Seat occupant load sensor

• US 7,189,931 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Imasen Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Imasen Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Hida, Toshihiko, Okabe, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson; Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US10/531,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 177/144, 177/211, 180/273, 280/735
• US Class Current: 177/144
• 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: 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

An occupant load sensor (10) is fixed to a bracket (48) via a sleeve (60a) of a collar (60) arranged in an outer periphery of a thread (32) of a bolt portion (30), and a bush (62) interposed between the sleeve (60a) and a through hole (48a) of the bracket (48). Accordingly, a slight movement is allowed between the bolt portion (30) and the bracket (48) on the basis of gaps formed between the thread (32) and the sleeve (60a) and between the sleeve (60a) and the bush (62), and it is possible to cancel a force applied from the other directions than a vertical direction. Therefore, a load from the seat side is applied in the vertical direction and it is possible to accurately detect.

Claims

1. An occupant load sensor interposed between a floor side seat fixing member and a seat side fixing member and provided for measuring a load of an occupant sitting on a seat, wherein said occupant load sensor comprising:

a fixing portion which is attached to one of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member;

a bolt portion which is inserted to a through hole in the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member and is attached via a nut; and

a sensor which is arranged in a strain surface provided between said fixing portion and said bolt portion, and is provided for detecting a load applied to said bolt portion in an axial direction, and

wherein said occupant load sensor is fixed to the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member via a sleeve arranged in an outer periphery of said bolt portion, and a liner member interposed between said sleeve and the through hole in the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said sear side fixing member;

wherein there is a first gap formed between the bolt portion and the sleeve, and a second gap formed between the sleeve and the liner member.

4. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is a part of a collar.

5. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of said floor side seat fixing members are connected via a bracket.

10. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein a pair of said floor side seat fixing asters are connected via a bracket.

2. An occupant load sensor interposed between a floor side seat fixing member and a seat side fixing member and provided for measuring a load of an occupant sitting on a seat, wherein said occupant load sensor comprising:

a flange portion which is attached to one of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member while being in surface contact therewith;

a bolt portion which is formed in a vertical direction with respect to said flange portion and is attached to the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member via a nut; and

a sensor which is arranged in a strain surface provided between said flange portion and said bolt portion, and is provided for detecting a load applied to said bolt portion in an axial direction, and

wherein said occupant load sensor is fixed to the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member via a sleeve arranged in an outer periphery of said bolt portion, and a bushing interposed between said sleeve and a through hole in the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member;

wherein there is a firs gap formed between the bolt portion and the sleeve, and a second gap formed between the sleeve and the bushing.

6. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sleeve is a part of a collar.

8. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein a pair of said floor side seat fixing members are connected via a bracket.

3. An occupant load sensor interposed between a floor side seat fixing member and a seat side fixing member and provided for measuring a load of an occupant sitting on a seat, wherein said occupant load sensor comprising:

a flange portion which is attached to one of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member while being in surface contact therewith;

a bolt portion which is formed in a vertical direction with respect to said flange portion and is attached to the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member via a nut; and

a sensor which is arranged in a strain surface provided between said flange portion and said bolt portion, and is provided for detecting a load applied to said bolt portion in an axial direction, and

wherein said occupant load sensor is fixed to the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member via a sleeve arranged between said bolt portion and a through bole in the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member, and a flat washer inserting said sleeve therethrough and interposed between the other of said floor side seat fixing member and said seat side fixing member and a nut;

wherein there is a gap formed between the bolt portion and the sleeve.

7. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sleeve is a part of a collar.

9. An occupant load sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pair of said floor side seat fixing asters are connected via a bracket.