Seat foam with sensor mat

• US 8,052,212 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Backendorf, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham; Tania
• Application Number:
  US12/066,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.1, 297/217.3
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• 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 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors

Abstract

In an assembly of a seat foam and a sensor mat, the seat foam has at least one incision and the sensor mat has at least one anchor tab adapted to be inserted into the at least one incision, thereby securely holding the sensor mat on a surface of the seat foam, where the seat foam includes at least one retaining element at the incision for retaining the anchor tab in the incision.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising a seat foam and a sensor mat, said seat foam having at least one incision and said sensor mat having at least one anchor tab integrally formed with said sensor mat and adapted to be inserted into said at least one incision, thereby securely holding said sensor mat on a surface of said seat foam, wherein said anchor tab is terminates in a substantially T-shaped tab end, and said incision includes a substantially T-shaped channel, wherein said T-shaped tab end is disposable within said T-shaped channel to abut said T-shaped channel at surfaces defining said channel, retaining said anchor tab in said incision.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said channel extends from the surface into said seat foam in a direction heading away from said sensor mat wherein said seat foam comprises at least one retaining element at said incision, and wherein said retaining element comprises a foam portion between said channel and the surface.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said incision comprises a slit between the surface and said channel extending along the channel, wherein said retaining element comprises at least one foam lobe at least partially overlapping said channel between said channel portion and the surface.

4. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said channel comprises a proximal region and a distal region, said distal region being farther away from said sensor mat and wherein said channel is broader in said distal region than in said proximal region.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said anchor tab comprises a stem corresponding to said proximal region and a head corresponding to said distal region, said head and stem being integrally formed, and said head being broader than the proximal region of said channel.

6. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said anchor tab is integrally formed with said sensor mat.

7. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said anchor tab is removably fixed to said sensor mat.

8. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said anchor tab comprises at least one of a roughened surface and a roughened contour, said at least one of said roughened surface and said roughened contour providing increased frictional adhesion to said seat foam.

9. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said incision comprises a cavity extending substantially vertically with respect to the surface from the surface into said seat foam, said cavity comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being substantially narrower than said lower portion.

10. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said seat foam is covered with a textile layer and wherein said sensor mat is disposed on said textile layer.