Seat weight measuring apparatus

• US 6,201,480 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/275,787
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 340/665, 340/666, 340/667, 340/668, 702/42, 702/47, 702/53, 180/273, 180/290, 200/85.R, 330/146
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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: B60R 2021/01122 Prevention of malfunction
• 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 19/414 using electronic computing means only
• 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

A seat weight measuring apparatus that simplifies the circuit configuration of the load sensors to reduce the circuit costs and which, when the load sensors fail, immediately detects the failure of the load sensors, thereby improving the reliability. In the case where four load sensors are arranged at four locations, for example front and rear on both sides, of the bottom of the automotive seat, the seat weight measuring apparatus includes two pairs of load sensors, a detection circuit for detecting a difference between outputs from the two antiphase-connected pairs of load sensors, and a seat weight calculator for calculating the weight of the automotive seat based on an output from the detection circuit. This can simplify the circuit configuration and eliminate problems of circuit costs and reliability.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a weight of an automotive seat including a weight of a passenger sitting on the automotive seat by detecting loads at a plurality of portions of the automotive seat, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of load sensors arranged at the plurality of portions of the automotive seat, each of said plurality of the load sensors having at least one of a first output terminal and a second output terminal, the first and second output terminals having opposite polarities to each other;

a detection means for detecting a difference between a signal output from the first output terminal of one of said plurality of load sensors and a signal output from the second output terminal of another of said plurality of load sensors; and

a calculation means for calculating the weight of the automotive seat based on an output from the detection means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said load sensors include a first pair of load sensors and a second pair of load sensors, said detection means detects a difference between a signal output from the first output terminal of the first pair of the load sensors and a signal output from the second output terminal of the second pair of the load sensors.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first pair of load sensors is located at a front of the automotive seat and the second pair of load sensors is located at a rear of the automotive seat.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of load sensors has a first resistor and a second resistor respectively having resistances changing according to the amount of strain;

the first output terminal is connected to a first potential through the first resistor and to a second potential through the second resistor; and

the second output terminal is connected to the first potential through the second resistor and to the second potential through the first resistor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each of said plurality of load sensors has a first resistor and a second resistor respectively having resistances changing according to the amount of strain;

the first output terminal is connected to a first potential through the first resistor and to a second potential through the second resistor; and

the second output terminal is connected to the first potential through the second resistor and to the second potential through the first resistor.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

each of said plurality of load sensors has a first resistor and a second resistor respectively having resistances changing according to the amount of strain;

the first output terminal is connected to a first potential through the first resistor and to a second potential through the second resistor; and

the second output terminal is connected to the first potential through the second resistor and to the second potential through the first resistor.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculation means compares signals output from the plurality of the load sensors with each other so as to diagnose an anomaly or failure in each of the plurality of load sensors.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said calculation means compares signals output from the first and second pairs of load sensors with each other so as to diagnose an anomaly or failure in each of the first and second pairs of load sensors.

9. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said calculation means compares signals output from the first and second pairs of the load sensors with each other so as to diagnose an anomaly or failure in each of the first and second pairs of the load sensors.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each of the load sensors is a strain gauge including a strain detection resistor; and

each of the first and second pairs of load sensors is formed by connecting in series or in parallel the strain detection resistors of the strain gauges located at two portions of the automotive seat.

11. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the load sensors is a strain gauge including a strain detection resistor;

and

each of the first and second pairs of load sensors is formed by connecting in series or in parallel the strain detection resistors of the strain gauges located at two portions of the automotive seat.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the load sensors is a strain gauge including a strain detection resistor;

and

strain detection resistors of the strain gauges located at a plurality of portions of the automotive seat are connected in a full bridge configuration.

13. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each of the load sensors is a strain gauge including a strain detection resistor; and

each of the first and second pairs of load sensors is formed by connecting in a full bridge configuration the strain detection resistors of the strain gauges located at two portions of the automotive seat.

14. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

each of the load sensors is a strain gauge including a strain detection resistor; and

each of the first and second pairs of load sensors is formed by connecting in a full bridge configuration the strain detection resistors of the strain gauges located at two portions of the automotive seat.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, among said plurality of load sensors, two load sensors located at two portions on a same side of the automotive seat are integrally provided on one and a same base.

16. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, among said plurality of load sensors, two load sensors located at two portions on a same side of the automotive seat are integrally provided on one and a same base.

17. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, among said four load sensors, two load sensors located at two portions on a same side of the automotive seat are integrally provided on one and a same base.