Apparatus and method for sensing displacement
First Claim
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1. A displacement sensor comprising:
- an elongated member having a conical shaped bellows portion collapsible in response to applied force along an axis of the elongated member; and
a sensor located within the bellows portion of the elongated member for providing an electrical signal indicative of the applied force.
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Abstract
A displacement sensor (12) having an elongated member (128) having a conical shaped bellows portion (132) collapsible in response to applied force along an axis (116) of the elongated member. A sensor (126, 142) is located within the bellows portion (132) of the elongated member (128) for providing an electrical signal indicative of the applied force.
37 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A displacement sensor comprising:
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an elongated member having a conical shaped bellows portion collapsible in response to applied force along an axis of the elongated member; and a sensor located within the bellows portion of the elongated member for providing an electrical signal indicative of the applied force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A seat displacement sensor assembly for measuring a displacement of an automobile seat, the seat displacement sensor assembly comprising:
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an elongated member having a conical shaped bellows portion collapsible in response to applied force along an axis of the elongated member; a sensor located within the elongated member and providing an electrical signal indicative of the amount of the collapse of said bellows portion and, it turn, the applied force; and a seat pad mounted in the vehicle seat, said elongated member mounted to said seat pad and received in an elongated opening in said seat, weight on said seat collapsing said bellows, said electrical signal from said sensor being indicative of weight on said seat. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An automobile seat apparatus, comprising:
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a seat back; a seat bottom connected with the seat back and having a seating surface side and a bottom side longitudinally spaced from the seating surface side by a interior portion; at least one sensor cavity extending into the interior portion from at least one of the distal and proximal sides of the seat bottom; a seat mat associated with the seat bottom and having electrical connections; and a seat displacement sensor assembly, including; an assembly base attachable to the seat mat; a sensor located within the assembly base; and a bellows assembly having a first bellows portion, a second bellows portion, and a central axis; wherein the second bellows portion is attachable to the assembly base and compressibly supports the first bellows portion in a position biased away from the assembly base along the central axis, and a cross-section of the bellows assembly has a axial cross-section that varies according to the position of the cross-section along the central axis. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of assembling a seat displacement sensor to measure force on a seat, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an elongated member having a collapsible conical shaped bellows portion; mounting a sensor in said bellows portion to measure said collapse; mounting said elongated member to a seat pad; providing a sensor cavity in the seat bottom; inserting the seat elongated sensor into the sensor cavity; applying pressure to the seat bottom; and processing the sensor signal to determine the force on the seat.
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Specification