INSULATION BARRIER FOR UNSHIELDED WIRE

• US 20080084221A1
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Jiang, Ge, Lim, Jeffrey A., Ngin, Sywong, Howard, Patrick C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/662
• 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: 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

Abstract

A sensor assembly has a plurality of sensing elements configured to be positioned within a seat of a vehicle. Each of the sensing elements include an output signal indicating the presence or absence of an occupant. The sensor assembly includes a cable with a plurality of conductors that are in electrical communication with the output signals of the sensing elements. The sensor assembly further provides a non-conductive spacer positioned between the cable and the plurality of sensing elements. A method for providing a sensor assembly having a spacer between sensing elements and conductors attached thereto to reduce unwanted coupling of signals onto the conductors is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly configured to detect whether a seat in a vehicle is occupied, comprising:

a plurality of sensing elements configured to be positioned within the seat, the seat having a base member with a mat positioned therein, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements is capable of detecting the presence or absence of an object on a portion of the seat, and wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements provides an output of an electrical signal indicative of the detection;

a cable having first and second layers of non-conductive material and a plurality of conductors positioned between and attached to the first and second layers, wherein the output of one of the sensing elements is in electrical communication with one of the conductors, wherein the same conductor is configured to be electrically coupled to an electrical device capable of processing the electrical signal from the same sensing element; and

a first non-conductive spacing member formed from a dielectric material and attached to at least a portion of the cable.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements includes an antenna capable of creating an electric field in a volume proximal to the seat.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the mat includes first and second opposing major surfaces and wherein at least a first sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is positioned adjacent the first major surface of the mat.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein at least a second sensing element of the plurality sensing elements is positioned adjacent the second major surface of the mat.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein the cable is a flat cable, and wherein at least a portion of the flat cable is positioned between the first sensing element and the second sensing element.

6. The sensor assembly seat of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive spacing member has a thickness of at least about 25 millimeters.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive spacing member is positioned adjacent the cable along the first layer of non-conductive material.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the cable extends out from the seat, and further comprising:

a second non-conductive spacing member extending over at least a portion of the cable that extends from the seat.

9. The sensor assembly of claim 8, wherein the second non-conductive spacing member includes a plurality of ribs extending across its width.

10. The sensor assembly of claim 8, wherein the second non-conductive spacing member includes a first portion positioned adjacent the cable along the first layer of non-conductive material and a second portion positioned adjacent the cable along the second layer of non-conductive material and wherein each of the first and second portions include a cradle formed into a surface along their respective lengths and wherein at least a portion the cable is positioned within each of the cradles.

11. The sensor assembly of claim 8, wherein the second non-conductive spacing member is configured to be operably connected to an electrical frame ground of the vehicle.

12. A seat capable of supporting an occupant for a vehicle, the seat being capable of characterizing the presence of the occupant, comprising:

a base member configured to accept and support the occupant including a mat having first and second major surfaces and positioned along at least a portion of the base member;

a plurality of sensing elements disposed within the base member, each of the sensing elements capable of detecting the presence or absence of the occupant on a portion of the seat and having an output including an electrical signal indicative of the detection;

a cable having first and second sides defined by two non-conductive layers with a plurality of electrical conductors disposed between and secured by the two non-conductive layers, wherein a first electrical conductor is coupled to the output of a first sensing element; and

a first non-conductive spacing member having a layer of dielectric material and positioned adjacent at least a portion of the cable to reduce the conductance of unwanted electrical signals onto the plurality of electrical conductors,

wherein the first electrical conductor is configured to be in electrical communication with an electronic device capable of characterizing the presence of the occupant.

13. The seat of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements includes an antenna capable of creating an electric field in a volume proximal to the seat.

14. The seat of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements are positioned adjacent the first major surface of the mat of the base member and wherein the first non-conductive spacing member is positioned between the plurality of sensing elements and at least a portion the cable.

15. The seat of claim 12, wherein a first sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is positioned adjacent the first major surface of the mat and a second sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements is positioned adjacent the second major surface of the mat.

16. The seat of claim 15, and further comprising:

a second non-conductive spacing member having a layer of dielectric material, wherein the first non-conductive spacing member is positioned between the first sensing element and the cable and the second non-conductive spacing member is positioned between the second sensing element and the cable.

17. The seat of claim 12, wherein the cable comprises a flat cable, and wherein at least a portion of the mat is positioned between at least one of the plurality of sensing elements and the flat cable.

18. A method of providing one or more electrical signals from a seat sensor assembly to an external device that are indicative of one or more attributes measured by the seat sensor assembly, comprising:

aligning a first seat sensing element with a seat, the first seat sensing element capable of sensing an attribute and providing an output having an electrical signal indicative of the attribute;

attaching a first conductor between the electrical output of the first seat sensing element and the external device so that the first seat sensing element is in electrical communication with the external device; and

disposing a non-conductive spacing member having a layer of dielectric material between the seat sensing element and the first conductor to reduce electrical coupling of an unwanted electrical signal onto the first conductor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

aligning a second seat sensing element with the seat, the second seat sensing element capable of sensing an attribute and providing an output having an electrical signal indicative of the attribute;

attaching a second conductor between the electrical output of the second seat sensing element and the external device so that the second seat sensing element is in electrical communication with the external device; and

disposing a second non-conductive spacing member between the second seat sensing element and the second conductor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of aligning the second seat sensing element includes positioning the second seat sensing element so that the first and the second conductors are positioned between the first seat sensing element and the second seat sensing element.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the steps of providing the first and second conductors comprise providing a cable including the first and the second conductors.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of providing a cable comprises providing a flat ribbon cable free from a conductive shielding material.