Seat fitted with seating sensor, seating detector and air bag device

• US 6,345,839 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Kondo, Kenji, Nishimoto, Takuya, Kuboki, Naobumi, Arima, Yasuhiro, Miyahara, Masato, Takewaki, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/142,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 738/620.46, 738/620.42, 738/621.95, 738/626.32, 738/626.37
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015

Abstract

A seating sensor is provided on a seat back part and/or a seat cushion part of a seat in use for a vehicle such as an automobile, and calculates physical conditions, such as a height and weight of an occupant, to judge whether the subject on the seat is a human or an object. On the basis of the results of such calculation and judgement, the operation of an air bag is controlled. The seating sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in its electric resistance in response to the pressure variation, and the pressing force is detected on the basis of the variation of the electric resistance value.

Claims

1. A seat comprising:

a seating sensor provided on a seat back part for detecting a value and position of a pressure transmitted from a back of an occupant leaning against the seat back part; and

means for calculating a height of the occupant on the basis of the value and position of the pressure detected by said seating sensor.

2. The seat of claim 1, including means for comparing a resultant value obtained by the calculation of said calculating means with a predetermined reference value.

3. The seat of claim 1, wherein said seating sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in electric resistance in response to the pressure.

4. The seat of claim 1, wherein said seating sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a formation of two-dimensional matrix.

5. A seat comprising:

a first seating sensor provided on a seat back part for detecting a value and position of a pressure transmitted from a back of an occupant leaning against the seat back part;

a second seating sensor provided on a seat cushion part for detecting a value and position of a pressure transmitted from a hip of the occupant seated on the seat cushion part; and

means for calculating a height and weight of the occupant on the basis of the value and position of the pressure detected by said first and second seating sensors.

6. The seat of claim 5, including means for comparing a resultant value obtained by the calculation of said calculating means with a predetermined reference value.

7. The seat of claim 5, wherein said first and second seating sensors include a sensing element which is variable in electric resistance in response to the pressure.

8. The seat of claim 5, wherein said first and second seating sensors include a plurality of sensing elements arranged in formation of a two-dimensional matrix.

9. A seat comprising:

a seat body;

a pad contained in the seat body; and

a seating sensor interposed between a surface material of said seat body and said pad, wherein said seating sensor has a plurality of pressure sensitive sections for sensing a value and position of the pressure transmitted from an occupant, and wherein a plurality of protrusions in contact with said pressure sensitive sections are provided on an upper surface of said pad.

10. The seat of claim 9, wherein said seating sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in electric resistance in response to the pressure.

11. The seat of claim 9, wherein said seating sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a formation of a two-dimensional matrix.

12. A seating detection device comprising:

a pressure sensitive sensor which is provided at least on a seat cushion part and which detects a pressing force and a pressed position of a seated subject; and

subject determination means for determining what the subject is, based on a variation with time on the pressing force and the pressed position detected by said pressure sensitive sensor, said subject determination means being arranged to compare the detected pressure value with a predetermined reference value, thereby determining the the presence of a human on the seat if variation with time on the pressure is detected and determining the presence of an object on the seat if variation with time on the pressure is detected to be substantially constant.

13. The seating detection device of claim 12, wherein said subject determination means is arranged to compare the detected pressure value with a predetermined reference value, thereby determining whether the subject is a human having a weight no less than a predetermined weight, or whether it is a human having a weight less than the predetermined weight.

14. The seating detection device of claim 12, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in electric resistance in response to the pressure.

15. The seating detection device of claim 12, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a formation of a two-dimensional matrix.

16. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a first seating sensor provided on a seat back part for detecting a value and position of a pressure transmitted from a back of an occupant leaning against the seat back part;

a second seating sensor provided on a seat cushion part for detecting a value and position of a pressure transmitted from a hip of the occupant seated on the seat cushion part;

means for calculating a height and weight of the occupant on the basis of the value and position of the pressure detected by said first and second seating sensors; and

control means for controlling the operation of the air bag in accordance with a result calculated by said means for calculating the height and weight.

17. The air bag apparatus of claim 16, wherein said first and second seating sensors include a sensing element which is variable in its electric resistance in response to the pressure variation.

18. The air bag apparatus of claim 16, wherein first and second seating sensors include a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix formation.

19. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a pressure sensitive sensor which is provided at least on a seat cushion part and which detects a pressing force and a pressed position of a seated subject;

subject determination means for determining what the subject is, based on a variation with time on the pressing force and the pressed position detected by said pressure sensitive sensor, and subject determination means being arranged to compare the detected pressure value with a predetermined reference value, thereby determining whether the presence of a human on the seat if variation with time on the pressure is detected and determining the presence of an object on the seat if variation with time on the pressure is detected to be substantially constant; and

control means for controlling the operation of the air bag in accordance with a result of determination of said subject determination means.

20. The air bag apparatus of claim 19, wherein said subject determination means is arranged to compare the detected pressure value with a predetermined reference value, thereby determining whether the subject is a human having a weight no less than a predetermined weight, or whether it is a human having a weight less than the predetermined weight.

21. The air bag apparatus of claim 19, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in its electric resistance in response to the pressure variation.

22. The air bag apparatus of claim 19, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix formation.

23. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a pressure sensitive sensor provided in the bench part of the seat;

figure determination means for measuring a pressure distribution on the bench part through the pressure- sensitive sensor and determining a physical figure of the occupant on the basis of a distance between two pressure peak points transmitted from a hip of the occupant; and

control means for controlling the operation of the air bag in accordance with a result of determination of said figure determination means.

24. The air bag apparatus of claim 23, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a sensing element which is variable in electric resistance in response to the pressure.

25. The air bag apparatus of claim 23, wherein said pressure sensitive sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in a formation of a two-dimensional matrix.