Magnetostrictive vehicle weight sensor
First Claim
1. A vehicle seat weight sensor comprising:
- an inner wall defining a passageway for receiving a fastener therethrough; and
at least one coil disposed adjacent the inner wall for measuring stress applied to the inner wall to determine a weight on the inner wall.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle seat weight sensing system includes a plurality of sensors mounted below a seating surface of a vehicle seat. Each sensor includes a tubular inner wall about which are coiled an activation coil and a detection coil. All of the weight of the seating surface is borne by the inner walls of the sensors. The activation coil induces a current in the tubular inner wall which is detected by the detection coil. Stress in the inner wall alters the signal detected by the detection coil. Analysis of the wave form of the signal indicates the amount of stress applied to the tubular inner wall and the weight upon the vehicle seating surface. A fastener connecting to vehicle seat components passes through the tubular inner wall and retains the sensors in the vehicle seat.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A vehicle seat weight sensor comprising:
-
an inner wall defining a passageway for receiving a fastener therethrough; and
at least one coil disposed adjacent the inner wall for measuring stress applied to the inner wall to determine a weight on the inner wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
-
a vehicle seat having a seating surface;
at least one sensor mounted below the seating surface, each sensor including a wall adjacent a coil, the wall defining an aperture for receiving a fastener, the coil measuring stress in the wall to determine a weight on the seating surface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for installing a weight sensor in a vehicle seat assembly including the steps of:
-
inserting a fastener at least partially through the weight sensor;
securing a first vehicle seat component to a second vehicle seat component with the fasetener; and
securing the weight sensor between the first vehicle seat component and the second vehicle seat component with the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification