VEHICLE SEATS

• US 20080191527A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ITO, Koji, TODA, Shigeyoshi, AMAMIYA, Yoshiyuki, TAKUMA, Setsu, YANASE, Hitoshi, TAKAI, Nobuhito, KONDO, Hiromi
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• 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: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle seat has a seat cushion having a seating region. A first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seating region and can detect a first seating position of an occupant. A second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seating region and can detect a second seating position of the occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion having a seating region;

a first seating sensor disposed at a central portion of the seating region and constructed to detect a first seating position of an occupant; and

a second seating sensor disposed at a peripheral portion of the seating region and constructed to detect a second seating position of the occupant.

2. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the second seating sensor has a first part positioned at least on one side with respect to a widthwise direction of the seat cushion.

3. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the second seating sensor has a second part positioned on the side of a front end of the seat cushion.

4. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the second seating sensor comprises a membrane switch having a plurality of switch portions extending along the peripheral portion of the seating region of the seat cushion.

5. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is applied to an industrial vehicle.

6. The vehicle seat as in claim 5, wherein the industrial vehicle comprises a forklift.

7. The vehicle seat as in claim 4, further comprising an accidental operation preventing device constructed to prevent the switch portions from being accidentally operated when the occupant is not seated on the vehicle seat.

8. The vehicle seat as in claim 7, wherein the accidental operation preventing device comprises a plurality of spaces defined in the seat cushion in positions opposing to the switch portions.

9. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the first seating sensor and the second seating sensor are operable to independently detect the seating position of the occupant.

10. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion; and

a first seating sensor and a second seating sensor disposed on the seat cushion and constructed to detect an occupant when the occupant is seated on the vehicle seat;

wherein the first seating sensor can detect the seated occupant when the occupant takes a first posture; and

wherein the second seating sensor can detect the seated occupant when the occupant takes a second posture that is different from the first posture.

11. The vehicle seat as in claim 10,

wherein the first seating sensor and the second seating sensor are disposed at different positions of the seat cushion.

12. The vehicle seat as in claim 11,

wherein the first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seat cushion;

and

wherein the second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seat cushion.

13. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion including a cushion pad and a cushion frame; and

a first seating sensor and a second seating sensor disposed between the cushion pad and the cushion frame and each comprising a push-in switch operable by a weight of an occupant who is seated on the seat cushion;

wherein the first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seat cushion;

wherein the second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seat cushion;

wherein the push-in switch of the second seating sensor comprises a plurality of switch portions arranged along the peripheral portion of the seat cushion.

14. The vehicle seat as in claim 13, wherein the push-in switch of the first seating sensor comprises a limit switch.

15. The vehicle seat as in claim 13, wherein the push-in switch of the second seating sensor comprises a membrane switch.