Apparatus and method for controlling air cells of seat

The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for controlling air cells of a seat. The apparatus includes: air cells provided on opposing sides of the seat to support a portion of the body of the passenger seated on the seat; pressure sensors to measure internal pressures of the air cells; and a control unit to receive the measured pressures of the air cells. Then, the control unit compares and stores the pressures of the air cells when a startup of the vehicle is off. When the startup is on, the control unit controls expansion of the air cells according to any one of the pressures of the air cells which are compared and stored in the control unit when the startup is off.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0105464, filed Aug. 13, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technology of controlling air cells of a seat, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling air cells of a seat.

BACKGROUND

Air cells (air bags) for stably supporting the body of a passenger seated on a seat may be provided on opposite sides of a seatback of a vehicle, and air is injected into or discharged from the air cells by a pneumatic system including a motor, an air pump, an operation switch, and the like.

FIG. 1is a view illustrating a method of controlling air cells pneumatic system according to the related art, and the air cells1are expanded and restored by pressures of the air injected into the air cells through an operation of a motor, a pressure of the air, and a switch operation time when the startup of the vehicle is off and then when the startup of the vehicle is on, supplying the air into the air cells1by an amount of the air stored when the previous startup is off.

However, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, if the pressures of the air cells are stored while the posture of the passenger seated on a seat is distorted, the pressures of the opposite air cells are stored while the pressures and volumes of the air cells are different, and accordingly, when the air cells are restored as the startup of the vehicle is on, the air cell to which a load of the passenger is applied is expanded and restored to a relatively small volume as compared with the opposite air cell, so that the passenger should manipulate an operation switch to adjust the volumes of the air cells.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for controlling air cells of a seat, by which even though air cells situated on opposing sides of the seat are asymmetrically stored, the air cells are expanded and restored at the same pressure when the air cells are expanded and restored, and convenience of use thereof can be improved and a proper driving posture can be maintained.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for controlling air cells of a seat, the apparatus including: air cells situated on opposing sides of the seat, for supporting a portion of the body of the passenger seated on the seat; pressure sensors for measuring internal pressures of the air cells; and a control unit to which the measured pressures of the air cells are input, for comparing and storing the pressures of the air cells when a startup of the vehicle is off, and, when the startup is on, making a control to expand the air cells by the same degree with any one of the pressures of the air cells compared and stored at the time when the startup is off.

When the startup is on, the control unit makes a control to expand the air cells depending on the lower one of the pressures of the air cells stored when the startup is off.

The control unit makes a control to store only the pressure of the air cell having the lower pressure when the startup is off.

The control unit makes a control to exhaust the air filled in the air cells when the startup is off.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of controlling air cells situated on opposing sides of a seat, the method including: a measuring step of measuring internal pressures of the air cells by at least one pressure sensor; and a controlling step, by the control unit, of inputting the measured pressures of the air cells, comparing and storing the pressures of the air cells when the startup is off, and making a control to expand the air cells by the same degree with any one of the compared and stored pressures of the air cells when the startup is off, when the startup is on.

The method further includes: a determining step of determining manipulation of an operation switch for expanding and contracting the air cells.

Pressure of the interiors of the air cells are measured by pressure sensors, the pressures measured by the pressure sensors are input to a control unit, air is injected into and exhausted from the air cells by a pneumatic system, and the control unit controls the pressures of the air cells by operating the pneumatic system.

According to the present disclosure, even though the air cells are asymmetrically stored due to a distorted posture of the passenger, the opposite air cells are expanded and restored at the same pressure depending on the lowest pressure when the air cells are expanded and restored, and accordingly, because a separate manipulation of the passenger for symmetry of the air cells is not necessary, convenience of use thereof can be improved and a proper driving posture can be maintained.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The air cell control apparatus for a seat according to the present disclosure largely includes air cells10, pressure sensors11, and a control unit13.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the air cell control apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: air cells10provided on opposing sides of the seat, for supporting a portion of the body of the passenger seated on the seat; pressure sensors11for measuring internal pressures of the air cells10; and a control unit13to which the measured pressures of the air cells10are input, for comparing and storing the pressures of the air cells10when a startup of the vehicle is off and making a control to expand the air cells10by the same degree with any one of the pressures of the air cells10compared and stored when the startup is on.

Here, the air cells10may be installed on opposing sides of the seatback, and air may be injected into and exhausted from the air cells10by a pneumatic system including air pumps, motors, and valves.

That is, the air pumps may be connected to the air cells10such that air may be injected into the air cells10, and the air pumps may be operated by the motors. The valves may be installed between the air pumps and the air cells10, and may exhaust the air in the interior of the air cells10.

The pressure sensors11are provided in the air cells10to independently measure the pressures of the air cells10, and may be provided in the air cells10or on paths along which air is injected from the air pumps and the air cells10.

That is, according to the present disclosure, even though the air cells10are asymmetrically stored due to a distorted posture of the passenger, the air cells10are expanded and restored at the same pressure when the air cells10are expanded and restored, and thus a separate manipulation by the passenger to symmetrically expand the air cells10is not necessary. And thus convenience of use thereof is improved and a proper driving posture can be maintained.

In particular, when the startup is on, the control unit13may make a control to expand the air cells10depending on the lowest one of the pressures of the air cells10stored when the startup is off.

In one form, the control unit13may store only the pressure of the air cell10having a relatively low pressure when the startup is off.

That is, the control unit13compares and memorizes the pressures of the left and right air cells10when the startup of the vehicle is off, and compares the left and right pressures when the air cells10are restored to expand and restore the air cells10with reference to the air cell10that is comparatively more expanded.

In other words, if a local pressure is applied to one of the air cells10due to the distorted posture of the passenger, a pressure higher than that of the other air cell10will be stored. Accordingly, because the control unit13compares the left and right pressures to restore the pressure to the lower pressure, that is, the air pressure of the one side, to which a local pressure is not applied, the air cells10are expanded at the same air pressure when the passenger is seated even though the pressures of the left and right air cells10are differently stored when the startup is off and thus the user may drive the vehicle while being seated comfortably.

The control unit13may exhaust the air filled in the air cells10when the startup is off.

That is, when the startup of the vehicle is off, the air filled in the air cells10is exhausted, and then when the startup of the vehicle is turned on again, the air cells10are expanded and restored using the pressure stored in the control unit13at the time when the startup is off.

A method for controlling air cells10according to the present disclosure may include a measuring step and a controlling step.

Referring toFIG. 4, the method for controlling the air cells10provided on opposing sides of a seat may include: a measuring step of measuring internal pressures of the air cells10by pressure sensors11; and a controlling step, by the control unit13, of receiving the measured pressures of the air cells10, comparing and storing the measured pressures of the air cells10when the startup is off, and also when the startup is on, making a control to expand the air cells10by the same degree with any one of the compared and stored pressures of the air cells10.

The method may further include a determining step of determining manipulation of an operation switch15to expand or contract the air cells10.

That is, after the start on and off conditions are identified, the pressures of the left and right air cells10are compared and stored if the startup is off, and then the air in the air cells10is exhausted.

Then, when the pressures of the air cells10are different, only the lower one of the pressures of the air cells10may be stored.

Next, the air cells10on one side (e.g., one of the opposing sides) are expanded and restored with reference to the pressure stored as the lower pressure when the startup of the vehicle is on.

If the passenger manipulates the operation switch15while the startup of the vehicle is on, the air cells10may can be expanded or contracted while the air in the interior of the air cells10is injected or exhausted according to the manipulation of the operation switch15.

Meanwhile, although the detained example of the present disclosure has been described in detail, it will be clearly understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure and fall within the scope of the claims.