Passenger distinguishing apparatus having weight detection sensor and damper

• US 8,136,620 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Jae-Ho, Park, Byung-Hyuk, Kim, Byung-Yeol
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W
• Application Number:
  US12/534,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 177/136, 177/144, 177/DIG.9, 180/273, 280/735, 738/626.31, 738/626.34, 737/61, 296/63, 296/65.01, 296/65.02, 297/217.2
• US Class Current: 180/273
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/09 Scale bearings

Abstract

A passenger distinguishing apparatus is provided. The passenger distinguishing apparatus includes: a weight detection sensor that is assembled in a vehicle seat to detect a passenger'"'"'s weight; and a first bracket and a second bracket that assemble the weight detection sensor in the seat, wherein the weight detection sensor has a length direction in a horizontal direction of the seat, and a first damper for absorbing assembling tolerance of the weight detection sensor is disposed between the first bracket and the weight detection sensor. Therefore, assembling tolerance can be absorbed with minimum parts, production can be improved, contact noise can be reduced, and a weight and cost can be reduced.

Claims

1. A passenger distinguishing apparatus comprising:

a weight detection sensor disposed at a vehicle seat to detect a passenger'"'"'s weight, the weight detection sensor having a length dimension which is the longest dimension of the weight detection sensor;

a first bracket and a second bracket that retain the weight detection sensor at the seat, wherein the first bracket is fixed to a seat frame and the second bracket is fixed to a sliding bracket;

a first damper disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket for absorbing assembly tolerance of the weight detection sensor; and

a first sleeve disposed between the weight detection sensor and the first damper to prevent shaking of the first damper,

wherein the weight detection sensor is disposed such that the length dimension of the weight detection sensor is parallel to a horizontal direction of the vehicle seat.

2. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first damper is disposed between the first bracket and the weight detection sensor.

3. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first damper has an articulated portion; and

a diameter of an outer circumferential surface contacting with the first bracket increases along the length dimension.

4. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first bracket has a bending portion of which a portion contacting with the articulated portion of the damper conforms to the shape of the articulated portion of the damper.

5. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second damper that is disposed between the second bracket and the weight detection sensor to absorb assembly tolerance of the weight detection sensor and to prevent contact noise.

6. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second sleeve that is disposed between the weight detection sensor and the second damper to prevent shaking of the second damper.

7. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

cam elements which fix the weight detection sensor to the first and second brackets.

8. The passenger distinguishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cam elements are nuts which are threaded with both ends of the weight detection sensor.

9. A passenger distinguishing apparatus comprising:

a weight detection sensor disposed at a vehicle seat to detect a passenger'"'"'s weight, the weight detection sensor having a length dimension which is the longest dimension of the weight detection sensor, wherein the weight detection sensor is disposed such that the length dimension of the weight detection sensor is parallel to a horizontal direction of the vehicle seat;

a first bracket and a second bracket that retain the weight detection sensor at the seat, wherein the first bracket is fixed to a seat frame and the second bracket is fixed to a sliding bracket; and

a first damper disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket for absorbing assembly tolerance of the weight detection sensor,

wherein the first damper is made of rubber.

10. A passenger distinguishing apparatus for a vehicle seat of a vehicle having an air bag controlled by an air-bag control unit, the passenger distinguishing apparatus comprising:

a weight detection sensor extending in parallel to the width of the vehicle seat for detecting a weight of a passenger seated in the vehicle seat;

a first bracket connected to the vehicle seat and adapted to support a first end of the weight detection sensor;

a second bracket spaced from the first bracket and connected to the vehicle seat, the second bracket adapted to support a second end of the weight detection sensor;

a weight classification unit connected to the weight detection sensor for receiving an electric signal corresponding to the detected weight of the passenger and transferring the electric signal to the air-bag control unit;

a first damper disposed between the first bracket and the weight detection sensor for absorbing a first assembling tolerance of the weight detection sensor at the first end of the weight detection sensor;

a second damper disposed between the second bracket and the weight detection sensor for absorbing a second assembling tolerance of the weight detection sensor at a second end of the weight detection sensor;

a first sleeve concentrically received by the first end of the weight detection sensor and disposed between the weight detection sensor and the first damper; and

a second sleeve concentrically received by the second end of the weight detection sensor and disposed between the weight detection sensor and the second damper.

11. The seat of claim 10, wherein the first damper absorbs the first assembling tolerance by sealing a gap between the first end of the weight detection sensor and the first bracket to thereby prevent the weight detection sensor from rotating due to the weight of the passenger.

12. The seat of claim 10, wherein the second damper absorbs the second assembling tolerance by sealing a gap between the second end of the weight detection sensor and the second bracket to thereby prevent the weight detection sensor from rotating due to the weight of the passenger.

13. The seat of claim 10, wherein the electric signal is transferred to the weight classification unit through a connector disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the weight detection sensor and a wire connected to the connector.

14. A seat comprising:

a seat frame having a front seat frame, a rear seat frame and side seat frames extending between and connected respectively to the front seat frame and the rear seat frame;

a guide bracket for supporting the seat frame;

a slide bracket provided at the guide bracket and movable between forward and rearward directions relative thereto;

a passenger distinguishing apparatus provided at front and rear ends of the sliding bracket, the passenger distinguishing apparatus having a weight detection sensor which detects a weight of a person seated in the seat and a weight classification unit connected to the weight detection sensor that receives an electric signal corresponding to the detected weight of the person, wherein the weight detection sensor is provided such that it extends in parallel to the width of the seat;

dampers for absorbing assembling tolerance of the weight detection sensor;

a first sleeve disposed between the weight detection sensor and a first one of the dampers; and

a second sleeve disposed between the weight detection sensor and a second one of the dampers.

15. The seat of claim 14, wherein further comprising:

a first sensor bracket connected to each side seat frame for receiving a first end of the weight detection sensor; and

a second sensor bracket connected to the sliding bracket for receiving a second end of the weight detection sensor.

16. The seat of claim 15, wherein the dampers absorb assembling tolerance when the weight detection sensor is assembled in the first sensor bracket and the second bracket by sealing a gap between the first end of the weight detection sensor and the first sensor bracket and the second end of the weight detection sensor and the second sensor bracket to thereby prevent the weight detection sensor from rotating due to the weight of the person.