Motor vehicle seat arrangement occupancy detection

• US 10,166,942 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hoefgen-Allmann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US15/378,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20170166152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2206 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports

Abstract

The present invention relates to a measurement arrangement for detecting an occupancy of a motor vehicle seat arrangement with at least one seat, which comprises a sensor arrangement with at least one sensor (10) for detecting a deformation of a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface or of a force loading by a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface of a seat cushion (20) of at least one seat of the motor vehicle seat arrangement, which is fastened on a structural element (40) of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat arrangement comprising:

at least one seat having a seat cushion with a seating surface and a lower side facing away from the seating surface; and

a measurement arrangement including

a carrier fastened to a structural body element of a vehicle body, the carrier being formed by plastic and having a first modulus of elasticity;

a support layer positioned on the carrier on a carrier side opposite the structural body element and being formed by an elastomer, the support layer having a second modulus of elasticity, the first modulus of elasticity being at least twice the second modulus of elasticity; and

at least one sensor formed as a foil-like measurement layer on the support layer on a support layer side opposite the carrier and configured to detect a loaded state of the seat cushion by detecting at least one of a deformation or a force loading of the lower side of the seat cushion.

2. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle seat arrangement in vehicle longitudinal direction is arranged behind at least one further seat of the motor vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle seat arrangement in vehicle transverse direction comprises at least two seats arranged next to one another, the occupancy of which is individually detectable by the measurement arrangement.

4. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushion comprises a back seat cushion.

5. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the structural body element comprises a plate-like element having a stiffness in a vehicle vertical direction which is at least two times a stiffness of the seat cushion in the vehicle vertical direction.

6. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lower side facing away from the seating surface contacts the at least one sensor when in a deformed state.

7. The motor vehicle seat arrangement of claim 6, wherein the lower side of the seat cushion also contacts the at least one sensor in an unloaded state.

8. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lower side facing away from the seating surface comprises a recess for at least partial receiving the at least one sensor.

9. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to electrically detect the deformation of the lower side of the seat cushion.

10. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to electrically detect the force loading by the lower side facing away from the seating surface.

11. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is fastened on the structural body element in a manner selected from the group consisting of a form-fit, frictionally engaged manner, a firmly bonded non-destructively detachable manner or a firmly bonded destructively detachable manner.

12. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushion is fastened on the structural element.

13. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the structural body element comprises a trough and the seat cushion is fastened in the trough of the structural element in a rigid or articulated, non-destructively detachable or destructively detachable manner, and/or form-fit, frictionally engaged and/or firmly bonded manner.

14. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the seat cushion is fastened in the trough by a manner selected from the group consisting of a rigid, non-destructively detachable manner, an articulated, non-destructively detachable manner, destructively detachable manner, a form-fit, frictionally engaged manner and/or a firmly bonded manner.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body including a structural element that is an integral element of a BIW (body in white) body of the motor vehicle; and

a motor vehicle seat arrangement comprising at least one seat having a seat cushion with seating surface and a lower side facing away from the seating surface, the seat cushion having an unloaded state when not occupied and a loaded state when occupied by an occupant; and

a measurement arrangement including

a carrier fastened to the structural element, the carrier being formed by plastic;

a support layer positioned on the carrier and being formed by an elastomer;

at least one sensor formed as a foil-like measurement layer on the support layer and contacting the lower side of the seat cushion during the unloaded state and the loaded state, the at least one sensor configured to detect the loaded state of the seat cushion by detecting at least one of a deformation or a force loading of the lower side of the seat cushion.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein structural element has a first stiffness that is at least four times a second stiffness of the seat cushion in a vehicle vertical direction.