WO2006046555A1

WO2006046555A1 - Seat device

Info

Publication number: WO2006046555A1
Application number: PCT/JP2005/019591
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada; Hiroshi Kosuda; Takashi Kawato
Original assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2004-10-27
Filing date: 2005-10-25
Publication date: 2006-05-04
Also published as: JP2008012930A

Abstract

A seat device, comprising leg supports fitted to the sides of the bearing surface of a seat and a getting on/off prediction part predicting whether a person gets on or off a vehicle. The seat device also comprises a tilting mechanism tilting the bearing surface of the seat and at least one of the leg supports toward a vehicle door when the getting on/off prediction part predicts that the person gets on or off the vehicle. Accordingly, higher comfortableness can be provided in getting on and off the vehicle.

Description

Specification

Sheet device

Technical field

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a seat device that can change the posture of each part of a seat when an occupant gets in and out of a vehicle.

Background art

[0002] Conventionally, a pair of side supports that are fixed to a seat in a state of projecting toward the side of the seat seat surface or the back of the occupant's waist are known. Such side support restrains the occupant's hips from moving laterally when the occupant descends the vehicle, so the occupant is unlikely to get off the vehicle. In addition, even when the occupant sits on the seat, it is difficult for the occupant to easily get on the seat support and the side support that projects the seat back force.

[0003] In order to solve this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric side support control device that moves the side support so as not to obstruct the occupant when the occupant gets on or off the vehicle. Specifically, the electric side support control device lowers the side support when the occupant gets out of the vehicle, and raises the side support when the occupant gets on and the vehicle travels.

Patent Document 1: JP-A-7-111929

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] However, the seat of the sports car is provided with a holding portion for holding the thigh of the occupant in addition to the side support that enhances the occupant holdability during driving. In such a seat, if the side support is simply moved as described in Patent Document 1, the holding portion becomes an impediment to improving the boarding / exiting performance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a seat device that can provide more comfortable getting on and off.

Means for solving the problem

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a seat device including a seat seat surface disposed on a floor surface of a vehicle, and a seat back rotatably supported on the seat seat surface. To do. The seat device includes a redder support provided on a side portion of the seat seating surface, and a boarding / alighting prediction unit that predicts boarding / alighting of a person on the vehicle. The seat device further includes a tilting mechanism that tilts at least one of the seat seating surface and the redder support toward the vehicle door when the boarding / prediction unit predicts boarding / alighting of a vehicle.

Therefore, each part of the seat operates so as not to get in the way of a person when the person gets on and off the vehicle. Therefore, each part of the seat does not interfere with the person's body when getting on and off, and weight transfer when getting on and off the person can be performed smoothly. As a result, boarding / exiting characteristics are improved.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat device according to an embodiment embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the seat device and smart entry system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control performed by the smart entry system of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control performed by the seat device of FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a vehicle seat device and a control device thereof according to an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 shows a seat device 10 as an operation seat embodying the present invention. The seat device 10 includes a seat seat surface 11 on which an occupant sits and a seat back 12 that supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 12 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the seat seat surface 11 via a seat reclining mechanism 21.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat back 12 is provided with a left side support 13a and a right side support 13b on both sides in order to stabilize the posture of an occupant seated on the seat device 10. Yes. The left side support 13a and the right side support 13b can be opened and closed in the left-right direction in front view so as to adapt to the body shape of the seated person. The left side support 13a is tilted with respect to the seat back 12 by the left back mechanism 23a accommodated in the seat back 12. The left back mechanism 23a includes a left back motor 33a as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown). The right side support 13b is tilted with respect to the seat back 12 by a right knock mechanism 23b accommodated in the seat back 12. The right back mechanism 23b includes a right back motor 33b as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown). [0012] In order to stabilize the posture of the seated person, the left seat support 14a and the right lead support 14b are provided on both sides of the seat seat surface 11. The left redder support 14a and the right redder support 14b can be opened and closed in the left-right direction of the front view adapted to the body shape of the seated person. Note that the left redder support 14a is tilted with respect to the seat seating surface 11 by the left redder mechanism 24a housed under the seat seating surface 11. The left redder mechanism 24a includes a left redder motor 34a as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown). The right redder support 14b is tilted with respect to the seat seat surface 11 by the right redder mechanism 24b housed under the seat seat surface 11. The right redder mechanism 24b includes a right redder motor 34b as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the seat device 10 is supported on the vehicle floor 5 via a slide mechanism 15 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The slide mechanism 15 includes a pair of lower rails 15a that are fixed to the vehicle floor surface 5 centimeters, and a pair of upper rails 15b that are fixed to the seat device 10. A seat tilt mechanism 25 shown in FIG. 2 is arranged between the upper rails 15b and the seat seat surface 11. In the present embodiment, the seat tilt mechanism 25 includes a left seat tilt mechanism 25a disposed between the left upper rail 15b and the seat seat surface 11, and a right seat disposed between the right upper rail 15b and the seat seat surface 11. And a seat tilt mechanism 25b. The left seat tilt mechanism 25a and the right seat tilt mechanism 25b operate to tilt the seat device 10 to the left and right with respect to the vehicle floor 5, that is, to tilt in the direction indicated by the arrow 6 in FIG. . The left seat tilt mechanism 25a and the right seat tilt mechanism 25b can operate independently of each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the left seat tilt mechanism 25a includes a left seat motor 35a as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown) operated by the left seat motor 35a. The right seat tilting mechanism 25b includes a right seat motor 35b as a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown) operated by the right seat motor 35b.

As shown in FIG. 2, a load sensor 26 as a load detection device, a seat position sensor 27, and a seat position adjustment operation switch 28 are connected to the seat ECU 20 of the seat device 10 respectively. Has been. The load sensor 26 is disposed between one lower rail 15a and the corresponding upper rail 15b. Two load sensors 26 may be provided corresponding to each pair of the lower rail 15a and the upper rail 15b. load The sensor 26 detects the presence or absence of a seated person and the weight of the seated person, and outputs a detection signal to the seat ECU 20. The seat position sensor 27 detects the front-rear position of the seat device 10 and outputs a detection signal to the smart ECU 43.

[0015] The seat ECU 20 is further connected with an outside sensor 45 and an inside sensor 46, respectively. The outside sensor 45 detects that the occupant has operated the outside handle (OZH) 8 of the driver's door 7 of the vehicle, and outputs a detection signal to the seat ECU 20. The inside sensor 46 detects that the occupant has operated the inside handle (I / H) 9 of the driver's door 7 and outputs a detection signal to the seat ECU 20. The outside sensor 45, the inside sensor 46, and the seat ECU 20 function as a boarding / alighting prediction unit that predicts boarding / alighting of a person with respect to the vehicle. In FIG. 2, the driver's seat door 7 is adjacent to the right side of the seat device 10.

[0016] The seat ECU 20 is connected to a left drive device 32a, a right drive device 32b, and a seat position control device 23, respectively. The left driving device 32a drives the left back motor 33a, the left redder motor 34a, and the left seat motor 35a, respectively, in accordance with an instruction from the seat ECU 20. The right drive device 32b drives the right back motor 33b, the right redder motor 34b, and the right seat motor 35b, respectively, in accordance with a command from the seat ECU 20. The left redder mechanism 24a, the right redder mechanism 24b, the left seat tilting mechanism 25a, the right seat tilting mechanism 25b, the left driving device 32a, and the right driving device 32b include the seat seat surface 11, the left redder support 14a, and the right leg support 14b. A tilt mechanism is configured to tilt the vehicle door by force. The tilt mechanism further includes a left back mechanism 23a and a right back mechanism 23b for tilting the left side support 13a and the right side support 13b.

When the seat position adjusting operation switch 28 is operated by the occupant, the seat ECU 20 issues a command signal to the seat position control device 23. The seat position control device 23 drives the seat position motor 24 in response to the command signal, and adjusts the front-rear position of the seat device 10.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a smart entry system 40 is incorporated in the vehicle!

The seat device 10 of the present embodiment is cooperatively controlled with the smart entry system 40.

[0019] The smart entry system 40 includes a smart entry device 41 mounted on a vehicle and a smart key 42 as a portable device. The smart entry device 41 has no It has a smart ECU43 with a line communication function. The smart key 42 includes a key microcomputer 44 having a wireless communication function. The smart ECU 43 compares the ID code assigned to the smart key 42 with the ID code assigned to the vehicle by performing wireless communication with the key microcomputer 44.

The smart ECU 43 is connected to a door lock device 30 that locks the driver's seat door 7. The smart ECU 43 inputs / outputs various information and signals to / from the seat ECU 20.

Hereinafter, cooperative control of the seat device 10 and the smart entry system 40 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control performed by the smart ECU 43, and FIG. ₄ is a flowchart showing the control performed by the seat ECU 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S101, when the smart key 42 is within the communicable range of the smart ECU 43, the smart ECU 43 compares the ID code received from the key microcomputer 44 with the vehicle ID code. To do. If both ID codes match, the smart ECU 43 proceeds to step S102 and enters the unlock standby state. If the two ID codes do not match, the smart ECU 43 proceeds to step S105 and causes the door lock device 30 to maintain the locked state.

[0023] In step S103, the smart ECU 43 determines whether or not the door opening signal (described later) from the seat ECU 20 is input. If the door open signal is input, the smart ECU 43 proceeds to step S104 to cause the door lock device 30 to unlock, and if the door open signal is not input, the smart ECU 43 ends the process.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in step S201, the seat ECU 20 determines whether or not the smart ECU 43 is in the unlock standby state. If it is determined that the vehicle is in the unlock standby state, the seat ECU 20 proceeds to step S202. If it is determined that the vehicle is not in the unlock standby state, the seat ECU 20 ends the processing.

In step S202, the seat ECU 20 determines whether or not the outside handle 8 has been operated. If it is determined that the outside handle 8 has been operated, the seat ECU 20 proceeds to the next step S203, and determines that the outside handle 8 has not been operated. If YES, go to step S206.

In step S203, the seat ECU 20 determines the presence or absence of a passenger on the seat device 10 based on the detection signal of the load sensor 26. If the seat ECU 20 determines that there is no passenger, the seat ECU 20 determines that the person outside the vehicle has an intention to board. In other words, the seat ECU 20 predicts that a person will get on, proceeds to the next step S204, and outputs a door opening signal to the smart ECU 43. If the seat ECU 20 determines that there is already a passenger, the process ends.

In step S205, the seat ECU 20 issues a drive command to the left drive device 32a and the right drive device 32b in preparation for a passenger. The left driving device 32a drives electric motors such as a left back motor 33a, a left redder motor 34a, and a left seat motor 35a. The right drive device 32b drives the right back motor 33b, the right redder motor 34b, and the right seat motor 35b, and the respective electric motors.

In step S206, the seat ECU 20 determines whether or not the inside handle 9 has been operated. If it is determined that the inside handle 9 has been operated, the seat ECU 20 proceeds to the next step S207, and if it is determined that the inside handle 9 has not been operated, the process is terminated.

In step S207, the seat ECU 20 determines whether there is a passenger on the seat device 10. If it is determined that there is a passenger, the seat ECU 20 determines that the passenger has an intention to get off. In other words, the seat ECU 20 predicts that the passenger will get off, proceeds to step S204, and outputs a door open signal to the smart ECU 43. In this case, in step S205, the seat ECU 20 issues a drive command to the left drive device 32a and the right drive device 32b in preparation for getting out of the person. If the seat ECU 20 determines in step S208 that there is no passenger, the seat ECU 20 ends the process.

[0030] As described in the above flowchart, the seat ECU 20 and the smart ECU 43 perform control in cooperation with each other. Hereinafter, specific operation examples of the seat device 10 and the smart entry system 40 according to these flowcharts will be described.

[0031] First, when the smart key 42 is outside the vehicle, if the person who has the smart key 42 is within the wireless communication range from the vehicle, the smart ECU 43 recognizes the smart key 42. Make a testimony. If the smart key 42 is authenticated as the correct key, the owner of the smart key 42 operates the outside handle 8 and if there is no passenger in the seat device 10, the door lock is released and The seat surface 11 and the right side support 13b are tilted.

Specifically, when the holder of the smart key 42 gets on the seat device 10 as the driver's seat, the right seat tilting mechanism 25b tilts the seat surface 11 toward the driver's seat door 7 in an urgent direction. The right-back mechanism 23b rotates the right-side support 13b toward the driver's seat door 7, that is, to be flat with respect to the seat knock 12. The right redder mechanism 24b rotates the right leg support 14b toward the driver's seat door 7, that is, to be flat with respect to the seat seat surface 11. The left seat tilt mechanism 25a, the left back mechanism 23a, and the left redder mechanism 24a operate in the same manner. As described above, as a result of the seat device 10 operating so as to welcome the passenger, the riding performance is improved.

[0033] On the other hand, if the passenger who has the smart key 42 is in the vehicle and the smart key 42 is authenticated, and the passenger operates the inside handle 9, the passenger is seated on the seat device 10. Then, the door lock is released and the seat seat surface 11 and the right side support 13b are tilted toward the driver's seat door 7. Accordingly, the dismounting property is also improved.

[0034] As described above, the seat ECU 20 controls the support structure such as the left redder support 14a for enhancing the holdability for the seat device 10 to hold the occupant when the occupant gets on or off the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat ECU 20 can also control the posture of the entire seat device 10 by controlling the left seat tilt mechanism 25a and the right seat tilt mechanism 25b in accordance with the person getting on or off.

In the foregoing, an example in which the seat device 10 is specifically designated as a driver's seat has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the seat device 10 of the present invention may be used in a passenger seat. The passenger seat door is adjacent to the left side of the seat device 10, for example. In this case, the left seat tilt mechanism 25a and the right seat tilt mechanism 25b operate to tilt the seat seat surface 11 toward the front passenger seat. The left side support 13a and the left redder support 14a are also controlled so as to open toward the passenger seat door.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment, the seat ECU2 indicates that a person has operated the outside handle 8. If 0 is detected in step S202 and the smart ECU 43 detects in step S101 that the smart key 42 exists within the predetermined range from the vehicle, the seat ECU 20 detects the seat seat surface 11 etc. Tilt toward door 7. Therefore, the seat ECU 20 tilts the seat surface 11 and the like even if the smart ECU 43 detects that the smart key 42 is detected and only detects that the person operates the outside handle 8. Moyo!

[0037] Similarly, when the passenger gets off the seat ECU 20, the inside handle 9 is operated regardless of whether or not the smart ECU 43 detects the presence of the smart key 42 in the passenger compartment. In this case, the seat surface 11 or the like may be tilted toward the driver's seat door 7.

In the above embodiment, the right driving device 32b tilts and controls all of the seat seat surface 11, the right side support 13b, and the right redder support 14b toward the driver seat door 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the right drive device 32b may perform tilt control on at least one of the seat seat surface 11 and the right redder support 14b toward the driver seat door 7.

Note that the seat ECU 20 is not limited to tilting both the left redder support 14a and the right redder support 14b toward the driver's seat door 7, but may tilt only the right side support 13b.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] a seat seat disposed on the floor of the vehicle;

A seat back rotatably supported on the seat seat surface;

A redder support provided on a side of the seat surface;

A boarding / alighting prediction unit that predicts boarding / exiting of human vehicles;

A seat device comprising: a tilting mechanism that tilts at least one of the seat seat surface and the redder support against a vehicle door when the boarding / prediction unit predicts boarding / exiting of a person.

[2] The seat device further includes a side support provided on a side portion of the seat back. When the getting-on / off prediction unit predicts a person to get on and off the vehicle, the tilt mechanism includes the seat seat surface and the redder support. 2. The seat device according to claim 1, wherein the side support is tilted by force toward the door.

3. The seat device according to claim 2, wherein the tilting mechanism includes a plurality of electric motors for driving the seat seat surface, the side support, and the redder support.

[4] The seat device further includes a load detection device that detects a load applied to the seat seat surface, and a tilt control by the tilt mechanism is performed in such a manner that a detection signal of the load detection device cooperates with an output signal of the getting on / off prediction unit. The sheet apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein:

[5] When the getting-on / off prediction unit predicts a person's boarding and the load detection device detects a load, the tilting mechanism is driven,

5. The seat device according to claim 4, wherein tilting control by the tilting mechanism is performed when the getting-on / off prediction unit predicts a person to get off and the load detection device detects a load.

6. The boarding / alighting prediction unit predicts a person's boarding by detecting that an outside handle provided outside the vehicle door is operated. The seat apparatus as described in.

[7] The seat device according to claim 6, wherein the seat device is incorporated in a vehicle including a smart entry system including a portable device carried by a person and a smart entry device mounted on the vehicle. The smart entry device wirelessly communicates with the portable device Based on that, unlock control or lock control of the vehicle door,

When the operation of the outside handle is detected and it is detected by the wireless communication that the portable device exists within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle outside the vehicle, the tilt control by the tilt mechanism is performed. Sheet device.

[8] The getting-on / off prediction unit predicts getting off of a person by detecting that an inside handle provided inside the vehicle door is operated. The seat device.

[9] The seat device according to claim 8, wherein the seat device is incorporated in a vehicle including a smart entry system including a portable device carried by a person and a smart entry device mounted on the vehicle. The smart entry device performs unlocking control or locking control of the vehicle door based on wireless communication with the portable device,

A seat device that performs tilt control by the tilt mechanism when an operation of the inside handle is detected and the presence of the portable device in a vehicle is detected by wireless communication.