Vehicle seat with load sensor

• US 10,634,527 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Endo, Shigeru, Sato, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W
• Application Number:
  US15/802,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 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 2/0732 Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• 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 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• 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: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a load sensor for measuring a load applied from an occupant and a seat cushion frame, wherein the seat cushion frame comprises right and left side frames extending in a front-and-rear direction, the load sensor is attached to the seat cushion frame, and a concave portion is formed in at least one of the right and left side frames at a position opposite to the load sensor.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first frame and a second frame that extend in front and rear directions and are parallel to each other;

a rear load sensor that is fixed to the first frame and that comprises a connector and a load input rod, a tip of the connector being directed forward;

a cross pipe that crosses between the first and the second frames;

two fixed lower rails that respectively support the first frame and the second frame; and

a lower bracket that crosses between the fixed lower rails in front of the cross pipe,

wherein a front edge or a rear edge of the lower bracket, whichever is closer to the connector, has a first oblique portion on a side of the first frame, an end of the first oblique portion on the side of the first frame being closer to the connector than another end of the first oblique portion.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a first hole is formed in the lower bracket on the side of the first frame.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein:

second holes are formed in the lower bracket,

the first hole and the second holes are aligned in left and right directions, and

in the left and right directions, a width of each of the second holes is smaller than a width of the first hole.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, further comprising:

a front load sensor that is fixed to the first frame and that comprises a connector and a load input rod, wherein

the front edge or the rear edge of the lower bracket, whichever is farther from the connector of the rear load sensor, has a second oblique portion on the side of the first frame, an end of the second oblique portion on the side of the first frame being farther from the connector of the rear load sensor than another end of the second oblique portion, and

the first oblique portion is behind the load input rod of the front load sensor.

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

a first bead, which expands outward, is formed in the first frame around the load input rod of the rear load sensor, and

the first bead is as high as an end of the cross pipe on the side of the first frame.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein:

a second bead, which expands outward, is formed in the first frame around a load input rod of a front load sensor, and

the first oblique portion is in front of the first bead and is behind the second bead.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a submarine pipe that extends in left and right directions,

wherein the first oblique portion is behind a center in the left and right directions of the submarine pipe.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein:

a side hole is formed in a side of the first frame in front of the load input rod of the rear load sensor, and

the side hole is in front of the first bead and is behind the first oblique portion.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pan frame that connects front portions of the first frame and the second frame; and

a seat spring that crosses between the cross pipe and the pan frame,

wherein the first oblique portion is behind a front end of the seat spring.

10. A vehicle seat comprising:

a first frame and a second frame that extend in front and rear directions and are parallel to each other;

a rear load sensor that is fixed to the first frame and that comprises a connector and a load input rod, a tip of the connector being directed forward;

a cross pipe that crosses between the first and the second frames;

two fixed lower rails that respectively support the first frame and the second frame; and

a lower bracket that crosses between the fixed lower rails in front of the cross pipe, wherein;

a front edge or a rear edge of the lower bracket, whichever is closer to the connector, has a first oblique portion on a side of the first frame, an end of the first oblique portion on the side of the first frame being closer to the connector than another end of the first oblique portion,

a first bead, which expands outward, is formed in the first frame around the load input rod of the rear load sensor, and

the first bead is as high as an end of the cross pipe on the side of the first frame.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein a first hole is formed in the lower bracket on the side of the first frame.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein:

second holes are formed in the lower bracket,

the first hole and the second holes are aligned in left and right directions, and

in the left and right directions, a width of each of the second holes is smaller than a width of the first hole.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, further comprising:

a front load sensor that is fixed to the first frame and that comprises a connector and a load input rod, wherein

the front edge or the rear edge of the lower bracket, whichever is farther from the connector of the rear load sensor, has a second oblique portion on the side of the first frame, an end of the second oblique portion on the side of the first frame being farther from the connector of the rear load sensor than another end of the second oblique portion, and

the first oblique portion is behind the load input rod of the front load sensor.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein:

a second bead, which expands outward, is formed in the first frame around a load input rod of a front load sensor, and

the first oblique portion is in front of the first bead and is behind the second bead.

15. The vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

a submarine pipe that extends in left and right directions,

wherein the first oblique portion is behind a center in the left and right directions of the submarine pipe.

16. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein:

a side hole is formed in a side of the first frame in front of the load input rod of the rear load sensor, and

the side hole is in front of the first bead and is behind the first oblique portion.

17. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, further comprising:

a pan frame that connects front portions of the first frame and the second frame; and

a seat spring that crosses between the cross pipe and the pan frame,

wherein the first oblique portion is behind a front end of the seat spring.