Seat weight measuring apparatus

• US 6,841,741 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kajiyama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US10/248,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20030111276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 177/136, 177/144, 177/210.R, 180/273, 280/735, 701/45, 340/665, 340/666
• US Class Current: 177/144
• 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 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0732 Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/005 Means for preventing overload

Abstract

A seat weight measuring apparatus having enough strength against load in a direction in which a rear side of the vehicle seat is lifted. The seat weight measuring apparatus includes a base frame with a mounting portion at the rear end side of the base frame. The mounting portion includes two stopper bolts as protective mechanisms for transmitting excessive load from a rear rail bracket to the base frame. One stopper bolt is a front (first) stopper bolt, and the other is a rear (second) stopper bolt. Therefore, the mounting portion has higher capability to withstand load than a mounting portion at the front end side of the base frame.

Claims

1. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat comprising:

a base frame fixed to a vehicle floor;

front and rear rail brackets which are located near front and rear ends of the base frame, respectively, and are connected to a seat rail which is slidable in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle;

a sensor portion which is mounted on the base frame for detecting the load applied from the rail brackets to the base frame;

wherein the sensor portion includes a distortion sensor fixed at the middle in the longitudinal direction of the base frame and arms which are disposed at a front portion and a rear portion of the base frame, respectively, to extend in the longitudinal direction, each arm having at its one end a press portion for transmitting force to the distortion sensor and at its other end a connecting portion relative to the rail bracket;

wherein protective mechanisms are disposed around the front and rear rail brackets so that when the load applied on the rail brackets and the base frame exceeds a predetermined value, the protective mechanisms transmit the excessive load between the rail brackets and the base frame or the vehicle floor directly and not through the arms; and

wherein the protective mechanism at the rear side is provided with a reinforcing member for providing reinforcement against the load in a direction in which the rail brackets are lifted upward.

2. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is fixed directly to the seat bracket on the vehicle floor, and the excessive load is transmitted from the rail bracket to the seat bracket through the reinforcing member.

3. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protective mechanism at the rear side comprises:

a first stopper bolt which connects the rail bracket and the arm in such a manner as to allow the pivotal movement of them and is stopped by the base frame in the event of excessive load; and

a second stopper bolt as the reinforcing member which transmits the excessive load between the rail bracket and the base frame or the vehicle floor to prevent the deformation of the apparatus due to the excessive load.

4. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second stopper bolt is positioned right above or right below the connecting portion of the seat rail and the seat bracket.

5. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second stopper bolt is fixed to the base frame or the vehicle floor and is loosely fitted to the rail bracket and the first stopper bolt is loosely fitted to the base frame.

6. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the seat rail and the rail bracket are connected to each other by a rivet;

the vertical center line of the rivet is shifted from the vertical center line of the first stopper bolt; and

the vertical center line of the rivet substantially coincides with the vertical center line of the second stopper bolt.

7. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat comprising:

a base frame fixed to a lower side of a seat frame below the vehicle seat;

front and rear rail brackets which are located near front and rear ends of the base frame, respectively, and are connected to a seat rail which is slidable in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle;

a sensor portion which is mounted on the base frame for detecting the load applied from the rail brackets to the base frame;

wherein the sensor portion includes a distortion sensor fixed at the middle in the longitudinal direction of the base frame and arms which are disposed at a front portion and a rear portion of the base frame, respectively, to extend in the longitudinal direction, each arm having at its one end a press portion for transmitting force to the distortion sensor and at its other end a connecting portion relative to each rail bracket;

wherein protective mechanisms are disposed around the front and rear rail brackets so that when the load applied on the base frame and the rail brackets exceeds a predetermined value, the protective mechanisms transmit the excessive load between the base frame and the rail brackets directly and not through the arms; and

wherein the protective mechanism at the rear side is provided with a reinforcing member for providing reinforcement against the load in a direction in which the base frame is lifted upward.

8. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the protective mechanism at the rear side comprises:

a first stopper bolt which connects the rail bracket and the arm in such a manner as to allow the pivotal movement of them and is stopped by the base frame in the event of excessive load; and

a second stopper bolt as the reinforcing member which transmits the excessive load between the rail bracket and the base frame or the vehicle floor to prevent the deformation of the apparatus due to the excessive load.

9. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second stopper bolt is positioned right above or right below the connecting portion of the seat rail and the seat bracket.

10. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second stopper bolt is fixed to the base frame or the vehicle floor and is loosely fitted to the rail bracket and the first stopper bolt is loosely fitted to the base frame.

11. A seat weight measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the seat rail and the rail bracket are connected to each other by a rivet;

the vertical center line of the rivet is shifted from the vertical center line of the first stopper bolt; and

the vertical center line of the rivet substantially coincides with the vertical center line of the second stopper bolt.

12. A seat weight measuring apparatus for measuring a seat weight including the weight of a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat, comprising:

a base frame extending in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle;

rail brackets which are located near front and rear ends of the base frame, respectively, to interpose between the base frame and a seat rail which is slidable in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle;

a sensor portion which is mounted on the base frame;

wherein the sensor portion includes a distortion sensor fixed at the middle in the longitudinal direction of the base frame and arms which are disposed at a front portion and a rear portion of the base frame, respectively, to extend in the longitudinal direction, each arm having at its one end a press portion for transmitting force to the distortion sensor and at its other end with a connecting portion relative to the each rail bracket; and

wherein tip ends of the press portions of the arms are covered with resin caps.