed to slide from the operable position to the non-operating position.

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