Adjustable Vehicle Seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019255972-A1
Application number	US-201916400105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 1, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An adjustable vehicle seat includes a seat base having a seat surface and a backrest having a backrest surface. In the seat base and/or in the backrest, sensors are provided that detect forces, pressures and/or movements effected by a person sitting on the vehicle seat and consequently issue a signal. A control device is provided that detects the signals issued by the sensors and actuates actuators provided in the vehicle seat to adjust the seat base and/or backrest, or components thereof, in order to adjust the vehicle seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An adjustable vehicle seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat base; a backrest having a backrest surface; sensors provided in the seat base and/or in the backrest, which sensors detect forces, pressures and/or movements exerted by a person seated on the vehicle seat and then output a signal; actuators provided in the vehicle seat for adjusting the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof; and a control device configured to detect the signals output by the sensors and actuates said actuators provided in the vehicle seat for adjusting the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof in order to adjust the vehicle seat.

2 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the control device is further configured such that, upon detecting an input variable by way of at least one of the sensors in a region of the vehicle seat, said region is displaced by at least one of the actuators in order to comply with the input variable.

3 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors and determines therefrom a current load profile of the seat base and/or the backrest, compare the determined current load profile with at least one standard load profile stored in a memory, and actuate the actuators such that the determined load profile approximates to or equals the standard load profile.

4 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors and determines therefrom a current load profile of the seat base and/or the backrest, compare the determined current load profile with a load profile introducing a defined body movement and stored in a memory, and the current load profile closest to a load profile introducing a defined body movement is determined as a predictive load profile, and actuate the actuators such that the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof are displaced corresponding to the body movement associated with the predictive load profile.

5 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors over a predetermined time period and determines therefrom a time-dependent current load profile dynamics of the seat base and/or the backrest, compare the determined current load profile dynamics with load profile dynamics reproducing physiological body movement patterns and stored in a memory, and the current load profile dynamics closest to load profile dynamics reproducing a defined physiological body movement pattern are determined as a predictive load profile dynamics, and actuate the actuators such that the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof are displaced time-dependently and according to the body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

6 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the adjustment of the seat base and/or the backrest or of components thereof is carried out in synchronism with the physiological body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

7 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the adjustment of the seat base and/or the backrest or of components thereof is carried out so as to lead or alternatively lag the physiological body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

8 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a first group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device only when the vehicle is at a standstill and a second group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device while travelling and when the vehicle is at a standstill.

9 . The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the second group of said actuators comprises actuators that cause adjustment of at least one of the following vehicle seat components or settings: a side panel of the seat base, a side panel of the backrest, a width of the seat surface, a width of the backrest surface, a length of the seat surface, a thigh support, and a lumbar support.

10 . A vehicle, comprising at least one adjustable vehicle seat according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Breitweg Uwe
• Franz Matthias
• Janka Ingo
• Lathwesen Harald

Classifications

• B60N2/66

  Lumbar supports · CPC title

• B60N2/62

  Thigh-rests {(B60N2/914 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/0284

  Adjustable seat-cushion length (B60N2/0224 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2002/0288

  Adjustable seat width · CPC title

• B60N2/99

  adjustable · CPC title