Passenger's weight measurement device for vehicle seat

• US 7,878,570 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• 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): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US11/632,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 248/424, 248/429, 296/68.1, 296/65.13, 180/273, 280/735, 177/136, 177/144
• 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: 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 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• 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

Abstract

A passenger weight measurement device for a vehicle seat which can be assembled to prevent the occurrence of the initial deformation and the initial load. The passenger weight measurement device 1 comprising a pair of left and right fixed lower rails 3 fixed on the floor of a vehicle, a pair of movable upper rails 4 disposed to be movable in a front-and-rear direction on each of the fixed lower rails 3, load sensors 50 and 60 fixed on an upper surface of the left movable upper rail 4, load sensors 70 and 80 mounted on the movable upper rail 4 to be movable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right movable upper rail 4, and a rectangular frame 110 mounted on the load sensors 50, 60, 70, and 80.

Claims

1. A passenger weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, the device comprising:

right and left fixed rails fixed on a vehicle side;

right and left movable rails provided on the right and left fixed rails, respectively, and disposed so as to be movable in a front-and-rear direction on the right and left fixed rails, respectively;

right and left load sensors mounted above the right and left movable rails, and

a position adjusting portion for adjusting an attachment position of one load sensor of the right and left load sensors so as to be movable with respect to the movable rail,

wherein a fixed attachment position of the other load sensor is set as a reference position.

2. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first hole is provided in an attachment portion of the other load sensor and a second hole is provided as the position adjusting portion of the one load sensor, and the second hole is longer in a right-and-left direction than the first hole.

3. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first hole is provided in an attachment portion of the other load sensor and a second hole is provided as the position adjusting portion of the one load sensor, and the first hole has a circular shape and the second hole has an elongated shape.

4. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other load sensor is mounted at least on a front side of one movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and the position adjusting portion is provided at least on a front side of the other movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and

wherein the front side of the one movable rail and the front side of the other movable rail are connected by a first connecting member.

5. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first connecting member is provided at least on one end side of each of the right and left load sensors.

6. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first connecting member is provided above the right and left load sensors.

7. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other load sensor is mounted at least on a rear side of one movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and the position adjusting portion is provided at least on a rear side of the other movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and

wherein the rear side of the one movable rail and the rear side of the other movable rail are connected by a second connecting member.

8. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second connecting member is provided at least on one end side of each of the right and left load sensors.

9. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second connecting member is provided above the right and left load sensors.

10. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other load sensor includes at least two load sensors mounted at least on a front side and a rear side of one movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and the position adjusting portion includes at least two position adjusting portions provided at least on a front side and a rear side of the other movable rail of the right and left movable rails, and

wherein the front side of the one movable rail and the front side of the other movable rail are connected by a first connecting member, and the rear side of the one movable rail and the rear side of the other movable rail are connected by a second connecting member.

11. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 10, wherein a right rail member comprises the right fixed rail and the right movable rail and a left rail member comprises the left fixed rail and the left movable rail, and

wherein middle portions of the right and left rail members are connected by a third connecting member.

12. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the third connecting member is wider in the front-and-rear direction than the first connecting member and the second connecting member.

13. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a load sensor attachment member provided between one of the right and left movable rails and one of the right and left load sensors is attached to an upper surface of the one of the right and left movable rails.

14. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 13, wherein in the load sensor attachment member, at least one projecting wall projecting upwardly is formed in a peripheral portion of the one of the right and left load sensors.

15. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the projecting walls are provided in front of the one of the right and left load sensors and behind the one of the right and left load sensors.

16. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of the projecting walls projects toward a connector provided in the one of the right and left load sensors.

17. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first load sensor attachment member is provided between one of the right and left movable rails and the load sensor is mounted on a front side of the one of the right and left movable rails,

a second load sensor attachment member is provided between the one of the right and left movable rails and the load sensor mounted on a rear side of the one of the right and left movable rails, and

the first load sensor attachment member and the second load sensor attachment member are attached to the one of the right and left movable rails.

18. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the load sensors is mounted on the movable rails via a ring-shaped damper member.

19. A passenger weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, the device comprising:

right and left fixed rails fixed on a vehicle side;

right and left movable rails provided on the right and left fixed rails, respectively, and disposed so as to be movable in a front-and-rear direction on the right and left fixed rails, respectively; and

right and left load sensors mounted above the right and left movable rails,

wherein one load sensor of the right and left load sensors is mounted on one movable rail of the right and left movable rails so as to be fixed to the one movable rail, and

the other load sensor of the right and left load sensors is mounted on the other movable rail of the right and left movable rails so as to be movable in a right-and-left direction with respect to the other movable rail.

20. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the other load sensor is movable in the right-and-left direction by a first hole provided in an attachment portion of the other load sensor, the first hole being longer in the right-and-left direction than a second hole provided in an attachment portion of the one load sensor.

21. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a rectangular frame which is disposed above the right and left movable rails and in which a plurality of mounting holes corresponding to the load sensors are formed to penetrate in an up and down direction,

wherein the rectangular frame in which rods of the load sensors are inserted into the plurality of mounting holes from bottom up, is mounted on the load sensors.

22. A passenger weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, the device comprising:

right and left fixed rails fixed on a vehicle side;

right and left movable rails provided on the right and left fixed rails, respectively, and disposed so as to be movable in a front-and-rear direction on the right and left fixed rails, respectively; and

right and left front load sensors and right and left rear load sensors mounted above the right and left movable rails, respectively, the right and left front load sensors being mounted on a front side of the right movable rail and a front side of the left movable rail, respectively, and the right and left rear load sensors being mounted on a rear side of the right movable rail and a rear side of the left movable rail, respectively,

wherein first holes provided in attachment portions of one set of load sensors of the right and left load sensors and second holes provided in attachment portions of another set of load sensors of the right and left load sensors are provided, and the second holes are longer in the right-and-left direction than the first holes.

23. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the front side of one movable rail of the right and left movable rails and the front side of the other movable rail of the right and left movable rails are connected by a first connecting member, and the rear side of the one movable rail and the rear side of the other movable rail are connected by a second connecting member,

wherein a right rail member comprises the right fixed rail and the right movable rail and a left rail member comprises the left fixed rail and the left movable rail, and

wherein middle portions of the right and left rail members are connected by a third connecting member.

24. The passenger weight measurement device as claimed in claim 22, wherein right and left front load sensor attachment members provided above the right and left front load sensors are connected, right and left rear load sensor attachment members provided above the right and left rear load sensors are connected, and a cushion-side side frame is attached to an outer surface of the right and left front load sensor attachment members and an outer surface of the right and left rear load sensor attachment members.