Seat belt warning device

• US 6,239,695 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takayanagi, Hitoshi, Okada, Shoji, Suzuki, Yasuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/519,329
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 340/451.1, 340/626, 340/666, 340/667, 280/735, 280/732
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A seat belt warning device includes a sitting detection switch which is adapted to be in an on-state when a person sits on a vehicle seat and in an off-state when a person is not sitting on the vehicle seat, and a fastening detection switch which is connected to the sitting detection switch in series and adapted to be in an on-state when a seat belt is not fastened and in an off-state when the seat belt is fastened. A warning member is connected to the sitting detection switch and the fastening detection switch in series and is supplied with electric current in the on-state of the sitting detection switch and the on-state of the fastening detection switch to issue a warning.

Claims

1. A seat belt warning device, comprising:

a sitting detection switch adapted to be in an on-state when a person sits and in an off-state when a person is not sitting, said sitting detection switch including a set of first electrodes disposed on a first film layer, a set of second electrodes disposed on a second film layer, and a set of adhesive members located between adjacent pairs of the first electrodes and adjacent pairs of the second electrodes and contacting both the first and second film layers;

a fastening detection switch connected to the sitting detection switch in series, and adapted to be in an on-state when a seat belt is not fastened and in an off-state when the seat belt is fastened; and

a warning member connected to the sitting detection switch and the fastening detection switch in series and supplied with electric current in the on-state of the sitting detection switch and the on-state of the fastening detection switch to issue a warning.

2. The seat belt warning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sitting detection switch is incorporated in a passenger seat of a vehicle and detects when a person is sitting in the passenger seat and when a person is not sitting in the passenger seat.

3. The seat belt warning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning member is disposed in an instrument panel of a vehicle for issuing the warning to a driver of the vehicle.

4. A seat belt warning device, comprising:

a sitting detection switch provided on a vehicle passenger seat and adapted to detect a sitting state and a non-sitting state of the passenger seat, said sitting detection switch including a set of first electrodes disposed on a first film layer, a set of second electrodes disposed on a second film layer, and a set of adhesive members located between adjacent pairs of the first electrodes and adjacent pairs of the second electrodes and contacting both the first and second film layers;

a fastening detection switch provided on a seat belt mechanism installed at the passenger seat and adapted to detect a use state and a non-use state of the seat belt mechanism; and

a warning member provided at an instrument panel of the vehicle and operable based on signals from the sitting detection switch and the fastening detection switch.

5. A seat belt warning device, comprising:

a sitting detection switch operatively associated with a vehicle seat and adapted to be in an on-state when a person is seated on the vehicle seat and in an off-state when a person is not seated on the vehicle seat, said sitting detection switch including a set of first electrodes disposed on a first film layer, a set of second electrodes disposed on a second film layer, and a set of adhesive members located between adjacent pairs of the first electrodes and adjacent pairs of the second electrodes and contacting both the first and second film layers;

a fastening detection switch connected to the sitting detection switch and adapted to be in an on-state when a seat belt is not fastened and in an off-state when the seat belt is fastened; and

a warning member connected to the sitting detection switch and the fastening detection switch and adapted to issue a warning signal indicating that the seat belt is not fastened only when the sitting detection switch is in the on-state and the fastening detection switch is in the on-state.

6. The seat belt warning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the warning member is disposed in an instrument panel of a vehicle for issuing the warning to a driver of the vehicle.

7. The seat belt warning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the warning member is supplied with electric current only when the sitting detection switch is in the on-state and the fastening detection switch is in the on-state.

8. The seat belt warning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sitting detection switch, the fastening detection switch and the warning member are disposed in series.