Longitudinal seat adjustment device, method for adjusting a seat, and motor vehicle with the same longitudinal seat adjustment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017559-B2
Application number	US-202117536470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2021
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ), comprising a rail ( 10 ) running along a longitudinal axis (X), a slide ( 20 ) with an electric drive device ( 40 ), by means of which the slide can be moved along the longitudinal axis (X) of the rail ( 10 ), and a first control unit ( 15 ) and a second control unit ( 25 ), wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) is fixedly connected to the rail ( 10 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) is arranged on the slide ( 20 ), wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) are connected via an electrical conductor ( 50 ) which can be energized by a voltage source ( 4 ) with a supply voltage (S 1 ), wherein the second control unit ( 25 ) can control the drive device ( 40 ), and wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) communicate via a communication signal (S 2 ) that can be modulated to the supply voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ), comprising:
a rail ( 10 ) running along a longitudinal axis (X);
a slide ( 20 ) with an electric drive device ( 40 ) through which the slide can be moved along the longitudinal axis (X) of the rail ( 10 ); and
a first control unit ( 15 ) and a second control unit ( 25 ),
wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) is arranged immovably with respect to the rail ( 10 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) is arranged on the slide ( 20 ),
wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) are connected via an electrical conductor ( 50 ) which is energized by a voltage source ( 4 ) with a supply voltage (S 1 ) such that the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) are each directly powered by voltage source ( 4 ),
wherein the second control unit ( 25 ) is configured to control the drive device ( 40 ), and
wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) communicate via a communication signal (S 2 ) that is modulated over the supply voltage.

2. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the rail ( 10 ) has at least one propulsion means ( 12 ) which can cooperate with the drive device ( 40 ) in order to generate propulsion in the longitudinal axis (X).

3. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one propulsion means ( 12 ) is embedded in a receptacle ( 11 ).

4. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , characterized in that the driving means ( 12 ) include at least one toothed rack ( 13 ), and in that the drive device ( 40 ) has at least two propulsion elements ( 42 ), which can be successively inserted into and expelled from the toothed rack ( 13 ), in order to generate propulsion in the longitudinal axis (X).

5. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one conductor ( 50 ) comprises at least one conductor rail ( 52 ) formed in the longitudinal axis (X) of the rail ( 10 ) and a gliding or sliding contact ( 54 ) formed on the slide ( 20 ), which are in electrical operative connection.

6. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that the conductor rail ( 52 ) is arranged in the longitudinal axis X on the rail ( 10 ), in particular adjacent to the toothed rack ( 13 ).

7. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the supply voltage is a direct current.

8. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the modulated communication signal (S 2 ) is a frequency and/or phase modulated signal.

9. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first control unit ( 15 ) has an interface for receiving control commands.

10. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first control unit ( 15 ) is a master control unit.

11. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second control unit ( 25 ) comprises at least one slave control unit for the drive device ( 40 ).

12. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second control unit ( 25 ) has at least one second slave control unit for lumbar support adjustment, seat height adjustment, backrest adjustment, seat heating, and/or a massage device.

13. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second control unit ( 25 ) transmits sensor signals to the first control unit ( 15 ).

14. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the drive device ( 40 ) has an encoder ( 46 ), and in that, by means of the encoder ( 46 ), the position of the slide ( 20 ) is determined on the rail ( 10 ) in the longitudinal axis (X), and/or in that the position of the slide ( 20 ) is detected on the rail ( 10 ) in the longitudinal axis (X) by means of a runtime measurement of the communication signal (S 2 ).

15. A method for operating a longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ), comprising:
providing a rail ( 10 ) running along a longitudinal axis (X);
providing a slide ( 20 ) with an electric drive device ( 40 ) through which the slide can be moved along the longitudinal axis (X) of the rail ( 10 ); and
providing a first control unit ( 15 ) and a second control unit ( 25 ), wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) is arranged immovably with respect to the rail ( 10 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) is arranged on the slide ( 20 ), wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) are connected via an electrical conductor ( 50 ) which is energized by a voltage source ( 4 ) with a supply voltage (S 1 ) such that the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) are each directly powered by voltage source ( 4 ), wherein the second control unit ( 25 ) can control the drive device ( 40 ), and wherein the first control unit ( 15 ) and the second control unit ( 25 ) communicate via a communication signal (S 2 ) that is modulated over the supply voltage;
receiving a control signal (S) by the first control unit ( 15 );
modulating the control signal (S) as a communication signal (S 2 ) to the supply voltage (S 1 );
receiving and demodulating the communication signal (S 2 ) by the second control unit ( 25 ); and
replacing the control signal (S) by controlling the drive device ( 40 ) for the displacement of the slide ( 20 ) in the longitudinal axis (X) of the rail ( 10 ) by the second control unit ( 25 ) with the supply voltage.

16. The method according to claim 15 , characterized in that a position of the slide ( 20 ) in the longitudinal axis (X) on the rail ( 10 ) is detected on the basis of a signal transit time of the modulated control signal (S 1 ).

17. The longitudinal seat adjustment device ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the control commands are received from an electronic control unit via a controller area network bus or a local interconnect network bus.

Assignees

• Ims Gear Se & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Werschler Marco
• Teichmann Robin
• Mittelbach Marcel
• Zahn Patrick

Classifications

• B60N2/06 Primary

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/0244 Primary

  with logic circuits · CPC title

• B60N2/0722

  Constructive details · CPC title

• B60N2/0264

  characterised by the type of electrical connection, e.g. wiring, plugs or USB · CPC title

• B60N2/02258

  characterised by the mounting of the electric motor for adjusting the seat · CPC title