Seat weight sensor
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
- a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder, the volume of said fluid in said bladder being less than the capacity of said bladder in the absence of an external load applied to said bladder;
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
d. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hydrostatic weight sensor comprises a bladder of flexible material that contains a fluid, preferably in an amount less than the capacity of the bladder when the bladder is unloaded, the pressure of which is sensed by a pressure sensor so as to provide a measure of weight upon the bladder. The bladder is mountable within a seat below the seat cushion and above the seat base, wherein seating loads are distributed across the bladder by the seat cushion and the seat base. In one embodiment, the bladder comprises a plurality of sheets of flexible material that are sealably connected to one another along a periphery, and are further connected to one another at one or more locations within the periphery so as to create a plurality of fluid containing zones that are in fluid communication with one another.
52 Citations
81 Claims
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1. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder, the volume of said fluid in said bladder being less than the capacity of said bladder in the absence of an external load applied to said bladder;
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
d. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder comprises a plurality of sheets of flexible material sealably connected to one another at a periphery so as to form a confinement within said periphery whereby said sheets of flexible material are further connected to one another at one or more locations within said periphery so as to create a plurality of fluid containing zones within said confinement which are in fluid communication with one another;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder;
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
d. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a sheet of semi-rigid material proximate to a load bearing surface of said bladder;
c. a fluid contained by said bladder;
d. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
e. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal.
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12. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of the seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a coating on the outside of at least one load bearing surface of said bladder;
c. a fluid contained by said bladder;
d. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
e. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal.
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13. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of the seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder, wherein said fluid is a liquid;
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder; and
d. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder;
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder, wherein said pressure sensor is selected from the group consisting of said pressure sensor that is responsive to the strain in the surface of said bladder, said pressure sensor that is internally integrated within said bladder, and said pressure sensor that is isolated from said fluid by the surface of said bladder; and
d. a signal processor for generating a measure of weight from said signal. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a fluid containing means operatively connectable to a seat;
b. a fluid contained by said fluid containing means, wherein the volume of said fluid in said fluid containing means is less than the capacity of said fluid containing means in the absence of an external load applied to said fluid containing means, and said fluid containing means generates a pressure within said fluid responsive to the weight on the seat; and
c. a means for sensing the pressure of said fluid. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a fluid confinement operatively connectable to the seat;
b. a fluid contained by said fluid confinement, wherein the volume of said fluid in said fluid confinement is less than the capacity of said fluid confinement in the absence of an external load applied to said fluid confinement, and said fluid confinement generates a pressure within said fluid responsive to the weight on the seat; and
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said fluid confinement for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. interposing a hydrostatic weight sensor in series with a load path that supports the weight upon the seat, wherein said hydrostatic weight sensor contains a fluid, the volume of said fluid in said hydrostatic weight sensor is less than the capacity of said hydrostatic weight sensor in the absence of an external load applied to said hydrostatic weight sensor, said hydrostatic weight sensor incorporates a pressure sensor in fluid communication with said fluid, said pressure sensor generates a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid, and said pressure is responsive to the component of weight upon the seat applied to said hydrostatic weight sensor; and
b. generating a measure of weight responsive to said signal. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of manufacturing a hydrostatic weight sensor, comprising:
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a. securing first and second portions of flexible material to one another along a periphery, so as to form a confinement, said confinement having an opening;
b. securing said first and second portions of said flexible material to one another within said periphery so as to create a plurality of zones within said periphery, wherein said plurality of zones are in fluid communication with one another;
c. operatively coupling a pressure sensor to said confinement;
d. at least partially filling said confinement with a fluid through said opening in said confinement; and
e. sealing said opening of said confinement. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material; and
b. a fluid contained by said bladder, the volume of said fluid in said bladder being less than the capacity of said bladder in the absence of an external load applied to said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder comprises a plurality of sheets of flexible material sealably connected to one another at a periphery so as to form a confinement within said periphery whereby said sheets of flexible material are further connected to one another at one or more locations within said periphery so as to create a plurality of fluid containing zones within said confinement which are in fluid communication with one another; and
b. a fluid contained by said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a sheet of semi-rigid material proximate to a load bearing surface of said bladder; and
c. a fluid contained by said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of the seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a coating on the outside of at least one load bearing surface of said bladder; and
c. a fluid contained by said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of the seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material; and
b. a fluid contained by said bladder, wherein said fluid is a liquid. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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55. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a bladder mountable beneath the cushion of a seat and supportable by the base of the seat, wherein said bladder is constructed from a flexible material;
b. a fluid contained by said bladder; and
c. a pressure sensor operatively coupled to said bladder for generating a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid within said bladder, wherein said pressure sensor is selected from said pressure sensor that is responsive to the strain in the surface of said bladder, said pressure sensor that is internally integrated within said bladder, and said pressure sensor that is isolated from said fluid by the surface of said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a fluid containing means operatively connectable to a seat; and
b. a fluid contained by said fluid containing means, wherein the volume of said fluid in said fluid containing means is less than the capacity of said fluid containing means in the absence of an external load applied to said fluid containing means, and said fluid containing means generates a pressure within said fluid responsive to the weight on the seat. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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59. A system for measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. a fluid confinement operatively connectable to the seat; and
b. a fluid contained by said fluid confinement, wherein the volume of said fluid in said fluid confinement is less than the capacity of said fluid confinement in the absence of an external load applied to said fluid confinement, and said fluid confinement generates a pressure within said fluid responsive to the weight on the seat. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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61. A method of manufacturing a hydrostatic weight sensor, comprising:
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a. securing first and second portions of flexible material to one another along a periphery, so as to form a confinement, said confinement having an opening;
b. securing said first and second portions of said flexible material to one another within said periphery so as to create a plurality of zones within said periphery, wherein said plurality of zones are in fluid communication with one another;
c. at least partially filling said confinement with a fluid through said opening in said confinement; and
d. sealing said opening of said confinement. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. interposing a hydrostatic weight sensor in series with a load path that supports the weight upon the seat, wherein said hydrostatic weight sensor contains a fluid, said hydrostatic weight sensor incorporates a pressure sensor in fluid communication with said fluid, said pressure sensor generates a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid, and said pressure is responsive to the component of weight upon the seat applied to said hydrostatic weight sensor;
b. distributing said fluid within a plurality of zones, wherein said plurality of zones are in fluid communication with one another within said hydrostatic weight sensor, and c. generating a measure of weight responsive to said signal. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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71. A method of measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. interposing a hydrostatic weight sensor in series with a load path that supports the weight upon the seat, wherein said hydrostatic weight sensor contains a fluid, said hydrostatic weight sensor incorporates a pressure sensor in fluid communication with said fluid, said pressure sensor generates a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid, and said pressure is responsive to the component of weight upon the seat applied to said hydrostatic weight sensor;
b. forming at least one zone within said hydrostatic weight sensor, wherein said at least one zone is not in fluid communication with said pressure sensor, and c. generating a measure of weight responsive to said signal. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73)
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74. A method of measuring the weight upon a seat, comprising:
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a. interposing a hydrostatic weight sensor in series with a load path that supports the weight upon the seat, wherein said hydrostatic weight sensor contains a fluid, said hydrostatic weight sensor incorporates a pressure sensor in fluid communication with said fluid, said pressure sensor generates a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid, and said pressure is responsive to the component of weight upon the seat applied to said hydrostatic weight sensor, whereby said pressure sensor senses the pressure of said fluid from the outside of said hydrostatic weight sensor; and
b. generating a measure of weight responsive to said signal. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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76. A method for controlling a safety restraint system responsive to the weight of an occupant in a vehicle seat, comprising:
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a. interposing a hydrostatic weight sensor in series with the load path that supports the occupant in the vehicle seat, wherein said hydrostatic weight sensor is partially filled with a fluid and incorporates a pressure sensor in fluid communication therewith, said pressure sensor generates a signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid, and said pressure is responsive to the component of occupant weight applied by the occupant on the vehicle seat to said hydrostatic weight sensor; and
b. controlling the safety restraint system responsive to said signal responsive to the pressure of said fluid. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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Specification