Seat Load or Displacement Measuring System for Occupant Restraint System Control

• US 20080036185A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,976,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/734
• 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: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• 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 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays

Abstract

Seat assembly attachable to a substrate of a vehicle includes a seat having a bottom portion and a back portion coupled at an angle to a rear portion of the bottom portion, a support structure arranged at least partially under the seat and to support the seat on the substrate at a plurality of locations including two rearward locations on opposite lateral sides of the seat and at least one forward location, and a weight measuring system arranged in connection with the support structure for determining an approximate weight of an occupying item of the seat. The weight measuring system includes at least one strain or force measuring sensor mounted to measure at least a portion of the load applied to the seat. The approximate weight of the occupying item may be used to control deployment of one or more occupant restraint systems for the occupying item.

Claims

1. A seat assembly in a vehicle adapted to be attached to a substrate of the vehicle, comprising:

a seat having a bottom portion and a back portion coupled at an angle to a rear portion of said bottom portion;

a support structure arranged at least partially under said seat and to support said seat on the substrate at a plurality of locations including two rearward locations on opposite lateral sides of said seat and at least one forward location; and

a weight measuring system arranged in connection with said support structure for determining an approximate weight of an occupying item of the seat, said weight measuring system including at least one strain or force measuring sensor mounted at such a location so as to measure at least a portion of the load applied to the seat,

whereby the approximate weight of the occupying item is used to control deployment of an occupant restraint system for the occupying item.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one strain or force measuring sensor is mounted in conjunction with said support structure, said seat bottom portion or a seat track.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a seatback angle sensor arranged on said seat to determine an angle between said bottom portion and said back portion, said seatback angle sensor being coupled to said weight measuring system which considers the determined angle when deriving the approximate weight of the occupying item of the seat.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said seat is movable relative to said support structure, further comprising a seat track position sensor arranged to determine a relative position between said seat and said support structure, said seat track position sensor being coupled to said weight measuring system which considers the determined relative position between said seat and said support structure when deriving the approximate weight of the occupying item of the seat.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises a pair of slide mechanisms each having a part fixable to the substrate and a movable part, said slide mechanisms being arranged on the opposite lateral sides of said seat, said support structure further comprising a pair of brackets coupled to said movable parts and to said seat, said at least one sensor being arranged at a rearward portion of a respective one of said brackets.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises first, second and third slide mechanisms each having a part fixable to the substrate and a movable part, a pair of rear supports each coupled to a respective one of the opposite lateral sides of said seat and to said movable part of a respective one of said first and second slide mechanisms, and a single forward support coupled to said seat and to said third slide mechanism, said at least one sensor being arranged on a respective one of said rear supports.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises four supports arranged at corners of said bottom portion, said at least one sensor being arranged in connection with a respective one of said supports at a rear of said bottom portion.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said support structure is arranged to support said seat on the substrate at only one or two forward locations, said weight measuring system consisting of only a sensor arranged at each of said one or two forward locations.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a substrate defining an interior passenger compartment; and

a seat assembly comprising

a seat having a bottom portion and a back portion coupled at an angle to a rear portion of said bottom portion;

a support structure arranged at least partially under said seat and to support said seat on said substrate at a plurality of locations including two rearward locations on opposite lateral sides of said seat and at least one forward location; and

a weight measuring system arranged in connection with said support structure for determining an approximate weight of an occupying item of said seat, said weight measuring system including at least one sensor strain or force sensor arranged at said rearward locations at which said support structure supports said bottom portion on said substrate, each of said at least one sensor providing data relating to the force or strain being applied at the respective location which is used to derive the approximate weight of the occupying item,

whereby the approximate weight of the occupying item is used to control deployment of an occupant restraint device for the occupying item.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an occupant restraint device arranged to protect the occupying item during a crash involving the vehicle, said occupant restraint device being coupled to said weight measuring system and arranged to provide a variable deployment depending on the determined approximate weight of the occupying item.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said weight measuring system consists of only a first sensor arranged at a first one of said rearward locations.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said weight measuring system consists of only a first sensor arranged at a first one of said rearward locations and a second sensor arranged at a second one of said rearward locations.

13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said weight measuring system consists of at least one strain or force measuring sensor mounted in conjunction with a seat bottom portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a seatback angle sensor arranged on said seat to determine an angle between said bottom portion and said back portion, said seatback angle sensor being coupled to said weight measuring system which considers the determined angle when deriving the approximate weight of the occupying item of said seat.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat is movable relative to said support structure, further comprising a seat track position sensor arranged to determine a relative position between said seat and said support structure, said seat track position sensor being coupled to said weight measuring system which considers the determined relative position between said seat and said support structure when deriving the approximate weight of the occupying item of said seat.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said support structure comprises a pair of slide mechanisms each having a part fixable to said substrate and a movable part, said slide mechanisms being arranged on the opposite lateral sides of said seat, said support structure further comprising a pair of brackets coupled to said movable parts and to said seat, said one or two sensors each being arranged at a rearward part of a respective one of said brackets.

17. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said support structure comprises first, second and third slide mechanisms each having a part fixable to said substrate and a movable part, a pair of rear supports each coupled to a respective one of the opposite lateral sides of said seat and to said movable part of a respective one of said first and second slide mechanisms, and a single forward support coupled to said seat and to said third slide mechanism, said one or two sensors each being arranged on a respective one of said rear supports.

18. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said support structure comprises four supports arranged at corners of said bottom portion, said one or two sensors being arranged in connection with a respective one of said supports at a rear of said bottom portion.

19. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said support structure is arranged to support said seat on said substrate at only one or two forward locations, said weight measuring system consisting of only a sensor arranged at each of said one or two forward locations.

20. A method for protecting an occupant in a crash involving a vehicle, comprising:

providing a seat having a bottom portion and a back portion coupled at an angle to a rear of the bottom portion;

mounting the seat to a substrate of the vehicle defining a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

arranging a support structure at least partially under the seat and to support the seat on the substrate at a plurality of locations including two rearward locations on opposite lateral sides of the seat and at least one forward location;

arranging at least one force or strain gage sensor at such a location as to measure at least a portion of the load applied to the seat by the occupant; and

controlling an occupant restraint system based on the measured load.