JP7489295B2 - Vehicle seat and method for controlling vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle seat and a method for controlling a vehicle seat.

Conventionally, vehicle seats for automobiles and other vehicles have been equipped with a sliding mechanism that electrically slides the seat forward and backward.

Specifically, a vehicle seat equipped with a sliding mechanism includes an upper rail (sliding portion) that is attached to the vehicle seat side so as to be slidable relative to a lower rail that is attached to the floor side of the vehicle, and a locking mechanism that can lock the sliding. There is also a vehicle seat that can perform the unlocking operation of the sliding of the upper rail and the sliding operation of the upper rail relative to the lower rail after this unlocking, using the driving force of a single motor (Patent Document 1).

JP 2016-5941 A

When a vehicle seat is equipped with a locking mechanism capable of locking the slide, as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide locking mechanisms on both the inner rail and the outer rail of the vehicle. However, when the slide mechanism is driven by a single motor, the slide section on the side not attached to the motor moves with a delay, so even if the locking mechanism on the inner rail is locked, the locking mechanism on the outer rail may not be locked, and there is a risk that it cannot be guaranteed that both locking mechanisms are locked.

The present disclosure has been devised in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle seat and a method for controlling a vehicle seat that can ensure that both locking mechanisms are locked.

A vehicle seat according to the present disclosure is an electrically sliding vehicle seat, comprising: a first rail and a second rail attached to a floor side of the vehicle; a first slide section and a second slide section movable relative to the first rail and the second rail; a seat section to which the first slide section and the second slide section are attached; a first locking mechanism attached to the first slide section for locking movement of the first slide section ; a second locking mechanism attached to the second slide section for locking movement of the second slide section; and a switching section for switching the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state based on a received user operation. The seat cushion comprises: a motor provided on the first slide portion for moving the seat portion relative to the first rail and the second rail; a first detection unit provided on the first slide portion for detecting the locked state of the first locking mechanism; and a control unit for controlling the switching unit and the motor, wherein the control unit drives the motor to move the seat portion in a first direction based on a user's operation , and if the control unit determines that the second locking mechanism is in a locked state before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism, drives the motor to move the seat portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the first detection unit can detect the locked state of the first locking mechanism.

According to this configuration, if the control unit cannot detect the locked state of the locking mechanism with the detection unit, the control unit drives the motor to move the seat unit in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the locking mechanism, thereby ensuring that both the locking mechanisms provided on the first slide unit and the second slide unit are locked.

It is preferable that the control unit drives the motor to move the seat unit in a first direction based on the user's operation, and determines the locked state of the second locking mechanism based on the load on the motor before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism.

With this configuration, it is possible to detect the state of the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is not installed, without providing a detection unit for detecting the state of the locking mechanism.

It is preferable that the vehicle further includes a second detection unit that detects the locked state of the second locking mechanism, and that the control unit determines that the second locking mechanism is in the locked state when the second detection unit detects the locked state of the second locking mechanism .

With this configuration, a second detector is provided that detects the locked or unlocked state of the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is not installed, so the state of the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is not installed can be reliably detected.

When moving the seat in the second direction, the control unit preferably drives the motor to move the seat a predetermined distance .

With this configuration, the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is installed can be locked in the same position as the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is not installed.

The specified distance is preferably the distance between the lock holes provided in the first and second rails.

This configuration prevents the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is installed from being locked in a different position than the locking mechanism on the side where the motor is not installed.

It is preferable that the first detection unit includes a lock sensor that detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism and an unlock sensor that detects the unlocked state of the first locking mechanism, and the control unit determines that the first locking mechanism is in the locked state or the unlocked state when the state detected by the lock sensor and the state detected by the unlock sensor match.

This configuration makes it possible to reliably detect whether the locking mechanism is in a locked or unlocked state.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a seat assembly including a first rail and a second rail attached to a floor side of a vehicle, a first slide section and a second slide section movable relative to the first rail and the second rail, a seat section to which the first slide section and the second slide section are attached, a first locking mechanism provided in the first slide section and locking movement of the first slide section, a second locking mechanism provided in the second slide section and locking movement of the second slide section, a switching section that switches the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state based on a received user operation, a motor provided in the first slide section and moving the seat section relative to the first rail and the second rail, and a locking mechanism provided in the first slide section. A control method for an electrically operated sliding vehicle seat including a first detection unit that detects a locked state of a locking mechanism and a control unit that controls a switching unit and a motor, the control unit including the steps of: switching the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism to an unlocked state by the switching unit based on a user's operation, and driving the motor to move the seat portion in a first direction; switching the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism to a locked state by the switching unit based on the user's operation; and driving the motor to move the seat portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the first detection unit can detect the locked state of the first locking mechanism, if it is determined that the second locking mechanism is in a locked state before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism.

According to this configuration, if the detection unit cannot detect the locked state of the locking mechanism, a step is performed in which the motor is driven to move the seat unit in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the locking mechanism, thereby ensuring that both the locking mechanisms provided on the first slide unit and the second slide unit are in a locked state.

According to the present disclosure, both the locking mechanisms provided on the first slide section and the second slide section can be reliably placed in a locked state.

1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for illustrating a configuration of a control unit that slides the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for illustrating control for sliding a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. 5 is a diagram showing changes in signals input to and output from an ECU of the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a control for reliably placing both locking mechanisms in a locked state in the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram for illustrating a configuration of a control unit that slides a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for illustrating control for sliding a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings will be given the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[First embodiment]
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a control unit that slides the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. In the following explanation, a seat unit located at the rear of a vehicle will be explained as an example of a vehicle seat. In the following explanation, up, down, front, rear, left, and right refer to the up, down, front, rear, left, and right directions based on a state in which a user is seated on the seat unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, lower rails 10, 11 are formed on the left and right sides of the floor of this vehicle. When the seat unit 1 on which the user sits is provided on the right side of the vehicle, the right lower rail 10 is located on the outside of the vehicle and is therefore called the outer rail. On the other hand, the left lower rail 11 is located on the inside of the vehicle and is therefore called the inner rail. A slide portion 12 that is movable relative to the lower rail 10 and a slide portion 13 that is movable relative to the lower rail 11 are assembled to the seat unit 1. Therefore, the slide portions 12, 13 can be moved relative to the lower rails 10, 11, thereby allowing the seat unit 1 to slide relative to the vehicle floor.

To electrically slide the seat portion 1 relative to the vehicle floor, a motor 20 is attached to the slide portion 12 on the side of the lower rail 10, which is the outer rail. On the other hand, the motor 20 is not attached to the slide portion 13 on the side of the lower rail 11, which is the inner rail. In other words, the vehicle seat can slide the seat portion 1 relative to the vehicle floor with a single motor 20. Note that, although the motor 20 is described as being provided on the slide portion 12 on the side of the lower rail 10, which is the outer rail, it may also be provided on the slide portion 13 on the side of the lower rail 11, which is the inner rail.

The slide sections 12 and 13 are provided with locking mechanisms 22 and 23 that lock the movement of the lower rails 10 and 11, respectively. Specifically, the locking mechanism 22 has a protrusion that fits into the locking holes 10a that are provided at equal intervals on the lower rail 10, and the locking state and the release state are switched by moving the protrusion. The locking mechanism 23 has a protrusion that fits into the locking holes 11a that are provided at equal intervals on the lower rail 11, and the locking state and the release state are switched by moving the protrusion. In the vehicle seat, the seat section 1 can be moved and fixed at the intervals provided by the locking holes 10a and 11a. In other words, the intervals 10b and 11b between the locking holes 10a and 11a are the pitch at which the seat section 1 slides. The locking mechanisms 22, 23 are not limited to a configuration in which the locking state is established by fitting a protrusion into the locking hole 10a, 11a, but may have other configurations, such as a configuration in which the locking state is established by engaging a protrusion with a claw portion provided on the lower rail 10, 11.

A switching unit that switches the locking mechanisms 22, 23 between a locked state and an unlocked state is attached to the seat unit 1. Specifically, the switching unit is an actuator 21 that moves the protrusion of the locking mechanism 22, and the actuator 21 also moves the protrusion of the locking mechanism 23. In other words, one actuator 21 switches the two locking mechanisms 22, 23 between a locked state and an unlocked state.

A detector is attached to the slide portion 12 to detect the locked or unlocked state of the lock mechanism 22. Specifically, the detector is an outer lock sensor 16 that is ON when the lock mechanism 22 is in the locked state and OFF when the lock mechanism 22 is in the unlocked state. The slide portion 12 is further provided with an outer unlock sensor 18. The outer unlock sensor 18 outputs an OFF pulse signal when it detects that the lock mechanism 22 has switched from the locked state to the unlocked state or from the unlocked state to the locked state. In the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment, two detectors (the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18) are provided in an overlapping manner to reliably detect the locked or unlocked state of the lock mechanism 22.

On the other hand, no detector is provided to detect the locked or unlocked state of the locking mechanism 23, and the detection is based on the load on the motor 20 as described below. In other words, the state of the locking mechanism 23 can be detected as the locked state when the load on the motor 20 is large, and the unlocked state when the load on the motor 20 is small. In this way, in the vehicle seat according to embodiment 1, the manufacturing costs can be reduced by not providing a detector on the sliding portion 13.

The seat unit 1 is provided with a control unit that controls the actuator 21 and the motor 20. Specifically, the control unit is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 30 mainly includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 32, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 34, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 36, a storage 38, an input section 40, and an output section 50. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 52 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The CPU 32 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 32 reads the programs from the ROM 34 or storage 38, and executes the programs using the RAM 36 as a working area. The CPU 32 controls each component and performs various calculation processes according to the programs recorded in the ROM 34 or storage 38.

The ROM 34 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 36 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 38 is composed of a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

The input unit 40 receives signals from various switches and sensors. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the input unit 40 is connected to a slide switch (slide SW) 5, an outer lock sensor 16, and an outer unlock sensor 18. Furthermore, the current value or voltage value of the motor 20 is input to the input unit 40.

The output unit 50 outputs control signals to various components. Specifically, the output unit 50 is connected to the motor 20 and the actuator 21.

Next, the control of sliding the seat portion 1 relative to the vehicle floor in the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the control of sliding the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. First, the ECU 30 determines whether or not an input of an ON signal has been received from the slide switch 5 based on the user's operation of the slide switch 5 (step S101). If an input of an ON signal has not been received (NO in step S101), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S101.

When the input of the ON signal is received (YES in step S101), the ECU 30 switches the actuator 21 to the ON state (step S102). Figure 4 is a diagram showing changes in signals input to and output from the ECU 30 of the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. When the user operates the slide switch 5 and the signal of the slide switch 5 becomes an ON signal, the ECU 30 outputs an ON pulse signal to the actuator 21 as shown in Figure 4. When the ON pulse signal is input, the actuator 21 moves the protrusion in the locked state to switch the locking mechanisms 22, 23 to the released state.

Returning to FIG. 3, the ECU 30 detects whether the outer locking mechanism 22 is in the released state (unlocked) using the detection unit (step S103). If the outer locking mechanism 22 is not in the released state (NO in step S103), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S103.

When the outer locking mechanism 22 is released (YES in step S103), the ECU 30 turns the motor 20 on (step S104). By turning the motor 20 on, the operation of sliding the seat unit 1 relative to the vehicle floor is started. The outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 are provided in the detection section that detects that the outer locking mechanism 22 is released. Specifically, when the outer locking mechanism 22 is released, the outer lock sensor 16 outputs an OFF signal to the ECU 30 as shown in FIG. 4. When the outer locking mechanism 22 is released, the outer unlock sensor 18 outputs a change of ON signal-OFF signal-ON signal (OFF pulse signal) to the ECU 30 as shown in FIG. 4. When the ECU 30 receives a signal from the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 indicating that the outer lock mechanism 22 is in the released state, it outputs an ON signal to the motor 20 (see Figure 4).

Returning to FIG. 3, the ECU 30 determines whether or not an OFF signal has been received from the slide switch 5 based on the user's operation of the slide switch 5 (step S105). If an OFF signal has not been received (NO in step S105), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S104 and keeps the motor 20 in the ON state. The slide switch 5 may be configured to output an ON signal to the ECU 30 when the user continues to press it, or may be configured to output an ON signal to the ECU 30 after the user presses it once and continues to do so until the user presses it again.

When the ECU 30 receives an input of an OFF signal (YES in step S105), the ECU 30 switches the actuator 21 to the ON state (step S106). When the user operates the slide switch 5 and the signal of the slide switch 5 becomes an OFF signal, the ECU 30 outputs an ON pulse signal to the actuator 21 as shown in FIG. 4. When the actuator 21 receives an ON pulse signal, it moves the protrusion in the released state to switch the locking mechanisms 22 and 23 to the locked state.

In the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment, the motor 20 is attached to the outer slide portion 12, so when the slide portions 12, 13 are moved relative to the lower rails 10, 11, the inner slide portion 13 moves with a delay relative to the outer slide portion 12. Therefore, when the protrusion is moved at the timing when a certain lock hole 10a is locked, the outer protrusion fits into the lock hole 10a, and then the inner protrusion fits into the corresponding lock hole 11a with a delay. However, even when the protrusion is moved at the timing when a certain lock hole 10a is locked, there are cases where the outer protrusion has already passed the lock hole 10a and cannot fit, and only the inner protrusion fits into the corresponding lock hole 11a.

Therefore, in the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment, the following control is performed to ensure that both locking mechanisms 22, 23 are locked. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the control for ensuring that both locking mechanisms 22, 23 are locked in the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment. When the slide parts 12, 13 are moved in the sliding direction relative to the lower rails 10, 11, the outer slide part 12 to which the motor 20 is attached advances first, and as shown in FIG. 5, the outer protrusion 14 may pass through the lock hole 10a and fail to engage properly.

At this time, the inner slide portion 13 lags behind the outer slide portion 12, so the inner protrusion 15 can fit well into the lock hole 11a as shown in FIG. 5. When the inner protrusion 15 fits into the lock hole 11a and the inner lock mechanism 23 enters a locked state, the load on the motor 20 attached to the outer side increases. Therefore, the ECU 30 can detect that the inner lock mechanism 23 is in a locked state without a detector by detecting the load on the motor 20 based on the current value or voltage value of the motor 20.

When the ECU 30 detects that the inner locking mechanism 23 is in a locked state, the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 detect whether the outer locking mechanism 22 is in a locked state. As shown in FIG. 5, when the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 detect that the outer protrusion 14 has passed through the lock hole 10a and has not been properly fitted, and the outer locking mechanism 22 is in an unlocked state, the ECU 30 drives the motor 20 in the reverse direction to move the slide portion 12 in the opposite direction to the slide. By moving the slide portion 12 in the opposite direction to the lower rail 10, the outer protrusion 14 that has passed through the lock hole 10a can be properly fitted into the lock hole 10a, and the outer locking mechanism 22 can be locked.

Further explanation will be given based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3. First, the ECU 30 detects the load on the motor 20 based on the current value or voltage value of the motor 20 (step S107). If the load on the motor 20 is less than a predetermined value (NO in step S107), the ECU 30 determines that the slide portions 12, 13 are moving relative to the lower rails 10, 11, and returns the process to step S107.

When the load on the motor 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (YES in step S107), the ECU 30 determines that the inner locking mechanism 23 is locked, and turns the motor 20 OFF (step S108). By turning the motor 20 OFF, the operation of sliding the seat unit 1 relative to the vehicle floor is stopped. Furthermore, when the motor 20 is turned OFF, the ECU 30 determines whether the outer locking mechanism 22 is locked based on signals from the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 (step S109). When the outer locking mechanism 22 is locked (YES in step S109), the ECU 30 determines that both locking mechanisms 22, 23 are definitely locked, and ends the slide control.

On the other hand, if the outer locking mechanism 22 is released (NO in step S109), the ECU 30 drives the motor 20 in the reverse direction (step S110). When the motor 20 is driven in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer protrusion 14 that has passed through the lock hole 10a can be successfully fitted into the lock hole 10a, and the outer locking mechanism 22 can be locked. The ECU 30 drives the motor 20 in the reverse direction and determines whether the outer locking mechanism 22 is locked based on the signals from the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 (step S111). If the outer locking mechanism 22 is locked (YES in step S111), the ECU 30 determines that both locking mechanisms 22 and 23 are definitely locked, and ends the control of the slide. FIG. 4 shows that during the period when an ON signal is being output to drive the motor 20 in the reverse direction, the outer lock sensor 16 outputs an ON signal indicating that the outer lock mechanism 22 is in a locked state, and the outer unlock sensor 18 outputs an OFF pulse signal indicating that the outer lock mechanism 22 is in a locked state.

When the outer locking mechanism 22 is in the released state (NO in step S111), the ECU 30 judges whether the slide portion 12 has been moved a predetermined distance in the opposite direction to the sliding relative to the lower rail 10 (step S112). The judgment of whether the slide portion 12 has been moved a predetermined distance is made, for example, based on the period of the ON signal output to the motor 20. The predetermined distance is the interval 10b, 11b between the lock holes 10a, 11a. When the inner locking mechanism 23 is in the locked state and the outer slide portion 12 is moved by more than the interval 10b between the lock holes 10a, there is a risk that the outer locking mechanism 22 and the inner locking mechanism 23 will be locked to the lock holes 10a, 11a that do not correspond to each other. In other words, the lock hole 10a locked by the outer locking mechanism 22 and the lock hole 11a locked by the inner locking mechanism 23 may be misaligned.

If the slide portion 12 has not been moved the predetermined distance, the ECU 30 returns the process to step S110 and continues driving the motor 20 in the reverse direction. On the other hand, if the slide portion 12 has been moved the predetermined distance, the ECU 30 notifies the user of an abnormality that the outer locking mechanism 22 cannot be locked (step S113). The ECU 30 may provide the user with error information that the outer locking mechanism 22 cannot be locked, or may simply store the error information in memory. The ECU 30 then turns off the motor 20 (step S114) and ends control of the slide.

As described above, the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment is an electrically slidable vehicle seat. The vehicle seat includes lower rails 10, 11 (first and second rails), slide sections 12, 13 (first and second slide sections), a seat section 1, lock mechanisms 22, 23, an actuator 21 (switching section), a motor 20, a detection section (outer lock sensor 16, outer unlock sensor 18), and an ECU 30 (control section). The lower rails 10, 11 are attached to the floor side of the vehicle. The slide sections 12, 13 are movable relative to the lower rails 10, 11. The seat section 1 is attached to the slide sections 12, 13. The lock mechanisms 22, 23 are provided on the slide sections 12, 13, respectively, and lock the movement of the slide sections 12, 13. The actuator 21 switches each of the lock mechanisms 22, 23 between a locked state and an unlocked state based on the received user operation. The motor 20 is provided on the outer slide portion 12 and moves the seat portion 1 in the sliding direction (first direction) relative to the lower rails 10 and 11. The detection unit detects the locked or unlocked state of the locking mechanisms 22 and 23 on at least the side of the slide portions 12 and 13 on which the motor 20 is provided. The ECU 30 controls the actuator 21 and the motor 20. After driving the motor 20 to move the seat portion 1 in the sliding direction based on the user's operation, if the actuator 21 switches each of the locking mechanisms 22 and 23 to the locked state but the detection unit cannot detect the locked state of the locking mechanism 22, the ECU 30 drives the motor 20 to move the seat portion 1 in the opposite direction (second direction) of the sliding until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the locking mechanism 22.

According to this configuration, if the ECU 30 cannot detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22 with the detection unit, it drives the motor to move the seat section in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22, so that both the lock mechanisms 22, 23 provided on the first slide section and the second slide section, respectively, can be reliably placed in a locked state.

After the actuator 21 switches each of the locking mechanisms 22, 23 to the locked state, the ECU 30 preferably detects the locked state of the locking mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not installed based on the load of the motor 20.

With this configuration, the state of the locking mechanism 23 can be detected without providing a detector for detecting the state of the locking mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not provided.

It is preferable that the ECU 30 drives the motor so that it can detect the locked state of the locking mechanisms 22, 23, or so that it moves the seat portion 1 in the opposite direction to the sliding direction by a predetermined distance.

With this configuration, the locking mechanism 22 on the side where the motor 20 is installed can be locked in the same position as the locking mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not installed.

The specified distance is preferably the distance between the lock holes 10a, 11a provided in the lower rails 10, 11.

This configuration makes it possible to prevent the locking mechanism 22 on the side where the motor 20 is installed from being locked in a position different from the locking mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not installed.

It is preferable that multiple detection units are provided for each of the slide sections 12, 13, and the ECU 30 determines that the locking mechanisms 22, 23 are in a locked or unlocked state when all of the states detected by the multiple detection units match.

This configuration makes it possible to reliably detect whether the locking mechanisms 22, 23 are in a locked or unlocked state.

The control method for the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment includes the steps of switching each of the locking mechanisms 22, 23 to an unlocked state by the actuator 21 based on a user's operation, and driving the motor 20 to move the seat portion 1 in the sliding direction, switching each of the locking mechanisms 22, 23 to a locked state by the actuator 21 based on a user's operation, and, if the detection unit cannot detect the locked state of the locking mechanism 22, driving the motor 20 to move the seat portion 1 in the opposite direction to the sliding direction until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the locking mechanism 22.

According to this configuration, if the detection unit cannot detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22, a step is performed in which the motor is driven to move the seat unit in the reverse direction of the slide until the detection unit can detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22, so that both lock mechanisms 22, 23 provided on the slide units 12, 13, respectively, can be reliably placed in the locked state.

[Embodiment 2]
Fig. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a control unit that slides a vehicle seat according to embodiment 2. Note that, among the configuration of the vehicle seat according to embodiment 2, the same components as those of the vehicle seat according to embodiment 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

In the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the input unit 40 is further connected to the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19. The inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19 are attached to the inner slide unit 13 as detectors to detect the locked or unlocked state of the inner lock mechanism 23. Specifically, the inner lock sensor 17 is ON when the lock mechanism 23 is in the locked state, and is OFF when the lock mechanism 23 is in the unlocked state. In addition, the inner unlock sensor 19 outputs an OFF pulse signal when it detects that the lock mechanism 23 has switched from the locked state to the unlocked state or from the unlocked state to the locked state. In the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment, two detectors (the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19) are provided in an overlapping manner to reliably detect the locked or unlocked state of the inner lock mechanism 23.

In the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment, a detector for detecting the locked state of the locking mechanism 23 is not provided on the inner side, but is instead detected based on the load of the motor 20. On the other hand, in the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment, an inner lock sensor 17 and an inner unlock sensor 19 are provided on the inner sliding section 13, and these sensors reliably detect the locked or unlocked state of the inner locking mechanism 23.

Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining the control of sliding a vehicle seat according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart shown in Figure 7, the same steps as those shown in the flowchart shown in Figure 3 are given the same numbers and detailed descriptions will not be repeated. In the flowchart shown in Figure 7, the ECU 30 first determines whether or not an input of an ON signal has been received from the slide switch 5 based on the user's operation of the slide switch 5 (step S101). If an input of an ON signal has not been received (NO in step S101), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S101.

When the ECU 30 receives an ON signal (YES in step S101), the ECU 30 turns the actuator 21 ON (step S102). Furthermore, the ECU 30 uses the detection unit to detect whether the outer locking mechanism 22 is in the released state (unlocked) (step S103). When the outer locking mechanism 22 is not in the released state (NO in step S103), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S103.

When the outer locking mechanism 22 is released (YES in step S103), the ECU 30 turns the motor 20 on (step S104). Turning the motor 20 on starts the operation of sliding the seat unit 1 relative to the vehicle floor. The ECU 30 then determines whether or not an OFF signal has been received from the slide switch 5 based on the user's operation of the slide switch 5 (step S105). If an OFF signal has not been received (NO in step S105), the ECU 30 returns the process to step S104 and keeps the motor 20 on.

When the ECU 30 receives an input of an OFF signal (YES in step S105), the ECU 30 turns the actuator 21 to the ON state (step S106). When the user operates the slide switch 5 and the signal of the slide switch 5 becomes an OFF signal, the ECU 30 outputs an ON pulse signal to the actuator 21 as shown in FIG. 4 to switch the locking mechanisms 22, 23 to the locked state. The ECU 30 then detects whether the inner locking mechanism 23 has been locked (step S107a). In step S107a, the ECU 30 does not detect that the inner locking mechanism 23 has been locked based on the load of the motor 20, but detects this using the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19.

Specifically, the inner lock sensor 17 outputs an ON signal to the ECU 30 when the inner lock mechanism 23 is in a locked state. The inner unlock sensor 19 outputs a change (OFF pulse signal) of ON signal-OFF signal-ON signal to the ECU 30 when the inner lock mechanism 23 is in a locked state. When the ECU 30 receives a signal from the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19 that the inner lock mechanism 23 is in a locked state (YES in step S107a), the ECU 30 turns the motor 20 to the OFF state (step S108). By turning the motor 20 to the OFF state, the operation of sliding the seat portion 1 relative to the vehicle floor is stopped. Note that, when the inner lock mechanism 23 is not in a locked state (NO in step S107a), the ECU 30 determines that the slide portions 12, 13 are moving relative to the lower rails 10, 11, and returns the process to step S107a. The processing in step S108 is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, so the description of the processing will not be repeated below.

As described above, in the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment, the detection unit includes a first detection unit (outer lock sensor 16, outer unlock sensor 18) that detects the locked or unlocked state of the lock mechanism 22 on the side where the motor 20 is provided, and a second detection unit (inner lock sensor 17, inner unlock sensor 19) that detects the locked or unlocked state of the lock mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not provided. After the actuator 21 switches each of the lock mechanisms 22 and 23 to the locked state, if the second detection unit detects the locked state of the lock mechanism 23 but the first detection unit cannot detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22, the ECU 30 drives the motor 20 to move the seat portion 1 in the opposite direction to the sliding direction until the first detection unit can detect the locked state of the lock mechanism 22.

According to this configuration, a second detection unit (inner lock sensor 17, inner unlock sensor 19) is provided to detect the locked or unlocked state of the lock mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not provided, so that the state of the lock mechanism 23 on the side where the motor 20 is not provided can be reliably detected.

[Modification of the embodiment]
(1) The vehicle on which the vehicle seat of Fig. 1 is to be installed is described as an automobile as an example, but is not limited thereto, and includes tracked vehicles such as trains and caterpillar-equipped vehicles such as bulldozers. The vehicle seat may also be a seat for various vehicles, for example, a seat for a ship, a seat for an airplane, etc.

(2) In the above embodiment, the motor 20 is described as being provided on the outer slide portion 12, but it may be provided on the inner slide portion 13 and move the seat portion 1 in the sliding direction (first direction) relative to the lower rails 10, 11. When the motor 20 is provided on the inner slide portion 13, in the first embodiment, the detection unit (inner lock sensor 17, inner unlock sensor 19) is provided on the inner slide portion 13 on which the motor 20 is provided, and detects the locked or unlocked state of the inner lock mechanism 23. In the second embodiment, the first detection unit is the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19, and the second detection unit is the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18.

(3) In the above embodiment, it has been described that the outer lock sensor 16 and the outer unlock sensor 18 are provided on the outer side, and the inner lock sensor 17 and the inner unlock sensor 19 are provided on the inner side. However, this is not limited to this. One of the outer lock sensor 16 or the outer unlock sensor 18 may be provided on the outer side, and one of the inner lock sensor 17 or the inner unlock sensor 19 may be provided on the inner side.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, the inventions described in the embodiments and each modified example are intended to be implemented, as far as possible, either alone or in combination.

1 seat portion, 5 slide switch, 10, 11 lower rail, 10a, 11a lock hole, 10b, 11b spacing, 12, 13 slide portion, 14, 15 protrusion, 16 outer lock sensor, 17 inner lock sensor, 18 outer unlock sensor, 19 inner unlock sensor, 20 motor, 21 actuator, 22, 23 lock mechanism, 34 ROM, 36 RAM, 38 storage, 40 input portion, 50 output portion, 52 bus.

Claims (7)

An electrically operated sliding vehicle seat,
a first rail and a second rail mounted on a floor side of a vehicle;
a first slide portion and a second slide portion movable relative to the first rail and the second rail;
a seat portion to which the first slide portion and the second slide portion are assembled;
a first lock mechanism provided on the first slide portion and configured to lock the first slide portion against movement;
a second lock mechanism provided on the second slide portion and configured to lock the second slide portion against movement;
a switching unit that switches the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state based on a received user operation;
a motor provided on the first slide portion and configured to move the seat portion relative to the first rail and the second rail;
a first detection portion provided on the first slide portion and configured to detect a locked state of the first lock mechanism;
a control unit that controls the switching unit and the motor,
The control unit is
A vehicle seat in which the motor is driven to move the seat portion in a first direction based on the user's operation , and if it is determined that the second locking mechanism is in a locked state before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism, the motor is driven to move the seat portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the first detection unit can detect the locked state of the first locking mechanism. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit drives the motor to move the seat unit in a first direction based on the user's operation, and determines the locked state of the second locking mechanism based on the load of the motor before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism. A second detection unit that detects a locked state of the second lock mechanism is further provided ,
The control unit is
The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the second locking mechanism is determined to be in the locked state when the second detection portion detects that the second locking mechanism is in the locked state. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit drives the motor to move the seat portion a predetermined distance when moving the seat portion in the second direction . The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined distance is the distance between the lock holes provided in the first rail and the second rail. the first detection unit includes a lock sensor that detects a locked state of the first lock mechanism and an unlock sensor that detects an unlocked state of the first lock mechanism,
The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit determines that the first locking mechanism is in a locked state or an unlocked state when a state detected by the lock sensor coincides with a state detected by the unlock sensor . a first rail and a second rail attached to a floor side of a vehicle, a first slide section and a second slide section movable relative to the first rail and the second rail, and a seat section to which the first slide section and the second slide section are attached;
a first lock mechanism provided on the first slide section and configured to lock the movement of the first slide section ; a second lock mechanism provided on the second slide section and configured to lock the movement of the second slide section; a switching unit configured to switch the first lock mechanism and the second lock mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state based on a received operation of a user; a motor provided on the first slide section and configured to move the seat section relative to the first rail and the second rail; a first detection unit provided on the first slide section and configured to detect a locked state of the first lock mechanism ; and a control unit configured to control the switching unit and the motor ,
switching the first lock mechanism and the second lock mechanism to an unlocked state by the switching unit based on an operation by the user, and driving the motor to move the seat unit in a first direction;
switching the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism to a locked state by the switching unit based on an operation by the user;
and when it is determined that the second locking mechanism is in a locked state before the first detection unit detects the locked state of the first locking mechanism, driving the motor to move the seat portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the first detection unit can detect the locked state of the first locking mechanism.

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