Seat weight measuring apparatus
First Claim
1. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting thereon, comprising:
- load sensors arranged inside a seat or between the seat and a vehicle body for converting at least parts of the seat weight into electric signals, and an absorbing mechanism for absorbing an assembly load so that the assembly load is not measured by the load sensors.
4 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to provide a seat weight measuring apparatus in which the performance of load sensors is not spoiled due to dimensional error or deformation of a vehicle body or a seat and provides higher precision measurement, a seat weight measuring apparatus is provided for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting thereon and comprises load sensors for converting at least parts of the seat weight into electric signals and a dislocation/deflection absorbing mechanism (pin brackets and pins) arranged between a seat and the load sensors. Each load sensor comprises a cantilever-type sensor plate which is deformable when subjected to load, and a plurality of strain gauges attached to one surface (strain measuring surface) of the sensor plate. The load sensor is so structured that one of the strain gauges is subjected to tensile strain while the other one of the strain gauges is subjected to the compressive strain when the sensor plate is subjected to the applied load and is thus deformed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting thereon, comprising:
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load sensors arranged inside a seat or between the seat and a vehicle body for converting at least parts of the seat weight into electric signals, and an absorbing mechanism for absorbing an assembly load so that the assembly load is not measured by the load sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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6. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbing mechanism is configured to slide in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle body a distance that is greater than a lengthwise dimensional tolerance of brackets for mounting seat rails.
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7. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbing mechanism can slide the following LLR or more relative to a widthwise direction of the vehicle body:
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8. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbing mechanism can pivot by θ
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LR or more about an axis extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle body;
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LR or more about an axis extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle body;
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9. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbing mechanism can pivot about an axis extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body an amount more than an amount required to accommodate non-parallel positioning of seat rails connected to the seat.
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10. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein said absorbing mechanism includes a plurality of transmitting members for transmitting the weight of the seat to the load sensors, each of said transmitting members being rotatably journalled by a pivot pin.
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11. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said transmitting members is provided with a hole into which said pivot pin is loosely inserted.
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12. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said transmitting members can slide in the axial direction of said pivot pin.
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13. A seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a restricting mechanism for restricting a load applied to said load sensors.
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14. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting thereon, comprising load sensors arranged inside a vehicle seat or between the seat and a vehicle body for receiving load relating to the seat weight and for converting the load into electric signals, wherein
each of said load sensors has a sensor member having a constant thickness and a width that varies over a length of the member and which is deformable when subjected to the applied load, and a plurality of strain gauges attached to a strain measuring surface of said sensor member, the strength in deformation of an elastic deforming portion of the sensor member is adjusted so as to form a region providing substantially constant surface strain on a portion of the strain measuring surface of the sensor member when the sensor member is subjected to the applied load, and said strain gauges are attached to said region.
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16. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting thereon, comprising load sensors arranged inside a vehicle seat or between the seat and a vehicle body for receiving load relating to the seat weight and converting the load into electric signals, wherein
each of said load sensors has a sensor member having a constant thickness and a width that varies over a length of the member and which is deformable when subjected to the applied load, and a plurality of strain gauges attached to a strain measuring surface of said sensor member, said sensor member is a cantilever, one end is a fixed portion, the other end is a subjected portion to be subjected to the applied load, and a portion between the ends is a strain gauge fixing portion, and both the fixed portion and the subjected portion are patched with reinforcing members to concentrate strain in the strain gauge fixing portion.
Specification