Apparatus and method for measuring weight of an occupying item of a seat
First Claim
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1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
- a cushion defining a surface adapted to support an occupying item;
a spring system arranged underneath said cushion; and
a sensor arranged in association with said spring system for generating a signal based on downward movement of said cushion caused by occupancy of the seat which is indicative of the weight of the occupying item.
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Abstract
Vehicle seat including a cushion defining a surface adapted to support an occupying item, a spring system arranged underneath the cushion and a sensor arranged in association with the spring system and/or cushion for generating a signal based on downward movement of the cushion caused by occupancy of the seat which is indicative of the weight of the occupying item. The sensor can be a spring retained at both ends and which is tensioned upon downward movement of the cushion whereby a force in the spring indicative of weight of the occupying item is measured. The sensor can also include strain gages, e.g., SAW strain gages.
5 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
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a cushion defining a surface adapted to support an occupying item;
a spring system arranged underneath said cushion; and
a sensor arranged in association with said spring system for generating a signal based on downward movement of said cushion caused by occupancy of the seat which is indicative of the weight of the occupying item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for measuring weight of an occupying item on a seat cushion of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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arranging a spring system arranged underneath the cushion; and
arranging a sensor in association with at least one of the spring system and cushion for generating a signal based on downward movement of the cushion caused by the occupying item which is indicative of the weight of the occupying item - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A weight sensor system for measuring weight applied to a seat cushion supported by supports at its edges, comprising:
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a spring system adapted to be arranged underneath the cushion and extend between said supports; and
a sensor arranged in association with at least one of said spring system and the cushion for generating a signal indicative of the weight applied to the cushion based on downward movement of the cushion caused by the weight applied to the cushion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A vehicle including an arrangement for controlling a component based on an occupying item of the vehicle, comprising:
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a cushion defining a surface adapted to support the occupying item;
a spring system arranged underneath said cushion;
a sensor arranged in association with said spring system for generating a signal indicative of the weight of the occupying item based on downward movement of said cushion caused by occupancy of the seat; and
a processor coupled to said sensor for receiving the signal indicative of the weight of the occupying item and generating a control signal for controlling the component. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for controlling a component in a vehicle based on an occupying item, comprising the steps of:
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arranging a spring system arranged underneath a cushion on which the occupying item may rest;
arranging a sensor in association with the cushion for generating a signal based on downward movement of the cushion caused by the occupying item which is indicative of the weight of the occupying item; and
controlling the component based on the signal indicative of the weight of the occupying item. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification