Automotive seats

Abstract

To provide automotive seats that take occupant preferences into consideration and can suppress occupant fatigue. [Solution] The car seat 1 installed in the car comprises a seat back 5, a seat cushion 3, a posture detection unit, a rotation detection unit, a seat displacement mechanism 7, and a control unit 8. The posture detection unit detects the occupant's posture, including whether the occupant is in a hunched-over position. The rotation detection unit 41 detects multiple rotations of the car. The seat displacement mechanism 7 displaces at least one of the seat back 5 and the seat cushion 3. The control unit 8 controls the operation of the seat displacement mechanism 7. When the control unit 8 detects that the occupant is in a hunched-over position and multiple rotations have occurred, it operates the seat displacement mechanism 7 to straighten the occupant's pelvis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automotive seat mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to improve the comfort of passengers, a technique of adjusting the position of an automotive seat is known. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a technique is proposed to identify the type of road being traveled (e.g., urban road, highway, mountain road, etc.) and move the automotive seat to a preset position for each type of road.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, as a result of the inventors' detailed examination, since the seat positions that passengers feel comfortable with vary depending on their preferences, when frequently changing the seat position after adjustment for each type of road, a problem has been found that it may instead fatigue the passengers.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an automotive seat that can take into account the preferences of passengers and suppress passenger fatigue.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an automobile seat (1) to be mounted in an automobile, comprising a seat back (5), a seat cushion (3), a posture detection unit (S3), a rotation detection unit (S7), a seat displacement mechanism (7), and a control unit (8, S9). The seat back (5) supports the back of the occupant. The seat cushion (3) supports the buttocks of the occupant. The posture detection unit (S3) detects the occupant's posture, including the occupant being in a hunched posture. The rotation detection unit (S7) detects a plurality of rotations of the automobile. The seat displacement mechanism (7) displaces at least one of the seat back (5) and the seat cushion (3). When the control unit (8, S9) detects that the occupant is in a hunched posture and a plurality of rotations have occurred, it displaces the seat displacement mechanism (7) to straighten the occupant's pelvis.

[0007] For example, on roads requiring multiple turns, such as mountain roads, the occupant's upper body is prone to swaying from side to side. If the seat cannot adequately restrict the occupant's upper body movement, fatigue is likely to accumulate. In particular, if the occupant is hunched over, their shoulders will be away from the seat, making it difficult for the seat to restrict upper body movement. On the other hand, on roads with fewer turns, such as highways, the occupant's upper body is less likely to sway from side to side. Therefore, even if the occupant is seated in a preferred posture, it will have less impact on their fatigue. In fact, the ability to sit in a preferred posture may even reduce occupant fatigue.

[0008] Therefore, in this configuration, when the occupant is in a hunched posture and multiple turns are detected, the occupant's pelvis is straightened. With this configuration, when multiple turns are performed, the movement of the occupant's upper body is suppressed, and fatigue caused by the upper body swaying from side to side can be reduced. Furthermore, when multiple turns are not detected, the seat can be kept in a position that the occupant finds comfortable. In this way, occupant fatigue can be reduced while taking occupant preferences into consideration. In addition, in situations where only one turn is performed, such as when turning right or left at an intersection, the occupant can maintain a position that they find comfortable.

[0009] In one aspect of this disclosure, the turning detection unit (S7) may detect multiple turns using an acceleration sensor (33) that detects the lateral G of the vehicle. The control unit (8) may displace the seat displacement mechanism (7) to straighten the occupant's pelvis when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor (33) exceeds a preset threshold at least twice within a predetermined time. With this configuration, the turning of the vehicle can be detected using an acceleration sensor.

[0010] In one aspect of this disclosure, the control unit (8, S8) may determine whether the angle between the seat surface of the seat cushion (3) and the support surface of the seat back (5) is within a predetermined range, and if the angle is outside the predetermined range, it may prevent the seat displacement mechanism (7) from being displaced. The seat surface is defined as the surface of the seat cushion (3) that supports the occupant's buttocks, and the support surface is defined as the surface of the seat back (5) that supports the occupant's back.

[0011] With this configuration, for example, when the occupant is sleeping with the seatback (5) reclined backward, the seat displacement mechanism (7) can be prevented from being displaced. This prevents the seat displacement mechanism (7) from operating contrary to the occupant's expectations.

[0012] In one aspect of this disclosure, the seat back (5) may have a posture detection unit (S3) comprising a first pressure sensor (6A) and a second pressure sensor (6B) that detect the pressing force applied to the seat back (5), respectively. The first pressure sensor (6A) may be positioned vertically above the second pressure sensor (6B). The posture detection unit (S3) may detect that the occupant is in a hunched posture when the value detected by the first pressure sensor (6A) is smaller than the value detected by the second pressure sensor (6B).

[0013] In this configuration, if the occupant is in a hunched-over posture, the occupant's lower back tends to be in close contact with the seatback (5), while the occupant's shoulders tend to be away from the seatback (5). Therefore, in this configuration, pressure sensors (6A, 6B) are placed at different vertical positions on the seatback (5), and the hunched-over posture is detected by comparing the magnitude of the pressing force. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether an occupant is in a hunched-over posture using a simple setup with pressure sensors (6A, 6B). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an automotive seat. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the control system for an automotive seat. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing the lumbar support. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the attitude control process. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the seated position of the occupants. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following "Embodiments of the Invention" are examples of embodiments that fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. In other words, the features defining the invention as described in the claims are not limited to the specific configurations and structures shown in the embodiments below.

[0016] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Structure] The vehicle seat 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a seat mounted in a vehicle such as a passenger car. The vehicle seat 1 can be applied to any seat in a vehicle, for example, a driver's seat, a passenger seat, or other seats. The vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 3, a seat back 5, a seat displacement mechanism 7 (see, for example, FIG. 2, etc.), and a control unit 8 (see, for example, FIG. 2, etc.). As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle on which the vehicle seat 1 is mounted includes an accelerator sensor 31, a vehicle speed sensor 32, an acceleration sensor 33, a vehicle start switch 34, and a steering angle sensor 35.

[0017] The seat cushion 3 shown in FIG. 1 is a part for supporting the buttocks of an occupant. The seat back 5 is a part for supporting the back (for example, the waist and shoulders) of an occupant. The seat back 5 has a first pressure sensor 6A and a second pressure sensor 6B. The seat cushion 3 may have a third pressure sensor 6C.

[0018] The first pressure sensor 6A, the second pressure sensor 6B, and the third pressure sensor 6C are sensors that measure the pressing forces P1, P2, and P3 applied by an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat 1. The first pressure sensor 6A and the second pressure sensor 6B are arranged on the surface of the seat back 5 where the waist of the occupant contacts. The first pressure sensor 6A is arranged above the second pressure sensor 6B on the seat back 5. For example, the first pressure sensor 6A is arranged at a position corresponding to the scapula of the occupant, and the second pressure sensor 6B is arranged at a position corresponding to the waist of the occupant.

[0019] The third pressure sensor 6C is arranged on the surface of the seat cushion 3 where the buttocks of the occupant contact and is a sensor that measures the pressing force P3 received from the buttocks.

[0020] In the following description, the first pressure sensor 6A, the second pressure sensor 6B, and the third pressure sensor 6C are collectively referred to as the pressure sensor 6. The shape of the pressure sensor 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the pressing force generated in the seat back 5 and the seat cushion 3. The pressure sensor 6 may be, for example, a planar sensor, or may be configured such that a plurality of dot-shaped sensors gather to function as a planar sensor. The detection value by the pressure sensor 6 is acquired by the control unit 8.

[0021] The seat displacement mechanism 7 is a mechanism for displacing the seat back 5. The seat displacement mechanism 7 may be a mechanism for displacing the seat cushion 3 in addition to or instead of the seat back 5. In the present embodiment, the seat displacement mechanism 7 is configured as a part of the lumbar support 7A shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The lumbar support 7A is a part that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 5 and is disposed inside the seat back 5. The lumbar support 7A has a mechanism for displacing the part corresponding to the occupant's lumbar region in the seat back 5 in the forward direction of the seat.

[0022] The lumbar support 7A includes a drive source 71, a panel 72, a frame 73, a slide portion 74, an extrusion portion 75, and a connection portion 76. The drive source 71 outputs a driving force for sliding the slide portion 74. The panel 72 is a member that displaces the seat back 5 in the forward direction of the seat when pushed by the extrusion portion 75. The frame 73 is the skeleton of the seat back 5 and is a member that supports the panel 72. The frame 73 is a rod-shaped member that extends generally along the vertical direction, and the slide portion 74 is disposed movably so as to surround the frame 73. The slide portion 74 can slide along the frame 73. The extrusion portion 75 is disposed along the panel 72 and is configured as a flexible member such as a leaf spring. The extrusion portion 75 is a member that pushes the panel 72 in the forward direction of the seat. The connection portion 76 is a portion that rotatably connects the panel 72 at the upper part of the frame 73 and is fixed to the frame 73.

[0023] The extrusion unit 75 has its lower end fixed to the frame 73 and its upper end fixed to the slide unit 74. The slide unit 74 slides along the frame 73 when the driving force from the drive source 71 is transmitted to the slide unit 74 by means of, for example, a belt (not shown). In the non-operating state, the extrusion unit 75 is positioned so as to be slightly convex in the direction of the front of the sheet. The non-operating state is when the slide unit 74 is at the uppermost position on the frame 73 and the extrusion unit 75 is not pressing against the panel 72 (see the left diagram in Figure 3B).

[0024] When the drive source 71 is activated by the control unit 8, the slide portion 74 slides along the frame 73 downwards, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 3B, and transitions to the operating state. At this time, since the upper part of the panel 72 is connected to the frame 73 at the connecting portion 76, the panel 72 rotates circumferentially with the connecting portion 76 as the axis of rotation. The operating state is the state in which the slide portion 74 slides in this manner, causing the extrusion portion 75 to be displaced forward of the sheet and pushing the panel 72 forward of the sheet. When the drive source 71 stops, the extrusion portion 75 returns to its original non-operating state due to its restoring force.

[0025] The control unit 8 is a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The various functions of the control unit 8 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical recording medium. In this embodiment, the ROM and RAM correspond to the non-transitional physical recording medium. Furthermore, the execution of this program executes a method corresponding to the program. Note that the number of microcomputers constituting the control unit 8 may be one or more.

[0026] The accelerator sensor 31 detects the amount of movement of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle speed sensor 32 detects the speed of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 uses the speed when the vehicle is moving forward. The acceleration sensor 33 detects the lateral G of the vehicle. Lateral G is the acceleration in the width direction of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 acquires the lateral G when the vehicle is moving.

[0027] The start switch 34 is a switch operated manually by the user and is used to start the vehicle. The steering angle sensor 35 detects the steering angle of the vehicle.

[0028] The control unit 8 performs attitude control processing, which will be described later, as part of the functions it has. Specifically, in the attitude control processing, the control unit 8 implements functions such as detecting the occupant's posture based on the pressing force measured by the pressure sensor 6, and detecting the turning of the vehicle based on the lateral G measured by the acceleration sensor 33.

[0029] [1-2. Processing] Next, the attitude control process performed by the control unit 8 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4. This attitude control process involves displacing at least one of the seat back 5 and the seat cushion 3.

[0030] In S1 of Figure 4, the occupant adjusts the position of the seat in which they are seated. This triggers the following posture control processes. The seat position is stored in the memory unit 9. Here, the seat position refers to the position of the seat cushion 3 relative to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the height of the seat cushion 3 relative to the vehicle's floor material, etc.

[0031] Next, in S3, the control unit 8 detects the occupant's posture, including whether the occupant is in a hunched-over position. In this embodiment, the occupant's posture is identified based on the hip angle Θ1 and neck angle Θ2 shown in Figure 5. First, standard values ​​are set for the hip angle Θ1 and neck angle Θ2. Then, the occupant's posture is classified, for example, as follows. If the hip angle Θ1 is greater than or equal to the standard value and the neck angle Θ2 is greater than or equal to the standard value, the occupant's posture will be a rearward-leaning posture. If the hip angle Θ1 is greater than or equal to the standard value and the neck angle Θ2 is less than the standard value, the occupant's posture will be a hunched posture. If the hip angle Θ1 is less than the standard value and the neck angle Θ2 is greater than or equal to the standard value, the occupant's posture will be an arched back posture. If the hip angle Θ1 is less than the standard value and the neck angle Θ2 is less than the standard value, the occupant's posture will be a forward-leaning posture. In S3, only whether or not the occupant is in a hunched posture is identified using the value detected by the pressure sensor 6. That is, the control unit 8 detects that the occupant's seated posture is hunched when the pressing force P1 is less than the pressing force P2.

[0032] The reason why a hunched posture can be detected in this way is that when an occupant is in a hunched posture, the occupant's lower back tends to be in close contact with the seat back 5, while the occupant's shoulders tend to be away from the seat back 5. For this reason, in this embodiment, a first pressure sensor 6A and a second pressure sensor 6B are arranged to detect the pressure exerted by the occupant's lower back and shoulders, and the magnitude of the detected values ​​(i.e., pressing forces P1 and P2) from these pressure sensors 6 is compared to determine whether or not the occupant is in a hunched posture.

[0033] In S5, the control unit 8 determines whether the occupant's seating posture detected in S3 is a hunched posture. If the determination in S5 is YES, that is, if the occupant's seating posture is a hunched posture, the process proceeds to S7. If the determination in S5 is NO, that is, if the occupant's seating posture is not a hunched posture, this process ends.

[0034] In S7, the control unit 8 determines whether the vehicle has been detected turning multiple times within a predetermined time. If the determination in S7 is YES, that is, if the vehicle has been detected turning multiple times within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to S8. If the determination in S7 is NO, that is, if the vehicle has been detected turning once or less within the predetermined time, the control unit 8 determines that the vehicle is traveling on a road other than a mountain road and terminates this process.

[0035] Here, the control unit 8 detects whether or not the vehicle is turning. The control unit 8 acquires the lateral G value measured by the acceleration sensor 33. The control unit 8 detects that the vehicle has turned when the acquired lateral G value is greater than a preset value. The control unit 8 determines that a second or subsequent turn has been detected when the lateral G value goes from being above a predetermined value to below a predetermined value, and then becomes above a predetermined value again.

[0036] In this case, the pre-set value may be greater than the lateral G force acting on the vehicle when it changes lanes.

[0037] In S8, the control unit 8 determines whether the angle between the seat surface of the seat cushion 3 and the support surface of the seat back 5 is within a predetermined range. Here, the seat surface of the seat cushion 3 is the surface of the seat cushion 3 that supports the occupant's buttocks, and the support surface of the seat back 5 is the surface of the seat back 5 that supports the occupant's back. For example, if the seat back 5 is reclined too much relative to the seat surface, or if the seat back 5 is too upright relative to the seat surface, the angle is determined to be outside the predetermined range.

[0038] If the judgment in S8 is YES, that is, if the angle is within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S9. If the judgment in S8 is NO, that is, if the angle is outside the predetermined range, this process is terminated. The reason for terminating this process when the angle is outside the predetermined range is to prevent the seat displacement mechanism 7 from activating and causing discomfort to the occupant when the occupant is sleeping, picking up an object, etc.

[0039] In S9, the control unit 8 displaces the seat displacement mechanism 7 to straighten the occupant's pelvis. As a result, the panel 72 displaces the part of the seat back 5 corresponding to the occupant's waist forward. By displacing the lumbar support 7A as described above, the control unit 8 reduces the occupant's hip angle Θ1 shown in Figure 5 and straightens the occupant's pelvis.

[0040] In S11, the control unit 8 determines whether the vehicle has made one or fewer turns within a predetermined time. If the determination in S11 is NO, that is, if the vehicle has made one or fewer turns within the predetermined time, S11 is repeated. In this case, it is highly likely that the vehicle is traveling on a road with relatively few turns (for example, a road other than a mountain road). On the other hand, if the determination in S11 is YES, that is, if multiple turns are detected for the vehicle within the predetermined time, the process moves to S13. In this case, it is highly likely that the vehicle is traveling on a road with relatively many turns (for example, a mountain road).

[0041] In S13, the control unit 8 stops the displacement of the seat displacement mechanism 7, reads the position of the seat stored in the memory unit 9, returns the seat to that position, and terminates the process. [1-3. Effects] The first embodiment described in detail above provides the following effects.

[0042] (1a) The car seat 1 installed in the automobile comprises a seat back 5, a seat cushion 3, a seat displacement mechanism 7, and a control unit 8. The seat back 5 supports the occupant's back. The seat cushion 3 supports the occupant's buttocks. The control unit 8 has a function as a posture detection unit to detect the occupant's posture, including whether the occupant is in a hunched-over posture. The control unit 8 has a function as a turning detection unit to detect multiple turns of the automobile. The seat displacement mechanism 7 displaces at least one of the seat back 5 and the seat cushion 3. When the control unit 8 detects that the occupant is in a hunched-over posture and multiple turns have occurred, it displaces the seat displacement mechanism 7 to straighten the occupant's pelvis.

[0043] With this configuration, when the control unit 8 detects that the occupant is in a hunched posture and that multiple turns have occurred in the vehicle, it displaces at least one of the seat back 5 and seat cushion 3 to straighten the occupant's pelvis. This suppresses the movement of the occupant's upper body during multiple turns and reduces fatigue caused by the upper body swaying from side to side. Furthermore, when multiple turns are not detected, the seat can be left undisplaced, maintaining a posture that the occupant finds comfortable. This allows for occupant fatigue to be suppressed while taking the occupant's preferences into consideration. In addition, in situations where only one turn is performed, such as when turning right or left at an intersection, the occupant can maintain a posture that they find comfortable.

[0044] (1b) The automobile is equipped with an acceleration sensor 33 that detects the lateral G of the automobile. The control unit 8 displaces the seat displacement mechanism 7 to straighten the occupant's pelvis when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 33 exceeds a preset threshold at least twice within a predetermined time. With this configuration, the turning of the automobile can be detected using the acceleration sensor 33.

[0045] (1c) The control unit 8 determines whether the angle between the seat surface of the seat cushion 3 and the support surface of the seat back 5 is within a predetermined range, and if the angle is outside the predetermined range, it does not displace the seat displacement mechanism 7. The seat surface is defined as the surface of the seat cushion 3 that supports the occupant's buttocks, and the support surface is defined as the surface of the seat back 5 that supports the occupant's back.

[0046] With this configuration, for example, when the occupant is sleeping with the seatback 5 reclined backward, the seat displacement mechanism 7 can be prevented from being displaced. This prevents the seat displacement mechanism 7 from operating contrary to the occupant's expectations.

[0047] (1d) The seat back 5 has a posture detection unit which includes a first pressure sensor 6A and a second pressure sensor 6B that detect the pressing force applied to the seat back 5. The first pressure sensor 6A is located vertically above the second pressure sensor 6B. The posture detection unit detects that the occupant is in a hunched posture when the value detected by the first pressure sensor 6A is smaller than the value detected by the second pressure sensor 6B.

[0048] With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the occupant is in a hunched-over posture using a simple setup with a pressure sensor 6.

[0049] [2. Second Embodiment] [2-1. Differences from the First Embodiment] The second and subsequent embodiments have the same basic configuration as the first embodiment; therefore, the differences will be explained below. Reference numerals, which are the same as those used in the first embodiment, indicate the same components; please refer to the preceding description.

[0050] In the first embodiment described above, the occupant's seating posture was detected based on the pressing force detected by pressure sensors 6 located on the seat back 5 and seat cushion 3. In contrast, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it uses a camera 36 to detect the occupant's seating posture. The camera 36 in the second embodiment is mounted on the right or left side of the interior of the vehicle. The imaging range of the camera 36 is set to image the seat and occupant from the side.

[0051] [2-2. Processing] Next, the attitude control process in the second embodiment will be described. Note that the processes other than S3 in the second embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0052] In S3 of the second embodiment, the camera 36 captures the seated position of the occupant from the side. The control unit 8 acquires the image captured by the camera 36. The control unit 8 calculates the occupant's hip angle Θ1 and neck angle Θ2 by analyzing the acquired image.

[0053] In this embodiment, the control unit 8 detects that the occupant's seating posture is hunched over when the calculated hip angle Θ1 and neck angle Θ2 are within a predetermined range. The control unit 8 may also detect that the occupant's seating posture is hunched over when, for example, the hip angle Θ1 is greater than 97° and the neck angle Θ2 is less than 20.8°.

[0054] [2-3. Effects] The second embodiment described in detail above achieves the effect (1a) of the first embodiment described above, and further achieves the following effects.

[0055] (2a) The control unit 8 detects the occupant's seating posture based on the image captured by the camera 36. Therefore, the seat back 5 does not necessarily need to have a pressure sensor 6. This allows the seat back 5 to have a simpler configuration and makes it easier to manufacture the seat back 5.

[0056] [3. Third Embodiment] [3-1. Differences from the First Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the turning of the vehicle is detected based on the lateral G measured by the acceleration sensor 33. In contrast, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it detects the turning of the vehicle using a camera 36. In the third embodiment, the camera 36 is mounted on the front of the vehicle. The imaging range of the camera 36 is set to image the road in front of the vehicle.

[0057] [3-2. Processing] Next, the attitude control process in the third embodiment will be described. Note that the processes other than S7 in the third embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0058] In S7 of the third embodiment, the camera 36 captures an image of the road on which the vehicle is about to travel. The control unit 8 acquires the image captured by the camera 36. The control unit 8 calculates the radius of curvature of the road on which the vehicle is about to travel by analyzing the acquired image. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 recognizes that the vehicle is turning when the calculated radius of curvature of the road is less than a predetermined value. The control unit 8 determines that a second or subsequent turn has been detected when the radius of curvature returns to or above the predetermined value from being less than the predetermined value, and then becomes less than the predetermined value again.

[0059] [3-3. Effects] The third embodiment described in detail above achieves the effect (1a) of the first embodiment described above, and further achieves the following effects.

[0060] (3a) The control unit 8 detects the turning of the vehicle on the road it is about to travel on, based on the image captured by the camera 36. Therefore, the control unit 8 can detect the turning before the vehicle begins to turn. As a result, the control unit 8 can displace the seat before the vehicle begins to turn, suppressing the movement of the occupant's upper body and reducing fatigue caused by the upper body swaying from side to side.

[0061] [4. Other Embodiments] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0062] (4a) In the above embodiment, the seat back 5 had a first pressure sensor 6A and a second pressure sensor 6B, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the first pressure sensor 6A and the second pressure sensor 6B do not necessarily need to be distinguished. The seat back 5 may have, for example, a plurality of point-shaped sensors on its entire surface. In this case, the control unit 8 may detect the occupant's seating posture based on the distribution of pressing force on the seat back 5.

[0063] (4b) In the above embodiment, the seat displacement mechanism 7 was provided with a lumbar support 7A, but it is not limited to this. For example, the seat displacement mechanism 7 may be provided with a folding mechanism that displaces the seat back 5 so that it protrudes forward of the automobile.

[0064] (4c) In the above embodiment, the subsequent steps of the posture control process were carried out by adjusting the position of the seat on which the occupant is seated in S1 of Figure 4, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Instead of the occupant adjusting the position of the seat, S1 may be, for example, the accelerator sensor 31 detecting an amount of operation of the vehicle acceleration control lever that exceeds a predetermined level, or the vehicle speed sensor 32 detecting a speed above a certain level. Alternatively, S1 may be the occupant operating the start switch 34, that is, the vehicle starting.

[0065] (4d) In the above embodiment, the turning of the vehicle is detected based on the lateral G-force of the vehicle or the curvature of the road, but is not limited to this. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle seat 1 may also be equipped with a navigation system 37, as shown in Figure 2. The control unit 8 may acquire electronic map information and the current location information of the vehicle from the navigation system 37 and detect the turning of the vehicle based on this information.

[0066] (4e) In the second embodiment described above, the camera 36 was mounted on the right or left side of the vehicle, but is not limited thereto. The camera 36 in the second embodiment may be mounted in any location as long as it can image the seat and occupants from the side. The camera 36 in the second embodiment may be mounted, for example, in the center of the vehicle. Furthermore, although the camera 36 in the third embodiment was mounted on the front of the vehicle, it is not limited to this. The camera 36 in the third embodiment may be mounted in any location as long as it can capture images of the road in front of the vehicle.

[0067] [Technical concepts disclosed in this specification] [Item 1] A car seat installed in a car, A seatback that supports the occupant's back, A seat cushion that supports the occupant's buttocks, A posture detection unit that detects the posture of the occupants, including whether the occupants are in a hunched-over position, A turning detection unit that detects multiple turns of the aforementioned automobile, A seat displacement mechanism that displaces at least one of the seat back and the seat cushion, A control unit that, when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the multiple turns described above are detected, displaces the seat displacement mechanism so that the occupant's pelvis is upright, A car seat equipped with [feature / feature]. [Item 2] The car seats described in item 1, The turning detection unit detects the multiple turns using an acceleration sensor that detects the lateral G of the vehicle, The control unit, when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a preset threshold at least twice within a predetermined time, displaces the seat displacement mechanism to straighten the occupant's pelvis, for use in an automobile seat. [Item 3] Automotive seats as described in item 1 or item 2, In the aforementioned seat cushion, the surface that supports the occupant's buttocks is designated as the seat surface, and in the aforementioned seat back, the surface that supports the occupant's back is designated as the support surface. The control unit determines whether the angle between the seat surface of the seat cushion and the support surface of the seat back is within a predetermined range, and when the angle is outside the predetermined range, it does not displace the seat displacement mechanism, for an automobile seat. [Item 4] A car seat described in any one of items 1 to 3, The seat back has a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, which respectively detect the pressing force applied to the seat back, as the posture detection unit. The first pressure sensor is positioned vertically above the second pressure sensor. The posture detection unit detects that the occupant is in a hunched-over posture when the value detected by the first pressure sensor is smaller than the value detected by the second pressure sensor, in the automobile seat. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1...Automotive seat, 3...Seat cushion, 5...Seat back, 6...Pressure sensor, 6A...First pressure sensor, 6B...Second pressure sensor, 6C...Third pressure sensor, 7...Seat displacement mechanism, 7A...Lumbar support, 8...Control unit, 33...Accelerometer.

Claims

1. A car seat installed in a car, A seatback that supports the occupant's back, A seat cushion that supports the occupant's buttocks, A posture detection unit that detects the posture of the occupants, including whether the occupants are in a hunched-over position, A turning detection unit that detects multiple turns of the aforementioned automobile, A seat displacement mechanism that displaces at least one of the seat back and the seat cushion, A control unit that, when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the multiple turns described above are detected, displaces the seat displacement mechanism so that the occupant's pelvis is upright, A car seat equipped with [feature / feature].

2. An automobile seat according to claim 1, The turning detection unit detects the multiple turns using an acceleration sensor that detects the lateral G of the vehicle, The control unit, when the occupant is in a hunched posture and the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a preset threshold at least twice within a predetermined time, displaces the seat displacement mechanism to straighten the occupant's pelvis, for an automobile seat.

3. An automobile seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, In the aforementioned seat cushion, the surface that supports the occupant's buttocks is designated as the seat surface, and in the aforementioned seat back, the surface that supports the occupant's back is designated as the support surface. The control unit determines whether the angle between the seat surface of the seat cushion and the support surface of the seat back is within a predetermined range, and when the angle is outside the predetermined range, it does not displace the seat displacement mechanism, for an automobile seat.

4. An automobile seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, The seat back has a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, which respectively detect the pressing force applied to the seat back, as the posture detection unit. The first pressure sensor is positioned vertically above the second pressure sensor. The posture detection unit detects that the occupant is in a hunched-over posture when the value detected by the first pressure sensor is smaller than the value detected by the second pressure sensor, in the automobile seat.

Images