Sitting passenger detecting apparatus and sitting passenger detecting method

• US 6,356,200 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Osamu, Sekizuka, Makoto, Hamada, Makoto, Fukawatase, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/482,311
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 340/667, 340/666, 340/665, 200/85.A, 200/85.R, 180/41, 180/273, 180/290, 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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 2/0732 Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems

Abstract

A sensor attaching portion of an upper rail and a sensor attaching portion of a cushion frame are provided with a sensor attaching plate having a sensor disposed thereon. The upper rail and the seat cushion frame are connected with a bracket at a position facing the sensor attaching plate. When the passenger sits on the seat, the seat cushion frame moves down and a bent portion of the bracket is pressed and deformed downwards. At this time, the center in the vertical direction of the sensor attaching plate is bent outward in the lateral direction of the seat. The sensor serves to detect the generated deformation.

Claims

1. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

connecting members separating a seat rail and a seat cushion frame from each other and supporting a load which is added to said seat cushion frame and a load applied to a seat back to connect said seat rail, said seat cushion frame, and said seat back to each other such that a relative displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame is permitted;

displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame; and

weight calculating means for calculating a weight of a passenger sitting on the seat in accordance with a value detected by said displacement detecting means;

wherein said connecting member comprises a bracket which is provided for at least the rear connecting portion of the front and rear connecting portions between an upper rail of the seat rails and said seat cushion frame, and

said displacement detecting means comprises a sensor for detecting change in the distance from said seat rail to said seat cushion frame, said sensor being disposed in parallel with said bracket at a position offset in a direction of the width of the seat.

2. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor incorporates a thin plate which is distorted in accordance with change in the distance from said seat cushion frame and said upper rail;

and a sensor body for detecting distortion of said thin plate.

3. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bracket incorporates a bending portion which is elastically deformed in a downward direction owing to a load which is added to said seat when a passenger has sat in said seat.

12. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bracket either is disposed at an inner side or said bracket is disposed at an outer side of said seat, respectively in a lateral direction of a vehicle;

said sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising alarm means for alarming when a change rate of an output signal from said sensor disposed in parallel with said bracket disposed either at the inner side or the outer side in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

4. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

connecting members separating a seat rail and a seat cushion frame from each other and supporting a load which is added to said seat cushion frame and a load applied to a seat back to connect said seat rail, said seat cushion frame, and said seat back to each other such that a relative displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame is permitted;

displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame; and

weight calculating means for calculating a weight of a passenger sitting on the seat in accordance with a value detected by said displacement detecting means;

wherein said connecting member comprises a link for connecting said seat rail and said seat cushion frame to each other, said displacement detecting means comprises a sensor detecting the relative displacement between said link and said seat cushion frame occurring when the passenger sits on said seat; and

wherein a bracket is provided which connects two pin-support points on said seat cushion frame to each other and to which the upper end of said link is connected, and

said sensor joined to said bracket measures the distortion of said bracket.

5. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said seat cushion frame has a hole into which a pin for connecting said bracket and the upper end of said link to each other has been inserted such that a predetermined gap is retained in the vertical direction.

6. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising

connecting members structured to separate a seat rail and a seat cushion frame from each other and support a load which is added to said seat cushion frame to connect said seat rail and said seat cushion frame to each other such that a relative displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame is permitted;

displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame; and

weight calculating means for calculating a weight of a passenger sitting on the seat in accordance with a value detected by said displacement detecting means wherein said connecting member is formed as two cross bars which are disposed between said right and left seat cushion frames and to which a cushion pan has been joined,

said displacement detecting means is a sensor provided for said cross bar to measure distortion of said cross bar, and

wherein said cross bars are joined to said cushion pan through a synthetic bush.

7. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a back bar arranged between said right and left seat back frames; and

a seat back sensor joined to said back bar to measure change in the distance from a seat back cushion spring,

wherein said weight calculating means calculates the weight of the passenger sitting on said seat in accordance with a value detected by said sensor provided for said cross bar and a value detected by said seat back sensor.

8. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

connecting members separating a seat rail and a seat cushion frame from each other and supporting a load which is added to said seat cushion frame and a load applied to a seat back to connect said seat rail and said seat cushion frame and said seat back to each other such that a relative displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame is permitted;

displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame; and

weight calculating means for calculating a weight of a passenger sitting on the seat in accordance with a value detected by said displacement detecting means;

wherein said right and left seat cushion frames and said seat rail are offset in the direction of the width of the vehicle,

said connecting member comprises two front and rear sensor bars extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle and connecting said right and left seat cushion frames and said seat rail to one another, and

said displacement detecting means comprises a sensor disposed between said seat cushion frame connecting portion and said seat rail connecting portion at the two ends of said two sensor bars to detect distortion of said sensor bar.

9. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a thickness-reduced portion is formed in each of the portions of the two sensor bars in which said sensors are disposed.

13. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sensor bar is divided into right and left portions each having different spring constant.

10. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

connecting members separating a seat rail and a seat cushion frame from each other and supporting a load which is added to said seat cushion frame and a load applied to a seat back to connect said seat rail and said seat cushion frame and said seat back to each other such that a relative displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame is permitted;

displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement between said seat rail and said seat cushion frame; and

weight calculating means for calculating a weight of a passenger sitting on the seat in accordance with a value detected by said displacement detecting means;

wherein front and rear connecting portions between said upper rail of said seat rail and said seat cushion frame are joined by rotative links, an elastic member is provided for at least either of said connecting portions so as to stably hold said seat cushion frame and an amount of displacement of said seat cushion frame with respect to said upper rail against an urging force of said elastic member is detected by a variable resistor.

11. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein amplifying means is provided which amplifies the angle of rotation of said link to communicate a result of the amplification to said variable resistor.

14. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

first load detecting means for detecting a load added to the front portion of a seating surface of a seat of a vehicle;

second load detecting means for detecting a load added to the rear portion of the seating surface;

first determining means for determining a fact that a passenger which is sitting on said seat is an adult when the sum of values detected by said first and second load detecting means is not smaller than a first threshold value; and

a second determining means for determining a fact that a passenger which is sitting on the seat is an adult when a value detected by said first load detecting means is not smaller than a second threshold value and a value detected by said second load detecting means is not smaller than a third threshold value.

15. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

seat belt joining determining means for determining whether or not said seat belt has been joined; and

child restraint system mounting determining means for determining whether or not a child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards in accordance with a result of the determination made by said seat belt joining determining means and values detected by said first and second load detecting means.

16. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising third determining means for determining that the passenger sitting on the seat is an adult when at least either of values detected by said first and second load detecting means is not smaller than a fourth threshold value.

17. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

seat belt joining determining means for determining whether or not said seat belt has been joined; and

CRS mounting determining means for determining whether or not a child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards in accordance with a result of the determination made by said seat belt joining determining means and values detected by said first and second load detecting means.

18. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said CRS mounting determining means determines a fact that said child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards when said seat belt has been joined and a value detected by said first load detecting means is not smaller than a value detected by said second load detecting means.

19. A sitting passenger detecting method comprising:

a first load detecting step for detecting a load added to the front portion of a seating surface of a seat of a vehicle;

a second load detecting step for detecting a load added to a rear portion of the seating surface;

a first determining step for determining a fact that a passenger sitting on the seat is an adult when the sum of values detected in said first and second load detecting steps is not smaller than a first threshold value; and

a second determining step for determining a fact that a passenger which is sitting on the seat is an adult when a value detected in said first load detecting step is not smaller than a second threshold value and a value detected in said second load detecting step is not smaller than a third threshold value.

20. A sitting passenger detecting method according to claim 19, further comprising:

a seat belt joining determining step for determining whether or not said seat belt has been joined; and

a child restraint system mounting determining step for determining whether or not a child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards in accordance with a result of the determination made in said seat belt joining determining step and values detected in said first and second load determining steps.

21. A sitting passenger detecting method according to claim 19, further comprising a third determining step for determining a fact that the passenger sitting on the seat is an adult when at least either of values detected in said first and second load detecting steps is not smaller than a fourth threshold value.

22. A sitting passenger detecting method according to claim 21, further comprising:

a seat belt joining determining step for determining whether or not said seat belt has been joined; and

a CRS mounting determining step for determining whether or not a child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards in accordance with a result of the determination made in said seat belt joining determining step and values detected in said first and second load determining steps.

23. A sitting passenger detecting method according to claim 22, wherein said CRS mounting determining step determines that said child restraining apparatus has been mounted to be directed rearwards when said seat belt has been joined and the value detected in said first load detecting step is not smaller than the value detected in said second load detecting step.

24. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

a seat track disposed between a floor and a seat cushion frame to permit movement of said seat cushion frame in the longitudinal direction with respect to said floor; and

a load sensor for detecting a load added to said seat cushion frame in accordance with displacement of said seat cushion frame with respect to an upper rail of said seat track.

25. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

a seat track disposed between a floor and a seat cushion frame to permit movement of said seat cushion frame in the longitudinal direction with respect to said floor;

a front connecting portion for connecting the front portion of said seat cushion frame and the front portion of an upper rail of said seat track to each other;

rear connecting portion for connecting the rear portion of said seat cushion frame and the rear portion of said upper rail to each other;

a load sensor disposed in a sensor joining portion formed at an offset position in the direction of the width of said seat with respect to said rear connecting portion and arranged to detect a load added to said seat cushion frame in accordance with displacement of said seat cushion frame with respect to said upper rail; and

a low-strength portion formed between said rear connection portion of said upper rail and said sensor joining portion.

26. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said seat cushion frame is rotatively connected to said upper rail in said front connecting portion.

27. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a sound insulating member is disposed between said sensor joining portion of said upper rail and said sensor joining portion of said seat cushion frame.

28. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

at least one load detecting means for detecting a vertical load added to a seat body joined to a car-body member;

seat-belt load detecting means for detecting a load caused from a tension of the seat belt added to a seat belt anchor secured to said car-body member;

direction detecting means for detecting the direction of the load caused from the tension; and

estimating means for estimating the weight of the passenger in accordance with the load detected by said load detecting means,

wherein said estimating means estimates the vertical load added in between the car body and said seat body owing to the load caused from the tension and subtracts the estimated load from the load detected by said load detecting means so as to estimate the weight of the passenger.

29. A sitting passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

at least one load detecting means disposed between a car-body member and a seat body disposed above said car-body member and arranged to detect a vertical load added in between said car-body member and said seat body;

estimating means for estimating the weight of a passenger in accordance with the load detected by said load detecting means; and

seat-belt-load maintaining means disposed between said car-body member and said seat body and arranged to maintain a load added from said seat belt to said seat body

wherein said seat belt load maintaining means includes a pair of link members inclined with an inclination angle equal to an inclination angle of a seat belt attached to the seat body.