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Seat apparatus for vehicle

Seat apparatus for vehicle description/claims

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-319614, filed on Nov. 28, 2006, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

This invention generally relates to a seat apparatus for a vehicle. More particularly, this invention pertains to a seat apparatus for a vehicle that controls a side support portion depending on a road shape.

A known seat apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed in JP2590875B. The seat apparatus disclosed includes a capacitance sensor for determining whether or not an occupant is seated on a seat so as to perform an open and close control on a side support portion. According to the seat apparatus disclosed, the capacitor sensor is used only for determining presence or absence of an occupant and is not used for changing, depending on the physique of an occupant, a support position of the side support portion, i.e., a position where the upper body of an occupant is supported thereby.

On the other hand, JP63-033849U discloses a seat apparatus for a vehicle including a pressure sensor provided at a side support portion for detecting the physique of an occupant. A support position of the side support portion, i.e., a position where the upper body of an occupant is supported thereby, can be adjusted on the basis of a pressure value detected by the pressure sensor. The support position of the side support portion can be changed depending on the physique of an occupant.

According to the seat apparatus disclosed in JP63-033849U, however, the side support portion should be brought to a closed position at a time the physique of an occupant is being detected by means of the pressure sensor, which may give an oppressive feeling to the occupant. Further, the side support portion should be opened or closed to obtain an appropriate position after the physique of the occupant is detected with the side support portion in the closed state, thereby requiring time.

Thus, a need exits for a seat apparatus for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a seat apparatus for a vehicle including a side support portion that is controlled to be opened and closed depending on a road shape includes a position detecting portion for detecting a position of the side support portion, a sensor provided at the side support portion and detecting a physique of an occupant, a physique detecting portion for detecting the physique of the occupant by means of the sensor while the side support portion is in a full open position, and an initial position determining portion for determining an initial position of the side support portion depending on the physique of the occupant detected by the physique detecting portion.

The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seat apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a capacitance sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an electric connection diagram of the seat apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an output pulse of support position sensors according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an initial position setting program according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B are each diagram illustrating a relationship between the number of pulses and an initial position according to the embodiment of the present invention.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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