Car-seat-occupant sensing device
AssigneeNHK Spring Co., Ltd.
InventorsKo Masuda, Katsutoshi Sasaki, Ken Obata, Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Takuya Nishimoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seat-occupant sensing device for a car seat is provided, such that a heater can be installed in the seat without deterioration of sitting comfort. A load sensor is mounted to a cushion frame of a car seat. The end of a flexible cushion support is linked with the load sensor. Because the flexible cushion support flexes when a person sits on the seat, the load sensor detects the moment when the person sits on the seat.
Claims20
A seat-occupant sensing device for a car seat, said sensing device comprising:
- a frame of the car seat:
- a cushion support for supporting a cushion of the car seat;
- a load sensor having a pressure-detecting spring and two electrodes positioned to form a capacitor, said electrodes having regions that face each other, an area of said regions defining an electrostatic capacitance of said capacitor, said area and said capacitance varying as said pressure-detecting spring contracts or extends;
- and
- a pair of inner and outer electrode holding members made of insulating material and mounted to be slidable along each other as the pressure-detecting spring extends or contracts;
- wherein one end of said pressure-detecting spring is connected to said frame, and the other end of said pressure-detecting spring is connected to said cushion support.
A seat-occupant sensing device for a car seat, said sensing device comprising:
- a frame of the car seat, said frame having a bottom and at least two opposite side walls extending from said bottom;
- a load sensor having a pressure-detecting spring and two electrodes positioned to form a capacitor, said electrodes having regions that face each other, an area of said regions defining an electrostatic capacitance of said capacitor, said area and said capacitance varying as said pressure-detecting spring contracts or extends;
- and
- a pair of inner and outer electrode holding members made of insulating material and mounted to be slidable along each other as the pressure-detecting spring extends or contracts;
- wherein said pressure-detecting spring is attached to and extends between said opposite side walls.
A seat-occupant sensing device for a car seat, said sensing device comprising:
- a load sensor having a pressure-detecting spring and two electrodes positioned to form a capacitor, said electrodes having regions that face each other, an area of said regions defining an electrostatic capacitance of said capacitor, said area and said capacitance varying as said pressure-detecting spring contracts or extends;
- and
- a pair of inner and outer electrode holding members made of insulating material and mounted to be slidable along each other as the pressure-detecting spring extends or contracts;
- wherein said inner and outer electrode holding members are tubular members received telescopically one inside another to define a housing that is expandable and collapsible in an axial direction of said tubular elements as said pressure-detecting spring contracts or extends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.