Occupant restraint system with seat position sensor

• US 6,053,529 A
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Williams, Mitchell Nicholas, Frusti, Thomas Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US08/995,932
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 280/735, 296/68.1, 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 296/65.15, 248/429, 324/207.24, 324/207.2
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/075 roller-less
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A deployable passenger restraint system for an automotive vehicle has an occupant seat mounted on a seat track for adjustable movement in a longitudinal direction, the seat track having a movable rail in slidable relationship with the stationary rail mounted to the vehicle floor. The system includes a deployable restraint mounted in a forward location of the vehicle, a deployment mechanism for deploying the restraint, a deployment restraint processor for receiving and processing restraint deployment signals and for controlling the deployment mechanism, and a seat position sensor. The seat position sensor has a stepped flange adapted to be mounted along a predetermined length of a flange side of the movable rail, and a magnetic sensor adapted to be mounted to the stationary rail on a sensor side adjacent the flange side for sensing presence of the flange and relaying a single representative of seat position to the deployment processor. The magnetic sensor generates a single representing seat position in three zones, including a first zone represented by a first flange section having a first height, a second zone represented by a second flange section having a second height, and a blank section represented by that portion of the seat track not covered by a flange section.

Claims

1. A deployable passenger restraint system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

an occupant seat mounted on a seat track for adjustable movement in at least a longitudinal direction, the seat track having a movable rail attached in a slidable relationship with a stationary rail mounted to a vehicle floor;

a deployable restraint;

a deployable mechanism for deploying the restraint;

deployable restraint processor means for receiving and processing a plurality of restraint deployment signals and for controlling the deployment mechanism; and

a seat position sensor comprising;

a generally L-shaped flange adapted to be mounted along a predetermined length of a flange side of the movable rail, the flange attached upside down with a horizontal leg attached on a first end to a flange side of the movable rail and a second end of the horizontal leg attached to a downturned leg; and

a magnetic sensor adapted to be mounted to the stationary rail on a sensor side adjacent the flange side for sensing presence of the flange and relaying a signal representative of seat position to the deployable restraint processor means, wherein the magnetic sensor has a support member extending from a sensor side of the stationary rail and an upwardly oriented U-shaped sensor member mounted to the support member for receiving the flange therethrough.

2. A deployable passenger restraint system according to claim 1 wherein the flange is connected at a first end of the seat track and extends toward a middle of the seat track.

3. A deployable passenger restraint system according to claim 2 wherein the predetermined length represents approximately half of a seat travel distance along the seat track.

4. A deployable passenger restraint system according to claim 2 wherein the flange has at least two sections of varying height.

5. A deployable passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein the magnetic sensor generates a signal representing seat position in three zones, including a first zone represented by a first flange section having a first height, a second zone represented by a second flange section having a second height, and a blank section represented by a portion of the seat track not covered by the sensor flange.

6. A deployable passenger restraint system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

an occupant seat mounted on a seat track for adjustable movement in at least a longitudinal direction, the seat track having a movable rail attached in a slidable relationship with a stationary rail mounted to a vehicle floor;

a deployable restraint;

a deployable mechanism for deploying the restraint;

a deployable restraint processor for receiving and processing a plurality of restraint deployment signals and for controlling the deployment mechanism; and

a multi-zone seat position sensor comprising;

a sensor flange mounted along a predetermined length of a flange side of the movable rail, the sensor flange having at least two sections along a length thereof with varying vertical heights, the sensor flange attached upside down with a horizontal leg attached on a first end to a flange side of the movable rail and a second end of the horizontal leg attached to a downturned leg; and

a magnetic sensor mounted to the stationary rail on a sensor side adjacent the flange side for sensing for sensing position of the flange relative thereto and generating a signal representative of seat position to the deployment processor means, wherein the magnetic sensor has a support member extending from a sensor side of the stationary rail and an upwardly oriented U-shaped sensor member mounted to the support member for receiving the sensor flange therethrough.