Seat assembly actuatable for potential vehicle impact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020171985-A1
Application number	US-201816206416-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Jun 4, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom that is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor. A seatback is adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to the seat bottom. An actuator is in cooperation with the seat bottom or the seatback. A controller is in electrical communication with the actuator and programmed to receive input indicative of a potential vehicle impact. In response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact, the controller outputs a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback, or to tilt the seat bottom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor; a seatback adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to the seat bottom; an actuator in cooperation with the seat bottom or the seatback; and a controller in electrical communication with the actuator and programmed to:
receive input indicative of a potential vehicle impact, and
in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact, output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback, or to tilt the seat bottom.

2 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback rearward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

3 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback rearward by approximately nine degrees in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

4 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

5 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

6 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the controller is further programmed to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward by approximately ten degrees in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

7 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to:
receive input indicative of an avoided vehicle impact; and
output a signal to the actuator to return the seat bottom or the seatback to a previous seating position in response to receipt of the input indicative of the avoided vehicle impact.

8 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a second actuator in cooperation with the seat bottom and the vehicle floor to adjust a position of the seat bottom in a fore and aft direction, or in cooperation with a foot pedal to adjust the foot pedal; and
wherein the controller is further programmed to:
receive input indicative of a change in contact of the foot pedal, and
output a signal to the second actuator to move the seat bottom forward or to move the foot pedal.

9 . A land vehicle comprising:
a vehicle floor; at least one impact sensor; a vehicle controller in communication with the land vehicle to control travel of the land vehicle, and in communication with the at least one impact sensor to output a signal indicative of a potential vehicle impact; and at least one seat assembly according to claim 1 mounted to the vehicle floor, wherein the seat assembly controller is in communication with the vehicle controller.

10 . A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed to automatically adjust a seat assembly, the computer-program product comprising instructions to:
receive input indicative of a potential vehicle impact; and output a signal to an actuator in cooperation with a seat bottom or a seatback of the seat assembly to tilt the seatback or to tilt the seat bottom in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

11 . The computer-program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback rearward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

12 . The computer-program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback rearward by approximately nine degrees in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

13 . The computer-program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

14 . The computer-program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

15 . The computer-program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions to output a signal to the actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward by approximately ten degrees in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact.

16 . The computer-program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to:
receive input indicative of an avoided vehicle impact; and
output a signal to the actuator to return the seat bottom or the seatback to a previous seating position in response to receipt of the input indicative of the avoided vehicle impact.

17 . The computer-program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to:
receive input indicative of a change in contact of a foot pedal; and
output a signal to a second actuator to move the seat bottom forward or to move the foot pedal.

18 . A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor; a seatback adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to the seat bottom; a first actuator in cooperation with the seatback; a second actuator in cooperation with the seat bottom; and a controller in electrical communication with the first actuator and the second actuator, and programmed to:
receive input indicative of a potential vehicle impact,
in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact, output a signal to the first actuator to tilt the seatback rearward by approximately nine degrees,
in response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact, output a signal to the second actuator to tilt the seat bottom upward by approximately ten degrees,
receive input indicative of an avoided vehicle impact,
output a signal to the first actuator to return the seatback to a previous seating position in response to receipt of the input indicative of the avoided vehicle impact, and
output a signal to the second actuator to return the seat bottom to the previous seating position in response to receipt of the input indicative of the avoided vehicle impact.

19 . The vehicle seat assembly of claim 18 further comprising a second actuator in cooperation with the seat bottom and the vehicle floor to adjust a position of the seat bottom in a fore and aft direction, or in cooperation with a foot pedal to adjust the foot pedal; and
wherein the controller is further programmed to:
receive input indicative of a change in contact of a foot pedal, and
output a signal to the second actuator to move the seat bottom forward or to move the foot pedal.

20 . A land vehicle comprising:
a vehicle floor; at least one impact sensor; a vehicle controller in communication with the land vehicle to control travel of the land vehicle, and in communication with the at least one impact sensor to output a signal indicative of a potential vehicle impact; and at least one seat assembly according to claim 18 mounted to the vehicle floor, wherein the seat assembly controller is in communication with the vehicle controller.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Yetukuri Arjun
• Henn Karl

Classifications

• B60N2/4279 Primary

  electric or electronic triggering · CPC title

• B60N2/4221

  due to impact coming from the front · CPC title

• B60N2/0296

  Central command actuator to selectively switch on or engage one of several special purpose circuits or mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/42736

  of the whole seat · CPC title

• B60R21/0134 Primary

  responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle {, e.g. using radar systems} · CPC title