Vehicle seat having a device for level regulation and level stabilization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987156-B2
Application number	US-202117172632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 13, 2020
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A device for level regulation and level stabilization of a vehicle seat upper part. The device includes an air spring that spring loads a movement of the vehicle seat lower part and of the vehicle seat upper part relative to one another, the vehicle seat lower part and the vehicle seat upper part are arranged in a non-deflected state at a predeterminable distance from one another. The air spring is fluidically connected to a working volume of an additional volume module. A control unit decreases the volume of the working volume in the event of an increase in the distance and increases the volume of the working volume in the event of a decrease in the distance such that the pressure in the air spring can be changed such that the distance between the vehicle seat upper part and a reference surface is substantially unchanged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising a vehicle seat upper part on which a mass can be arranged, a vehicle seat lower part, and a device for level regulation and level stabilization of the vehicle seat upper part, the device having an air spring that spring loads a movement of the vehicle seat lower part and of the vehicle seat upper part relative to one another, wherein
the vehicle seat lower part and the vehicle seat upper part are arranged in a non-deflected state at a predeterminable first distance from one another and the air spring is fluidically connected to a volume of a working volume of an additional volume module via a first fluid connection,
wherein
the vehicle seat has a control unit, wherein the control unit decreases the volume of the working volume in the event of an increase in the first distance due to the relative movement such that a pressure in the air spring is adapted such that a second distance between the vehicle seat upper part and a reference surface that does not change in position is substantially unchanged, and to increase the volume of the working volume in the event of a decrease in the first distance due to the relative movement such that the pressure in the air spring is adapted such that the second distance between the vehicle seat upper part and the reference surface that does not change in position is substantially unchanged.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is arranged on or in the additional volume module.

3. The vehicle seat according to either claim 1 , wherein the device has a detection unit which is designed and provided to detect the change in the distance, the control unit being connected for signalling to the detection unit and changing the volume of the working volume depending on the detected change in the distance.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the device has a compressor unit which is designed and provided to fill the air spring and the working volume with a fluid so that a specific pressure prevails within the air spring, whereby the first distance is predetermined.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4 , wherein the additional volume module further has a support volume which is connected to the working volume for force support during a change in volume of the working volume by means of the control unit.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein the support volume is fluidically connected to the working volume during the filling of the air spring with fluid by the compressor unit by means of an open valve and otherwise are fluidically disconnected from the working volume.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein the detection unit has a first sensor arranged on the vehicle seat upper part, a second sensor arranged on the vehicle seat lower part, and a third sensor for determining a position of the vehicle seat upper part relative to the vehicle seat lower part.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the device has a linear drive which is provided and designed to change the volume of the working volume.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8 , wherein the linear drive is at least one selected from the group comprising a spindle-nut combination, a toothed rack, a conversion gear, a direct drive, a link guide and a deformation apparatus.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the working volume is designed as an air spring having a rolling bellows, as a bellows spring, as an air cylinder or as an air motor.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein the support volume is designed as an air spring having a rolling bellows, as a bellows spring, as an air cylinder or as an air motor.

12. A method for level regulation and level stabilization of a vehicle seat upper part of a vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat has an upper vehicle seat upper part which can be displaced by an air spring relative to a vehicle seat lower part, wherein the air spring is fluidically connected to a working volume of an additional volume module and a pressure in the air spring is changed by the working volume, comprising the method steps:
a) occupying the vehicle seat upper part with a mass;
b) setting a first distance between the vehicle seat lower part and the vehicle seat upper part by filling the working volume and the air spring by a compressor with a required amount of fluid and deactivating the compressor after the filling process;
c) detecting a change in the first distance due to a movement of the vehicle seat lower part and the vehicle seat upper part relative to one another;
d) changing the pressure in the air spring by changing a volume of the working volume, wherein in the event of an increase in the first distance due to the relative movement, the volume of the working volume is decreased, and in the event of a decrease in the first distance due to the relative movement, the volume of the working volume is increased, so that the pressure in the air spring is adapted such that a second distance between the vehicle seat upper part and a reference surface that does not change in position is substantially unchanged.

Assignees

• Grammer Ag

Inventors

• Lorey Konstantin
• Krivenkov Konstantin
• Haller Erwin

Classifications

• B60N2/501 Primary

  actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control · CPC title

• B60N2/505

  Adjustable suspension including height adjustment · CPC title

• B60N2/508

  Scissors-like structure · CPC title

• B60N2/525

  using gas · CPC title

• B60N2/162 Primary

  Scissors-like structure · CPC title