Seat cushion for vehicle seat unit

• US 6,953,224 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Fujihara, Ryugo, Sainose, Hiroshi, Seto, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELL, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US10/405,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.1, 297/217.3, 340/667, 565/2, 565/3
• 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 2/5685 Resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors

Abstract

A seat cushion for a vehicle seat unit comprising a cushioning pad upholstered with a seat covering and a flexible but inelastic planar film with an electrically conductive element buried therein that is disposed between the cushioning pad and the seat covering. The cushioning pad has tuck-in grooves in which the seat covering is locally retained. The planar film is thickened at locations where the planar film transverses the tuck-in grooves for reinforcement.

Claims

1. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat comprising:

a cushioning pad;

a seat covering with which said cushioning pad is upholstered, and

planar conductive means with an electrically conductive element buried therein that is disposed between said cushioning pad and said seat covering;

wherein said cushioning pad has a plurality of tuck-in grooves in which said seat covering is locally retained and said planar conductive means is provided with reinforced portions that are laid across said tuck-in grooves and are made thicker than the remaining portion of said planar conductive means.

2. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein said planar conductive means comprises a planar sensor device that operates to detect an occupant sitting on said seat cushion.

3. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat as defined in claim 2, wherein said planar sensor device comprises a planar array of pressure sensors operative, each said pressure sensor comprising upper and lower electrically conductive segments that are brought into contact with each other when said pressure sensor receives an external load from above.

4. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein each said reinforced portion is formed by a segmental reinforcedment fixed to at least one of opposite sides of said planar conductive means.

5. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein each said reinforced portion is formed in a direction perpendicular to said tuck-in groove.

6. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein said planar conductive means is provided with a pair of integrated tongues that extend in a direction of said tuck-in groove from opposite sides of said planar conductive means, respectively, at a location where said planar conductive means transverse said tuck-in groove.

7. A seat cushion for a vehicle seat comprising:

a cushioning pad;

a seat covering with which said cushioning pad is upholstered, and

planar conductive means with an electrically conductive element buried therein that is disposed between said cushioning pad and said seat covering;

wherein said cushioning pad has a plurality of tuck-in grooves in which said seat covering is locally retained and said planar conductive means is provided with reinforced portions that are laid across said tuck-in grooves and are made more slippery and/or more elastic than the remaining portion of said planar conductive means.