LOAD MEASUREMENT SENSOR SUPPORT STRUCTURE

• US 20140224553A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Ozawa, Hidetoshi
• Application Number:
  US14/237,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224553A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/136
• 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 2/0024 for identifying, categorising or investigation of the occupant or object on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/165 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles

Abstract

In a case where a load measurement sensor is supported so that an extension shaft portion is located at the lateral side of a sensor body, the load measurement sensor is stably disposed without interference with the other members and an increase in the size of a seat is suppressed. In a support structure that supports a load measurement sensor by a height adjustment mechanism so that an extension shaft portion of the load measurement sensor is located at the lateral side of a sensor body, the height adjustment mechanism is a mechanism that displaces the height of a side frame with respect to an attachment member through the link mechanism including link members connecting the side frame to the attachment member, and the load measurement sensor is disposed so that at least a part of a load receiving portion of the sensor body is disposed in the link mechanism.

Claims

1. A load measurement sensor support structure:

wherein a seat comprises;

a plurality of attachment members;

a skeleton, which comprises;

a plurality of side frames disposed to be separated from each other in a vehicle width direction; and

a plurality of connection members connecting front and back sides of the side frames of a vehicle,

wherein the skeleton is connected to the plurality of attachment members provided below the plurality of side frames;

a load measurement sensor comprising;

a sensor body that detects a load applied to the seat; and

an extension shaft portion extending from a lateral side of the sensor body;

the load measurement sensor support structure comprising;

a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting a height of the seat that supports the load measurement sensor while the extension shaft portion is located at the lateral side of the sensor body,

wherein;

the height adjustment mechanism includes a link mechanism that connects the side frame to the attachment member and displaces the height of the side frame with respect to the attachment member through the link mechanism; and

the link mechanism has disposed in it at least a part of a load receiving portion of the sensor body of the supported load measurement sensor.

2. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein the load measurement sensor is rotatably disposed relative to the link mechanism.

3. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism is constituted by a link member comprising an insertion hole located on its rotation center at which the load measurement sensor is disposed and at which the load receiving portion is disposed.

4. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the link mechanism includes the attachment members and the link members rotatably journaled to the side frames;

the load measurement sensor is disposed at an insertion hole which is located on a first rotation center and into which a rotation shaft journaled to the link member to rotate the link member with respect to the attachment member is inserted; and

the load receiving portion is disposed at the insertion hole located on the first rotation center.

5. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the link mechanism includes the attachment members and the link members rotatably journaled to the side frames;

the load measurement sensor is disposed at an insertion hole which is located on a second rotation center and into which a rotation shaft journaled to the link member to rotate the link member with respect to the attachment member is inserted; and

the load receiving portion is disposed at the insertion hole located on the second rotation center.

6. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the link mechanism comprises;

a front link member that is rotatably journaled to the attachment member and the side frame at the front side of the vehicle; and

a back link member that is rotatably journaled to the attachment member and the side frame at the back side of the vehicle; and

at least one of the front link member and the back link member is formed as a curved member that comprises;

a lower end piece which is rotatably connected to the attachment member and extends toward an upper side of the vehicle;

a center portion connection piece which extends in a curved state from the lower end piece toward the upper side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction; and

an upper end piece which extends from the center portion connection piece toward the upper side of the vehicle.

7. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the link mechanism includes the attachment members and the link members rotatably journaled to the side frames; and

the side frame is formed as a curved member that comprises;

a lower end wall which is rotatably connected to an upper end of the link member and extends toward an upper side of the vehicle;

a center portion connection wall which extends in a curved state from the lower end wall toward the upper side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction; and

an upper end wall which extends from the center portion connection wall toward the upper side of the vehicle.

8. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 7, wherein:

the center portion connection wall extends in a curved state from the lower end wall outward and upward in the vehicle width direction; and

the lower end wall is disposed at the inner side of the vehicle in relation to the upper end wall.

9. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein the link member constituting the link mechanism is provided below the side frame and is disposed at the inner side of the vehicle in relation to a center line extending in the front to back direction of the vehicle of a rail member connected with the attachment member.

10. The load measurement sensor support structure according claim 1, wherein an axis of the connection member and an axis of the extension shaft portion are disposed at different positions.

11. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 3, wherein:

the link member constituting the link mechanism is provided with the plurality of insertion holes;

the load measurement sensor is disposed at one of the plurality of insertion holes; and

in the plurality of insertion holes, a diameter of the insertion hole in which the load measurement sensor is disposed is set to be different from a diameter of the insertion hole which is located on the rotation center and in which the load measurement sensor is not disposed.

12. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor body includes a deformation portion that receives the load at the load receiving portion so as to be bent inward in the radial direction of the extension shaft portion;

the load measurement sensor support structure further comprises;

a load input portion that inputs the load to the load measurement sensor while contacting the load measurement sensor; and

a sensor body receiving portion that presses the load receiving portion when the load measurement sensor is moved by the load input from the load input portion,

wherein;

the sensor body receiving portion is disposed on the insertion hole located on the rotation center of the link member constituting the link mechanism;

the deformation portion is disposed at the insertion hole to face the sensor body receiving portion; and

in a state where the deformation portion is disposed at the insertion hole, the load input portion is separated from the sensor body receiving portion.

13. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 4, wherein:

the link member constituting the link mechanism is provided with the plurality of insertion holes;

the load measurement sensor is disposed at one of the plurality of insertion holes; and

in the plurality of insertion holes, a diameter of the insertion hole in which the load measurement sensor is disposed is set to be different from a diameter of the insertion hole which is located on the rotation center and in which the load measurement sensor is not disposed.

14. The load measurement sensor support structure according to claim 5, wherein:

the link member constituting the link mechanism is provided with the plurality of insertion holes;

the load measurement sensor is disposed at one of the plurality of insertion holes; and

in the plurality of insertion holes, a diameter of the insertion hole in which the load measurement sensor is disposed is set to be different from a diameter of the insertion hole which is located on the rotation center and in which the load measurement sensor is not disposed.