Method and apparatus for attaching a seat sensor mat to a foam cushion

• US 6,877,808 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Singh, KunKun, Talbot, Dave, Janic, Predrag, Lichtinger, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/397,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.3, 297/180.1, 297/180.12, 297/452.26, 297/452.6, 340/667
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• 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 2/7017 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a sensor assembly that is used to provide data for an occupant classification system. The data is used to determine such characteristics as seat occupant weight and position. These characteristics are used to control deployment of a safety restraint mechanism such as an airbag. The sensor assembly is part of a mat that is placed on top of a foam cushion used to form a seat bottom. Various attachment methods can be used to permanently secure the mat to the foam cushion. Preferably, the mat includes mounting portions that are wrapped around the foam cushion to engage a bottom surface of the foam cushion. Fasteners, adhesives, hook and loop attachments, and other similar attachment members are associated with the mounting portions and are used in various combinations to secure the mat to the foam cushion.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly for a vehicle seat comprising:

a foam cushion having a center portion with a pair of raised bolster portions extending along opposite lateral sides of said center portion;

a mat including a plurality of sensors secured to a base material portion, said base material portion including a central section positioned in an overlapping relationship to said center portion of said foam cushion and a plurality of mounting portions extending outwardly from both lateral sides of said central section;

a first attachment member associated with at least one of said foam cushion or mat and cooperating with the other of said foam cushion or mat to establish an initial alignment of said mat to said foam cushion; and

a second attachment member associated with at least one of said foam cushion or mat and cooperating with the other of said foam cushion or mat to permanently attach said mat to said foam cushion and restrict lateral and vertical movement of said mat relative to said foam cushion.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said foam cushion has an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein said mounting portions substantially surround both of said bolster portions by extending from said upper surface, over both of said raised bolster portions, and underneath said foam cushion to engage said lower surface.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mat has an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein said first attachment member comprises a hook and loop attachment associated with said bottom surface of said mat and cooperating with an outer surface of said foam cushion to secure said mat to said foam cushion.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises an adhesive applied to at least one of said mat or said foam cushion.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first attachment member comprises a fixture member that positively locates said mat in an overlapping relationship to said foam cushion prior to application of said adhesive.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adhesive comprises liquid adhesive sprayable on a lower surface of said mat or an upper surface of said foam cushion prior to engagement between said mat and said foam cushion.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adhesive comprises a heated glue injected into said foam cushion prior to engagement between said mat and said foam cushion.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 where in said adhesive comprises a plurality of tape strips positioned at predetermined locations on said mat or said foam cushion, each of said tape strips having a peelable portion that exposes an adhesive surface when removed, and including a vacuum fixture for simultaneously removing all peelable portions prior to engagement between said mat and said foam cushion.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adhesive comprises a first member associated with said mat and a second member associated with said foam cushion and wherein an adhesive force is only generated when said first and second members are in direct contact with each other.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adhesive comprises a plurality of tape strips spaced apart from one another and positioned at predetermined locations on said mat or said foam cushion and including a single peelable portion common to all of said tape strips such that removal of said single peelable portion exposes all adhesive surfaces of said tape strips.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adhesive is comprised of an initially non-adhesive material and wherein an adhesive force is only generated when a triggering mechanism is applied to said initially non-adhesive material.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of staples inserted through said mounting portions and into said foam cushion.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of rivets inserted through said mounting portions and into said foam cushion.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises liquid nail material injected into said foam cushion.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a fixturing tool for piercing material at plurality of different locations within said mounting portions into said foam cushion in an interference fit.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a hook and loop attachment interface located only on outwardly facing sides of said bolsters portions.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a two-piece fastener attachment with a female piece molded within said foam cushion and a male piece fixed to said mat.

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises at least one wire molded within said foam cushion generally parallel to said raised bolster portions and a plurality of hog rings inserted through said mounting portions to surround said wire and prevent detachment of said mat from said foam cushion.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base material portion comprises a foam pillow, said first attachment member comprises a fixturing tool that aligns said foam pillow with said center portion of said foam cushion, and said second attachment member comprises an adhesive applied between said foam pillow and said foam cushion.

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of male members integrally formed with said base material portion of said mat and a corresponding plurality of female members formed within said foam cushion and wherein said male members are received within said female member in an interference fit to secure said mat to said foam cushion.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of magnets installed within one of said mat or said foam cushion and a magnet attracting material formed within the other of said mat or foam cushion.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said foam cushion has an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein said central section of said mat is overlaid on top of said upper surface of said center portion of said foam cushion with said plurality of sensors being located in said central section of said mat.

23. An assembly as set forth in claim 22 wherein said plurality of mounting portions extends from said upper surface, around external side surfaces of said pair of raised bolster portions, and underneath said foam cushion with said plurality of mounting portions being directly fixed to said lower surface of said foam cushion.

24. A sensor assembly for a vehicle seat comprising:

a foam cushion having a center portion with a pair of raised bolster portions extending along opposite lateral sides of said center portion;

a mat including a plurality of sensors secured to a base material portion, said base material portion including a central section positioned in an overlapping relationship to said center portion of said foam cushion and a plurality of mounting portions extending outwardly from both lateral sides of said central section and substantially surrounding said bolster portions;

an attachment member associated with at least one of said foam cushion or mat and cooperating with the other of said foam cushion or mat to permanently attach said mat to said foam cushion and restrict lateral and vertical movement of said mat relative to said foam cushion.

25. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein attachment member comprises a hook and loop attachment between said mat and said foam cushion.

26. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 25 wherein said hook and loop attachment comprises a first attachment interface and wherein said attachment member further includes a second attachment member that cooperates with said first attachment interface to securely attach said mat to said foam cushion.

27. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 26 wherein said second attachment member comprises an adhesive applied to at least one of said mat or said foam cushion.

28. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 26 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of male members integrally formed with said base material portion of said mat and a corresponding plurality of female members formed within said foam cushion and wherein said male members are received within said female member in an interference fit to secure said mat to said foam cushion.

29. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 26 wherein said second attachment member comprises a plurality of fasteners extending through said mounting portions and into said foam cushion.

30. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 25 wherein said hook and loop attachment is only located on outwardly facing side edges of said bolster portions.

31. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 25 wherein said hook and loop attachment is only located at a bottom surface of said foam cushion.

32. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said base material portion comprises a felt material and said attachment member comprises an adhesive.

33. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said attachment member comprises a plurality of male members integrally formed with said mounting portions of said mat and a corresponding plurality of female members formed within a bottom surface of said foam cushion and wherein said male members are received within said female member in an interference fit underneath said foam cushion to secure said mat to said foam cushion.

34. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said foam cushion has an upper surface and a lower surface and wherein said central section of said mat is overlaid on top of said upper surface of said center portion of said foam cushion with said plurality of sensors being located in said central section of said mat and said plurality of mounting portions extending from said upper surface and around external side surfaces of said pair of raised bolster portions, said plurality of mounting portions being directly fixed to said lower surface of said foam cushion.

35. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 33 wherein said attachment member comprises at least one wire molded within said foam cushion generally parallel to said raised bolster portions and a plurality of hog rings inserted through said mounting portions and crimped to surround said wire and prevent detachment of said mat from said foam cushion.

36. A method for attaching a sensor mat to a foam seat cushion having a top surface and a bottom surface comprising the steps of:

(a) placing the mat on the top surface of the foam seat cushion;

(b) wrapping mounting portions of the mat to substantially surround raised bolster portions positioned on opposing lateral sides of the foam seat cushion; and

(c) attaching the mounting portions to a bottom surface of the foam seat cushion with an attachment member.

37. A method as set forth in claim 36 wherein step (c) includes inserting a plurality of hooks formed on one of the mat or foam seat cushion into a plurality of loops formed on the other of the mat or foam seat cushion to form a first attachment interface.

38. A method as set forth in claim 37 including the step of

(d) attaching the mounting portions to a bottom surface of the foam seat cushion with a second attachment member.

39. A method as set forth in claim 38 wherein step (d) includes forming a plurality of male members on one of the mat or foam seat cushion, forming a plurality of female members on the other of the mat or foam seat cushion, and inserting the male members into corresponding female members to achieve an interference fit.

40. A method as set forth in claim 38 wherein step (d) includes applying an adhesive to one of the foam seat cushion or mat prior to step (b).

41. A method as set forth in claim 38 wherein step (d) includes molding at least one wire within the foam seat cushion in an orientation parallel to the raised bolster portion, piercing the mounting portions with a plurality of hog rings, and crimping the hog rings to substantially surround the wire.

42. A method as set forth in claim 36 wherein step (a) includes positioning a plurality of sensors in a central section of the mat and forming the mounting portions about a perimeter of the mat.

43. A method as set forth in claim 42 wherein step (a) includes overlaying the central section of the mat on top of the top surface of the foam seat cushion.