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

• US 7,823,951 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenji, Kojima, Mikihito, Furukawa, Takashi, Endo, Shigeru, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Yoshifuku, Masashi, Yamazaki, Tatsuya, Nishide, Harutomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chenevert; Paul A
• Application Number:
  US12/289,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 296/1.04, 296/65.01, 296/65.13, 296/68.1, 297/216.1, 248/429, 248/430
• US Class Current: 296/65.13
• 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 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems

Abstract

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 a pair of slide rails extending in parallel and fixed to the vehicle floor, and a pair of side frames that support the seat and are disposed above the pair of slide rails. Load cells are disposed between the pair of the slide rails and the pair of the side frames. A set of first connection frames for connecting both ends the pair of side frames extend in parallel so as to be perpendicular to the pair of side frames. Second and third connecting frames connect middle parts of the pair of slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the slide rails. The pair of the slide rails and the second and a third connecting frames constitute an H-shaped frame.

Claims

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

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor, the slide rails include a pair of first slide rails and a pair of second slide rails which are connected so as to be slidable respectively, the pair of first slide rails extend in parallel to be fixed to the vehicle floor side, and the second slide rails extend in parallel to the first slide rails;

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

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

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

a second connecting frame for connecting middle parts of the pair of first slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the first slide rails, the pair of the first slide rails and the second connecting frame constitute an H-shaped frame; and

a third connecting frame for connecting middle parts of the pair of second slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the second slide rails, the pair of the second slide rails and the third connecting frame constitute an H-shaped frame.

2. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of the first connecting frames is a pipe member.

3. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of the first connecting frames is a C channel member in which both wings are bent.

4. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connecting frame is a C channel member in which both wings are bent.

5. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connecting frame is connected to a bottom surface of the first slide rails.

6. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third connecting frame includes a pipe member and a pair of angle members which are connected to both ends of the pipe member, the pair of angle members are connected to the pair of the second slide rails.

7. The measurement device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angle members are connected on a top surface of the pair of the second slide rails.

8. The measurement device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the angle members extend upward from the top surface of the pair of the second slide rail.

9. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front one of the pair of the first connecting member is connected to the pair of the side fames, at a location forward of a connecting portion of the load cells.

10. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rear one of the pair of the first connecting member is connected to the pair of the side frames, at a location rearward of a connecting portion of the load cells.

11. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of side frames are C channel members in which both wings are bent.

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

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor;

a pair of side frames for supporting the seat; 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 the 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 the set of first connection frames, one of the first connection frames is connected to ends of the pair of side frames with a notch so as to be easily deformed by shock having a predetermined or more strength.

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

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor, the slide rails include a pair of first slide rails and a pair of second slide rails which are connected so as to be slidable respectively, the pair of first slide rails extend in parallel to be fixed to the vehicle floor side, and the second slide rails extend in parallel to the first slide rails;

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

load cells disposed at four corners of the pair of slide rails and disposed between the pair of slide rails and the pair of the 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 the set of first connection frames; and

a third connecting frame for connecting middle parts of the pair of second slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the second slide rails, the pair of the second slide rails and the third connecting frame constitute an H-shaped frame,

wherein the third connecting frames includes a pipe member and a pair of angle members which are connected to both ends of the pipe member, the pair of angle members are connected to a top surface of the pair of second slide rails, and the angle members extend upward from the top surface of the second slide rails.

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

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor, the slide rails include a pair of first slide rails and a pair of second slide rails which are connected so as to be slidable respectively, the pair of first slide rails extend in parallel to be fixed to the vehicle floor side, and the second slide rails extend in parallel to the first slide rails;

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

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

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, the pair of side frames and the set of first connection frames constitute a rectangular seat frame,

wherein the load cells each comprise a male screw in one end and a flange in the other end located to face opposite to the one end,

in the seat frame, four holes that are configured for the male screws corresponding to an arrangement of the four load cells, the pair of second slide rails being fixed to the flanges;

first elastic bushings that are inserted into a pair of first holes located on one diagonal line among the four holes,

a first collar elastically disposed between the first elastic bushings and one of the male screws,

a plain washer and a conical spring washer are mounted on the first collar, and a nut is fastened to the one of the male screws,

in a region of the seat frame, which is engaged with a pair of male screws located on the one diagonal line, an up-and-down moving amount is regulated by a length of the first collar in an axial direction, and

the conical spring washer presses the seat frame to the load cell side.

15. The measurement device as claimed in claim 14, wherein second elastic bushings are inserted into a pair of second holes located on the other diagonal line among the four holes,

a second collar is inserted after a plain washer is inserted into another of the male screws,

the second elastic bushing is disposed to play in the second collar,

a conical spring washer are mounted on the second collar, and a nut is fastened to the another of the male screws,

in a region of the seat frame, which is engaged with the pair of male screws located on the other diagonal line, an up-and-down moving amount is regulated by a length of the second collar in an axial direction, and

the conical spring washer presses the seat frame to the load cell side.

16. The measurement device as claimed in claim 14,

wherein an inner diameter of the first elastic bushing is formed in a conical body, and an inner periphery of an upper bottom surface of the conical body having a small radius abuts on an outer periphery of the first collar.