Vehicle Seat Actuator Integrating Control Unit for Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat actuators fail to reliably detect the locking state of locking units and position of seat components, requiring additional external sensors and increasing energy consumption, while also being cumbersome for manual actuation.
Innovation Solution
An actuator with a housing, motor, transmission, and integrated control unit, including a position sensor that detects the slide's movement and gravitational orientation, allowing for intelligent detection of locking states and positions without external sensors, enabling automatic electric return and reduced energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional external sensors and control units are employed to detect locking state and position, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the control unit directly into the actuator housing, combining previously separate components (actuator and control unit) into a single integrated unit. This merging eliminates the need for additional external sensors and control units, as the integrated control unit can directly detect the locking state and position of seat components through the actuator's own operational parameters, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated control unit performs multiple functions: it controls the motor, detects the locking state of the locking unit, determines the position of seat components, and manages communication. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate sensors and control units, reducing both device complexity and energy consumption while maintaining the ability to accurately detect locking state and position
2Reliability
If additional external sensors and control units are employed to detect locking state and position, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the control unit with the actuator, the system eliminates energy-consuming communication interfaces and signal transmission requirements between separate components. The integrated control unit can directly access operational data from the motor and transmission, enabling reliable locking state detection without the additional energy expenditure required by external sensors and separate control units
3Ease of operation
If manual actuation is used to unlock locking units, then ease of operation is improved for simple tasks, but device complexity increases for automatic detection and control
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated control unit enables the actuator system to automatically detect its own operational state, including the locking state of the locking unit and the position of seat components. This self-service capability allows the system to autonomously determine when manual actuation is needed and to automatically return to its starting position after manual operation, combining the simplicity of manual actuation with intelligent automatic detection and control
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator (110, 210) for a vehicle seat (1) includes a housing (11), a motor (12) which is fixed to the housing and includes a motor shaft (12a), a transmission (13) connected to the motor shaft, an actuator output drive (14) which is connected to the transmission, and a control unit (21). The actuator output drive includes an output element moveable towards an end position from a starting position by rotating the motor shaft in a first direction and in a reversed direction—in the direction of the starting position from the end position. A carriage (15) is driven, upon movement of the output element. A position sensor detects a position of the carriage. An actuator (210) for a vehicle seat is provided, in which a position sensor (28) detects an effect of gravity on the actuator. A vehicle seat (1) with one such actuator (110, 210) is provided.