Motor vehicle with seat unlocking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676296-B2
Application number	US-201615205285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A motor vehicle with a seat unlocking system includes a seat with a seat part and a back part secured to a body at an attachment, an airbag, and an actuator for releasing the attachment of the seat to the body. Following activation of the actuator, the attachment between the seat and the body is disconnected such that the seat is moveable relative to the body. A control unit is configured to activate the actuator following an accident exclusively in the case of an opened airbag and exclusively with the motor vehicle at a standstill.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle configured with a seat unlocking system comprising:
a body defining an interior compartment;
a seat having a seat part and a back part;
an airbag deployable in the interior compartment adjacent the seat;
an attachment releasably connecting the seat to the body;
an actuator cooperating with the attachment and configured to selectively disconnect the seat and the body, wherein activation of the actuator releases the attachment such that the seat is disconnected from and moveable relative to the body; and
a control unit configured to activate the actuator, wherein the actuator is activated only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a force sensor in the back part of the seat and configured to detect a seat back force exerted on the back part, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and a value of the seat back is greater than a force limit value.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the force limit value is in a range between 200 N and 700 N.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state, and a value of the seat back force is greater than a time limit value.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the time limit value is in a range between 2 seconds and 7 min.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a deployed state of the airbag, wherein the sensor is operable to communicate the deployed state of the airbag to the control unit.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a body control module configured to deploy the airbag and in data communication with the control unit, wherein the body control module is operable to communicate the deployed state of the airbag to the control unit.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is activated only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state for a time limit value.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the time limit value is in a range between 2 seconds and 7 min.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a speed sensor in communication with the control unit and configured to determine a vehicle speed, wherein the stationary state is based on the vehicle speed.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an accident determining device in communication with the control unit and configured to determine no future secondary accident is possible, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and no future secondary accident is possible.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the accident determining device comprises a distance sensor on a rear region of the body, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed, the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and a stationary object is detected behind the motor vehicle by the distance sensor.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only after the airbag has been deployed for a time limit value and when the motor vehicle is in a stationary state.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the time limit value is a range between 2 s and 7 min.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for detecting an upside down orientation of the motor vehicle, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the actuator only when the airbag has been deployed and the motor vehicle is in a stationary state and not in an upside down orientation.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of an electromagnet actuator, an electric motor, a pyrotechnical propelling charge or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Denne Mark

Classifications

• B60N2/4279

  electric or electronic triggering · CPC title

• B60R21/015

  including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats {, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use} · CPC title

• B60N2/0276 Primary

  reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash · CPC title

• B60R21/16

  Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags ({protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; } connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00) · CPC title

• B60N2/42736

  of the whole seat · CPC title