Passenger's weight measurement device for vehicle seat and attachment structure for load sensor

• US 7,455,343 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Furukawa, Takashi, Sato, Kenji, Endo, Shigeru, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Yoshifuku, Masashi, Yamazaki, Tatsuya, Nishide, Harutomi, Kojima, Mikihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chenevert; Paul A
• Application Number:
  US11/518,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1.04, 296/65.01, 296/65.13, 296/68.1, 297/216.1, 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• 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 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors

Abstract

There is disclosed a passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, capable of suppressing generation of an initial load. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device includes an upper rail disposed to be movable back and forth on a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor; a load sensor fixed on the upper rail; and a frame disposed on the load sensor and below a vehicle seat, wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

Claims

1. An attachment structure for attaching a load sensor to a frame disposed below a vehicle seat,

wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

2. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a collar through which the rod is inserted penetrates the frame, the leaf spring is held between the collar and the nut, and the leaf spring and the collar are held between the nut and the load sensor.

3. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod is inserted into the insertion hole in a position shifted from a line segment for interconnecting the both hems of the leaf spring when seen towards an inserting direction of the rod.

4. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein holes are formed in the both hems of the leaf spring, and a part of a cover covering the both hems of the leaf spring is inserted into the holes.

5. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device on a vehicle seat, comprising:

an upper rail disposed to be movable back and forth on a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor;

a load sensor fixed on the upper rail; and

a frame disposed on the load sensor and below a vehicle seat,

wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

6. The measurement device as claimed in claim 5,

wherein a collar through which the rod is inserted penetrates the frame, the leaf spring is held between the collar and the nut, and the leaf spring and the collar are held between the nut and the load sensor.

7. The measurement device as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the rod is inserted into the insertion hole in a position shifted from a line segment for interconnecting the both hems of the leaf spring when seen towards an inserting direction of the rod.

8. The measurement device as claimed in claim 5,

wherein holes are formed in the both hems of the leaf spring, and a part of a cover covering the both hems of the leaf spring is inserted into the holes.

9. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device on a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of left and right upper rails disposed to be movable back and forth on a pair of left and right lower rails fixed to a vehicle floor;

four load sensors fixed on front and rear sides of the pair of upper rails; and

a frame disposed on the four load sensors and below the vehicle seat,

wherein two of the four load sensors, which are arranged on one diagonal line, are set to play in back-and-forth and left-and-right directions with respect to the frame, and the other two load sensors arranged on the other diagonal line are fixed in back-and-forth and left-and-right directions with respect to the frame.

10. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device on a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor;

a pair of side frames for supporting the seat and disposed above the pair of slide rails; and

load cells disposed at four corners of the pair of slide rails and disposed between the pair of slide rails and the pair of side frames,

wherein the pair of side frames constitute a rectangular seat frame with a set of first connection frames for connecting both ends of the pair of side frames extending in parallel so as to be perpendicular to the pair of side frames, and

wherein a pair of load cells located on one diagonal line among the four load cells are connected to be movable up and down with respect to the seat frame, and a pair of load cells located on the other diagonal line are connected to be movable up and down and play with respect to the seat frame.