Sensor mounting apparatus for minimizing parasitic stresss

• US 20050284669A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: Smith, Nathan, DiPaola, David J., McBride, Timothy M., Bautista, Jonas M., Reshamwala, Chetak, Hyland, David E., Boyce, William S., Frackelton, Peter H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,112,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/136
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/09 Scale bearings

Abstract

A compliant interface (14,16) for vehicular seat weight sensors minimizes parasitic stresses affecting sensor output. In one embodiment, an integral compliant interface (14) has an annular flange (14a) attached to a post extending from the sensor body with a first compliant member (14r) disposed between the annular flange and an upper elongated flange (14h) of a mounting bracket (14l) and a second compliant member (14s) disposed between the annular plate and a lower elongated flange (14k) to allow pivotal movement of the sensor limited by a motion stop member (14f) of annular flange (14b) engaging the lower flange. An overload cage (14u) may be placed over the sensor and attached to an additional flange (14l) to contain the sensor in the event of a failure of the mount in a catastrophic high speed crash. According to another preferred embodiment, an interface having upper and lower body members are formed with a sensor post receiving bore (16c) for attachment to the post. The body members are formed with spaced apart, radially extending face surfaces, each formed with an annular recess aligned with each other and with a compliant member received therein and fixed to the respective body members and extending beyond the face surfaces. The interface is received through a bore of a support plate to which the sensor is mounted with the compliant members engaging opposite face surfaces of the support plate allowing limited pivotal motion and with a compliant member limiting lateral movement of the interface relative to the support plate.

Claims

1. A weight sensor comprising a body and first and second posts extending outwardly in opposite directions from the body generally along a common longitudinal axis, one of the posts mounted to an object whose weight is to be sensed and the other post being mounted to a support,

an integral interface for decoupling parasitic mechanical loads between the object and the sensor including a compliant member seating flange having a bore, one of the posts received through the bore with the compliant member seating flange rigidly attached to the said one of the posts, the compliant member seating flange having upper and lower surfaces, the upper and lower surfaces each formed with a seating surface,

a bracket having an upper flange formed with a bore which receives therethough the said one of the posts, and a lower flange, the upper and lower flanges having portions aligned with the respective seating surfaces and having spaced apart bores for receipt of mounting fasteners, and

first and second compliant members received on the respective compliant member seating surfaces and engaging respective aligned portions of the upper and lower flanges allowing pivotal motion of the sensor about the interface in response to a bending force applied to the other post.

2. A weight sensor according to claim 1 in which the compliant member seating flange is annular in configuration and the seating surfaces of the annular compliant member seating flange and the compliant members are annular.

3. A weight sensor according to claim 2 in which the compliant members are formed of elastomeric material.

4. A weight sensor according to claim 2 in which the annular flange has a downwardly extending stop member spaced a selected distance from the lower flange to limit pivotal motion of the sensor body.

5. A weight sensor according to claim 4 in which the stop member on the annular compliant member seating flange extends around the periphery of the annular compliant member seating flange.

6. A weight sensor according to claim 4 in which the stop member is disposed at a plurality of locations around the periphery of the annular compliant member seating flange.

7. A weight sensor according to claim 1 in which the upper flange is formed with a generally conical portion to form a chamber for receipt of the annular compliant member seating flange and compliant members.

8. A weight sensor according to claim 1 in which the compliant member seating flange is welded to the said one of the posts.

9. A weight sensor according to claim 1 further comprising an overload protection cage attached to the bracket and having stop surfaces spaced from the sensor a selected distance to prevent separation of the sensor from the bracket in case of catastrophic crash event of a vehicle in which the sensor is mounted or a catastrophic overload applied to the sensor.

10. A compliant interface for a sensor having a post extending from a sensor body for allowing limited pivotal motion of the sensor relative to a support plate comprising:

first and second body members formed with a sensor post receiving bore and attached to each other, the bore having a longitudinal axis, each body member having a laterally extending flange forming a face surface facing each other and spaced from each other by a first selected distance,

a recess formed in each face surface aligned with each other,

a compliant member received in each recess and extending toward each other beyond the face surface to form a selected longitudinally extending gap of a selected distance less than the first selected distance,

at least one of the body members having a longitudinally extending sleeve extending toward the other body member,

compliant material disposed on the sleeve about the circumference thereof and aligned with at least a portion of the gap so that a support plate having a thickness between the first and second selected distances can be received between the compliant members when the compliant interface is received in a bore of a support plate allowing limited pivotal motion between the support plate and the first and second body members and with the compliant material on the sleeve limiting lateral movement of the compliant interface relative to the support plate.

11. A compliant interface according to claim 10 in which the compliant members are elastomeric.

12. A compliant interface according to claim 11 in which the elastomeric members are bonded to the respective first and second body members.

13. A compliant interface according to claim 10 in which each recess is annular and has a longitudinal axis, an inboard and an outboard side wall and a radially extending back wall, the outboard side wall is inclined from the radially extending back wall away from the longitudinal axis of the annular recess up to the face surface.

14. A compliant interface according to claim 10 in which the compliant material disposed on the sleeve is integrally formed with one of the compliant members.

15. A sensor comprising a body having a post extending outwardly from the body along a longitudinal axis, a bracket for mounting the post to a support, and an integral interface including a compliant member interposed between the bracket and the post allowing pivotal motion of the post about the interface within a selected range of angles relative to the longitudinal axis.

16. A sensor according to claim 15 in which the bracket has a wall portion and further comprising a stop surface attached to the post, the stop surface spaced a selected distance from the wall portion of the bracket so that the stop surface engages the wall portion upon a selected amount of pivotal movement of the post.