WO2012082052A1

WO2012082052A1 - System and device for control of vehicle seats

Info

Publication number: WO2012082052A1
Application number: PCT/SE2011/051471
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Sundell; Kristin Gahm; Michael Lundin; Ted Elman
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2010-12-14
Filing date: 2011-12-02
Publication date: 2012-06-21
Also published as: BR112013013694A2; EP2651691A1; SE535896C2; SE1051314A1; CN103260941A; EP2651691A4

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (10) for movement of an electrically adjustable vehicle seat (1), particularly intended for a commercial vehicle preferably provided with a bunk or passenger seat situated in the rear of a cab, comprising at least one seat (1) movable in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, which movement is effected by one or more electric motors(12a-e), and an operating means (2) for controlling the seat's electric motors (12a-e) in order to reach various desired setting positions. The invention is achieved by at least one further one (2), in addition to the ordinary operating means, being so situated as to be easy to reach from the cab's interior/rear space, and by the system (10) being adapted, upon activation of the operating means (2), to moving at least one of the vehicle's seats (1) to a desired position.

Description

SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF VEHICLE SEATS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system and a device for making it easy for a vehicle seat to be moved to a desired position, e.g. a rear position, in order to facilitate entry to and exit from the vehicle. The invention relates also to a function for easily being able to adjust the vehicle's driving and passenger seats to a desired position, e.g. a forward position, so that the space in the cab behind them is

maximised. The invention relates to operating means so arranged as to be easy to reach from different locations in the cab, particularly for a user who is in the space behind the seats. The invention is particularly intended for cabs of commercial vehicles which have at least one bunk or passenger seat situated in the rear of the cab and have electrically adjustable front seats. The invention relates also to a vehicle provided with a system or vehicle seat according to the invention.

STATE OF THE ART

The great majority of vehicles today are equipped with driving and passenger seats which can be moved in the vehicle's longitudinal direction so that the legroom in front of them can be adapted to the physical stature of the driver or the passengers.

In a commercial vehicle such as a truck which has a rear space for a bunk or a passenger seat it is desirable to have an easy way of moving one or both of the front seats in the cab to make it easier for the driver or passengers to pass in front of them when entering or leaving the vehicle, and to create more room in the rear space when it is for example to be used for resting or spending the night.

It is usual for the seats in a vehicle to be settable

mechanically, to which end they are provided inter alia with a mechanical release device so that they can be moved forwards or rearwards when a pedal or lever, often situated at the forward lower edge of the seat, is activated, e.g. by being pressed. This function makes it possible for the seat to be moved quickly in the vehicle's longitudinal direction by the user pushing the seat forwards or rearwards manually, e.g. by use of leg power. The seat is then fixed in the desired new position.

In commercial vehicles such as a truck with sleeping space at the rear of the cab, exit from the rear space of the cab is made possible or easier by the front seats being pushed rearwards to an extreme rear position so that the space in front of them is maximised. Conversely, pushing the seat to an extreme forward position creates more room in the rear space, which is desirable in that this space would otherwise be limited by the seats being in their rearward normal travel position.

It is becoming increasingly common for movement of the seats to be effected electrically by means of one or more electric motors fitted in the respective seat to move it, often via a mechanical gear, when the user activates an operating control, e.g. an electrical switch, usually situated on a door side of the seat so that it can be reached from outside when the user opens the door. In the case of cars, there is a prior art function for

facilitating access to the rear seat, e.g. in cars with two doors. This function, sometimes called "easy access", involves pressing a button and thereby causing the driving seat to move forward to make it easier for a person to pass behind it in order to reach the rear seat. To this end, an extra circuit-breaker is so situated that it can be reached when the user is still outside the vehicle. The button has to be kept pressed for the whole period of movement of the seat, and the speed of its movement is the same as in normal longitudinal adjustment and is limited by the nominal speed and gearing of the electric motors. This function does not have the object of making room in front of the seats to make it easier to leave the rear space.

Conventional configurations of electrically adjustable vehicle seats do not allow a mechanical release device to be used with a view to rapid movement of the seat, since the electric motor which moves the seat is directly and permanently connected to the seat's mechanical movement mechanism, usually via a gear. A mechanical release device is difficult to provide in terms of existing safety requirements, cost and the limited space available in and adjacent to seats in today's densely packed and compact vehicles. It is nevertheless extremely desirable to propose a solution to this problem and to make it easier to effect a preferably rapid movement even of electrically adjustable vehicle seats to a desired position in order not only to facilitate departure from the vehicle but also

alternatively to create room in the rear of the cab.

Normal operating means for electrically adjustable vehicle seats are usually situated beside the front seats, on their door side, and can be reached when the door is opened. This makes it difficult or impossible to reach these operating buttons from the rear space in, for example, a vehicle cab without the user having to stretch across or sit on the seat, which is a significant disadvantage and not ergonomically optimum when he/she is in the cab's rear space.

Various solutions have been proposed for effecting movement of vehicle seats for entry and exit purposes.

DE19916091 describes for example a mechanical mechanism which is activated from the driving seat and thereupon moves the seat rearwards and the steering wheel upwards. The object is to make it easier for the driver to leave the vehicle from the driving seat. The mechanism is not intended for electrically adjustable seats.

US6273494 describes a solution with signals transmitted by radio whereby the system monitors a person about to enter the vehicle and on that basis determines the position of the seat and then moves it in such a way as to facilitate entry. The invention does not describe any form of rapid movement for seats with electrical adjustment, nor does it have any fixed control which is easy to reach from, for example, a cab's rear space . US6401021 and US6460934 describes seat adjustment devices which automatically move the seat to a predetermined position when the seat /backrest is tilted forwards, i.e. when a

passenger wishes to reach or leave the vehicle's rear seat. The device is not appropriate to a truck in which the cab' s rear space is usually reached by passing in front of and between the seats.

The state of the art in this field thus does not solve the problem of being able easily from the vehicle's rear space to effect movement of electrically adjustable vehicle seats so as to facilitate entry and exit in front of the driving and passenger seats and also to make it possible to maximise the rear space adjacent to the bunk.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to solve the above problem and propose a system and a device for control of electrically adjustable vehicle seats so as to achieve greater user

convenience and make it possible for one or more seats to be moved to a position which makes it easier for occupants to pass in front of the driving or passenger seat, particularly when leaving the cab from the rear space, i.e. via the

vehicle's front seats and doors, while at the same time making it easier to create maximum room adjacent to the bunk for the purpose of resting or spending the night in the cab' s rear space . Another object of the invention is that it should be easy for the movement of the seats to be initiated irrespective of whether the driver or passenger is on one of the

ordinary/front seats or in the cab's rear space. A further object of the invention is that it should be

possible for the seat movement to take place quickly.

A further object is that the system should entail no

mechanical reconfiguration of existing seats and that it should be possible for seat position changes to be effected by existing electric motors.

A further object of the invention is that it should be

possible for various desired seat positions to be stored in a memory and for automatic return to original position, e.g. "travel position", to be effected by activating a specific operating button. A further object of the invention is that the configuration should be functional, safe, cost-effective and easy to

manufacture, fit and maintain.

These and further objects and advantages are achieved

according to the invention by a system, a device and a vehicle defined by the features indicated in the characterising parts of the attached independent claims.

The invention is thus particularly intended for vehicle cabs provided with a rear space usually intended to be used for resting or the like, with at least one bunk or passenger seat situated in the rear of the cab, such that for resting

purposes there is a need to be able to easily and/or quickly move the driving seat and/or the passenger seat to an extreme forward position in order to make room adjacent to the bunk, and that for the purposes of leaving the cab the driving seat and/or the passenger seat should be easy and simple and/or quick to move to an extreme rear position in order to create more room in front of one or both of the seats, i.e. between the seats and the vehicle's instrument panel. The rapid movement is achieved by the electric motors in the seats being capable of running at at least two different speeds, viz. a normal speed for normal adjustment and a fast speed for rapid movement .

When the vehicle is in motion, i.e. when no-one is using the bunk in the cab's rear space, it is desirable that the

electrically adjustable seats should function in a normal way, i.e. that their positions in the longitudinal direction and the settings in other respects for the seat and the backrest can be regulated in a usual way, e.g. via the normal operating means situated normally at the door side of the seats. The invention is achieved by at least one further operating means or set of operating buttons being so situated as to be easily reachable by a person who is in the cab's rear space. These further operating means may for example be situated with advantage on or beside the backrest of the driving or the passenger seat, preferably in the region of the backrest which is near to the middle of the cab, but they may also be

situated in some other way relative to the seats, e.g. on the sitting portion or the arm rest on the side of the seat which faces in toward the cab, or adjacent to, in front of or in the lower edge of the bunk. The reason for needing a further control is that the control usually provided should face towards the door side so that the seat is easy to adjust when the user wishes to enter the cab. Providing a further control in the right way makes it easy to reach from the rear portion of the cab, with consequently substantially greater

convenience for the user in enabling him/her to quickly and easily reach the control and move the seat by pressing a button as compared with stretching across the seat, trying to press, for example, a mechanical pedal or lever at the lower forward portion of the seat and pushing the seat manually to a desired extreme position, or trying to reach the electrical operating means at the lower/outer side of the seat.

The movement/change of position of the seats is achieved by means of the electric motors provided in a known way in the seat. Desired stop positions and desired extreme positions for the seat may be determined by using the operating means and be stored in a memory in the seat's control unit. The system may also be so arranged that, for example, a rapid brief pressure on an operating means causes the seat to move all the way to the extreme forward or rear position, whereas continuous activation of the operating means will cause the seat to only move while the operating means is activated, i.e. pressed .

The advantages of the solution according to the invention are that it entails no reconfiguration of the seat's existing mechanical parts. This makes the novel solution easier, quicker and less expensive to implement. The operating means according to the invention also makes it possible to effect adjustment of other settings of the seat than merely its length adjustment in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, e.g. the angle of inclination of the backrest.

Further advantages of the invention are that it is possible to use personal settings for the seat and that it is also

possible to return the seat to the position in which it was immediately before the rapid movement was initiated, or to a desired personal travel position, something which for example is not possible in a purely mechanical seat solution. It is also possible to integrate this control solution with an electrically adjusted steering wheel etc.

Further features and advantages of the invention are indicated by the more detailed description of it set out below and the attached drawings and other claims. BRIEF LIST OF DRAWINGS

The invention is described below in more detail in the form of some preferred embodiment examples with reference to the attached drawings . Figure 1 depicts a side view obliquely from behind of a vehicle seat provided with a further operating means according to the invention with various operating buttons for setting at least one position of the seat.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a control system according to the invention for moving and adjusting the seat. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the various steps effected

according to the invention upon activation of the operating means .

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 depicts a side view obliquely from behind of a vehicle seat 1 provided with a further operating means 2, comprising various operating buttons, for regulating the setting position of the seat. The operating means 2 is situated on or adjacent to the seat 1 in such a way as to be easy to reach from the cab's rear space, e.g. from the bunk or passenger seat usually situated there (not depicted) . In the diagram the operating means is situated on the backrest 3 of the driving seat, more specifically on the upper right side 4 of the backrest. The operating means 2 may of course also be situated otherwise in relation to the backrest, e.g. on the rear of the backrest or of the head restraint 5 or at the bottom of the side of the seat (not depicted) . The operating means 2 comprises in the embodiment example depicted four different operating buttons 6a-d provided with different symbols. When activated, a first operating button 6a is for moving the seat rearwards. A second operating button 6b is for moving the seat forwards. Briefly pressing these buttons 6a, b causes the seat to move to a predetermined forward or rear position depending on which button 6a, b is activated. The position may preferably be either of the particular seat's extreme positions. If either of the buttons 6a, b is instead kept pressed, the seat 1 will continue to move until the button is released. When activated, a third operating button 6c is adapted to initiating return movement of the seat to the original position, i.e. to the position in which the seat was before the movement was initiated. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the control system for moving and adjusting the position of a driving and/or passenger seat 1 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and/or for other possible seat settings, e.g. angled or height positions of the sitting portion 7 of the seat or its backrest 3.

The control system 10 consists mainly of two seat control units 11, viz. a control unit 11a for the driving seat and a control unit lib for the passenger seat, to control the various actuators, usually electric motors, situated

respectively in the driving seat and the passenger seat (not depicted) . In an embodiment, at least some of the electric motors are adapted to being able to rotate at two different speeds, viz. a higher speed and a lower speed. The control unit 11a for the driving seat controls the electric motors 12a-e connected to this unit on the basis of input signals from associated sensors 13 and other system components such as the further and ordinary operating means 2,14a. In a further second embodiment, the control unit 11a for the driving seat is adapted to causing the passenger seat's control unit lib to control its electric motors 15a-d in coordination with the driving seat's electric motors 12a-e, e.g. in order to make it easier for occupants to pass in front of the seats or in order to create more room behind the seats for the purposes of resting/spending the night, or in order to change the backrest to a table function.

In a further embodiment, the control unit lib for the

passenger seat controls the seat's electric motors 15a-d in a similar way on the basis of input signals from connected system components, e.g. an ordinary and a further operating means 14b, 16 for the seat, and may also cause the driving seat's control unit 11a to control its electric motors 12a-e in a coordinated way so as, for example, to make it easier for occupants to pass, or to create more space adjacent to the bunk or change the backrest 3 to a table function.

The respective control units 11a for the driving seat and lib for the passenger seat exchange information and control signals via a connection 17 set up between them, e.g. in the form of a data bus.

In the block diagram, two operating means 2, 14a, 14b, 16 or sets of operating buttons are provided at each vehicle seat, comprising a "rapid movement operating means" 2,16 and an ordinary "seat settings operating means" 14a, b. In practice it may for example be sufficient that the driving seat be equipped with two operating means but the passenger seat with only one operating means for seat settings. It is preferable that each operating means be configured to be able to activate rapid movement of one or both of the seats and that the "rapid movement operating means" be easy to reach from the cab' s rear space .

An embodiment of the invention comprises also a wireless remote control 18 which can control the control units of the seats from both inside and outside the cab. The remote control 18 communicates with the control unit 11a via a transmitter 19 and receiver 20. The remote control 18 may be used to control substantially the same functions as those controlled via any of the operating means. The ordinary operating means for seat settings are situated at the entrance to the cab, in the form of a keypad (button set) situated on or beside the respective seat, on its door side, are easy to reach and operate whether before the user enters the cab or when he/she is already sitting on the seat, and are used during normal adjustment of the various portions of the seat. Operating buttons for rapid movement of the seat may also be incorporated in this keypad.

The system for adjusting the seats is also connected to the vehicle's overall control system 21, which supplies various forms of information and control signals. Information

relevant to the seat system comprises for example whether the parking brake is activated, whether the vehicle is in motion, i.e. has a speed greater than zero, etc. Such information is used for example to decide whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary, and rapid movement of the seat cannot be activated when the parking brake is not activated.

A first actuator in the form of a seat adjustment motor 12a is adapted to moving the driving seat in the vehicle's

longitudinal direction. The seat adjustment motor 12a is for example an electric motor arranged to be able to run extra fast when rapid movement is activated to accelerate the movement of the seat to a predetermined position. When the seat reaches the desired position, this is detected by the control unit 11a, e.g. via a sensor 13.

A further seat adjustment motor 12b is provided to alter the angle of inclination of the driving seat. The motor 12b is likewise arranged to be able to run extra fast when rapid movement is activated to accelerate the movement of the backrest to a predetermined position. When the backrest 3 reaches the predetermined position, this is detected by a sensor 13, and the fact that the position has been reached is fed back to the control unit 11a.

A further seat adjustment motor 12c is provided to tilt the seat's backrest 3 all the way down to enable it to serve as a table. The motor 12c is arranged to be able to run extra fast when rapid movement is activated to accelerate the backrest's movement to its predetermined position. When the backrest 3 reaches that position, this is detected by a sensor 13, and the fact that the position has been reached is fed back to the control unit 11a.

A steering wheel adjustment motor 12d is provided to adapt the position of the vehicle's steering wheel (not depicted), e.g. to angle it upwards to make it easier for a person to pass in front of the seat 1 or to make it possible to place the seat at an angle to create more room for resting/spending the night. When the steering wheel and/or the seat have reached their respective predetermined positions, this is detected by a sensor 13 and the change of position is fed back to the control unit 11a.

A bunk control motor 12e effects adjustment of the vehicle's bunk (not depicted), e.g. raising/lowering it, to further increase the floor area adjacent to the bunk and thereby facilitate occupant movements. It is also possible to

initiate retraction of the bunk towards the cab' s rear wall in order to further maximise the space behind the seats 1. The bunk control motor 12e may of course also be used when

deploying or lowering the bunk to a rest or sleep position. In the same way, seat adjustment motors 15a-c are provided to regulate similar functions of the passenger seat, but a further seat adjustment motor 15d is provided in the passenger seat to rotate the seat so as to make more room for a person to pass, or to create maximum room for resting/spending the night, or to place the seat in a convenient position. It is also possible to tilt the backrest all the way down for table function. The seat adjustment motor 15d is arranged to be able to run extra fast when rapid movement is activated to accelerate the setting. When the seat reaches the

predetermined position, this is detected by a sensor (not depicted) and the position is then fed back to the control unit lib.

An alarm unit 22 is provided to deliver an acoustic and/or lamp signal when a fault occurs in the control unit 10 and/or when a desired position for the seat, the backrest or the steering wheel is reached.

A sensor 13 may also be provided in the seat's sitting portion 7 to detect whether someone is sitting on it. Activation of this sensor may initiate the seat's automatic return to a predetermined travel position. Activation of the sensor 13 may also cause the system 10 to halt rapid forward movement of the seat 1 which is already in progress when there is risk of trapping a person sitting on it.

A memory operating button 6d is provided to, when activated, store in a memory 23 of the control system a desired seat position applicable at the time. This may for example be a desired sleep position in which the seat is pushed forward and its backrest is inclined somewhat forwards. Figure 3 is a simple flowchart of how the system according to the invention works step by step. When an operating button for movement is activated manually 30, the system starts up 31 and does a first check 32 that the seat can be moved safely, e.g. that the vehicle is not in motion and that the parking brake is activated. If these criteria are fulfilled, it is considered that movement of the seat can be effected safely, otherwise the system stops further activity. The next step is a check on which function is required 33, i.e. which button in any of the vehicle's keypads has been activated. If an operating button for occupant departure is activated, one or both of the seats is moved rearwards from its current position 34, e.g. from the travel position or from a pushed-forward "sleep position", and the backrest is raised up if it had been lowered. If the "sleep position" button is activated, the seat is moved forwards 35 and the backrest is lowered, to create maximum room adjacent to the bunk. If the travel position button is activated, the seat is moved back from its current position to the latest known setting 36, e.g. the travel position, or some other predetermined position stored in the memory (not depicted) . Thereafter the system stops further activity 37 and reverts to standby pending further button activation. The above description is primarily intended to facilitate comprehension of the invention and is of course not restricted to the embodiments indicated, since other variants of the invention are also possible and conceivable within the scope of the inventive concept and the protective scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. A system (10) for movement of an electrically adjustable vehicle seat (1), preferably intended for a commercial vehicle provided with at least one bunk or passenger seat situated in the rear of the vehicle's cab, comprising at least one seat (1) movable in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, which movement is effected by one or more electric motors (12a-e), and an operating means (14a, b) for controlling the seat's electric motors (12a-e) in order to reach various desired setting positions,

characterised

- in that at least one further operating means (2) is so situated as to be easy to reach from the cab's interior/rear space,

- that the system (10) is adapted, upon activation of the operating means (2), to moving at least one of the vehicle's seats (1) to a desired position, and

- that the system (10) is adapted to making it easier for persons to pass in front of the seat (1) when entering and leaving the vehicle's cab.

2. A system (10) according to claim 1,

characterised

in that the operating means (2) is situated substantially centrally in the vehicle's interior space, on or in close proximity to the driving seat (1) and/or the passenger seat.

3. A system (10) according to claim 1 or 2,

characterised

in that the operating means (2) is situated on or in close proximity to the backrest (3) of the driving seat (1), preferably at the portion of the backrest (3) which faces towards the middle of the cab.

4. A system (10) according to any one of claims 1-3,

characterised

in that the operating means (2) comprises at least one, but preferably several, operating buttons (6a-d).

5. A system (10) according to claim 1 or 4,

characterised

in that the operating means (2) is situated on or adjacent to a bunk or rear passenger seat situated in the vehicle.

6. A system (10) according to any one of claims 1-4,

characterised

in that at least the driving seat (1) has at least two

operating means (2,14a) for controlling the position settings and movements of the seat (1) . [OPENING PARENTHESIS MISSING IN FRONT OF "2,14a)"]

7. A system (10) according to any one of the foregoing claims ,

characterised

in that at least one of the electric motors (12a-e) of the vehicle seat (1) is arranged to be able to run at at least two different speeds.

8. A system (10) according to any one of the foregoing claims ,

characterised

in that upon activation of the operating means (2) at least one of the vehicle seats (1) is moved quickly to a desired forward or rear position.

9. A system (10) according to any one of the foregoing claims ,

characterised

in that a memory (23) is provided to store predetermined setting positions for one or both of the vehicle seats (1) .

10. A vehicle seat (1) whose movements are effected by one or more electric motors (12a-e), comprising an operating means (14a, b) for control of the electric motors (12a-e) of the seat (1) in order to reach various desired setting positions for the seat ( 1 ) ,

characterised

in that at least one further operating means (2) is situated on the seat (1) in such a way as to be easy to reach from the cab's interior/rear space.

11. A vehicle seat (1) according to claim 10,

characterised

in that the operating means (2) is situated on or in close proximity to the backrest (3) of the vehicle seat (1), preferably at the side of the backrest (3) which faces towards the middle of the cab.

12. A vehicle provided with a system for control of the setting position for an electrically adjustable vehicle seat (1) according to any one of claims 1-8 or a vehicle seat (1) according to either of claims 10 and 11.