Vehicular system capable of adjusting a passenger compartment from a child care arrangement to a second arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11731535-B2
Application number	US-202017092747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2020
Priority date	Nov 9, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A transportation system is disclosed. The transportation system includes a vehicle, a plurality of seating assemblies positioned within a passenger compartment of the vehicle and defining an arrangement, a plurality of actuators that effect movement of various components of the plurality of seating assemblies, a plurality of sensors, and a controller. Specific examples of pre-set or pre-programmed arrangements are disclosed, as well as the ability to customize the arrangement. Additionally, exemplary methods are disclosed that illustrate transitions between a variety of the pre-set or pre-programmed arrangements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a passenger compartment;
an access door that separates the passenger compartment from a vehicle-exterior environment, the access door being movable between an open position and a closed position;
a first seating assembly;
a second seating assembly positioned vehicle-rearward of the first seating assembly, the first and second seating assemblies each comprising:
a seatbase;
a seat having a first end and a second end, the seat being movably coupled to the seatbase at the second end of the seat such that the seat is movable between an upwardly-stowed position and a downwardly-deployed position;
a seat actuator that adjusts an angular position of the seat relative to the seatbase;
a seatback movably coupled to the seatbase proximate to the second end of the seat, a seating surface of the seat and the seatback being configured to receive an occupant;
a seatback actuator that adjusts an angular position of the seatback relative to the seatbase;
a swivel assembly coupled to the seatbase; and
a swivel actuator engaged with the swivel assembly such that the seatbase is rotatable about a central vertical axis with the seat in the downwardly-deployed position;

a controller that receives request signals from a user interface and transmits instruction signals to at least one component of at least one of the first seating assembly and the second seating assembly, the at least one component chosen from the seat actuator, the seatback actuator, and the swivel actuator, wherein the controller adjusts a seating arrangement from a first arrangement to a second arrangement in response to the transmitted instruction signals, and wherein the first arrangement is a child care arrangement.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the child care arrangement is defined as the seat of the second seating assembly being in the upwardly-stowed position and the first seating assembly being actuated from a forward region of the passenger compartment toward a central region of the passenger compartment such that the first and second seating assemblies are each positioned in the central region of the passenger compartment.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising:
a third seating assembly positioned vehicle-rearward of the first seating assembly and laterally adjacent to the second seating assembly.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second arrangement is a design arrangement with each of the first, second, and third seating assemblies oriented in a forward-facing direction.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a floor positioned in a lower region of the passenger compartment; and
a rail system positioned in the floor and extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second seating assemblies further comprises:
a translation actuator coupled to the seatbase and engaged with the rail system, the translation actuator being capable of adjusting a position of an associated one of the first and second seating assemblies along the rail system.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the second arrangement is a cargo arrangement, wherein the cargo arrangement is defined as the seats of the first and second seating assemblies being placed in the upwardly-stowed position, the cargo arrangement further defined as the first and second seating assemblies being positioned toward a forward region of the passenger compartment.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the controller actuates the first and second seating assemblies along the rail system in a vehicle-forward direction, and wherein the controller actuates the seat of the first seating assembly to the upwardly-stowed position.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the second arrangement is an ingress/egress arrangement, wherein the ingress/egress arrangement is defined as the seat of the second seating assembly being placed in the upwardly-stowed position, the ingress/egress arrangement further defined as the second seating assembly being positioned along the rail system toward a forward region of the passenger compartment.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controller actuates the first and second seating assemblies along the rail system in a vehicle-forward direction to accomplish the second arrangement.

11. A method of adjusting an arrangement of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing the vehicle with a first seating assembly, a second seating assembly, and a third seating assembly, the second seating assembly being positioned rearward of the first seating assembly, the third seating assembly being positioned rearward of the first seating assembly and laterally adjacent to the second seating assembly, the first, second, and third seating assemblies each comprising a seat and a seatback that define a seating surface configured to receive an occupant;
receiving a request from a user interface to transition the arrangement of the passenger compartment of the vehicle from a first arrangement to a second arrangement, wherein the first arrangement is a child care arrangement;
detecting a first current rail position of the first seating assembly along a rail system within the passenger compartment of the vehicle with a first rail sensor;
comparing the first current rail position of the first seating assembly with a first desired rail position and determining a first rail positional difference;
in response to the first rail positional difference, activating a first translation actuator of the first seating assembly to align the first seating assembly with the first desired rail position;
detecting a current seat position of the second seating assembly with a seat position sensor;
comparing the current seat position of the second seating assembly to a desired seat position and determining a seat positional difference;
in response to the seat positional difference, activating a seat actuator of the second seating assembly to align the seat of the second seating assembly with the desired seat position;
detecting a first current swivel position of the first seating assembly with a first swivel position sensor;
comparing the first current swivel position to a first desired swivel position and determining a first swivel positional difference; and
in response to the first swivel positional difference, activating a first swivel actuator of the first seating assembly to align the first seating assembly with the first desired swivel position about a central vertical axis of a seat of the first seating assembly, wherein the arrangement of the passenger compartment is arranged in the child care arrangement for an idle time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the child care arrangement is defined as the seat of the second seating assembly being in an upwardly-stowed position and the first seating assembly being actuated from a forward region of the passenger compartment toward a central region of the passenger compartment such that the first and second seating assemblies are each positioned in the central region of the passenger compartment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the child care arrangement is further defined as the first seating assembly being rotated about the central vertical axis toward the third seating assembly.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of activating a first translation actuator of the first seating assembly to align the first seating assembly with the first desired rail position comprises actuating the first seating assembly to the forward region of the passenger compartment.

15. The method of

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kondrad Marcos Silva
• Maloney Patrick
• Mozurkewich Kevin
• Line Johnathan Andrew
• West Sean Bayle

Classifications

• B60N2/0252 Primary

  with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat · CPC title

• B60N2220/10

  using a database · CPC title

• B60N2/0248

  with memory of positions · CPC title

• B60N2/267

  alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children · CPC title

• B60J5/04

  arranged at the vehicle sides {(panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428)} · CPC title