Passenger's weight measurement device for vehicle seat and attachment structure for load sensor

• US 20070057527A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Kojima, Mikihito, Furukawa, Takashi, Sato, Kenji, Endo, Shigeru, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Yoshifuku, Masashi, Yamazaki, Tatsuya, Nishide, Harutomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,455,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/65.130
• 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

Abstract

There is disclosed a passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, capable of suppressing generation of an initial load. The passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device includes an upper rail disposed to be movable back and forth on a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor; a load sensor fixed on the upper rail; and a frame disposed on the load sensor and below a vehicle seat, wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

Claims

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

an upper rail disposed to be movable back and forth on a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor;

a load sensor fixed on the upper rail; and

a frame disposed on the load sensor and below a vehicle seat,

wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

2. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a collar through which the rod is inserted penetrates the frame, the leaf spring is held between the collar and the nut, and the leaf spring and the collar are held between the nut and the load sensor.

3. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the rod is inserted into the insertion hole in a position shifted from a line segment for interconnecting the both hems of the leaf spring when seen towards an inserting direction of the rod.

4. The measurement device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein holes are formed in the both hems of the leaf spring, and a part of a cover covering the both hems of the leaf spring is inserted into the holes.

5. An attachment structure for attaching a load sensor to a frame disposed below a vehicle seat,

wherein a rod extends from the load sensor to penetrate the frame and to be inserted into an insertion hole formed in a center of a leaf spring, the leaf spring is curved into an angle shape to separate the center of the leaf spring from the frame, a nut is engaged with the rod on the leaf spring, and both hems of the leaf spring abut on the frame in a state that the leaf spring is fastened by the nut.

6. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 5,

wherein a collar through which the rod is inserted penetrates the frame, the leaf spring is held between the collar and the nut, and the leaf spring and the collar are held between the nut and the load sensor.

7. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the rod is inserted into the insertion hole in a position shifted from a line segment for interconnecting the both hems of the leaf spring when seen towards an inserting direction of the rod.

8. The attachment structure as claimed in claim 5,

wherein holes are formed in the both hems of the leaf spring, and a part of a cover covering the both hems of the leaf spring is inserted into the holes.

9. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of left and right upper rails disposed to be movable back and forth on a pair of left and right lower rails fixed to a vehicle floor;

four load sensors fixed on front and rear sides of the pair of upper rails; and

a frame disposed on the four load sensors and below the vehicle seat,

wherein two of the four load sensors, which are arranged on one diagonal line, are set to play in back-and-forth and left-and-right directions with respect to the frame, and the other two load sensors arranged on the other diagonal line are fixed in back-and-forth and left-and-right directions with respect to the frame.

10. A passenger'"'"'s weight measurement device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a pair of slide rails arranged in a vehicle floor;

a pair of side frames for supporting the seat; and

load cells disposed at four corners of the pair of slide rails and the pair of side frames,

wherein the pair of side frames constitute a rectangular seat frame with a set of first connection frames for connecting both ends the pair of side frames extending in parallel so as to be perpendicular to the pair of side frames.

11. The measurement device as claimed in claim 10,

wherein in the pair of slide rails, a pair of first slide rails and a pair of second slide rails are connected so as to be slidable, respectively,

the pair of first slide rails extend in parallel to be fixed to the vehicle floor side, and the pair of first slide rails comprise a second connection frame for connecting middle parts of the pair of first slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the first slide rails.

12. The measurement device as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the four load cells are arranged at four corners of the pair of second slide rails, and

the pair of second slide rails extend in parallel, and comprises a third connection frame for connecting middle parts of the pair of second slide rails so as to be perpendicular to the second slide rails.

13. The measurement device as claimed in claim 10,

wherein a pair of load cells located on one diagonal line among the four load cells are connected to be movable up and down with respect to the seat frame, and a pair of load cells located on the other diagonal line are connected to be movable up and down and play with respect to the seat frame.

14. The measurement device as claimed in claim 10,

wherein in the set of first connection frames, one of the first connection frames is connected to ends of the pair of side rails so as to be easily deformed by shock having a predetermined or more strength.

15. The measurement device as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the load cell comprises a male screw in one end and a flange in the other end located to face opposite to the one end,

in the seat frame, four holes are formed to insert the male screws corresponding to an arrangement of the four load cells, the pair of second slide rails are fixed to the flanges,

first elastic bushes are inserted into a pair of first holes located on one diagonal line among the four holes,

a first collar is elastically disposed between the first elastic bush and the male screw,

a plain washer and a conical spring washer are mounted on the first collar, and a nut is fastened to the male screw,

in a region of the seat frame, which is engaged with the pair of male screws located on the one diagonal line, an up-and-down moving amount is regulated by a length of the first collar in an axial direction, and

the conical spring washer presses the seat frame to the load cell side.

16. The measurement device as claimed in claim 15,

wherein second elastic bushes are inserted into a pair of second holes located on the other diagonal line among the four holes,

a second collar is inserted after a plain washer is inserted into the male screw,

the second elastic bush is disposed to play in the second collar,

a conical spring washer are mounted on the second collar, and a nut is fastened to the male screw,

in a region of the seat frame, which is engaged with the pair of male screws located on the other diagonal line, an up-and-down moving amount is regulated by a length of the second collar in an axial direction, and

the conical spring washer presses the seat frame to the load cell side.

17. The measurement device as claimed in claim 15,

wherein an inner diameter of the first elastic bush is formed in a conical body, and an inner periphery of an upper bottom surface of the conical body having a small radius abuts on an outer periphery of the first collar.