Occupant load sensor for a vehicle seat with flexible printed circuitry
First Claim
1. An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle, comprising:
- a strain member arranged between a floor-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a floor and a seat-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly attached to a seat for the vehicle and securely attached to one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member at both end portions in a front and rear direction of the seat;
a connecting member fixed to a central portion of the strain member in a vertical direction and securely connected to the other one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member;
first and second strain gauge plates attached to a surface of the strain member, the first strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and one end portion of the strain member, the second strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and the other end portion of the strain member, each first and second strain gauge plate including two strain detecting elements forming a half bridge circuit of a Wheatstone bridge circuit;
an upper bracket including fixing portions respectively formed at end portions of the upper bracket and fixed to respective end portions of the strain member, the upper bracket comprising an attachment portion connecting the fixing portions of the upper bracket, the attachment portion being laterally offset relative to the strain member so that the attachment portion of the upper bracket and the strain member do not overlap one another;
an amplifier substrate housed in an amplifier case attached to the attachment portion of the upper bracket in parallel with the strain member and amplifying a signal of the strain gauge plates; and
an FPC substrate connected to the strain gauge plates, the amplifier substrate overlapping the attachment portion of the upper bracket, and the amplifier substrate which overlaps the attachment portion of the upper bracket being connected to the FPC substrate, the FPC substrate including plural wiring patterns forming the Wheatstone bridge circuit with each half bridge circuit of the Wheatstone bridge circuit formed at each first and second strain gauge plate.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle includes a strain member, a connecting member, first and second strain gauge plates, an upper bracket, an amplifier substrate, and an FPC substrate. The strain gauge plates are attached to a surface of the strain member and respectively arranged between a central portion and both end portions of the strain member. Each strain gauge plate includes two strain detecting elements forming a half bridge circuit of a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The FPC substrate is connected to the amplifier substrate and to the strain gauge plates between the both end portions and the central portion of the strain member. Further, the FPC substrate includes a plurality of wiring patterns. The Wheatstone bridge circuit is formed with the plurality of wiring patterns and the half bridge circuit formed at each strain gauge plates.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle, comprising:
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a strain member arranged between a floor-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a floor and a seat-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly attached to a seat for the vehicle and securely attached to one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member at both end portions in a front and rear direction of the seat; a connecting member fixed to a central portion of the strain member in a vertical direction and securely connected to the other one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member; first and second strain gauge plates attached to a surface of the strain member, the first strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and one end portion of the strain member, the second strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and the other end portion of the strain member, each first and second strain gauge plate including two strain detecting elements forming a half bridge circuit of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; an upper bracket including fixing portions respectively formed at end portions of the upper bracket and fixed to respective end portions of the strain member, the upper bracket comprising an attachment portion connecting the fixing portions of the upper bracket, the attachment portion being laterally offset relative to the strain member so that the attachment portion of the upper bracket and the strain member do not overlap one another; an amplifier substrate housed in an amplifier case attached to the attachment portion of the upper bracket in parallel with the strain member and amplifying a signal of the strain gauge plates; and an FPC substrate connected to the strain gauge plates, the amplifier substrate overlapping the attachment portion of the upper bracket, and the amplifier substrate which overlaps the attachment portion of the upper bracket being connected to the FPC substrate, the FPC substrate including plural wiring patterns forming the Wheatstone bridge circuit with each half bridge circuit of the Wheatstone bridge circuit formed at each first and second strain gauge plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle, comprising:
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a strain member arranged between a floor-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a floor and a seat-side fixing member adapted to be fixedly attached to a seat for the vehicle and securely attached to one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member at both end portions in a front and rear direction of the seat; a connecting member fixed to a central portion of the strain member in a vertical direction and securely connected to the other one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member; first and second strain gauge plates attached to a surface of the strain member, the first strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and one end portion of the strain member, the second strain gauge plate being arranged between the central portion of the strain member and the other end portion of the strain member, each first and second strain gauge plate including two strain detecting elements forming a half bridge circuit of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; an upper bracket including fixing portions respectively formed at end portions of the upper bracket and fixed to respective end portions of the strain member, the upper bracket comprising an attachment portion connecting the fixing portions of the upper bracket and extending laterally to one side of the strain member; an amplifier substrate housed in an amplifier case attached to the attachment portion of the upper bracket in parallel with the strain member and amplifying a signal of the strain gauge plates; an FPC substrate connected to the amplifier substrate and to the strain gauge plates, the FPC substrate including a plurality of wiring patterns forming the Wheatstone bridge circuit with each half bridge circuit of the Wheatstone bridge circuit formed at each first and second strain gauge plate; and plural terminals protruding from a central portion of each of the first and second strain gauge plates, the plural terminals being aligned in a lateral direction of the strain member, the plural terminals of each strain gauge plate being respectively soldered at a plurality of terminals on the FPC substrate so that the strain gauge plate and the FPC substrate are connected with one another. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification