<19>a2::m4e=aa=:=a= (JP)
`
`L‘
`(12) A 55 4% if; 4}} g (A)
`
`(l1)1€=i“H:l:lE$'.».‘R§%
`
`'1‘§|3§5IZ9 — 150662
`(43)’.b‘.HB 5F}i!E9fF(1997) 65105
`
`mnmax
`B60N Mm
`
`nmfi% fiw§u#%
`
`F1
`B60N 5/00
`
`&1!§%T<E§'r
`
`<21)1:HI!#%
`
`4fini!F7—313119
`
`mmwaa
`
`¥m7$uw9uEmB
`
`¥iiER ififilfi
`
`fi$R1E0Jk3 OL (Q 5 H)
`
`(72)%W%‘
`
`(71) [flak 000000011
`74°/‘/fi1£%i’C§?.t
`fififillfifllfifififi E! IT 2 TE 1 $10
`Ill E! $ 91
`£flI!EJWeFTEi7iB3]’2TE lfififl 7’f:‘/
`Vfiflbfiifiéttw
`(72) klififi E ii’. E )‘C
`§fiJLK>UJ’€?|‘J‘i}i E13)’ 2 T B 1 fiifi 74’ “J
`Vflflfléfiéfifi
`
`(54)
`
`Ifififimfifltl
`
`lltfifii ~‘/-— bfifl
`
`[E¥%9]
`(57)
`tag] %@%®E5fiEu%§éh5:t&<m%
`z:%L?E%0)€.51!t>E'1§fl1T*%%a J: 5 &.:*9*Za c to
`lfifil
`fifi7u7wfi&®75#w+5&fiLr@
`7E‘c“h)\75‘&?Z>Efi3 1 a7E#%”r'3~/- l~ */*y~‘/a ‘/3 1
`éfii. ~‘/— F0"/“/.-:4 ‘/31<’:?§%l0)7"3’7~*/ }~ 5 &:
`®%KE%%fi@%9mfifiznttyfiséxafifi
`Lrco
`
`
`
`Page1 of18
`
`Hyundai Exhibit 1009
`
`Page 1 of 18
`
`Hyundai Exhibit 1009
`
`

`
`1
`
`tfifififiwfifil
`tfifimll
`m7u7m@fi®75&vb&fiLf
`EE3hAfiE%EE%fiOy—bbvvaV&fiZ\
`%v~k7vvayamE§&®757wbtmfiwfi
`Eflififiufifiihkhyfi&%&m%Lk$fimv
`~%%Eo
`fi7u7mEié
`Ifififizl ma7a¢vr0\
`hhu7D—wt%flHfiEi%Eht7vfib—w®
`flawfifién5Ei%&U%EE%tfiLfmEfifi
`fimfififi?%b8HfiB%%?EELfifiv~kbv
`9ayfiWOHHEfi%%%%&fii\§%fi%KfiE
`kyfi&WOHHk\%fifi1Efi® mmy~r%
`E0
`fifiéat ‘/mi, fifi%E!lfiE%I37b\r3fifi%E{R¥f
`léfifléifisl
`%«aEfi?5%fi®fi%mEELk§a$—Vfi%
`&,%fiE2Efi®$fim>~%%Eo
`tfimmfimtfiwl
`[000u
`[%m®E¢&flmflfi1$%mu\Efifimhfiém
`flmfifi nHV—b%EE%?6%®TE6o
`[0002]
`[%%®fifi]fi%\Z®E®$mHV~b%E&LT
`fi\fiW¥7—237486%flWE%3fi%%®fifi
`enrwaocnu\v—+@EmmfiE%&m$L\
`Afi§@Lt%%tL&w%ét®EfiEmt;0fi@
`fimfifiéfifibrmko
`[0003]
`[¥%fi%flL;5t¢é%E]L#L‘iELkfi%
`%ET%5k\§E%®m6fiEK;oTfl\%E%fi
`fifi?é®u%##b6f\flEwfiEh%mm€f\
`%%\EM%®EM€%%?5flflWEUhoZ®k
`bxZfi&%$?ék%E\@fiéfiEEéfi%&XH
`§&®@&w&MEtLTwto
`[0004]&E\$%mm\%E%®EémEm%
`3h%:2fi<%%mfiE%®fi%%fiHfi%§;5t
`?6:Z&\%®§fiWafit?%%®fE%o
`[0005]
`Iflfiéflmiékbmifil:E&fiWfl%&%m?
`ékbE$%mtBmT%UkHWW%&u,$fi7u
`7K@fi®75#vb&fiLTEEéflA#@5@fi&
`fiO9—F7vVaVEfiZ\%9—F7vvaVEfi
`fi@fi®75#vFE®fiE%QtVfi&E$Lk\C
`&T§éo
`[0006]C®§WW¥EK;hR\v—b7v9a
`y®EmuA#Ebnw%®fi$u\%f\757v}
`&fiLT fi7n7EE§3h%®T\fiVfiH\Z®
`fi$Eéfi%:mm%3n&:aa&éo&aT\ky
`fi@6®E%u%fi<E%WEE%?®W%t;0%E
`%®E5fiEt%§En&:t&<%£t%E%®fifi
`émflbfiéo
`
`39—15O662
`
`M
`[0007];O%iL<fi\%E7§#vb&\
`7n7uHiénkn7b—wM%%EEtifi3hk
`7vNb—w®m¥EEE$héEE%&U§fii%t
`HLT%E%EfiEfiEEE$bBHfiEfi%TflflL
`WEv—b0vvayfim0MH5n%%%%&fizT
`%fiL\fiRfi%KfiEk7fi&WDHHé\kiwo
`[0008];0fiiL<u.%Etyfi&.MEHE
`%bBfifi%%%«tfifi?&%fi®fi%EEELt?
`fi$~Vk?6\&Ewo
`m009]
`[fiW®%fi®%%]M1E$3flé;5E‘fi%®7
`n7(%mfif):mm\ m®%%Efi(E1fiEE
`Efi)t@E?%fi®n7b—w11fi%®%%fitm
`EEht757wh2&fiLf@EEhTwéoCwn
`7b—w11Eu\$fi®fi%EfiEEE?%fi®7v
`NI/~;1«1 2b‘P.:’?§JEIm:§J%i<7hTu~Zao :a)7’w<
`b~w11®u7b~w12uH?é%fim;0\fim
`€5v~b3&7n7ufiLT%%DwK%fiéEéo
`fi\:®u7u—w11t7vNu—w12a®%t
`a‘7vNb—w12®n7b—w11Kfi?6fifl&
`fifi?énv&%%(%Rfif)fiM$3hT$D\C
`®uv7%%u\v—k3m%fi?ay—b7vvay
`31®fifiF%mmE¢%&WnyFw1smgbflw
`EfiEhéi5E&oTm5oCfiE\fi®n7D—w
`11,N®7wAV—w12&Gnw7&%m;0v~
`%®m%fiE%%§?5tw®%XEm®X54F%E
`1&%fiLTméo
`[0010]7vNu~w12®fiE12amu\fi®
`u77—A41fifiiEhTm&oc®u77—A41
`fi\fi®7vN7—A42fiEEDFEfifiEflTm
`6°C®7vN7—A42®D77—L41Efi?%E
`fiE;D\7~b3®%fi?év~bNv732%V—
`F3®V—F7vv3V31EfiLTPE$E%oM‘
`D77—A41&7vN7—A42&®fiEH\Tvfi
`7—L42®uTT—L41Efl?éE%&fifi?%n
`v9fi%(@fi€f)fiE%éhT£D\:®uv7%
`%u\v~b3®v~%Nv&32®~wEmmE?é
`&WA7Fw43Ei@@W3fiBfl%i5Efi9TM
`60ChE\H®U77~A41,fi®7vN7~A4
`2&0:v7%%u;0v—rNv732®y—r7v
`V3731Efi?6Eflfi&%$?6tb®fi%Efl®
`U75{:7V%E4&%flLTwéo
`[0011]X5%F%E1u\fit&&u7v—w1
`1&37vND—wl2fi\%Q\V—b3®V—F7
`V93731®WwfiE$9TfiET%$5E%Eéfi
`Tw5oI\U754:/7%%4u\fi&fi%377
`—A41&U7vN7—A42fiv—F3®fiMEEfi
`E?é;5uEEihfw5o
`[0012]v~%3®y~}7vvay31u\Afi
`m E5Efi31a&fiB\%E?é40®757vF5&
`
`Page 2 of 18
`
`

`
`3
`
`fiLfX5{F%E1®fi®7wNu~w1zmmow
`UEhTED\v—b3®y—F7vvaV32m\U
`754:77%E4®N®U77—A4ZEWOHHB
`fiT50\v~b7w9aV31®%$LtfiELTv
`fie
`[0013]E2ufiEhé;5h\7i#v}5m\
`kt,L$fi&E?飮?&oT\Ei$51&GE
`i%51uHLf%EfiEmnEE%51#5HfiBfi
`@TEE?%%%%52fi*fiE%fi3flTw6oC0
`4Dw7§7vF5fl\WE%51f7vNb—wl2
`®fiE12a@D77—L4lE%%%TWE3h\%
`%%52fiv~b7vvay3®7v—AflM32m%
`®4%Ffiwb6&U%v+7®fi%t;DflDHHE
`hTm5oX\Z®40®757vb5fl\9—b3t
`Afi%@Lt%ty—b9vvay31®fi|31am
`mbéfi %fifiLf§H\X34F%E1uEZéo
`:®%.75&vb5®%%%52u\EE%51mfi
`LTEi%51a%fi%52tmEfi?éEW%53®
`Hfifimbotfi$®k%3ummLT%¥?u%&fi
`fikfifiiéo
`[0014] 490)7“7"7-/ 1~ 5a){7'ié%%I35 2a)7I/~
`Afifiszafimfiéu52amu\4vm§a?—V
`8fiflE%51E%fi$52k®Efi?5%W$53®
`fi%TflE$hThéoZ®40®£$5—V8fi\7
`57wh5®E$E%fim?%£®f\E3EfiEh%
`;5E\E%WEE%9u%fi6hfméo
`[0015]mKW%u9wfE3u%fi%%%&éo
`[OO16]V~F4EAfi%ELk%fi\Z?v79
`IE?‘%75#vF5®%%%52®%fiE%§fi§
`%fi?—V8bE®E%T¥%tLTfim3n6oX?
`v792Ef\%$$?—V8fifiULh%%fifi$E
`£&3n\%767vb5mmbokfiEfifim3n
`%o%LT\X?v793ET\%H$flkfi$&%m
`Lf%fi’&%HL\z%w794mf\%®%H$fi
`$ifi$&0fi%hfiEflfiflEEh&o%LT\X?
`v794f%fi§fi%ifi$;Dfi%mafl%3h%
`8‘X?v795TAfifiDtLT\flZfi\I7Nv
`9E%§&Wflfi%fi%t&éoR\v~b4mAfi%
`ELTw&m%éu\X?v794f%fi$fi$Efi‘*
`
`39—15O662
`
`*$D¢Eh8W%3fi\Z?v796TAE%Lkéh
`6°fi\%iH$u\v—r4m%E?éA®fi$m&
`% tv~b7wvay31®fi$%mit%®t%E
`3hTm&o
`[0017]fi\£$?—V8fi\%TL%%W%53
`®fi%umE?%%£@&<\75#v%5fi%%#fi
`fi%€5%fi?%hfiaE:Fé;m0X.§a$~V
`®fibUEEhfiyfi&JWT%$wo%E\X?vj
`92&fiX?v793m9mT\%£a?—VfifimL
`k§§Efi§£&L%h&%fiLT%fiE&fiHLfm
`5%‘%§fi?—VfifiHLt§§&%flLTbE%fl
`EH Efibfifiiéfiflbffiivo
`m018]
`[%W®%%]$%%t;hfl\v—b7wvaVk@
`&®757vbt®%EE%%EE%E%fi$htky
`fi%E$Lk®f\v~r7vvay®EmmAfiEb
`hfi%®fi$m,%f\75#vF&fiLT$fi7fl7
`EEEéhéCtfiE\tVfi&,Cmfiéfiéfifii
`EE%?&CtfiT%%oCflK;b\kyfiflB®%
`%m§6<%%fliE%?®fl%t;0fi&%®&5m
`EE%§éfléZ&&<%%E%E%®Efi&fifl?%
`Z&fiT%%oOi0\;ELk§mW%E%%H?%
`zafifififio
`Iwmmfiififiwl
`[E1]t%%t%6$wJv b%E®fifiE?@
`éo
`[E2]A%%t%%$mJv b%E®hyv®mH
`Hfi%&fi?H?&éo
`[E3]t%%E%&fiwJv bkfimfififlififi
`®WE&fi?%mET%éo
`Efifimfiwl
`5 75&vb
`8 §a?—V(ky#)
`9 %%fiEE%
`31 9—F7wv3V
`51
`flE$
`52 %%%
`31a Efi
`
`Page 3 of 18
`
`

`
`(4)
`
`%F?'1'=flZ9—l50662
`
`
`
`Page 4 of18
`
`Page 4 of 18
`
`

`
`39—150662
`5r‘#Fa'fi‘
`
`___.
`
`P.I
`23/_~‘=z_7_r?15_?2:"E@=v=
`
`II
`
`Page 5 of 18
`
`

`
`CERTI FI CAT ION
`
`I, Michio Ogawa, Toranomon East Bldg, 7-13, Nishi—Shimbashi
`
`1—chome, Minato—ku, Tokyo, Japan, do hereby Certify that I
`
`am conversant with the English and Japanese languages and am
`
`a Competent translator thereof, and I further certify that
`
`to the best of my knowledge and belief the attached English
`
`translation is a true and correct translation made by me of
`
`JapaneseunexaminedpublishedpatentapplicationNo.H9~150662
`
`published on June 10, 1997.
`
`Signed this on the 13th day of July, 2012
`
`Michio Ogawa
`
`Page 6 of 18
`
`

`
`Japanese Patent Office (JP)
`
`Publication of Patent Application (A)
`
`Publication No. of Patent Application:
`
`JP—A—9—150662
`
`Publication Date: June 10, 1997
`
`Int. Cl.6
`
`Identification Code
`
`JPO File No. FI
`
`B60N 5/00
`
`B6ON 5/O0
`
`Theme Code (reference)
`
`Examination Request: Not requested
`
`No. of Claims:
`
`3 0L (Total of 5 pages)
`
`(21) Application No.:
`
`Hei 7[1995]—313119
`
`(22) Application Date: November 30, 1995
`
`(71) Applicant:
`
`000000011
`
`Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.
`
`2-1 Asahi—machi, Kariya—shi,
`
`Aichi—ken
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor:
`
`Sachishi Yamada
`
`c/o Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.
`
`2-1 Asahi—machi, Kariya—shi,
`
`Aichi—ken
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor:
`
`Naofumi Fujie
`
`c/o Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.
`
`2-1 Asahi—machi, Kariya—shi,
`
`Aichi—ken
`
`Page 7 of 18
`
`

`
`(54)
`
`[Title] VEHICLE SEAT DEVICE
`
`(57)
`
`[Abstract]
`
`[Purpose]
`
`To provide a vehicle seat device that can reliably
`
`detect the presence/absence of a person sitting on the seat
`
`device,
`
`independent of the position where the person sits
`
`thereon.
`
`[Constitution]
`
`The vehicle seat device has a seat cushion 31
`
`havhxgaseatsurface3lathatisanchoredvianmltiplebrackets
`
`5 on the vehicle floor; sensors 8 connected to a signal judgment
`
`circuit 9 are arranged between the seat cushion 31 and the
`
`multiple brackets 5, respectively.
`
`Page 8 of 18
`
`

`
`[Claims]
`
`[Claim 1]
`
`A vehicle seat device having a seat cushion with a seat
`
`surface and anchored via multiple brackets on the vehicle floor
`
`5
`
`for a person to sit thereon; sensors connected to a signal
`
`judgment circuit are arranged between.the seat cushion.and the
`
`multiple brackets, respectively.
`
`[Claim 2]
`
`The vehicle seat device according to Claim 1,
`
`wherein
`
`each.of the brackets has an anchoring part, which is attached
`
`on the vertical wall of an upper rail supported in a freely
`
`sliding way on a lower rail anchored on the vehicle floor, and
`
`a holding part, which extends in a cantilever state from the
`
`anchoring part in the direction almost at a right angle to the
`
`anchoring part and which has the seat cushion attached thereon,
`
`and the sensor is attached on the holding part.
`
`[Claim 3]
`
`The vehicle seat device according to Claim 2, wherein
`
`each of the sensors is a strain gauge arranged near the portion
`
`where the anchoring part is connected continuously to the
`
`holding part.
`
`[DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION]
`
`[0001]
`
`[Technical field of the invention]
`
`Page 9 of 18
`
`

`
`The present invention pertains to a vehicle seat device
`
`that can detect the presence/absence of the person sitting
`
`thereon.
`
`[0002]
`
`[Prior art]
`
`In.
`
`the prior art,
`
`JP—A—7[l995]—237486 disclosed.
`
`a
`
`vehicle seat device of this type. According to this patent
`
`application, a pressure sensing element is arranged on the seat
`
`surface of the seat, and the presence/absence of a person
`
`sitting thereon is detected from the change in the pressure
`
`between the time when the person sits on the seat and the time
`
`when no body sits on the seat.
`
`[0003]
`
`[Problems to be solved by the invention]
`
`However, for the device in the prior art, depending on
`
`the portion of the seat where the person sits,
`
`the pressure
`
`sensing element may not detect the pressure even if the person
`
`sits on the seat, so that the presence/absence of the person
`
`sitting on the seat may be mis—detected.
`
`In order to prevent
`
`this problem,eapressure sensing element that is so large that
`
`it can cover the entire seat surface or multiple pressure
`
`sensing elements should be arranged.
`
`[0004]
`
`The purpose of the present
`
`invention is to provide a
`
`technical scheme that allows the detection of presence/absence
`
`Page 10 of 18
`
`

`
`of the person sitting on the seat reliably, independent of the
`
`position where the person sits thereon.
`
`[0005]
`
`[Means for solving the problems]
`
`In order to solve the problem,
`
`the present
`
`invention
`
`provides a vehicle seat device having a seat cushion with a
`
`seat surface and anchored via multiple brackets on the vehicle
`
`floor for a person to sit thereon; sensors are arranged between
`
`the seat cushion and the multiple brackets, respectively.
`
`[0006]
`
`With this technical scheme, once the person sits on the
`
`seat surface of the seat cushion, a load is transmitted with
`
`certainty through the brackets
`
`to the vehicle
`
`floor.
`
`Consequently, sensors are arranged in the load transmission
`
`path. As a result, on the basis of the judgment made by the
`
`signal judgment circuit corresponding to the signals from the
`
`sensors, it is possible to reliably detect the presence/absence
`
`of the person sitting on the seat independent of the position
`
`where the person sits thereon.
`
`[0007]
`
`More preferably,
`
`the following structure is adopted:
`
`each of the brackets has an anchoring part, which is attached
`
`on the vertical wall of an upper rail supported in a freely
`
`sliding way on a lower rail anchored on the vehicle floor, and
`
`a holding part, which extends in a cantilever state from the
`
`Page 11 of 18
`
`

`
`anchoring part in a direction almost at a right angle to the
`
`anchoring part and which has the seat cushion attached thereon;
`
`the sensor is attached on the holding part.
`
`[0008]
`
`More preferably, each of the sensors is a strain gauge
`
`arranged near the portion where the anchoring part is connected
`
`continuously to the holding part.
`
`[0009]
`
`[Embodiment of the invention]
`
`As shown in FIG. 1, on the vehicle floor (not shown in
`
`the figure),
`
`a pair of
`
`lower rails 11 extending in the
`
`back—and—forth direction of
`
`the vehicle
`
`(the left/right
`
`direction shown in FIG. 1) is anchored via brackets 2 anchored
`
`at their front/rear ends, respectively. On the lower rails
`
`11, a pair of upper rails 12 extending in the back—and—forth
`
`direction of the vehicle are supported in a freely sliding way.
`
`As the upper rails 11 slide with respect to the lower rails
`
`12,
`
`the seat 3 to be explained later is driven to move in the
`
`back—and—forth direction with respect
`
`to the floor.
`
`In
`
`addition, a lock mechanism (not shown in the figure)
`
`that
`
`governs sliding of the upper rails 12 with respect to the lower
`
`rails 11 is arranged between the lower rails 11 and the upper
`
`rails 12.
`
`This
`
`lock mechanism can be manipulated by a
`
`manipulating handle 13 located in the front—end lower portion
`
`of the seat cushion 31 of the seat 3 to be explained later.
`
`Page 12 of 18
`
`

`
`The pair of lower rails 11, pair of upper rails 12 and the lock
`
`mechanism form a conventional sliding device 1 for adjusting
`
`the back—and—forth position of the seat.
`
`[0010]
`
`On the vertical walls 12a of the upper rails 12, a pair
`
`of lower arms 41 is anchored. On the lower arms 41, a pair
`
`of upper arms 42 is supported in a freely rotatable way. As
`
`the upper arms 42 rotate with respect to the lower arms 41,
`
`the seat back 32, to be explained later, of the seat 3 is rotated
`
`with respect to the seat cushion.3l of the seat 3.
`
`Irladdition,
`
`a lock mechanism (not
`
`shown in the figure) governing the
`
`rotation of the upper arms 42 with respect to the lower arms
`
`41 is arranged between the lower arms 41 and the upper arms
`
`42. This lock mechanisH1can.be manipulated by a manipulating
`
`handle 43 located on one side of the seat back 32 of the seat
`
`3. These parts,
`
`that is, a pair of lower arms 41, a pair of
`
`upper arms 42, and the lock mechanism,
`
`form a conventional
`
`reclining device 4 for adjusting the reclining angle of the
`
`seat back 32 with respect to the seat cushion 31.
`
`[0011]
`
`In the sliding device 1,
`
`the lower rails 11 and upper
`
`rails 12 are grouped and arranged along the two side edges of
`
`the seat cushion 31 of the seat 3, respectively;
`
`In addition,
`
`in the reclining device 4,
`
`the lower arms 41 and upper arms
`
`Page 13 of 18
`
`

`
`42 are grouped and arranged on the two sides of the seat 3,
`
`respectively.
`
`[0012]
`
`The seat cushion 31 of the seat 3 has a seat surface 31a
`
`for a person to sit thereon, and is mounted on a pair of upper
`
`rails 12 of the sliding device 1 via four brackets 5 to be
`
`explained later. The seat cushion 32 of the seat 3 is mounted
`
`on a pair of the lower arms 42 of the reclining device 4, and
`
`is located in the rear upper portion of the seat cushion 31.
`
`[0013]
`
`As shown in FIG. 2, each of the brackets 5 is an L—shaped
`
`part, which has an anchoring part 51 and a holding part 52 that
`
`extends in a cantilever state from the anchoring part 51 in
`
`the direction almost at a right angle to the anchoring part
`
`51. The four brackets 5 are anchored on the vertical walls
`
`12a of upper rails 12 or the lower arms 41 by welding or the
`
`like by the anchoring parts 51, and are attached at the four
`
`corners of the frame material 32 of the seat 3 with fastening
`
`bolts 6 and nuts 7 by the holding parts 52. Here,
`
`the four
`
`brackets 5 share the load applied on the seat surface 31a of
`
`the seat cushion 31 when the person sits on the seat 3, and
`
`transmit the received load to the sliding device 1.
`
`In this
`
`case,
`
`the holding part 52 of each of the brackets 5 undergoes
`
`a certain elastic deformation with respect to the anchoring
`
`part 51 corresponding to the magnitude of the load applied near
`
`Page 14 of 18
`
`

`
`the curved portion 53 where the anchoring part SI and the
`
`holding part 52 are connected with each other.
`
`[0014]
`
`On the surfaces 52a of the holding parts 52 of the four
`
`brackets 5 in contact with the frame material 32, four strain
`
`gauges 8 are anchored near the curved portions 53 where the
`
`anchoring part 51 and the holding part 52 are connected with
`
`each other. These four strain gauges 8 detect the distortion
`
`quantities of the brackets 5, and are connected to a signal
`
`judgment circuit 9 as shown in FIG. 3.
`
`[0015]
`
`In the following,
`
`the operation will be explained with
`
`reference to FIG. 3.
`
`[0016]
`
`Whenaaperson sits on the seat 4, in step 91, the elastic
`
`deformation quantity of the holding part 52 of each of the
`
`brackets 5 is detected as a distortion quantity in the signal
`
`ofeadnofthestraingauges8. Next,instep92,thedistortion
`
`quantity detected.by each.of the strain gauges 8 is converted
`
`to a load, and the load applied on each of the brackets 5 is
`
`computed.
`
`In step 93,
`
`the computed loads are summed to
`
`determine the total load.
`
`In step 94, a judgment is made on
`
`whether the computed total load is over a preset load.
`
`If the
`
`total load is judged to be larger than the preset load in step
`
`94,
`
`in step 95, it is judged that there is a person sitting
`
`Page 15 of 18
`
`

`
`on the seat so that, for example,
`
`the air bag circuit, etc.,
`
`are turned on. On the other hand, when no person sits on the
`
`seat 4, in step 94, the total load is judged.to be smaller than
`
`the preset load and,
`
`in step 96, it is judged that there is
`
`no person sitting on the seat. Here,
`
`the preset
`
`load is
`
`determined by adding the load of the seat cushion 31 to the
`
`standard body weight of the person sitting on the seat 4.
`
`[0017]
`
`It is not a necessity to arrange the strain gauges 8 near
`
`the curved portion 53 . The strain gauges 8 may also be arranged
`
`in the portion where the most significant elastic deformation
`
`of the brackets 5 occurs.
`
`In addition, pressure sensors may
`
`be used instead of the strain gauges.
`
`In step 92 and step 93
`
`this distortion quantities detected by the various strain
`
`gauges are converted.to loads, which.are then summed.to derive
`
`the total
`
`load.
`
`However,
`
`it is also possible that
`
`the
`
`distortion quantities detected by the various strain gauges
`
`are first summed, then the sun1is converted to obtain the total
`
`load.
`
`[0018]
`
`[Effects of the invention]
`
`According to the present invention, sensors connected
`
`to a signal
`
`judgment circuit are arranged between the seat
`
`cushion and multiple brackets, respectively. Consequently,
`
`when a person sits on the seat surface of the seat cushion,
`
`Page 16 of 18
`
`

`
`the load is transmitted with certainty via the brackets to the
`
`vehicle floor. Consequently; the sensors are arranged in the
`
`loadtransmissionpaths. Asaresult,byjudgmentofthesignal
`
`judgment circuit on the basis of the signals fronlthe sensors,
`
`it is possible to detect the presence/absence of the person
`
`sitting on the seat reliably and independent of the position
`
`where the person sits on the seat. That is, it is possible
`
`to solve the technical problem to be addressed.
`
`[Brief description of the figures]
`
`FIG. I is an oblique view illustrating the vehicle seat
`
`device according to the present invention.
`
`FIG. 2 is a<diagran1illustrating the state of attachment
`
`of the sensors of the vehicle seat device according to the
`
`present invention.
`
`FIG.
`
`3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the
`
`signal judgment circuit in the vehicle seat device according
`
`to the present invention.
`
`[Description of the Reference Numerals and Signs]
`
`5
`
`8
`
`9
`
`31
`
`51
`
`52
`
`Bracket
`
`Strain gauge (sensor)
`
`Signal
`
`judgment circuit
`
`Seat cushion
`
`Anchoring part
`
`Holding part
`
`Seat surface
`
`Page 17 of 18
`
`

`
`Fig.
`
`3
`
`91: DETECTION OF DISTORTION QUANTITY
`
`92: CONVERSION TO LOAD
`
`93: DETERMINATION OF TOTAL LOAD
`
`94: PRESET LOAD < TOTAL LOAD
`
`Jxffifiiéb; No PERSON SITTING
`
`Aélfib : PERSON SITTING
`
`I7/<\y7|ElE5.Sf’I:‘§J: AIR BAG CIRCUIT IS TURNED ON
`
`Page 18 of 18