Vehicle seat

• US 20020070853A1
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yasunori, Hiromichi, Aoki, Koji, Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio, Sakamoto, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 6,836,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

A vehicle seat having a load sensor arranged on a seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, and a determining means for comparing the load signal and a predetermined value in response to the detection signal when the seat belt is buckled and judging that an adult is not seated on the seat body when the load signal is less than the predetermined value. The seated condition of the vehicle seat is detected properly by the determination result of the determining means.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body;

a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal; and

a determining means for comparing the load signal and a predetermined value in response to the detection signal when the seat belt is buckled and determining that an adult is not seated on the seat body when the load signal is less than the predetermined value.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors arranged on each of two sides of a front portion and a rear portion of the seat body to generate four load signals, and the determining means generates a total load signal by adding the four load signals and determines that an adult is not seated on the seat body when the value of the total load signal is less than the predetermined value.

3. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body;

a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal; and

a determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting an increase in the value of the load signal.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when the value of the load signal is less than a first predetermined value and the value of the present load signal is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when a maximum value of the load signal is less than a current value of a load signal and the difference between the maximum value and the current value of the load signal is greater than a third predetermined value.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors arranged on each of two sides of a front portion and a rear portion of the seat body to generate four load signals, and the determining means generates a total load signal by adding the four load signals and determines that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting an increase in the value of the total load signal.

7. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body;

a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal; and

a determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting a decrease in the value of the load signal.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when the difference between a maximum value of the load signal and a current value of a load signal is greater than a predetermined value.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7 further comprising a calculating means for dividing difference between a maximum value of the load signal and a current value of a load signal with the maximum value to calculate a load decreasing rate, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when the load decreasing rate is greater than a predetermined value.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors arranged on each of two sides of a front portion and a rear portion of the seat body to generate four load signals, and the determining means generates a total load signal by adding the four load signals and determines that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting a decrease in the value of the total load signal.

11. A load detector used for a vehicle seat including a seat body, at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, and a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, the detector comprising:

a determining means for comparing the load signal and a predetermined value in response to the detection signal when the seat belt is buckled and determining that an adult is not seated on the seat body when the load signal is smaller than the predetermined value.

12. A load detector used in a vehicle seat including a seat body, at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, and a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, the detector comprising:

a determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting an increase in the value of the load signal.

13. A load detector used for a vehicle seat including a seat body, at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, and a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, the detector comprising:

a determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal after the seat belt is mounted and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when detecting a decrease in the value of the load signal.