Passenger's weight measurement device for vehicle seat

• US 7,614,680 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenji, Endo, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson; Randy W
• Application Number:
  US11/632,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 280/735, 177/136, 177/144, 297/217.2, 296/68.1, 296/65.13
• 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 2/0732 Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device 1 comprises a left and right pair of fixed lower rails 3 which are fixed on the vehicle floor, a left and right pair of movable upper rails 4 which are disposed to move in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed lower rail 3, load sensors 50 and 60 which are fixed to an upper surface of the right movable upper rail 4, load sensors 70 and 80 which are disposed on the movable upper rail 4 to be movable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right movable upper rail 4, a sub frame 110 which is mounted on the load sensors 50, 60, 70, and 80, side frames 141 and 142 which are welded to the sub frame 110, and a pan frame 143 which is detachably disposed to the side frames 141 and 142 to cover the front of the side frames 141 and 142. A gouged section 151 is formed on the side frame 141, A rear connecting member 113 ties the two rail members together near the rear sensors, and another connecting member 5, which has a width that is wider at either end than it is in the center, ties the two rail members together forward for the rear load sensors.

Claims

1. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of right and left rail members, each of the rail members comprising a fixed rail that is fixed to a vehicle side and a movable rail that is movable in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed rail;

load sensors that are mounted on a front portion and a rear portion of each movable rail of the pair of right and left rail members;

a first connecting member for connecting rear load sensor attachment portions of the pair of right and left rail members, the rear load sensor attachment portions attaching the load sensors; and

a second connecting member for connecting the pair of right and left rail members in front of the first connecting member;

wherein at both ends of the second connecting member, the second connecting member has widened portions that are wider in the front-and-rear direction than a middle portion of the second connecting member.

2. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of holes are provided in the second connecting member and arranged along a longitudinal direction of the second connecting member, and the plurality of holes are elongated holes that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

10. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 1, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

16. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 1, wherein a hole is formed in each of the widened portions.

20. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 1, wherein a triangle shaped hole is formed in each of the widened portions.

3. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of right and left rail members, each of the rail members comprising a fixed rail that is fixed to a vehicle side and a movable rail that is movable in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed rail;

load sensors that are mounted on a front portion and a rear portion of each movable rail of the pair of right and left rail members;

a first connecting member for connecting rear load sensor attachment portions of the pair of right and left rail members, the rear load sensor attachment portions attaching the load sensors; and

a second connecting member for connecting the pair of right and left rail members in front of the first connecting member;

wherein at both ends of the second connecting member, the second connecting member has widened portions that are wider in the front-and-rear direction than a middle portion of the second connecting member, and

wherein a plurality of holes are provided in the middle portion of the second connecting member between the widened portions and are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

4. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of holes are elongated holes that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

11. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 3, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

17. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 3, wherein a hole is formed in each of the widened portions.

19. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 17, wherein a length of the hole formed in each of the widened portions in the front-and-rear direction is larger than lengths of the plurality of holes provided in the middle portion in the front-and-rear direction.

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

a pair of right and left rail members, each of the rail members comprising a fixed rail that is fixed to a vehicle side and a movable rail that is movable in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed rail;

load sensors that are mounted on a front portion and a rear portion of each movable rail of the pair of right and left rail members;

a first connecting member for connecting rear load sensor attachment portions of the pair of right and left rail members, the rear load sensor attachment portions attaching the load sensors; and

a second connecting member for connecting the pair of right and left rail members in front of the first connecting member;

wherein at both ends of the second connecting member, the second connecting member has widened portions that are wider in the front-and-rear direction than a middle portion of the second connecting member, and

wherein a width of the second connecting member in the front-and-rear direction is larger than a width of the first connecting member in the front-and-rear direction.

6. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 5, wherein a plurality of holes are provided in the second connecting member and are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

7. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of holes are formed in the second connecting member are elongated holes that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

8. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 5, wherein a plurality of holes are provided at the middle portion of the second connecting member between the widened portion and are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

9. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of holes are elongated holes that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the second connecting member.

12. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 5, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

13. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 7, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

14. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 8, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

15. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 9, wherein a height position at which the first connecting member is disposed is different from a height position at which the second connecting member is disposed.

18. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device of claim 5, wherein a hole is formed in each of the widened portions.