US 11,731,533 B2Granted

Seat occupancy sensor

AssigneeTs Tech Co., Ltd.

InventorsHidetoshi Ozawa, Naohiro Sasaki

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Abstract

To provide a seat occupancy sensor capable of detecting that an occupant is seated on a seat, a seat occupancy sensor provided in a vehicle seat includes a pair of switch modules disposed in an occupant seating area of a seat cushion, wherein; each of the switch modules includes a first pressure-sensitive switch and a second pressure-sensitive switch that are disposed on a front part so as to be laterally spaced from each other and a third pressure-sensitive switch disposed on a rear part; each of the switch modules is configured to be turned on when at least one of the first pressure-sensitive switch and the second pressure-sensitive switch is on and the third pressure-sensitive switch is on; and the seat occupancy sensor is configured to be turned on when the switch modules are both on.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A seat occupancy sensor provided in a vehicle seat, comprising

a first pressure-sensitive switch disposed of in an occupant seating area,
a pair of second pressure-sensitive switches disposed of in the occupant seating area to be spaced from the first pressure-sensitive in a laterally outer direction respectively, and
a pair of third pressure-sensitive switches disposed of in the occupant seating area to be spaced from the first pressure-sensitive switch and the second pressure-sensitive switch in a rear respectively, wherein:
a pair of the switch modules is configured to be disposed of in a laterally misaligned position,
one of the switch modules including the first pressure-sensitive switch, one of the second pressure-sensitive switches disposed on the left side of the other of the second pressure-sensitive switches, and the third pressure-sensitive switch disposed on the left side of the other of second pressure-sensitive switches, and
the other of the switch modules including the first pressure-sensitive switch, one of the second pressure-sensitive switches disposed on the right side of the other of the second pressure-sensitive switches, and the third pressure-sensitive switch disposed on the right side of the other of second pressure-sensitive switches;
and wherein
each of the switch modules is configured to be turned on when at least one of the first pressure-sensitive switch and the second pressure-sensitive switch is on and the third pressure-sensitive switch is on;
and
the seat occupancy sensor is configured to be turned on when the switch modules are both on.

7 more elements

A seat occupancy sensor provided in a vehicle seat, comprising

a shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch disposed of in an occupant seating area,
a second right rear-side pressure-sensitive switch disposed of on a right side of the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch in the occupant seating area,
a third right rear-side pressure-sensitive switch disposed of on a rear side of both the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch and the second right rear-side pressure-sensitive switch in the occupant seating area,
a second left rear-side pressure-sensitive switch disposed of on a left side of the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch in the occupant seating area, and
a third left rear-side pressure-sensitive switch disposed of on a rear side of both the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch and the second left rear-side pressure-sensitive switch in the occupant seating area;
wherein
a first switch module is configured to be turned on when at least one of the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch and the second right rear-side pressure-sensitive switch is on and the third right rear-side pressure-sensitive switch is on;
a second switch module is configured to be turned on when at least one of the shared rear-side pressure-sensitive switch and the second left rear-side pressure-sensitive switch is on and the third left rear-side pressure-sensitive switch is on;
and
the seat occupancy sensor is configured to be turned on when both the first switch module and the second switch module are both on.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/970,876Filed 21 Oct 2022 · continuation
Priority: JP 2017-1959436 Oct 2017
Published: US 2023/0043059 A19 Feb 2023
Granted: 22 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B60R 21/01516
Passenger detection systems: using force or pressure sensing means
H01H 13/704
With contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches: characterised by the layers, e.g. by their…
A47C 7/62
Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools: accessories for chairs
B60N 2/003
Characterised by the type of sensor or measurement: characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat

Family

PCT/JP2018/036358Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Sep 2018
US 2023/0043059 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Feb 2023
Application16/652,111Parent of this continuation
US 11,498,456 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0307414 A1Published application
US 11,731,533 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.