Seat weight measuring apparatus

• US 7,044,006 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan GK
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Senoh, Tomotoshi, Kouyama, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELD, LINDA PENA
• Application Number:
  US10/852,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 340/667, 737/68, 738/625.82, 738/624.74, 738/623.81, 177/276, 177/136
• US Class Current: 73/862.381
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• 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

A seat weight measuring apparatus includes a base frame and a sensor portion which is mounted on the base frame and configured to detect a load applied to a vehicle seat. The sensor portion includes a sensor plate provided with a plurality of measuring gauges, and the sensor plate is supported by and fixed to a column disposed on the base frame. The seat weight measuring apparatus has a heat transmission route through which heat transmitted to the column is directly transmitted from the column to the sensor plate. Further, the seat weight measuring apparatus includes, between the sensor plate and the column, a heat transmission bypass through which heat transmitted to the column is transmitted to the sensor plate to bypass the heat transmission route.

Claims

1. A seat weight measuring apparatus comprising:

a base frame;

a sensor portion which is mounted on the base frame and configured to detect a load applied to a vehicle seat, wherein said sensor portion comprises a sensor plate provided with a plurality of measuring gauges, and the sensor plate is supported by and fixed to a column disposed on said base frame; and

a heat transmission bypass route from the column to the sensor plate including a heat conducting member positioned to maintain contact with the column and configured to transmit heat from the column through the member to a location on the sensor plate remote from the column.

2. The seat weight measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat transmission bypass comprises a thermally conductive plate arranged between said sensor plate and said column.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured so that the direction of heat transfer via the bypass route from the column to the sensor plate includes only one vertical direction.

3. A seat weight measuring apparatus, comprising:

a base frame;

a sensor plate;

a column connecting the base frame to an inner region of the sensor plate; and

a heat conducting plate positioned to maintain contact with the column and to form part of a heat transmission bypass route to transmit heat from the column to an outer region of the sensor plate,

wherein the sensor plate comprises at least a first measurement gauge in the inner region and at least a second measurement gauge in the outer region.

4. The seat weight measuring apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the heat conducting plate is configured to transfer heat from said column to said second measurement gauge at a rate approximately equal to a heat transfer rate from said column to said first measurement gauge.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is configured so that the direction of heat transfer via the bypass route from the column to the sensor plate includes only one vertical direction.

5. A device for detecting an occupant in a seat comprising:

a base frame and a sensor plate supported by and fixed to a column disposed on the frame;

a plurality of measuring gauges located on the sensor plate for measuring load applied to the seat; and

wherein the sensor plate is connected to the column;

wherein the device is configured so that heat is transferred from the column to the sensor plate via a direct route and a bypass route so that heat transmitted from the column to the sensor plate is distributed substantially uniformly to the measuring gauges to thereby improve accuracy of the gauges; and

wherein the direction of heat transfer via the bypass route from the column to the sensor plate includes only one vertical direction.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a heat conducting plate connected to the sensor plate and the column.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the heat conducting plate is connected to the sensor plate at a different location than where the column is connected to the sensor plate.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the heat conducting plate is positioned to maintain contact with the column.