Vehicle seats

• US 7,953,522 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ito, Koji, Yanase, Hitoshi, Kondo, Hiromi, Takai, Nobuhito, Amamiya, Yoshiyuki, Takuma, Setsu, Toda, Shigeyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/018,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20080191527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle seat has a seat cushion having a seating region. A first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seating region and can detect a first seating position of an occupant. A second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seating region and can detect a second seating position of the occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion having a seating region and an accommodation recess;

a first seating sensor disposed at a central portion of the seating region and constructed to detect a first seating position of an occupant;

a second seating sensor disposed at a peripheral portion of the seating region and constructed to detect a second seating position of the occupant;

wherein the accommodation recess accommodates the second seating sensor within the seat cushion; and

an accidental operation preventing device disposed within the seat cushion;

wherein the accidental operation preventing device includes a plurality of depressions that extend from the accommodation recess in a direction of a seating load and are configured such that the depressions oppose the second seating sensor and space the second seating sensor from an upper surface of the seat cushion to prevent the second seating sensor from being accidentally operated when the occupant is not seated on the vehicle seat.

2. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the second seating sensor has a first part positioned at least along one peripheral side of the seat cushion with respect to a widthwise direction of the seat cushion.

3. The vehicle seat as in claim 2, wherein the second seating sensor has a second part positioned along a front end side of the seat cushion in the widthwise direction of the seat cushion.

4. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the second seating sensor comprises a membrane switch having a plurality of switch portions extending along a peripheral portion of the seating region of the seat cushion.

5. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is applied to an industrial vehicle.

6. The vehicle seat as in claim 5, wherein the industrial vehicle comprises a forklift.

7. The vehicle seat as in claim 1, wherein the first seating sensor and the second seating sensor are operable to independently detect the seating position of the occupant.

8. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion having an accommodation recess;

a first seating sensor and a second seating sensor disposed within the seat cushion and constructed to detect an occupant when the occupant is seated on the vehicle seat;

wherein the first seating sensor can detect the seated occupant when the occupant takes a first posture;

wherein the second seating sensor can detect the seated occupant when the occupant takes a second posture that is different from the first posture; and

wherein the accommodation recess accommodates the second seating sensor within the seat cushion; and

an accidental operation preventing device disposed within the seat cushion;

wherein the accidental operation preventing device includes a plurality of depressions that extend from the accommodation recess in a direction of a seating load and are configured such that the depressions oppose the second seating sensor and space the second seating sensor from an upper surface of the seat cushion to prevent the second seating sensor from being accidentally operated when the occupant is not seated on the vehicle seat.

9. The vehicle seat as in claim 8, wherein the first seating sensor and the second seating sensor are disposed at different positions of the seat cushion.

10. The vehicle seat as in claim 9, wherein the first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seat cushion;

and

wherein the second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seat cushion.

11. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion including a cushion pad and a cushion frame;

wherein the cushion pad includes an accommodation recess;

a first seating sensor and a second seating sensor disposed between the cushion pad and the cushion frame and each comprising a push-in switch operable by a weight of an occupant who is seated on the seat cushion;

wherein the first seating sensor is disposed at a central portion of the seat cushion;

wherein the second seating sensor is disposed at a peripheral portion of the seat cushion;

wherein the push-in switch of the second seating sensor comprises a plurality of switch portions arranged along the peripheral portion of the seat cushion; and

wherein the accommodation recess accommodates the second seating sensor within the cushion pad; and

an accidental operation preventing device disposed within the cushion pad;

wherein the accidental operation preventing device includes a plurality of depressions that extend from the accommodation recess in a direction of a seating load and are configured such that the depressions oppose the second seating sensor and space the second seating sensor from an upper surface of the cushion pad to prevent the second seating sensor from being accidentally operated when the occupant is not seated on the vehicle seat.

12. The vehicle seat as in claim 11, wherein the push-in switch of the first seating sensor comprises a limit switch.

13. The vehicle seat as in claim 11, wherein the push-in switch of the second seating sensor comprises a membrane switch.