Vehicle seat

• US 6,467,804 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio, Takeuchi, Tsutomu, Sakamoto, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US09/740,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/273, 180/271, 180/268, 297/217.2, 297/216.1, 340/666, 340/667
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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 vehicle seat that detects a child restraint apparatus, which is attached to the seat by a seat belt, for operation of an air bag. A first load sensor is attached to one side of the seat to detect load and generate a first detection value. A second load sensor is attached to the seat at an opposite side of the seat to detect load and generate a second detection value. A control unit is connected to the first and second load sensors and determines whether the child restraint apparatus is present based on the first and second detection values.

Claims

1. A seat including a seat belt fastened to an anchor, wherein the anchor is located on one side of a rear portion of the seat, the seat comprising:

a first load sensor attached to the seat in the vicinity of the anchor to detect load and generate a first detection value representing the load detected by the first load sensor;

a second load sensor attached to the seat at a side opposite to the first load sensor to detect load and generate a second detection value representing the load detected by the second load sensor; and

a control unit connected to the first and second load sensors, wherein the control unit compares the first detection value with the second detection value to determine whether a child restraint apparatus is present.

2. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains a difference between the first and second detection values, compares the difference with a predetermined rear differential reference value, and determines that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the first detection value and the difference is greater than the rear differential reference value.

3. The seat according to claim 2, wherein the control unit adds the first and second detection values to obtain a rear load sum and compares the rear load sum with a predetermined rear sum reference value to determine whether the child restraint apparatus is present.

4. The seat according to claim 2, further comprising a third load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the first load sensor to detect load and generate a third detection value representing the load detected by the third load sensor, and a fourth load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the second load sensor to detect load and generate a fourth detection value representing the load detected by the fourth load sensor, wherein the control unit adds the first, second, third, and fourth detection values to obtain a total load sum and compares the total load sum with a predetermined total sum reference value to determine whether the child restraint apparatus is present.

5. The seat according to claim 2, further comprising a third load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the first load sensor to detect load and generate a third detection value representing the load detected by the third load sensor, and a fourth load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the second load sensor to detect load and generate a fourth detection value representing the load detected by the fourth load sensor, wherein the control unit adds the first and second detection values to obtain a rear load sum, compares the rear load sum with a predetermined rear sum reference value, adds the first, second, third and fourth detection values to obtain a total load sum, compares the total load sum with a predetermined total sum reference value, and determines that the child restraint apparatus is present when at least one of the rear and total load sums is greater than the associated reference value.

6. The seat according to claim 2, wherein the control unit compares the second detection value with a predetermined first reference value and determines that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the first reference value.

7. The seat according to claim 2, wherein the control unit compares the first detection value with a second reference value, and determines that the child restraint apparatus is present when the first detection value is less than the second reference value.

8. The seat according to claim 2, further comprising a front load sensor located in front of the first and second load sensors and attached to the seat, wherein the front load sensor is connected to the control unit.

9. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit evaluates a ratio of the first and second detection values, and determines that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the first detection value and the ratio satisfies a predetermined condition.

10. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls operation of an air bag in accordance with the presence of the child restraint seat.

11. A method for detecting whether a child restraint apparatus is fastened to a seat by a seat belt that is fastened to an anchor, wherein the anchor is located on one side of a rear portion of the seat, and wherein the seat includes a first load sensor attached to the seat in the vicinity of the anchor to detect load and generate a first detection value representing the load detected by the first load sensor, a second load sensor attached to the seat at a side opposite to the first load sensor to detect load and generate a second detection value representing the load detected by the second load sensor, the method comprising:

comparing the first and second detection values;

obtaining a difference between the first and second detection values;

comparing the difference with a predetermined rear differential reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the first detection value and the difference is greater than the rear differential reference value.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

adding the first and second detection values to obtain a rear load sum;

comparing the rear load sum with a predetermined rear sum reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the rear load sum is greater than the predetermined fear sum reference value.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the seat further includes a third load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the first load sensor to detect load and generate a third detection value representing the load detected by the third load sensor, and a fourth load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the second load sensor to detect load and generate a fourth detection value representing the load detected by the fourth load sensor, the method further comprising:

adding the first, second, third, and fourth detection values to obtain a total load sum;

comparing the total load sum with a predetermined total sum reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the total load sum is greater than the predetermined total sum reference value.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the seat further includes a third load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the first load sensor to detect load and generate a third detection value representing the load detected by the third load sensor, and a fourth load sensor connected to the control unit and attached to the seat in front of the second load sensor to detect load and generate a fourth detection value representing the load detected by the fourth load sensor, the method further comprising:

adding the first and second detection values to obtain a rear load sum;

comparing the rear load sum with a predetermined rear sum reference value;

adding the first, second, third, and fourth detection values to obtain a total load sum;

comparing the total load sum with a predetermined total sum reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when at least one of the rear and total load sums is greater than the associated predetermined threshold value.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the second detection value with a predetermined first reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the first reference value.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the first detection value with a predetermined second reference value; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the first detection value is less than the second reference value.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

evaluating a ratio of the first and second detection values; and

determining that the child restraint apparatus is present when the second detection value is greater than the rear differential reference value and the ratio satisfies a predetermined condition.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising controlling operation of an air bag in accordance with the presence of the child restraint apparatus.