Vehicle seat switch

• US 4,678,058 A
• Filed: 04/07/1986
• Issued: 07/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cushman & Wakefield LLP
• Original Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wooters, Eldon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weaver, Ross
• Application Number:
  US06/849,128
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 200/85 R, 200/85 A
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle driver seat is equipped with a switch assembly responsive to the application of a load on the seat to disable the ignition circuitry of the vehicle upon the removal of the load from the seat. The switch assembly includes a generally C-shaped spring located underneath the seat cushion. The end portions of the spring are displaced laterally when the spring is depressed as occurs when an operator sits on the vehicle seat. The lateral displacement of the spring ends pulls a switch plunger to activate the vehicle ignition system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively interrupting the ignition circuit of an ignition system for a vehicle motor in response to a load being applied to a vehicle operator seat assembly mounted to the vehicle, the seat assembly having a support plate and a cushion means supported by said support plate, said apparatus comprising a switch means, a plunger mounted in said switch means for reciprocal movement along a generally longitudinal axis and adapted to electrically actuate the switch means, a spring means having a first end portion, a second end portion and an arcuate central portion, said first end portion being connected to said second end portion by said arcuate central portion, said arcuate central portion being vertically moveable responsive to the vertical movement of said cushion means, said support plate having a first opening for the passage of said first end portion and a second opening for the passage of said second end portion, the portion of said support plate between said first and second openings being adapted to contact the bottom end portions of said arcuate central portion of spring means and facilitate the flattening of the same in response to vertical movement of the cushion means, said first end portion of said spring means being secured to said switch means, said plunger being connected to said second end portion of said spring means, said second end portion and said plunger being movable in a generally horizontal direction in response to vertical movement of said central portion thereby actuating said switch means between electrically open and closed postions upon the selective application and removal of a load to said seat assembly.

2. An apparatus for controlling an ignition circuit connecting the ignition system of a vehicle engine to a power source, said apparatus being selectively responsive to the presence and absence of a load on an operator seat of the vehicle, said apparatus including a seat assembly including a compressible cushion on a seat support, an actuable switch having a body and an actuating rod movable relative to said body between retracted and extended positions for electrically opening and closing said switch, actuating means for moving said actuating rod between said positions, said actuating means comprising a generally C-shaped flat spring steel strip means, said spring steel strip means having a generally vertical inner end portion and a generally vertical outer end portion, said end portions being connected by a generally horizontal central arcuate portion, said arcuate portion being adjacent a lower surface of said compressible cushioning material and responsive to vertical travel of said compressible cushioning material, said inner end portion of said spring steel strip means being operatively connected to said switch, said outer end portion of said spring steel strip means being operatively connected to said actuator rod for moving said actuator rod in response to longitudinal movement of said outer end portion relative to said inner end portion of said spring steel strip means, said outer end portion being movable relative to said inner end portion in response to the downward deflection of said arcuate central portion of said spring steel strip means, and thereby causing the operative connection between said outer end portion of said spring steel strip means and said actuating rod to actuate said switch.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said seat support includes an opening, said inner end portion protruding through said opening for said operative connections with said switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further including two openings whereby each spring end portion protrudes through a separate opening.

5. An apparatus for selectively interrupting the ignition circuit of an ignition system for a vehicle motor in response to a load being applied to a vehicle operator seat assembly mounted to the vehicle, the seat assembly having a seat frame means and a cushion means supported by the seat frame means, said apparatus comprising a switch means, a plunger mounted in said switch means for reciprocal movement along a generally longitudinal axis and adapted to electrically actuate the switch means, a spring means having a first end portion, a second end portion and an arcuate central portion, said first end portion being connected to said second end portion by said arcuate central portion, said arcuate central spring portion is in contact with a lower surface of said cushion and vertically movable to flatten said arcuate control spring portion in response to vertical movement of said cushion on the applicaton of a load to said seat, said first end portion of said spring means being secured to said switch means, said plunger being connected to said second end portion of said spring means, said second end portion and said plunger being movable in a generally horizontal direction in response to vertical movement of said central portion thereby actuating said switch means between electrically open and closed positions upon the selective application and removal of a load to said seat assembly.