SEAT

• US 20160200220A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,975,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0214 Capacitive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/302 for capacitive or ionised electrodes, e.g. metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• 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 2/58 Seat coverings

Abstract

A seat configured so that the accuracy of detection of each sensor provided in the seat to detect the body potential of a seated occupant can be improved without degrading the sense and comfort of the seat. A seat includes a trim cover having a contact surface for a seated occupant, and sensors arranged opposite to the contact surface and configured to detect the body potential of the seated occupant. Each sensor is a capacitive coupling sensor configured to detect the body potential through the trim cover. Moreover, a portion of the seat facing each sensor includes a dielectric configured to increase the dielectric constant of such a portion.

Claims

1. A seat comprising:

a cover member having a contact surface for a seated occupant; and

a capacitive coupling sensor disposed opposite to the contact surface and configured to detect through the cover member, when the seated occupant is seated, a body potential of the seated occupant, and to output a signal corresponding to the body potential, and

wherein a portion of the seat facing the sensor comprises a dielectric configured to increase a dielectric constant of the portion.

2. The seat according to claim 1, wherein an application agent containing the dielectric is applied onto at least part of a surface of the sensor facing the cover member to form an application agent layer.

3. The seat according to claim 1, wherein a film containing the dielectric is attached to at least part of a surface of the sensor facing the cover member.

4. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is contained across an entirety of a portion of the cover member facing the sensor.

5. The seat according to claim 1, wherein

the cover member comprises:

a covering material forming the contact surface, and

a wadding material attached to a surface of the covering material opposite to the contact surface, and

the dielectric is contained in at least part of a portion of the wadding material facing the sensor.

6. The seat according to claim 5, wherein the wadding material comprises a foam material formed with air bubbles communicating with each other.

7. The seat according to claim 1, wherein an attachment member containing the dielectric is attached to at least part of a portion of the cover member facing the sensor.

8. The seat according to claim 7, wherein

the attachment member comprises silicon rubber, and

at least one cutout is provided in an outer edge of the attachment member, the cutout extending inward from the outer edge.

9. The seat according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a sheet sensor, and

a surface size of the portion of the seat comprising the dielectric on a side facing the sensor is equal to or larger than a surface size of the sensor on a side facing the cover member.

10. The seat according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor comprises a plurality of arranged sensors, and

the portion of the seat comprising the dielectric faces at least two of the sensors, and is continuously provided.

11. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is titanium oxide or barium titanate.

12. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat is mounted on a vehicle.