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`
`
`
`Page 4 of 18
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`Page 4 of 18
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`(5)
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`Page 5 of 18
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`Page 5 of 18
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`

`

`CERTI FI CAT I ON
`
`I, Michio Ogawa, Toranomon East Bldg, 7—13, Nishi—Shimbashi
`
`l-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
`
`Page 6 of 18
`
`

`

`(19) Japanese Patent Office (JP)
`
`(12) Publication of Patent Application (A)
`
`(11) Publication No. of Patent Application:
`
`JP—A—9—150662
`
`(43) Publication Date: June 10, 1997
`
`5
`
`(51) Int. Cl.6
`
`Identification Code
`
`JPO File No. FI
`
`B60N 5/00
`
`B60N 5/00
`
`Theme Code (reference)
`
`Examination Request: Not requested
`
`No. of Claims:
`
`3 CL (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
`
`10
`
`15
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`20
`
`25
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`Page 7 of 18
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`Page 7 of 18
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`

`

`(54)
`
`[Title] VEHICLE SEAT DEVICE
`
`(57)
`
`[Abstract]
`
`5
`
`[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
`
`10
`
`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.
`
`15
`
`Page 8 of 18
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`Page 8 of 18
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`

`

`[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
`
`10
`
`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
`
`15
`
`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
`
`20 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
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`Page 9 of 18
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`

`

`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,aapressure 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
`
`10
`
`15
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`20
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`25
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`Page 10 of18
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`Page 10 of 18
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`

`

`of the person sitting on the seat reliablyg 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.
`
`10
`
`[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
`
`15
`
`path. As a result, on the basis of the judgment made by the
`
`signal judgment circuit corresponding to the signals from the
`
`sensors,itispossibletoreliablydetectthepresence/absence
`
`of the person sitting on the seat independent of the position
`
`where the person sits thereon.
`
`20
`
`[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
`
`25
`
`a holding part, which extends in a cantilever state from the
`
`Page 11 of18
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`Page 11 of 18
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`

`

`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]
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`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
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`Page 12 of 18
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`

`

`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]
`
`5
`
`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
`
`10 with respect to the seat cushion.31 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 mechanisn1can_be manipulated.by a manipulating
`
`15
`
`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.
`
`20
`
`[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 of18
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`Page 13 of 18
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`

`

`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.
`
`10
`
`[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
`
`15
`
`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
`
`20
`
`25
`
`Page 14 of 18
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`Page 14 of 18
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`

`

`the curved portion 53 where the anchoring part 51 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]
`
`Wheneaperson 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
`
`ofeadnofthestraingaugesB. 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
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`Page 15 of18
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`Page 15 of 18
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`

`

`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
`
`10
`
`15
`
`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 suHIis converted to obtain.the total
`
`load.
`
`20
`
`[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,
`
`25
`
`when a person sits on the seat surface of the seat cushion,
`
`10
`
`Page 16 of18
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`Page 16 of 18
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`

`

`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
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`31a
`
`Seat surface
`
`ll
`
`Page 17 of18
`
`Page 17 of 18
`
`

`

`Fig.
`
`3
`
`91: DETECTION OF DISTORTION QUANTITY
`
`92: CONVERSION TO LOAD
`
`93: DETERMINATION OF TOTAL LOAD
`
`5
`
`94: PRESET LOAD < TOTAL LOAD
`
`Afifib: NO PERSON SITTING
`
` Afifib : PERSON SITTING
`
`IT/fiyilfilflfifléfilz AIR BAG CIRCUIT IS TURNED ON
`
`12
`
`Page 18 of18
`
`Page 18 of 18
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`