Vehicle seat load detection device having interspace to receive projecting portion scraped off from press-fitted shaft member

• US 8,258,413 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Koji, Inayoshi, Muneto, Ichihara, Kan, Asano, Yoshimasa, Fujii, Hiroyuki, Kawajiri, Naoka, Kuwabara, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W
• Application Number:
  US12/618,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20100122854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 177/136, 177/144, 177/DIG.9, 737/81, 738/624.74, 73862629-862634, 180/273, 280/735, 403/274, 403/278, 403/279, 403/280, 403/281, 403/282, 295/25, 296/63, 296/65.03, 296/66, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 177/136
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/1402 Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 by driven force fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/49 Member deformed in situ
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4949 Deforming component is inserted section
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4966 Deformation occurs simultaneously with assembly

Abstract

A load detection device for a vehicle seat mounted between a floor side mounting mechanism and a seat side mounting mechanism and measuring a load applied by an occupant seated on the vehicle seat, includes a shaft member adapted to be fixed to one of the floor side mounting mechanism and the seat side mounting mechanism, a strain generating member fixed to the shaft member and including a hole into which the shaft member is press-fitted, a strain gauge attached to the strain generating member, the shaft member of which surface hardness is specified to be lower than a surface hardness of the hole and including a scraping projecting portion scraped off by means of the hole in a case where the shaft member is press-fitted to the hole, and an inter space formed between the strain generating member and the shaft member and positioned next to the scraping projecting portion.

Claims

1. A load detection device for a vehicle seat mounted between a floor side mounting mechanism and a seat side mounting mechanism and measuring a load applied by an occupant seated on the vehicle seat, comprising:

a shaft member adapted to be fixed to one of the floor side mounting mechanism and the seat side mounting mechanism;

a strain generating member fixed to the shaft member and including a hole into which the shaft member is press-fitted for fixing the strain generating member to the shaft member, the hole possessing an inner diameter;

a strain gauge attached to the strain generating member;

the shaft member of which surface hardness is specified to be lower than a surface hardness of the hole of the strain generating member and including a scraping projecting portion possessing a maximum external diameter larger than the inner diameter of the hole, the scraping projecting portion also possessing a minimum external diameter different from the maximum external diameter and smaller than the inner diameter of the hole, the scraping projecting portion being scraped off by the hole when the shaft member is press-fitted into the hole; and

an interspace formed between the strain generating member and the shaft member and positioned next to the scraping projecting portion.

2. The load detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a relief portion provided at one axial end of an opening of the hole and forming the interspace.

3. The load detection device according to claim 2, wherein the shaft member includes a shaft body press-fitted to the hole from the one axial end of the opening of the hole, a head portion integrally formed at one end of the shaft body and engaging with the hole, and a non-press-fitted portion arranged next to the scraping projecting portion in a circumferential direction of the shaft body and prevented from mutually applying a pressure relative to the hole in a case where the shaft body is press-fitted to the hole.

4. The load detection device according to claim 2, wherein the relief portion is formed over an entire periphery of the one axial end of the opening of the hole.

5. The load detection device according to claim 3, wherein the non-press-fitted portion forms a clearance with an inner peripheral surface of the hole after the shaft body is press-fitted to the hole.

6. The load detection device according to claim 3, wherein the non-press-fitted portion makes contact with an inner peripheral surface of the hole after the shaft body is press-fitted to the hole.

7. The load detection device according to claim 2, wherein the hole has a circular shape in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction, and the scraping projecting portion includes a plurality of scraping projecting portions arranged at an outer periphery of the shaft member in a circumferential direction thereof, one of the scraping projecting portions being arranged at a position symmetrical to an axis of the shaft member relative to the other one of the scraping projecting portions.

8. The load detection device according to claim 7, wherein a tapered portion is formed at the one axial end of the opening of the hole, the tapered portion of which a diameter is expanding towards the one axial end of the opening, and the tapered portion is a wall surface which constitutes the interspace.

9. The load detection device according to claim 8, wherein a maximum inner diameter of the tapered portion is specified to be larger than a diameter of a circumscribed circle diameter of the scraping projecting portion.

10. The load detection device according to claim 2, wherein the scraping projecting portion extends from one axial end to the other axial end of the shaft member.

11. The load detection device according to claim 2, wherein the shaft member includes a first shaft member fixed to the floor side mounting mechanism and a second shaft member fixed to the seat side mounting mechanism, and the hole formed at the strain generating member includes a first hole and a second hole, the first hole into which the first shaft member is press-fitted to cause the strain generating member to be fixed to the first shaft member, the second hole into which the second shaft member is press-fitted to cause the strain generating member to be fixed to the second shaft member.

12. The load detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a relief portion formed at the shaft member and positioned next to the scraping projecting portion in a circumferential direction of the shaft member, wherein the relief portion forms the interspace.

13. The load detection device according to claim 12, wherein the relief portion includes a non-press-fitted portion which is prevented from mutually applying a pressure relative to the hole in a case where the shaft member is press-fitted to the hole.

14. The load detection device according to claim 13, wherein the hole has a circular shape in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction, and the scraping projecting portion includes a plurality of scraping projecting portions arranged at an outer periphery of the shaft member in a circumferential direction thereof, one of the scraping projecting portions being arranged at a position symmetrical to an axis of the shaft member relative to the other one of the scraping projecting portions.

15. The load detection device according to claim 13, wherein the scraping projecting portion extends from one axial end to the other axial end of the shaft member.

16. The load detection device according to claim 13, wherein the shaft member includes a first shaft member fixed to the floor side mounting mechanism and a second shaft member fixed to the seat side mounting mechanism, and the hole formed at the strain generating member includes a first hole and a second hole, the first hole into which the first shaft member is press-fitted to cause the strain generating member to be fixed to the first shaft member, the second hole into which the second shaft member is press-fitted to cause the strain generating member to be fixed to the second shaft member.

17. The load detection device according to claim 13, wherein the hole is formed into a circular shape, and a cross section of the shaft member perpendicular to an axial direction thereof is formed into a polygonal shape of which a circumscribed circle diameter is specified to be greater than an inner diameter of the hole and of which an inscribed circle diameter is specified to be smaller than the inner diameter of the hole.

18. The load detection device according to claim 17, wherein the cross section of the shaft member perpendicular to the axial direction thereof is formed into a regular polygonal shape having even-numbered corners.

19. The load detection device according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion comprises serrations extending over an entire outer periphery of a center portion of the shaft member in a circumferential direction.