Vehicle seat

• US 6,836,715 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• 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.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Koji, Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio, Yasunori, Hiromichi, Sakamoto, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/012,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 180/271, 180/273, 280/733, 280/735, 280/801.1, 280/802-808, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

A vehicle seat having a load sensor arranged on a seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, a detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, and a determining means for comparing the load signal and a predetermined value in response to the detection signal when the seat belt is buckled and judging that an adult is not seated on the seat body when the load signal is less than the predetermined value. The seated condition of the vehicle seat is detected properly by the determination result of the determining means.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body;

detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled and generating a detection signal; and

determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal generated after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body upon detecting that a value of the load signal is more than a first predetermined value and has increased relative to a stored load signal value, and upon detecting that the value of the load signal is less than a second predetermined value.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors which each provide an output, and the load signal is a total of the outputs of the four load sensors.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined value is set based on a load applied when tightening the child restraint system by the seat belt.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors which each provide an output, and the load signal is a total of the outputs of the four load sensors.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined value is greater than a weight of the child restraint system seated on the seat body and less than a weight of an adult seated on the seat body.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body or that a child is seated on the seat body upon determining that the value of the load signal is less than or equal to the first predetermined value after the seat belt is buckled.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors which each provide an output, and the load signal is a total of the outputs of the four load sensors.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the determining means further determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body when a value of the load signal is greater than a third predetermined value which is set based on a load applied when tightening the child restraint system by the seat belt.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the determining means determines that the child restraint system is mounted on the seat body or that a child is seated on the seat body upon determining that the value of the load signal is less than or equal to the first predetermined value after the seat belt is buckled.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors which each provide an output, and the load signal is a total of the outputs of the four load sensors.

11. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body;

detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled and generating a detection signal; and

a determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body upon detecting that a value of the load signal has increased relative to a stored load signal value and upon detecting that a decreasing rate in the value of the load signal is greater than a predetermined value.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the decreasing rate is obtained by dividing a difference value with a maximum value, with the maximum value being the maximum value of the load signal detected during tightening the child restraint system by the seat belt, and the difference value being obtained by subtracting from the maximum value the value of the load signal detected during a decrease in the load signal.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined value is set as a reference value for detecting a decrease in the value of the load signal relative to the stored load signal value when the child restraint system is released from a pressing force after the seat belt is tightened.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the at least one load sensor is one of four load sensors which each provide an output, and the load signal is a total of the outputs of the four load sensors.

15. A load detector used in a vehicle seat comprising a seat body, at least one load sensor arranged on the seat body for generating a load signal corresponding to a load applied to the seat body, and detecting means for detecting whether a seat belt is buckled to the vehicle seat and generating a detection signal, the load detector comprising:

determining means for checking for a change in the load signal in response to the detection signal generated after the seat belt is buckled and determining that a child restraint system is mounted on the seat body upon detecting that a value of the load signal is more than a first predetermined value and has increased relative to a stored load signal value, and upon detecting that the value of the load signal is less than a second predetermined value.