Memory features for a manually adjustable apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9073575-B2
Application number	US-77819510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2010
Priority date	May 12, 2010
Publication date	Jul 7, 2015
Grant date	Jul 7, 2015

Abstract

A system is disclosed for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus arranged inside a vehicle. The system includes an adjustment device operatively connected to the apparatus and configured to manually pre-select and lock the position of the apparatus relative to the vehicle. The system additionally includes a sensory signaling device operatively connected to the apparatus and selectively moveable within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle. The sensory signaling device is configured to identify the pre-selected position of the apparatus and provide a sensory signal indicative of the pre-selected position, thereby facilitating the manual retrieval of the position without trial and error experimentation. A method for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus arranged inside a vehicle is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system of a vehicle for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus by an occupant of the vehicle, the system comprising:
a non power-assisted adjustment device operatively connected to the apparatus and configured to manually pre-select and lock the position of the apparatus relative to the vehicle solely by a force from the occupant, wherein the apparatus is integrated into the vehicle; and
a sensory signaling device operatively connected to the apparatus, integrated into the vehicle, and selectively moveable within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle and to the apparatus, the sensory signaling device configured to identify the pre-selected position of the apparatus and provide a sensory signal to the occupant indicative of the pre-selected position, thereby facilitating the manual retrieval of the position by the occupant without trial and error experimentation;
wherein the sensory signaling device includes a reference feature fixed relative to one of the apparatus and the vehicle, and at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator, such that the at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator is adapted to be selectively moveable relative to, and to interact with the reference feature to thereby identify the pre-selected position and provide the sensory signal.

2. The system according to claim 1 , including the audible indicator, wherein the audible indicator is arranged moveably on a track and adapted to interact with the reference feature by establishing a detent for clicking against the feature to generate an audible signal indicative of the position of the apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 1 , including the tactile indicator, wherein the tactile indicator is arranged moveably on a track and adapted to interact with the reference feature by varying interference therewith to generate a tactile signal indicative of the position of the apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is at least one of a manual seat fore-aft position adjuster, a manual seat height position adjuster, and a manual seat-back angle adjuster for a seat arranged in the vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a rearview mirror positioned in the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a steering wheel having its position adjustable by at least one of tilting and telescoping.

7. A vehicle comprising:
an apparatus integrated into the vehicle and configured to selectively adopt a position relative to the vehicle for accommodating an occupant in the vehicle;
a non power-assisted adjustment device operatively connected to the apparatus and configured to manually pre-select and lock the position of the apparatus relative to the vehicle solely by a force from the occupant; and
a sensory signaling device operatively connected to the apparatus, integrated into the vehicle, and selectively moveable within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle and to the apparatus, the sensory signaling device configured to identify the pre-selected position of the apparatus and provide a sensory signal to the occupant indicative of the pre-selected position, thereby facilitating the manual retrieval of the position by the occupant without trial and error experimentation;
wherein the sensory signaling device includes a reference feature fixed relative to one of the apparatus and the vehicle, and at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator, such that the at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator is adapted to be selectively moveable relative to, and to interact with the reference feature to thereby identify the pre-selected position and provide the sensory signal.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the audible indicator is arranged moveably on a track and adapted to interact with the reference feature by establishing a detent for clicking against the feature to generate an audible signal indicative of the position of the apparatus.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the tactile indicator is arranged moveably on a track and adapted to interact with the reference feature by varying interference therewith to generate a tactile signal indicative of the position of the apparatus.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is at least one of a manual seat fore-aft position adjuster, a manual seat height position adjuster, and a manual seat-back angle adjuster for a seat arranged in the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 7 ,wherein the apparatus is a rearview mirror positioned in the vehicle.

12. The vehicle according to claim 7 ,wherein the apparatus is a steering wheel having its position adjustable by at least one of tilting and telescoping.

13. A method for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus arranged inside a vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, the method comprising:
manually pre-selecting and locking the position of the apparatus relative to the vehicle solely by a force from the occupant by operating a non power-assisted adjustment device operatively connected to the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is integrated into the vehicle;
identifying the pre-selected position of the apparatus via a sensory signaling device operatively connected to the apparatus, integrated into the vehicle, and selectively moveable within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle and to the apparatus;
providing a sensory signal indicative of the pre-selected position via the sensory signaling device to the occupant, wherein the sensory signaling device includes a reference feature fixed relative to one of the apparatus and the vehicle, and at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator, such that said identifying the pre-selected position of the apparatus is accomplished by selectively moving the at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator relative to the reference feature, and said providing a sensory signal is accomplished by the at least one of an audible and a tactile indicator interacting with the reference feature; and
manually retrieving the pre-selected position by using the sensory signaling device without trial and error experimentation.

Assignees

• Bryant Wade W
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Bryant Wade W

Classifications

• B60N2/16

  height-adjustable · CPC title

• B60N2002/0272

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60R16/037

  for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} · CPC title

• B62D1/187 Primary

  with tilt adjustment; with tilt and axial adjustment (B62D1/183, B62D1/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/06

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