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Occupant weight sensor for vehicular seats, method for making and system therefor

  • US 7,255,015 B2
  • Filed: 06/23/2004
  • Issued: 08/14/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An occupant weight sensor particularly adapted for vehicular seats wherein the vehicular seats are supported on the chassis by a seat mechanism and the sensor is interposed between the chassis and the seat mechanism comprising:

  • a sense element having a first body with a circular generally planar sense surface and having an outer periphery and a longitudinal axis, a post extending outwardly from the first body along the longitudinal axis for attachment to one of the chassis and the seat mechanism,a second body formed with a force transfer portion permanently attached to the sense element along the outer periphery thereof and having a mounting portion for attachment to the other of the chassis and the seat mechanism so that the sensor is disposed intermediate to the chassis and the seat mechanism,a full Wheatstone bridge having piezoresistors attached to the generally planar sense surface and having a bridge output, said full Wheatstone bridge comprising first and second half bridges disposed symmetrically along a common diameter of the circular sense surface, the first half bridge has a first piezoresistor aligned radially adjacent to the outer periphery of the sense surface along the common diameter on one side of the center of the circular sense surface and a second piezoresistor aligned tangentially disposed closely adjacent to the first piezoresistor, the second half bridge has a third piezoresistor aligned tangentially disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of the sense surface and a fourth piezoresistor aligned radially adjacent to the outer periphery of the sense surface along the common diameter on the other side of the center of the circular sense surface disposed closely adjacent to the third piezoresistor,conditioning electronics supported on one of the first and second bodies electrically connected to the bridge for conditioning the bridge output signal, anda connector for providing electrical power for the bridge and for providing an electrical output.

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