Device for reducing kinetosis-related disorders of an occupant during driving mode of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685294-B2
Application number	US-201917289895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2018
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A device for reducing kinetosis-related disorders of an occupant of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat with a headrest. A seat belt is assigned to the vehicle seat which is configured to increase a connection of the occupant to the vehicle seat before an onset of an acceleration. An actuator system is coupled to the headrest which is configured to move the headrest automatically, at least in sections, counter to an expected direction of an acceleration of a head of the occupant before the onset of the acceleration. The seat belt is tightenable by a reversible belt tensioner before the onset of the acceleration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device that reduces kinetosis-related disorders of an occupant of a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle seat with a headrest;
a seat belt assigned to the vehicle seat which is configured to increase a connection of the occupant to the vehicle seat before an onset of an acceleration;
an actuator system coupled to the headrest which is configured to move the headrest automatically, at least in sections, counter to an expected direction of an acceleration that will act on a head of the occupant before the onset of the acceleration which reduces the kinetosis-related disorders of the occupant of the vehicle, wherein the acceleration that will act on the head of the occupant and will cause the kinetosis-related disorders of the occupant of the vehicle is determined on a basis of a future trajectory of the vehicle; and
a reversible belt tensioner, wherein the seat belt is tightenable by the reversible belt tensioner before the onset of the acceleration;
wherein the actuator system is configured to move the headrest automatically counter to the expected direction of the acceleration in a lateral direction and in a longitudinal direction.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a seat frame of the vehicle seat is rotatably mounted at least in sections around a transverse axis of the vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle seat is coupled to a torque motor and/or a linear drive with transmission, wherein the torque motor and/or the linear drive with transmission are configured for an at least sectional rotation of the vehicle seat around the transverse axis.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a seat frame of the vehicle seat is rotatably mounted at least in sections about a vertical axis of the vehicle by a rotary plate.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat has a seat back and a vertically displaceable shoulder clamp which is extendible from the seat back for connecting at least an upper body of the occupant to the vehicle seat.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the shoulder clamp has a padding and wherein a vibration motor and/or an air cushion are integrated in the padding.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat has a seat back, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a flat fabric which is pullable out of the first side panel, wherein a first end of the flat fabric is fastened inside the first side panel and a second end of the flat fabric is connectable to the second side panel.

8. A vehicle, comprising:
the device according to claim 1 .

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the future trajectory of the vehicle is determined by map data.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the future trajectory of the vehicle is determined by signals detected by a radar-based detector or by a lidar-based detector or by an ultrasound-based detector.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the future trajectory of the vehicle is determined by camera information.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the acceleration that will act on the head of the occupant is additionally determined on the basis of an algorithm that is based on a biomechanical model which determines dynamics of the head of the occupant via an input variable and wherein the input variable is a body position in space of the occupant or individual anthropometric data of the occupant.

Assignees

• Daimler Ag
• Mercedes Benz Group Ag

Inventors

• Bohrmann Dominique

Classifications

• B60N2/976

  massaging systems · CPC title

• B60N2/806

  movable or adjustable · CPC title

• B60N2/0232

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/10 Primary

  tiltable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2875} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R22/34

  Belt retractors, e.g. reels (anchoring devices {, e.g. guide loops} , with means to tension the belt in an emergency B60R22/195) · CPC title