Vehicle seat and passenger's weight measurement device for vehicle seat

• US 8,567,263 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Endo, Shigeru, Sato, Kenji, Nishide, Harutomi, Yamazaki, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US13/033,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20110139515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 737/60, 738/623.81, 731/37, 177/136
• US Class Current: 73/862.381
• 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: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• 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

The submarine phenomenon can be prevented and the accuracy of a passenger'"'"'s weight measurement is improved. A vehicle seat includes a pair of fixed lower rails fixed on the floor of a passenger compartment, a pair of movable upper rails that are engaged with the fixed lower rails so as to be slidable in a front-and-rear direction with respect to each of the fixed lower rails, a sub frame which is disposed at an upper side of the movable upper rails, load sensors and that lie between the sub frame and the movable upper rails, brackets and which are disposed so as to erect them on each of the movable upper rails, and a submarine pipe 11 which is crossed between the brackets. The submarine pipe is disposed to be slidable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right bracket.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a load sensor to measure a load of a passenger, the load sensor being provided at a seat cushion frame;

left and right movable members that are movable in a front-and-rear direction on left and right fixed rails, respectively, the left movable member comprising at least a left movable rail and a left side frame, and the right movable member comprising at least a right movable rail and a right side frame;

a submarine inhibiting member to connect between the left and right movable members;

a pan frame that is provided so as to cover an upper part of the load sensor and an upper part of the submarine inhibiting member; and

at least one pan frame attachment member to removably attach the pan frame over upper surfaces of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the left and right movable members,

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than the load sensor,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor, the rod portion extending in a shaft direction of the rod portion, and

wherein the submarine inhibiting member is provided at a position avoiding the rod portion, such that the submarine inhibiting member does not intersect with a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor.

2. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a load sensor to measure a load of a passenger, the load sensor being provided at a seat cushion frame;

left and right movable members that are movable in a front-and-rear direction on left and right fixed rails, respectively, the left movable member comprising at least a left movable rail and a left side frame, and the right movable member comprising at least a right movable rail and a right side frame;

a submarine inhibiting member to connect between the left and right movable members;

a pan frame that is provided so as to cover an upper part of the load sensor and an upper part of the submarine inhibiting member; and

at least one pan frame attachment member to removably attach the pan frame over upper surfaces of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the left and right movable members,

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than the load sensor,

wherein a load sensor attachment member is provided to attach the load sensor to the at least one of the left and right movable members, and

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than at least one movable member fastening portion that fastens the load sensor attachment member to the at least one of the left and right movable members.

3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member comprises a first fastening member and a second fastening member that is provided behind the first fastening member, and

wherein the at least one movable member fastening portion that fastens the load sensor attachment member to the at least one of the left and right movable members is disposed more rearwardly than the first fastening member and more forwardly than the second fastening member.

4. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a load sensor to measure a load of a passenger, the load sensor being provided at a seat cushion frame, the seat cushion frame comprising left and right side frames that extend in a front-and-rear direction,

a submarine inhibiting pipe member that is provided between the left and right side frames;

a pan frame that is provided so as to cover an upper part of the load sensor and an upper part of the submarine inhibiting pipe member; and

a first pan frame fastening member and a second pan frame fastening member to removably attach the pan frame over the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is disposed inside of at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein the first pan frame fastening member is provided more forwardly than the submarine inhibiting pipe member and the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than the submarine inhibiting pipe member, and

wherein the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than the load sensor.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor, the rod portion extending in a shaft direction of the rod portion, and

wherein the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor.

6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor, the rod portion extending in a shaft direction of the rod portion, and

wherein the submarine inhibiting pipe member is provided at a position avoiding the rod portion such that the submarine inhibiting pipe member does not intersect with a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor.

7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than the load sensor that is disposed at a front part of the at least one of the left and right side frames.

8. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein parts of the pan frame that are in left and right sides of the first pan frame fastening member extend downward.

9. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the first pan frame fastening member and the second pan frame fastening member are formed of male screws, and

wherein the pan frame is fastened to upper surfaces of the left and right side frames by the first pan frame fastening member and the second pan frame fastening member from above.

10. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor, and

the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor.

11. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the load sensor comprises a front load sensor and a back load sensor that are disposed at a front part and a back part of the at least one of the left and right side frames, respectively, and

wherein the second pan frame fastening member is provided more rearwardly than the front load sensor and more forwardly than the back load sensor.

12. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a load sensor to measure a load of a passenger, the load sensor being provided at a seat cushion frame;

left and right movable members that are movable in a front-and-rear direction on left and right fixed rails, respectively, the left movable member comprising at least a left movable rail and a left side frame and the right movable member comprising at least a right movable rail and a right side frame;

a connecting member to connect between front parts of the left and right movable members;

a pan frame that is provided so as to cover an upper part of the load sensor and an upper part of the connecting member; and

at least one pan frame attachment member to removably attach the pan frame over upper surfaces of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is disposed inside of a front part of the at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein a connector portion extends from a back part of the load sensor,

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than the connector portion,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor, the rod portion extending in a shaft direction of the rod portion, and

wherein the connecting member is provided at a position avoiding the rod portion such that the connecting member does not intersect with a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor.

13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12,

wherein a load sensor attachment member is provided to attach the load sensor to the at least one of the left and right movable members,

wherein the at least one pan frame attachment member comprises a first pan frame fastening member and a second pan frame fastening member that is provided behind the first pan frame fastening member, and

wherein at least one movable member fastening member that fastens the load sensor attachment member to the at least one of the left and right movable members is disposed more rearwardly than the first pan frame fastening member and more forwardly than the second pan frame fastening member.

14. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a load sensor to measure a load of a passenger, the load sensor being provided at a seat cushion frame;

left and right movable members that are movable in a front-and-rear direction on left and right fixed rails, respectively, the left movable member comprising at least a left movable rail and a left side frame and the right movable member comprising at least a right movable rail and a right side frame;

a connecting member to connect between front parts of the left and right movable members;

a pan frame that is provided so as to cover an upper part of the load sensor and an upper part of the connecting member; and

a pan frame attachment member to removably attach the pan frame over upper surfaces of the left and right side frames;

a load sensor attachment member to attach the load sensor to the at least one of the left and right movable members,

wherein the load sensor is attached to at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein the load sensor is disposed inside of a front part of the at least one of the left and right side frames,

wherein a connector portion extends from a back part of the load sensor,

wherein at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than the connector portion,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends from a main body of the load sensor and the at least one pan frame attachment member is provided more rearwardly than a shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor,

wherein an attachment portion that attaches the connecting member to the left and right movable members is provided more rearwardly than the shaft line of the rod portion of the load sensor, and

wherein the pan frame attachment member comprises a first pan frame fastening member and a second pan frame fastening member that is provided behind the first pan frame fastening member, and

wherein at least one movable member fastening member to fasten the load sensor attachment member to the at least one of the left and right movable members is disposed more rearwardly than the first pan frame fastening member and more forwardly than the second pan frame fastening member.

15. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 14,

wherein another pan frame attachment member is provided more forwardly than the connector portion.

16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15,

wherein parts of the pan frame, that are in left and right sides of the pan frame attachment members that is provided more forwardly than the connector portion, extend downward.

17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the load sensor comprises a rod portion that extends upward from a main body of the load sensor.