Attachment structure of a load sensor for a vehicle seat

• US 6,981,717 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• 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: Sakai, Morio, Suzuki, Yasuaki, Sakamoto, Kazunori, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Takeuchi, Tsutomu, Morishita, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C.
• Application Number:
  US10/242,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 280/735, 340/667, 738/626.27, 297/217.2
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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 2/015 Attaching seats directly to vehicle chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat includes the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a strain of the plate-shaped strain unit. The load sensor is structured that one end of the plate-shaped strain unit is fixed to a seating portion of the vehicle seat and the other end of the strain unit is fixed to a vehicle body. Also, a strain portion is defined between each fixed end of the plate-shaped strain unit, and the strain portion is deformable in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat. In addition, a load input point from the seating portion is defined approximately at a central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit.

Claims

1. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat, the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a strain of the plate-shaped strain unit, comprising;

one end of the plate-shaped strain unit being fixed to a cushion frame of the vehicle seat by way of at least one first connecting member and the other end of the strain unit being fixed to a slide mechanism of the vehicle seat by way of at least one second connecting member;

a strain portion defined between the two ends of the plate-shaped strain unit and being deformable in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat;

a load input point from the seating portion defined approximately at a central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit;

strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit in the vertical direction to a predetermined value;

the at least one first connecting member comprising a first attachment bracket holding the one end of the plate-shaped strain unit and attached to the vehicle seat through a connecting pin located at a portion upward or downward relative to and opposed to the central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit; and

the at least one second connecting member comprising a second attachment bracket holding the other end of the strain unit and attached to the vehicle body, wherein the strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit is formed by inserting the connecting pin into a stopper hole provided in the second attachment bracket with a predetermined clearance in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat.

2. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the connecting pin is rotatably attached to either one of the first attachment bracket and the seating portion of the vehicle seat through a bush relative to the seating portion of the vehicle seat.

3. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism is comprised of an upper rail and a lower rail, the other end of the strain unit being fixed to the upper rail by way of the at least one second connecting member.

4. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped strain unit extends in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle seat on one side of the vehicle seat.

5. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat, the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a strain of the plate-shaped strain unit, comprising;

a seat slide mechanism having an upper rail and a lower rail, the seat slide mechanism being installed between the vehicle seat and a vehicle floor;

one end of the plate-shaped strain unit being fixed to a cushion frame of the vehicle seat by way of at least one first connecting member and an opposite end of the strain unit being fixed to the slide mechanism of the vehicle seat by way of at least one second connecting member;

a strain portion defined between the two ends of the plate-shaped strain unit and being arranged parallel to the seat slide mechanism; and

a load input point from a seating portion defined approximately at a central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit;

strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit in the vertical direction to a predetermined value;

the at least one first connecting member comprising a first attachment bracket holding the one end of the plate-shaped strain unit and attached to the vehicle seat through a connecting pin located at a portion upward or downward relative to and opposed to the central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit; and

the at least one second connecting member comprises a second attachment bracket holding the other end of the strain unit and attached to the vehicle body, wherein the strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit is formed by inserting the connecting pin into a stopper hole provided in the second attachment bracket with a predetermined clearance in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat.

6. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the plate-shaped strain unit extends in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle seat on one side of the vehicle seat.

7. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat, the load sensor having a plate-shaped strain unit and a strain gauge for detecting a strain of the plate shaped strain unit, comprising;

one end of the plate-shaped strain unit being fixed to a seating portion of the vehicle seat by way of at least one first connecting member and an opposite end of the strain unit being fixed to another portion of the vehicle seat other than the seating portion by way of at least one second connecting member;

a strain portion defined between the two ends of the plate-shaped strain unit, the strain portion being positioned so that a total load applied to the vehicle seat passes through the strain portion;

a load input point from a seating portion defined approximately at a central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit;

a strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit in the vertical direction to a predetermined value;

the at least one first connecting member comprising a first attachment bracket holding the one end of the plate-shaped strain unit and attached to the vehicle seat through a connecting pin located at a portion upward or downward relative to and opposed to the central portion of the strain portion of the plate-shaped strain unit; and

the at least one second connecting member comprising a second attachment bracket holding the other end of the strain unit and attached to the vehicle body, wherein the strain restriction means for restricting the strain of the plate-shaped strain unit is formed by inserting the connecting pin into a stopper hole provided in the second attachment bracket with a predetermined clearance in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle seat.

8. An attachment structure for installing a load sensor to a vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the plate-shaped strain unit extends in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle seat on one side of the vehicle seat.