Measuring and testing – Dynamometers – Responsive to multiple loads or load components
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-08
2001-12-11
Noori, Max (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Dynamometers
Responsive to multiple loads or load components
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327917
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART
The invention relates to a device for detecting a pressure exerted on a vehicle seat.
Such devices are increasingly being used in automotive engineering to provide opportunities of detecting whether and how heavily a seat is occupied. Especially in vehicles of the most expensive class, these detection devices are used because a number of different functions that enhance safety and comfort can be coupled with them.
These include among others fundamental safety functions that are actuated or tripped in a different way depending on the load exerted by a passenger on the seat. German Patent Disclosure DE 196 15 321 mentions as one option tripping an airbag in different ways depending on occupation of the seat. It is detected whether an adult or a child or child seat is located on the vehicle seat. Still other safety devices, such as belt tighteners or rollbar systems are controlled with pressure-sensor elements integrated with the seat.
It is also conventional for special seat adjusting functions and seat associated safety functions to be controlled via the pressure exerted passively on the seat by a passenger. One such system is described in German Patent Disclosure DE 43 39 113, in which along with a headrest adjustment and securing of a child with respect to back seat doors and windows, still other functions are named such as lighting and air conditioning functions, which can be selected as a function of the load exerted on the seat.
All of these seat occupation detecting devices based on mechanical or nonmechanical operative principles have in common the fact that the functions coupled with them are tripped passively by the passenger or the driver, or in other words simply by a person taking a seat in the vehicle. Active tripping of these or other functions is possible only if additional switches are mounted on the dashboard or on the vehicle door.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The device according to the invention for detecting a pressure exerted on a vehicle seat has the advantage that at least some of the sensors for pressure detection are disposed outside the seat region that is in direct contact with the body of the passenger. Thus all the vehicle functions that in conventional seat occupation detection are actuated solely passively can be varied actively with a set of pressure sensors. Switches for activating seat adjustment processes, as functions associated directly with the seat, can in this way be integrated very elegantly, and in a way that is comfortable for the passenger, with the vehicle seat.
Various options exist in terms of the choice of certain sensor types for use in seat occupation detection. Along with sensors based on a mechanical operative principle, such as micromechanical switches, sensors on an electrical or magnetic basis are also conceivable. The only decisive factor is that the sensors used react to external pressure.
If the seat occupation detection in a vehicle is integrated with a seat foil disposed beneath a seat region, then it is advantageous if the sensors outside the seat region that is in direct with the body of the passenger also be integrated with this foil. This not only offers the advantage of an extremely shallow embodiment but above all has cost advantages, because the manufacture of a larger seat foil with more pressure sensors does not entail any significant additional expense. Detecting and evaluating the additional pressure pulses via an already existing control unit is again not a problem that entails material costs; they can readily be implemented in the form of additional program routines.
It is also advantageous if the sensors outside the aforementioned seat region are disposed side-by-side on the edge of a seating surface. This makes for an arrangement on the order of a switch panel, which the driver or the passenger can access conveniently and in targeted way.
In order to detect the regions of the pressure sensors that located beneath the seat region, it is advantageous if these regions have a marking. The symbols are then selected such that it can be seen clearly which functions can be actuated with which pressure sensor. Colored foils whose direction indicates the appropriate adjusting direction, or symbols that can also be aesthetically harmonized with the overall appearance of the seat are examples of suitable ways to mark these locations.
By integrating the switches required for adjusting the seat with the seat foil, additional switches that would have to be mounted and wired individually can be dispensed with. This not only reduces the effort of assembly but also creates a system less vulnerable to malfunction, because many contacts and soldering points are omitted. The electronics that are part of the seat adjustment can also be integrated with the already existing seat occupation electronics, which overall leads to a considerable reduction in cost.
If a sensor located outside the aforementioned seat region is connected to a latch of a child seat mounting, then a child seat detection can be performed as a further seat-associated function. This means that the information as to whether or not there is a child seat on the vehicle seat and whether or not the child seat is snapped into the mounting can be sent to the control unit via a pressure sensor and displayed accordingly. This information is especially relevant for the sake of differentiated airbag tripping.
Another advantageous variant provides that the belt lock status detection be performed via the pressure sensors integrated with the seat foil. Thus this information as well can be ascertained with a device of the invention and also displayed.
A very simple way of making the connection between the child seat mounting and the belt lock with the pressure-sensitive regions of the seat foil is to use mechanical devices, such as levers or bolts, by way of which the pressure is transmitted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4059909 (1977-11-01), Kron
patent: 4467252 (1984-08-01), Takeda et al.
patent: 4655505 (1987-04-01), Kashiwamura et al.
patent: 4722550 (1988-02-01), Imaoka et al.
patent: 5263765 (1993-11-01), Nagashima et al.
patent: 5848661 (1998-12-01), Fu
patent: 6055473 (2000-04-01), Zwolinski et al.
Noori Max
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
LandOfFree
Device for detecting a pressure exerted upon the seat of a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for detecting a pressure exerted upon the seat of a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for detecting a pressure exerted upon the seat of a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2588093