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US 5,263,765 AGranted
Automatic adjustable seat
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsHideyuki Nagashima, Yoichi Kishi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seat comprises a plurality of air mats which are arranged inside a seat cushion and a seat back. The contour of each of the air mats is automatically variable by a pump and a valve according to an automatic mode of variation. When a manual switch is turned on to control the valve, an initial mode of variation is altered by incorporating a manual command so as to determine a second mode of variation. The seat contour is then varied according to the second mode.
Claims33
A seat for a seat occupant comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from said seat cushion;
- a support disposed within said seat cushion or said seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to said support;
- fatigue sensing means for sensing fatigue of the seat occupant;
- manually operable command generating means for generating a manual command for said actuator;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- means responsive to the fatigue sensing means for controlling the actuator to operate in a first operating state in while the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to an initial mode of variation when the fatigue sensing means senses fatigue of the seat occupant;
- and
- means responsive to a command from the command generating means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation upon the generation of the manual command.
8 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant, comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from said seat cushion;
- a support disposed within said seat cushion or said seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to said support for varying a characteristic of said support;
- manually operable command generating means for generating a manual command for said actuator;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- means for automatically selecting a first operating state for said actuator a controlling said actuator to operate in said first operating state, said actuator cyclically varying a characteristic of said support according to a first mode of variation in said first operating state;
- and
- means responsive to a command from the command generating means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state corresponding to the command from the command generating means, the actuator varying a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation different from the first mode of variation in said second operating state.
7 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from said seat cushion;
- a plurality of supports disposed within the seat cushion or the seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to the plurality of supports for varying a characteristic of the supports;
- selecting means for enabling the seat occupant to manually select an operating state of the actuator and for generating a command indicating the selected mode;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- means for automatically selecting a first operating state for the actuator and controlling the actuator to operate in the first operating state in which the actuator cyclically varies a characteristic of the supports according to a first mode of variation;
- and
- means responsive to a command from the selecting means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator cyclically varies a characteristic of the supports according to a second mode of variation different from the first mode of variation with respect to the location or magnitude of variation.
7 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant, comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from said seat cushion;
- a support disposed within said seat cushion or the seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to the support for controlling a characteristic of the support;
- selecting means for enabling the seat occupant to select a mode of operation of the actuator from a plurality of different modes of operation and for generating a command indicating the selected mode;
- fatigue sensing means for sensing fatigue of the seat occupant;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- means responsive to the fatigue sensing means for automatically controlling the actuator to operate in a first operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to an initial mode of variation when the fatigue sensing means senses fatigue of the seat occupant;
- and
- means responsive to a command from the selecting means for controlling the actuator to automatically switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation corresponding to a manual command generated by the selecting means upon generation of the manual command by the selecting means.
8 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant, comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from the seat cushion;
- a support disposed within the seat cushion or the seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to the support for controlling a characteristic of the support;
- selecting means for enabling the seat occupant to select a mode of operation of the actuator and for generating a command indicating the selected mode;
- a control system comprising:
- means for controlling the actuator to operate in a first operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a first mode of variation;
- means responsive to a command from the selecting means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation;
- and
- means for returning the actuator to the first operating state when the selecting means has not generated a command for a prescribed length of time.
7 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from the seat cushion;
- a support disposed within the seat cushion or the seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to the support for controlling a characteristic of the support;
- selecting means for enabling the seat occupant to select a mode of operation of the actuator and for generating a command indicating the selected mode;
- fatigue sensing means for sensing fatigue of the seat occupant when the amount of movement of a portion of the body of the seat occupant exceeds a prescribed level;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- means responsive to the fatigue sensing means for controlling the actuator to operate in a first operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a first mode of variation when the fatigue sensing means senses fatigue of the seat occupant;
- and
- means responsive to a command from the selecting means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation when a command is generated by the selecting means.
8 more elements
A seat for a seat occupant, comprising:
- a seat cushion;
- a seat back extending from said seat cushion;
- a seat belt system operatively associated with said seat cushion and said seat back to secure the seat occupant with respect to said seat cushion and said seat back;
- a support disposed within said seat cushion or said seat back;
- an actuator operatively connected to said support;
- displacement sensing means for detecting a displacement of a portion of said seat belt system;
- command generating means manually operable by the seat occupant for generating a manual command for said actuator;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- fatigue sensing means to responsive to the displacement sensing means for sensing when the seat occupant is fatigued based on the displacement detected by the displacement sensing means;
- means responsive to the fatigue sensing means for controlling the actuator to operating in a first operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to an initial mode of variation when the fatigue sensing means senses that the seat occupant is fatigued;
- and
- means responsive to a manual command from the command generating means for controlling the actuator to switch from the first operating state to a second operating state in which the actuator varies a characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation.
10 more elements
A method of controlling an actuator operatively connected to a support disposed within a seat in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- repeatedly checking whether the motor vehicle is travelling;
- generating a manual command indicative signal when a manual command for the actuator is generated;
- repeatedly checking whether said manual command indicative signal is generated while the motor vehicle is travelling;
- automatically selecting an initial mode of variation of the support;
- controlling the actuator to cyclically vary a characteristic of the support according to the initial mode of variation until said manual command indicative signal is generated;
- and
- automatically controlling the actuator to vary the characteristic of the support according to a second mode of variation upon generation of said manual command indicative signal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.