Vehicle seat including upper rails, load sensor, and frame

• US 10,126,159 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Takayasu, Wataru, Ishima, Shinya, Endo, Shigeru, Sato, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy
• Application Number:
  US14/842,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150369650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• 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 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• 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 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• 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 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles
• 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: Y10S 177/09 Scale bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/946 Spring-seated

Abstract

A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat includes an upper rail provided on a lower rail that is fixable to a vehicle floor, the upper rail being movable in at least one of rear and front directions; a load sensor fixed onto the upper rail; and a frame provided on the load sensor and below the vehicle seat. In plan view, the load sensor protrudes from the frame in at least one of left and right directions.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat that has a passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device, the seat comprising:

left and right upper rails provided on left and right lower rails that are fixable to a vehicle floor, the upper rails being movable in at least one of rear and front directions;

a load sensor fixed onto at least one of the upper rails by a fixing member; and

a frame, provided on the load sensor and below a vehicle seat, that comprises left and right longitudinal members extending in the rear and front directions and a rear cross pipe extending in left and right directions;

a seat spring that is fixed to the rear cross pipe and that extends forward from the rear cross pipe; and

a lower bracket that crosses between the lower rails or the upper rails and that has an oblique portion on a rear edge of the lower bracket so that an end of the lower bracket at a said lower rail is rearward of a center of the lower bracket, wherein;

in plain view, the load sensor protrudes from the frame in at least one of the left and right directions, and

the load sensor includes;

a sensing portion that senses a load;

a flange portion that extends in at least one of the rear and front directions from a lower end of the sensing portion, front and rear portions of the flange portion having formed therein holes that penetrate the flange portion in a vertical direction and by which the fixing member fixes the load sensor to the upper rail;

a connector that extends from one of front and rear sides of the sensing portion that is farther from the rear cross pipe so as to be parallel to the flange portion, the connector being in front of a rear end of the seat spring and rearward of a front end of the seat spring; and

a rod that extends upward from an upper end of the sensing portion to be fixed to the frame.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein flanges that extend in at least one of the rear and front directions are formed along edges of the frame.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the frame has a wider portion at the load sensor, the wider portion being wider than other portions of the frame.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the load sensor is fixed to the frame by a nut at the wider portion of the frame.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein in plan view, the load sensor protrudes from the wider portion of the frame in at least one of the rear and front directions.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein a flange having a U-shaped cross-section is formed along an edge of the wider portion of the frame.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle seat comprises a front one and a rear one of the load sensor, and

the oblique portion of the lower bracket is rearward of the connector of the front load sensor and forward of the rear load sensor.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, further comprising

a crossing member that crosses between the upper rails and that is closer to the front load sensor than to the rear load sensor, wherein

a center of the crossing member in the left and right directions is forward of or rearward of a first end of the crossing member that is closer to the front load sensor than another end of the crossing member.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein:

a bead that expands outward is formed in at least one of the longitudinal members of the frame, and

the first end of the crossing member is fixed to the upper rail at a position other than a position where the bead is formed.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein holes are formed in the lower bracket, the holes being aligned in the left and right directions.