Attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat

• US 6,732,593 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio, Takeuchi, Tsutomu, Sakamoto, Kazunori, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Morishita, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellington, Alandra
• Application Number:
  US10/242,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 738/56, 738/624-862, 177/144, 177/154
• US Class Current: 73/856
• 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: 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

An attachment structure installs a load sensor between a seating portion of a vehicle seat and a vehicle body through an attachment structure unit. The attachment structure unit includes a first attachment bracket for holding one end of the strain unit, and a second attachment bracket for holding the other end of the strain unit. At least a pair of attachment structure units are arranged at right and left portions of a front side, right and left portions of a back side, or right and left portions of the front and back sides of the seating portion relative to the vehicle seat and the first attachment brackets of the attachment structure units of the right and left are connected to each other through a connecting rod.

Claims

1. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor between a seating portion of a vehicle seat and a vehicle body through the attachment structure, the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a vertical strain of the plate-shaped strain unit, the attachment structure comprising;

an attachment structure unit having a first attachment bracket for holding one end of the plate-shaped strain unit forming the load sensor and attached to the seating portion of the vehicle seat and a second attachment bracket for holding the other end of the plate-shaped strain unit and attached to the vehicle body;

a strain portion defined between each fixed end of the plate-shaped strain unit;

the second attachment bracket being provided with a stopper hole; and

a bolt passing through the stopper hole in the second attachment bracket and through the first attachment bracket, the stopper hole in the second attachment bracket permitting relative vertical movement between the first and second attachment brackets to restrict movement of the plate-shaped strain unit in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat upon application of a load to the attachment structure, wherein

at least a pair of attachment structure units is arranged at right and left portions of the front side, right and left portions of a back side, or right and left portions of the front and back sides of the vehicle seat relative to the seating portion, and at least a pair of the second attachment brackets is connected to each other through a connecting rod.

2. An attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, comprising an additional bracket connected to the second attachment bracket, the second attachment bracket holding the other end of the plate-shaped strain unit by way of the additional bracket.

3. An attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, comprising an upper spacer and a lower spacer positioned on opposite sides of the plate-shaped strain unit, and a connecting device connecting the upper spacer, the lower spacer, the plate-shaped strain unit and the first attachment bracket.

4. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor between a seating portion of a vehicle seat and a vehicle body through the attachment structure, the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a vertical strain of the plate-shaped strain unit, comprising;

an attachment structure unit having a first attachment bracket for holding one end of the plate-shaped strain unit forming the load sensor and attached to the seating portion of the vehicle seat and a second attachment bracket for holding the other end of the plate-shaped strain unit and attached to the vehicle body;

a strain portion defined between each fixed end of the plate-shaped strain unit;

the second attachment bracket being provided with a stopper hole; and

a bolt passing through the stopper hole in the second attachment bracket and through the first attachment bracket, the stopper hole in the second attachment bracket permitting relative vertical movement between the first and second attachment brackets to restrict movement of the plate-shaped strain unit in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat upon application of a load to the attachment structure, wherein

at least a pair of attachment structure units is arranged at right and left portions of a front side, right and left portions of a back side, or right and left portions of the front and back sides of the vehicle seat relative to the seating portion and at least a pair of the first attachment brackets is connected to each other through a connecting rod.

5. An attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein at least a pair of the second attachment brackets are arranged at both right and left portions of a front side, a back side, or the front and the back sides of the seating portion and connected to each other through another connecting rod.

6. An attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, comprising an additional bracket connected to the second attachment bracket, the second attachment bracket holding the other end of the plate-shaped strain unit by way of the additional bracket.

7. An attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, comprising an upper spacer and a lower spacer positioned on opposite sides of the plate-shaped strain unit, and a connecting device connecting the upper spacer, the lower spacer, the plate-shaped strain unit and the first attachment bracket.

8. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat which is mounted on a vehicle body comprising:

a pair of load sensors each comprised of a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge located between opposite ends of the plate-shaped strain unit for detecting a vertical strain of the plate-shaped strain unit;

a pair of first attachment brackets each holding one end of one of the plate-shaped strain units and attached to a seating portion of the vehicle seat;

a pair of second attachment brackets each holding an opposite end of one of the plate-shaped strain units and attached to the vehicle body, the pair of second attachment brackets being positioned on right and left sides of the vehicle seat;

a connecting rod extending between the pair of second attachment brackets and connected by a fastener to each of the second attachment brackets.

9. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein each of the second attachment brackets holds the opposite end of one of the plate-shaped strain units by way of an additional bracket.

10. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 8, comprising an upper spacer and a lower spacer connected on opposite sides of each of the plate-shaped strain units by way of a rivet that also passes through the first attachment bracket holding the one end of the respective plate-shaped strain unit.

11. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the fastener connecting the connecting rod to each of the second attachment brackets is a bolt passing through a hole in the second attachment bracket.

12. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the connecting rod is also connected to an upper rail of a seat slide mechanism.

13. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 8, comprising a stopper hole provided in each second attachment bracket, and a pair of connecting devices each passing through the stopper hole in one of the second attachment brackets and through a hole in one of the first attachment brackets, the stopper hole in each second attachment bracket being sized to provide a clearance between the stopper hole and the connecting device to permit relative vertical movement between the first and second attachment brackets and restrict movement of the plate-shaped strain unit in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat upon application of a load to the attachment structure.

14. A load sensor attachment structure in a vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein each connecting device comprises a pierce nut fitted into the stopper hole and a bolt screwed into the pierce nut.