Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Patent
1998-05-26
1999-03-16
Pape, Joseph D.
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
296 6502, B60N 202
Patent
active
058820604
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a motor vehicle seat with seat components which are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another and which are adjustable by means of an adjusting device.
Seats along these lines are known in a large number of forms of embodiment. Thus, for example, from DE 1,580,621, DE 1,580,623 and DE 2,721,539 A1 motor vehicle seats are known with seat components which are adjustable via an adjusting device and which, when the motor vehicle is stationary, can be adapted to the shape of the body of the respective seat user. These seat components, adjusted in quasi-static state, retain their originally set position when the motor vehicle is in motion. The position of the seat occupant, however, alters if transverse or longitudinal accelerations occur. Thus on the basis of the mass inertia of the respective seat user when driving round curves, displacement of his weight to the side further away from the midpoint of the curve takes place. The result of this is, on the one hand deeper deflection of the seat user into the seat upholstery, and on the other hand an additional displacement of body tissues on this side.
Both these things tend to lead to tilting of the spinal column away from the curve midpoint. Where the level of the chassis is not controlled, it also tends in this direction. Since the seat user, especially the driver of the motor vehicle, may not, for reasons of safety, significantly change his relative position to the steering wheel, mirrors, doors, safety belt or pedals, he must try to maintain his position via usually considerable straining of his muscles and harmful bending of his spinal column around the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle.
To remedy this, it has already been suggested that very defined side flaps on the seat cushions and rest as well as hard seat upholstery and spring systems should be provided as support. These additional support features can contribute to lessening of the muscle tension when the motor vehicle is in motion. A considerable lessening of the bending of the spinal column, however, cannot be achieved by these means. In addition to this, hard seat upholstery lessens the cushioning effect of the motor vehicle seat against vibration. Getting in and out of the motor vehicle is also hindered. The upholstery surfaces of the side flaps are exposed to extreme stress and when the motor vehicle is driving straight forward, freedom of movement and the removal of humidity are considerable reduced by the tightly fitting seat.
Proceeding from this state of the art, the object underlying the invention is to create a motor vehicle seat which, in dependence on the respective state of motion, causes dynamic adaptation of the seat for the user of the seat and thus alleviates the load on him. An object of this sort is achieved by a motor vehicle seat comprising the features of claim 1.
Because of the fact that, according to the characterising part of claim 1, the state of motion of the motor vehicle may be detected by means of a detection device, which causes an adjusting device, via individual actuators, to move at least one of the components of the seat in such a way relative to the other components that, during the driving process, the load on the seat user is automatically alleviated, there is a balance of the relative movement between seat and seat user caused by inertia, especially where acceleration forces occur in a longitudinal and transverse direction when the motor vehicle is in motion. Thus there is an acceleration-dependent adjustment of the seat contour with a slight alteration of the so-called comfort angle, and good lateral guiding is achieved without worsening the sitting conditions or limiting freedom of movement even at a constant speed.
With the motor vehicle seat according to the invention, it is possible always to activate those components of the seat which are needed to support the seat user against the influence of acceleration and therefore to alleviate the load on him. The other seat components can remain in their original position, n
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61 285147 A (Kunimatsu Kogyo K.K.), Dec. 1986.
Groche Peter
Walk Hansjorg
Lear Corporation
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran
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