DETACHABLE-BODY VEHICLE FRAME

• US 20090294185A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Konstanzer, Elmar, Bruzzone, Michela, Stefani, Giovanni, Del Monte, Mauro
• Granted Patent: US 8,119,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/136
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/09 Scale bearings

Abstract

Described herein is a mounting system with measurement of the weight of the occupant for a seat of a motor vehicle; the mounting system has a bottom frame rigidly connected to the bodywork of the motor vehicle, a top frame, which supports the seat and is mounted in a floating way on the bottom frame, and a plurality of weight sensors, each of which is set between the bottom frame and the top frame and is connected to the bottom frame or to the top frame by means of a single bolt integrated in the weight sensor itself and locked by a nut; a surface of the nut facing the weight sensor has a spherical shape, and set between the nut and the frame is a washer having a spherical central surface, which reproduces in negative form the shape of the corresponding spherical surface of the nut.

Claims

1. A mounting system with measurement of the weight of the occupant for a seat of a motor vehicle;

the mounting system comprising;

a bottom frame carried by the bodywork of the motor vehicle;

a top frame, which supports the seat and is mounted in a floating way on the bottom frame;

a plurality of weight sensors, each of which is set between the bottom frame and the top frame and is connected to the bottom frame or to the top frame by means of a single first bolt locked by a nut;

wherein a surface of the nut facing the weight sensor has a spherical shape and set between the nut and the frame is a first washer having a spherical central surface which reproduces in negative form the shape of the corresponding spherical surface of the nut;

each first bolt being integrated in the respective weight sensor; and

set in the proximity of at least one of the weight sensors is at least one limiter, which limits the relative local displacement between the bottom frame and the top frame in a vertical direction.

2. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the surface (9) of the nut (8) facing the weight sensor (4) has a convex spherical shape and the spherical central surface (11) of the first washer (10) has a concave spherical shape.

3. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first washer (10) has a central axis (13) of symmetry and has a symmetrical shape specular with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis (13) of symmetry.

4. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein:

set around each first bolt (7) integrated in a weight sensor (4) and between the weight sensor (4) and the frame (3;

2) are a second washer (16) and a third washer (17);

the second washer (16) has a central surface (11) with a spherical shape; and

the third washer (17) has a central surface (18) with a spherical shape which reproduces in negative form the shape of the corresponding spherical surface (11) of the second washer (16).

5. The mounting system (1) according to claim 4, wherein the second washer (16) is identical to the first washer (10).

6. The mounting system (1) according to claim 4, wherein the spherical central surface (11) of the second washer (16) has a convex spherical shape, and the spherical central surface (18) of the third washer (17) has a concave spherical shape.

7. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein each weight sensor (4) is connected to the bottom frame (2) or to the top frame (3) by means of the single first bolt (7) integrated in the weight sensor (4) and is connected to the top frame (3) or to the bottom frame (2) by means of a pair of second bolts (20) inserted in two respective through holes (21) of the weight sensor (4) itself.

8. The mounting system (1) according to claim 7, wherein each weight sensor (4) is connected to the top frame (3) by means of the single first bolt (7) and is connected to the bottom frame (2) by means of the pair of second bolts (20).

9. The mounting system (1) according to claim 7, wherein each second bolt (20) presents a threaded terminal portion (22), which is arranged externally with respect to the respective through hole (21), and a non-threaded intermediate portion (24), which is arranged within the respective through hole (21) of the weight sensor (4) and has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the through hole (21) itself.

10. The mounting system (1) according to claim 9, wherein for each second bolt (20) the non-threaded intermediate portion (24) has an external diameter smaller than the external diameter of the corresponding threaded terminal portion (22).

11. The mounting system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each first bolt (7) is integrated in the respective weight sensor (4).

12. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein each first bolt (7) is permanently connected to the respective weight sensor (4).

13. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein each first bolt (7) is screwed to the respective weight sensor (4).

14. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the bottom frame (2) is made up of at least two sectional elements (5), each of which has a channel-shaped cross section with the open end facing the top frame (3) and has a size such as to house with reduced play the weight sensors (4) inside it.

15. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein:

the top frame (3) is made up by joining a number of sectional elements (6), each of which has a box-shaped section;

in a position corresponding to each weight sensor (4) the top frame (3) has a bottom through hole (14) designed to receive the first bolt (7) integrated in the weight sensor (4) and an overlying top hole (15), which is coaxial to the bottom hole (14) and is of a size such as to enable passage of the corresponding nut (8) and of a tool for screwing the nut (8) itself.

16. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein:

the bottom frame (2) is rigidly connected to the bodywork (C) by means of a plurality of bolts (B), which are inserted in through holes (H) made in the bottom frame (2) and are screwed in corresponding threaded holes made in the bodywork (C); and

the through holes (H) of the bottom frame (2) have a diameter greater than the diameter of the threaded part of the bolts (B).

17. The mounting system (1) according to claim 15, wherein two holes (H) are made directly through a horizontal bottom wall of the bottom frame (2) and two holes (H) are made through two appendages (A), which project downwards from the bottom frame (2) and form a certain angle of inclination with the horizontal bottom wall of the bottom frame (2) itself.

18. The mounting system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein set in the proximity of at least one of the weight sensors (4) is at least one limiter (25), which has the function of limiting locally the relative displacement between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) in a vertical direction.

19. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein set in the proximity of each weight sensor (4) is at least one limiter (25).

20. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the limiter (25) comprises an element (26) having a thin central body (27), which has a bottom end rigidly connected to the bottom frame (2) and a top end, which is set through a through hole (29) made in a bottom wall of the top frame (3) and terminates with a widened head;

the through hole (29) made through a bottom wall of the top frame (3) has a diameter greater than the diameter of the central body (27) and smaller than the diameter of the widened head.

21. The mounting system (1) according to claim 18, wherein a washer, which has a diameter greater than the diameter of the through hole (29) made through a bottom wall of the top frame (3), is set around the central body (27) and is set between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) in the proximity of the hole (29) itself.

22. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein each weight sensor (4) comprises:

a bottom element (36;

46) and a top element (37;

47) with respect to a direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight;

the two elements (36, 37;

46, 47) floating with respect to one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight and being slightly set at a distance from one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight itself so as to define between them a gap (38;

49); and

a shielding body (39;

50), which is fixed to at least one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and externally covers the gap (38;

49).

23. The mounting system (1) according to claim 20, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is at least partially flexible, has an annular shape, and is fixed both to the bottom element (36;

46) and to the top element (37;

47).

24. The mounting system (1) according to claim 21, wherein:

the shielding body (39;

50) has a bottom edge (40;

51) fixed to the bottom element (36;

46) and a top edge (41;

52) fixed to the top element (37;

47);

the bottom edge (40;

51) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (42;

53), which is made along the outer wall of the bottom element (36;

46) and has an opening (43;

54) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the bottom edge (40;

51); and

the top edge (41;

52) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (44;

55), which is made along the outer wall of the top element (37;

47) and has an opening (45;

56) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the top edge (41;

52).

25. The mounting system (1) according to claim 20, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigid, is fixed to just one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and is separate from the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) so as not to present any point of contact with the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) itself.

26. The mounting system (1) according to claim 23, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the top element (37;

47) and is separate from the bottom element (36;

46).

27. The mounting system (1) according to claim 23, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the bottom element (36;

46) and is separate from the top element (37;

47).

29. The mounting system (1) according to claim 26, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is at least partially flexible, has an annular shape, and is fixed both to the bottom element (36;

46) and to the top element (37;

47).

30. The mounting system (1) according to claim 27, wherein:

the shielding body (39;

50) has a bottom edge (40;

51) fixed to the bottom element (36;

46) and a top edge (41;

52) fixed to the top element (37;

47);

the bottom edge (40;

51) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (42;

53), which is made along the outer wall of the bottom element (36;

46) and has an opening (43;

54) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the bottom edge (40;

51); and

the top edge (41;

52) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (44;

55), which is made along the outer wall of the top element (37;

47) and has an opening (45;

56) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the top edge (41;

52).

31. The mounting system (1) according to claim 26, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigid, is fixed to just one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and is separate from the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) so as not to present any point of contact with the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) itself.

32. The mounting system (1) according to claim 29, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the top element (37;

47) and is separate from the bottom element (36;

46).

33. The mounting system (1) according to claim 29, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the bottom element (36;

46) and is separate from the top element (37;

47).

35. The weight sensor (4) according to claim 32, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is at least partially flexible, has an annular shape, and is fixed both to the bottom element (36;

46) and to the top element (37;

47).

36. The weight sensor (4) according to claim 33, wherein:

the shielding body (39;

50) has a bottom edge (40;

51) fixed to the bottom element (36;

46) and a top edge (41;

52) fixed to the top element (37;

47);

the bottom edge (40;

51) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (42;

53), which is made along the outer wall of the bottom element (36;

46) and has an opening (43;

54) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the bottom edge (40;

51); and

the top edge (41;

52) of the shielding body (39;

50) has a swelling and is force fitted into a groove (44;

55), which is made along the outer wall of the top element (37;

47) and has an opening (45;

56) of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the top edge (41;

52).

37. The weight sensor (4) according to claim 32, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigid, is fixed to just one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and is separate from the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) so as not to present any point of contact with the other element (37, 36;

47, 46) itself.

38. The weight sensor (4) according to claim 35, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the top element (37;

47) and is separate from the bottom element (36;

46).

39. The weight sensor (4) according to claim 35, wherein the shielding body (39;

50) is rigidly connected to the bottom element (36;

46) and is separate from the top element (37;

47).

41. The mounting system (1) according to claim 38, wherein set in the proximity of each weight sensor (4) is at least one limiter (25).

42. The mounting system (1) according to claim 38, wherein:

the limiter (25) comprises an element (26) having a thin central body (27), which has a bottom end rigidly connected to the bottom frame (2) and a top end, which is arranged through a through hole (29) made through a bottom wall of the top frame (3) and terminates with a widened head; and

the through hole (29) made through a bottom wall of the top frame (3) has a diameter greater than the diameter of the central body (27) and smaller than the diameter of the widened head.

44. The mounting system (1) according to claim 1, wherein each first bolt (7) is integrated in the respective weight sensor (4).

28. A mounting system (1) with measurement of the weight of the occupant for a seat of a motor vehicle;

the mounting system (1) comprising;

a bottom frame (2) rigidly connected to the bodywork (C) of the motor vehicle;

a top frame (3), which supports the seat and is mounted in a floating way on the bottom frame (2); and

a plurality of weight sensors (4), each of which is set between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) and is connected to the bottom frame (2) or to the top frame (3);

each weight sensor (4) comprising a bottom element (36;

46) and a top element (37;

47) with respect to a direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight;

the two elements (36, 37;

46, 47) floating with respect to one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight and being slightly set at a distance from one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight itself so as to define between them a gap (38;

49)

the mounting system (1) being characterized in that each weight sensor (4) comprises a shielding body (39;

50), which is fixed to at least one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and externally covers the gap (38;

49).

34. A weight sensor (4) for a mounting system (1) with measurement of the weight of the occupant for a seat of a motor vehicle;

the weight sensor (4) comprising a bottom element (36;

46) and a top element (37;

47) with respect to a direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight;

the two elements (36, 37;

46, 47) floating with respect to one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight and being slightly set at a distance from one another in the direction (35;

48) of measurement of the weight itself so as to define between them a gap (38;

49);

the weight sensor (4) being characterized in that it comprises a shielding body (39;

50), which is fixed to at least one of the elements (36, 37;

46, 47) and externally covers the gap (38;

49).

40. A mounting system (1) with measurement of the weight of the occupant for a seat of a motor vehicle;

the mounting system (1) comprising;

a bottom frame (2) carried by the bodywork (C) of the motor vehicle;

a top frame (3), which supports the seat and mounted in a floating way on the bottom frame (2); and

a plurality of weight sensors (4), each of which is set between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) and is connected to the bottom frame (2) or to the top frame (3) by means of a single first bolt (7) locked by a nut (8);

the mounting system (1) being characterized in that set in the proximity of at least one of the weight sensors (4) is at least one limiter (25), which has the function of limiting locally the relative displacement between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) in a vertical direction.

43. The mounting system (1) according to claim 40, wherein a washer, which has a diameter greater than the diameter of the through hole (29) made through a bottom wall of the top frame (3), is set around the central body (27) and is set between the bottom frame (2) and the top frame (3) in the proximity of the hole (29) itself.