JP4189335B2 - Occupant detection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant detection device that discriminates a detection object on a vehicle seat based on capacitance characteristics on the vehicle seat and load characteristics applied to the vehicle seat.

  In recent years, an air bag device is provided in front of a vehicle (driver's seat or front passenger seat) with the aim of improving safety in the event of a vehicle collision. When the vehicle collides due to an accident or the like, based on the signal from the collision detection sensor, the airbag controller outputs a signal (actuation signal) for igniting the inflator to the airbag actuator, and instantly turns the airbag on. Inflate.

  As described above, in a vehicle aiming at safety improvement in which an airbag is activated at the time of a vehicle collision, it is necessary to accurately determine whether or not an occupant is seated on a vehicle seat and activate the airbag. is there. Especially in the passenger seat, when a person (adult) is seated, a child is seated, or a child seat (hereinafter referred to as “CRS (Child Restraint System)”) is installed. Since a sheet state is assumed, it is desired to accurately determine these.

Various occupant detection devices for discriminating detected objects (such as occupants) on vehicle seats have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the above-described determination is performed by detecting a human body with a capacitance sensor and further detecting a load applied to the vehicle seat with a seat weight sensor.
Special Table 2002-534306

  By the way, in the passenger | crew detection apparatus of patent document 1, since the electrostatic capacitance sensor (electrode) and seat weight sensor which are mutually independent are accommodated in a vehicle seat, the burden of component management must be increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant detection device that can improve the accuracy of discrimination of detected objects on a vehicle seat without increasing the burden of parts management.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 discriminates a detection object on the vehicle seat based on a capacitance characteristic on the vehicle seat and a load characteristic applied to the vehicle seat. In the occupant detection device, a capacitance sensor unit that detects the capacitance characteristic and a seating sensor unit that detects the load characteristic are integrally formed in one film sheet, and can be separated into the film sheet. The gist of the invention is that the capacitance sensor part and the seating sensor part are branched by the inserted slits without causing electrical interference .

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the passenger detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the capacitance sensor unit and the seating sensor unit, between the seat cover and cushion pad and intermediate of said cushion pad It is a summary to be arranged in at least one of the above.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the capacitance sensor unit and the seating sensor unit are integrally formed on one film sheet. Therefore, since the electrostatic capacity sensor unit and the seating sensor unit having different functions can be collectively managed as a single component (film sheet), the burden of component management can be reduced. And the detection thing on a vehicle seat can be discriminate | determined accurately by using together the electrostatic capacitance characteristic on a vehicle seat, and the load characteristic added to this vehicle seat.

Furthermore, since the electrostatic capacity sensor part and the seating sensor part are branched and formed by the slits inserted in the film sheet, for example, the electrostatic capacity sensor part can be obtained simply by dividing the area with the shape of one film sheet. And compared with the case where a seating sensor part is formed, the arrangement | positioning freedom degree at the time of accommodating in a vehicle seat can be increased.

In the invention according to claim 2 , for example, by disposing the electrostatic capacity sensor part for detecting the electrostatic capacity characteristics between the seat skin and the cushion pad close to the detected object on the vehicle seat, Detection sensitivity can be improved. Further, for example, by disposing the seating sensor part in the middle of the cushion pad, for example, even if the CRS is fastened and fixed on the vehicle seat for a long period of time, the load is relieved by the cushion pad and accompanying the deformation of the seating sensor part Deterioration of detection performance can be suppressed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an occupant detection device embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram when the occupant detection device is applied to a vehicle seat such as an automobile, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 on the passenger seat side includes a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3. The seat cushion 2 includes a cushion pad 4 that is vertically divided by an upper cushion 4a and a lower cushion 4b, and a seat skin 5 that covers these from above.

  The seat cushion 2 houses a sensor main body 11 included in the occupant detection device. The sensor main body 11 is branched into two at the base end side, which is the seat back 3 side, and is accommodated in a form that is sandwiched up and down by the seat skin 5 and the upper cushion 4a; And a seating sensor portion 13 housed in a manner sandwiched between the cushion 4a and the lower cushion 4b.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are housed and arranged in a manner that spreads along the seating surface of the seat cushion 2. The planar shape of the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 has a comb-teeth shape that protrudes alternately, and the shape of one film sheet is formed when these are stacked vertically as will be described later. Eggplant. Both the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 have the same laminated structure.

  The capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are structurally continuous at the base-side continuous portion 11a (see FIG. 1). However, the connection lines of the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are separately arranged in the continuous part 11a so as not to cross each other, and therefore, they do not interfere electrically. And the connector 14 electrically connected with each connection line of the electrostatic capacitance sensor part 12 and the seating sensor part 13 is provided in the front-end | tip of the continuous part 11a.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a laminated structure of the sensor body 11 (capacitance sensor unit 12, seating sensor unit 13), an electrical configuration thereof, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 roughly have a three-layer structure including a first film unit 16, a second film unit 17, and a third film unit 18.

  The first film portion 16 includes, for example, a film 16a made of a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material and an electrode 16b printed with a silver paste on the lower surface thereof, and the second film portion 17 having an adhesive applied on the upper surface thereof. This is combined with this. The third film portion 18 also has a film 18a made of, for example, a PET material and an electrode 18b printed with a silver paste on the upper surface thereof, and the second film portion 17 coated with an adhesive on the lower surface is mounted. This is combined with this. In addition, the 2nd film part 17 consists of PET materials, for example, and is interposed between the 1st film part 16 and the 3rd film part 18, and hold | maintains between the electrodes 16b and 18b which oppose at a predetermined space | interval.

  Note that the capacitance sensor unit 12 having a uniform structure over substantially the entire surface forms a comb-like metal surface by the electrode 16b. The electrode 16b of the capacitance sensor unit 12 is configured as an antenna (detection electrode) of a capacitance sensor that detects a capacitance that changes depending on the proximity of a human body. The comb-shaped electrostatic capacitance sensor unit 12 has a flexible structure so as not to feel a foreign object when seated, but has an area as large as possible to ensure detection sensitivity and range.

  On the other hand, the second film portion 17 of the seating sensor portion 13 is formed with an opening 19 that opens up and down. A cell 20 is formed by a closed space formed by the opposed end surfaces of the electrodes 16b and 18b and the inner wall surface of the opening 19. As shown in FIG. 2B, the seating sensor unit 13 has a plurality of cells 20 regularly arranged along a comb-teeth shape. The reason why the seating sensor portion 13 is formed in a belt shape as a whole is to make it flexible so as not to feel a foreign object when seated. The seating sensor unit 13 is formed in a region corresponding to the outside of the capacitance sensor unit 12 in order to widely disperse the detection range on the seat cushion 2. In other words, the seating sensor is originally die-cut from a single film sheet so as not to deteriorate the sitting comfort (sensation) at the time of sitting, and at that time, an unusable end material is generated. The capacitance sensor unit 12 is formed by utilizing the region that is the end material.

  The seating sensor unit 13 is configured as a variable resistor for load detection in which the resistance between the electrodes 16b and 18b changes according to the load. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the first and third film portions in a state where there is no load between the first and third film portions 16 and 18 (electrodes 16b and 18b) of the seating sensor portion 13. 16 and 18 are separated by the second film part 17, and the resistance R between them is infinite because the electrodes 16b and 18b are not in contact with each other. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when a load is applied between the first and third film portions 16 and 18 to cause elastic deformation, the electrodes 16b and 18b come into contact with each other to cause resistance between them. Decreases. However, when the load is small, the contact area between the electrodes 16b and 18b is still small, so that the resistance R has a large value. And as shown in FIG.4 (c), when the load applied between the 1st and 3rd film parts 16 and 18 becomes large, the amount of said elastic deformation will become large according to this, and the contact area of electrodes 16b and 18b will increase. Increases and the resistance between them also decreases.

  The seating sensor unit 13 is configured as a variable resistance of a seating sensor that detects a load applied to the vehicle seat 1 based on a resistance change obtained by adding up all resistance changes between the electrodes 16b and 18b in each cell 20.

  Next, a connection mode between the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 and the connector 14 will be further described with reference to FIG. The connector 14 is, for example, a general-purpose four-terminal connector, and one terminal thereof is connected to the electrode 16 b (antenna) of the capacitance sensor unit 12 via a connection line 21. The other two terminals of the connector 14 are connected to the electrodes 16b and 18b (variable resistance) of the seating sensor unit 13 through connection lines 22 and 23, respectively. And the connector 14 is connected with the electronic controller 25 with which a passenger | crew detection apparatus is provided, for example via the wire harness 24 of 4 terminals.

  The electronic control unit 25 includes a known circuit (for example, a detection circuit described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-89150) that converts a change in capacitance of the capacitance sensor unit 12 into a change in frequency. In the electronic control device 25, the frequency changes in proportion to the capacitance as the passenger is seated, that is, close to the human body. The electronic control unit 25 determines the proximity of the human body, that is, whether an occupant is seated on the seat cushion 2 or an object such as a CRS is mounted, by measuring the amount of frequency change with respect to the fundamental frequency. Specifically, compared to a state where an object such as CRS is mounted, the amount of frequency change based on the change in capacitance is greater in the state where an occupant is seated on the seat cushion 2. The electronic control unit 25 determines whether the occupant is seated or an object such as a CRS is mounted by comparing this frequency change amount with the capacitance sensor detection value C with a predetermined threshold value. judge.

  In the case of a seated occupant, the larger the physique, the larger the area of the human body facing the electrode 16b (antenna) through the seat skin 5, so the capacitance sensor detection value C increases. Further, as the weight of the occupant is heavier (the load is larger), the seat skin 5 is crushed, and the distance between the human body and the electrode 16b (antenna) is reduced, so that the capacitance sensor detection value C increases.

  The electronic control device 25 incorporates a well-known circuit for converting the resistance change of the seating sensor unit 13 into a voltage change. In the electronic control device 25, the electronic control device 25 is proportional to the resistance change accompanying the load application on the seat cushion 2. Voltage changes. The electronic control unit 25 detects the load applied on the seat cushion 2 by measuring this voltage change. Based on this, the electronic control unit 25 determines whether an adult or a child is seated on the seat cushion 2 or whether an object such as a CRS is mounted or not. Specifically, in a state where an occupant is seated on the seat cushion 2, the heavier weight (the larger the load), the larger the voltage change amount accompanying the resistance change. The electronic control unit 25 determines whether the adult is seated or the child is seated by using the amount of voltage change as the seating sensor detection value T and comparing it with a predetermined threshold value. In addition, the electronic control device 25 compares the seating sensor detection value T with a predetermined threshold in a state where no occupant is seated on the seat cushion 2 so that an object such as a CRS is mounted or not. Determine if it is in a state.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing reaction characteristics (capacitance sensor detection value C and seating sensor detection value T) of the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 in occupant seating and the like. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), in the state where an adult is seated on the seat cushion 2, the distance d1 between the human body and the capacitance sensor unit 12 is reduced because the seat skin 5 is crushed due to the heavy weight. The area of the human body that opposes the capacitance sensor unit 12 (antenna) is widened by the shrinkage and the large size. For this reason, the response of the capacitance sensor unit 12 is large, and the capacitance sensor detection value C is also a large value. Further, since the load applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is increased due to the heavy weight, the response of the seating sensor unit 13 is large and the seating sensor detection value T is also large.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when a child is seated on the seat cushion 2, the seat skin 5 is crushed in the same manner as described above, and the distance d2 between the human body and the capacitance sensor unit 12 is Although shrinking, the area facing the capacitance sensor unit 12 (antenna) is narrowed by the small size. For this reason, the response of the capacitance sensor unit 12 is moderate compared to the above, and the capacitance sensor detection value C is also a moderate value. Further, since the weight applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is relatively small due to the light weight, the reaction of the seating sensor unit 13 becomes moderate compared to the above, and the seating sensor detection value T is also a medium value. become.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), in the state where the CRS is mounted on the seat cushion 2, even if an occupant such as an infant is seated on the CRS, the human body and the capacitance sensor are equal to the thickness of the CRS. When the distance d3 from the unit 12 is increased, the reaction of the capacitance sensor unit 12 is reduced, and the capacitance sensor detection value C is also reduced. Further, although the weight of the CRS itself is small, a tightening load for fixing is applied, so that the reaction of the seating sensor unit 13 becomes large and the seating sensor detection value T also becomes a large value.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing occupant detection processing by the electronic control unit 25 using the reaction characteristics. This process is repeatedly executed by a scheduled interruption every predetermined time. When the processing shifts to this routine, in S (step) 101, input processing for reading the capacitance sensor detection value C and the seating sensor detection value T is performed. Then, in S102, it is determined whether or not the current capacitance sensor detection value C is larger than a predetermined threshold C1. This threshold value C1 is set to a suitable value for detecting a human body on the seat cushion 2 in an adult or child seat.

  Here, if it is determined that the capacitance sensor detection value C is larger than the predetermined threshold value C1, since the human body is detected, the current seating sensor detection value T is larger than the predetermined threshold value T1 in S103. It is determined whether or not. This threshold value T1 is set to a suitable value for discriminating between adult seating and child seating based on a load (weight). If it is determined that the seating sensor detection value T is greater than the predetermined threshold T1, the adult determination is set in S105 because the load applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is large. On the other hand, if the seating sensor detection value T is determined to be equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value T1 in S103, the child determination is set in S106 because the load applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is small.

  If it is determined in S102 that the capacitance sensor detection value C is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold C1, whether or not the current seating sensor detection value T is larger than the predetermined threshold T2 in S104 because no human body is detected. Is judged. This threshold value T2 is set to a suitable value for determining whether an object such as a CRS is mounted or not based on a load. When it is determined that the seating sensor detection value T is larger than the predetermined threshold T2, the CRS determination is set in S107 because the load applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is large. On the other hand, if it is determined in S104 that the seating sensor detection value T is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value T2, the load applied to the seating sensor unit 13 is small, so in S107, no determination indicating a non-mounted state is set.

  When the detection object on the vehicle seat 1 is determined by any one of the determinations in steps 105 to 108, the subsequent processing is ended. Thus, in the electronic control unit 25, efficient occupant detection is performed by performing the above-described determination using the two sensors (the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13). The electronic control unit 25 outputs the determination result here as a seating signal to, for example, an external airbag controller (not shown). That is, the electronic control unit 25 outputs a seating signal for permitting (turning on) the operation of the airbag to the airbag controller when adult determination is made that an adult is seated in the passenger seat. In addition, the electronic control unit 25 determines whether the airbag is used when a child is seated in the passenger seat, when a CRS determination is made when an object such as a CRS is mounted, or when a determination is made that indicates a non-mounted state. A seating signal that disables (turns off) the operation is output.

  The airbag controller outputs a signal (actuation signal) for igniting the inflator to the airbag actuator, if necessary, based on the seating signal and the signal from the collision sensor, and instantaneously, the driver seat or the passenger seat Inflate the airbag. The operation of the airbag in the passenger seat is suitably controlled based on the seating signal corresponding to the seating state of the vehicle seat 1 or the like.

  Next, the manufacturing mode of the sensor body 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7A shows an initial state in which the workpiece W to be processed into the sensor main body 11 (capacitance sensor unit 12 and seating sensor unit 13) is manufactured in a rectangular shape in the form of one film sheet. FIG. At this time, the workpiece W is substantially uniformly formed in a three-layer structure including the first to third film portions 16 to 18 on the substantially entire surface. However, the cell 20 (the opening portion 19 of the second film portion 17) provided in the seating sensor portion 13 is formed at this stage. Moreover, each connection line for the electrostatic capacitance sensor part 12 and the seating sensor part 13 is separately routed on the base end side (lower side in FIG. 7) of the workpiece W to be processed into the continuous part 11a. .

  FIG. 7B is a plan view showing a state in which slits S are made in the workpiece W by, for example, die cutting processing in accordance with the peripheral shapes of the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13. By inserting the slit S, the workpiece W can be separated into the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13, and a continuous portion 11 a that makes these continue to the base end side (lower side in FIG. 7) of the workpiece W. The sensor body 11 is manufactured.

  As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 8, the sensor body 11 is branched into a capacitance sensor unit 12 and a seating sensor unit 13 starting from the continuous portion 11a, and the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are branched. Are respectively disposed at the aforementioned positions of the seat cushion 2.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the present embodiment, the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are integrally configured on a single film sheet (sensor body 11). Therefore, since the electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 having different functions can be collectively managed as a single component (film sheet), the burden of component management can be reduced. In particular, the number of parts can be reduced by forming the capacitance sensor unit 12 (antenna) using an extra portion that was originally discarded when the seating sensor was formed. In addition, the bulkiness of the volume can be suppressed because the thin film sheets need only be overlapped during storage and transportation. In detecting the occupant, the detected object on the vehicle seat 1 can be accurately determined by using both the capacitance characteristic on the vehicle seat 1 and the load characteristic applied to the vehicle seat 1.

  (2) In the present embodiment, the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are branched and formed by the slits S inserted in the film sheet (W). Compared to the case where the capacitance sensor unit and the seating sensor unit are formed only by partitioning the region, the degree of freedom in arrangement when accommodated in the vehicle seat 1 can be increased.

  (3) In the present embodiment, the capacitance sensor unit 12 that detects capacitance characteristics is disposed between the seat skin 5 and the cushion pad 4 that are close to the detected object on the vehicle seat 1. The detection sensitivity can be improved. Note that the capacitance sensor 12 (antenna) has little influence on the detection sensitivity even if it is deformed.

  Further, since the seating sensor unit 13 is disposed in the middle of the cushion pad 4 (between the upper cushion 4a and the lower cushion 4b), for example, even if the CRS is fastened and fixed on the vehicle seat for a long period of time, the load remains the cushion pad. 4 can be mitigated, and deterioration of detection performance accompanying deformation of the seating sensor unit 13 can be suppressed.

  (4) In the present embodiment, the connection lines 21 to 23 of the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are aggregated in the continuous part 11a, and may be connected to the connector 14 here. Can be reduced. In particular, the cost of parts can be reduced by employing a general-purpose connector 14 having four terminals.

  (5) In this embodiment, since it is not necessary to individually detect a resistance change in each cell 20 as a partial load at that position, a simple circuit configuration that omits a selection circuit and the like can be employed. Moreover, since it is not necessary to analyze the strength pattern of each partial load as a load characteristic applied to the vehicle seat 1, the processing content in the electronic control unit 25 can be simplified. And the cost as the whole passenger detection device can be reduced.

  (6) In the present embodiment, by appropriately determining the detected object on the vehicle seat 1, for example, an erroneous operation such as inflating an airbag in a state where no adult is seated on the passenger seat is suppressed. Unnecessary repairs can also be avoided.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
-In forming the capacitance sensor part and the seating sensor part, it is not necessary to cut one film sheet. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the sensor main body 41 may be obtained by dividing one film sheet into two in the longitudinal direction. The sensor body 41 has a region D1 where the capacitance sensor part 42 is formed on one side and a region D2 where the seating sensor part 43 is formed on the other side. The sensor body 41 is folded back at the turn-back portion 41a so that the capacitance sensor portion 42 is accommodated between the seat skin 5 and the upper cushion 4a, and the seating sensor portion 43 is accommodated between the upper cushion 4a and the lower cushion 4b. In addition, it is preferable to wire each connection line of these electrostatic capacitance sensor part 42 and the seating sensor part 43 separately so that it may not mutually cross in the folding | returning part 41a.

  The shape of the slit S that separates the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 is an example. Moreover, the arrangement pattern of the cells 20 in the separated seating sensor unit 13 is also an example.

  -You may make it detect individually the resistance change in each cell 20 as a partial load in the position. In this case, a plurality of cells 20 may be defined by rows and columns, and an appropriate selection circuit may be provided. Thereby, for example, the load distribution characteristic on the seat cushion 2 may be acquired as the load characteristic applied to the vehicle seat 1 to be used for discrimination of the detected object on the vehicle seat 1. In addition, the number of cells 20 in which a resistance change exceeding a predetermined value is counted as an area to which a load is applied, and this is obtained as a load characteristic applied to the vehicle seat 1 so that the detected object on the vehicle seat 1 is discriminated. You may use for.

  The electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 may be accommodated between the upper cushion 4a and the lower cushion 4b. Further, the seating sensor unit 13 may be accommodated between the seat skin 5 and the cushion pad 4.

  The electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 may be accommodated in the same place of the seat cushion 2. In particular, since the electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 are both accommodated between the upper cushion 4a and the lower cushion 4b, the design of the seat cushion 2 is not limited. The sensor body can be shared.

The electrostatic capacity sensor unit 12 may be accommodated in the seat back 3 and the human back or the like may be detected here.
The films 16a and 18a and the second film portion 17 may be made of other flexible and highly flexible materials such as polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). The electrodes 16b and 18b may be formed by bonding or electrodepositing copper on the films 16a and 18a and etching them. Furthermore, the electrodes 16b and 18b may be formed of carbon or the like.

  The electronic control device 25 may be provided near the sensor body 11 and directly connected to the capacitance sensor unit 12 and the seating sensor unit 13 (connection lines 21 to 23) without using a connector. In this case, since the connector 14 and the wire harness 24 can be omitted, the number of parts and the cost can be reduced.

The electronic control unit 25 may be configured mainly with a microcomputer, or may be configured with a combination of a logic circuit or a comparison circuit using an operation amplifier.
Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects.

(B) before Kiseiden capacitive sensor unit, occupant detection apparatus characterized by being disposed between the seat cover and the cushion pad. According to this technical idea, a capacitance sensor unit for detecting capacitance characteristics is disposed between a seat skin and a cushion pad close to a detected object on a vehicle seat, thereby detecting the detection sensitivity. Can be improved.

(B) before SL sitting sensor unit, the occupant detection apparatus characterized by being arranged intermediate the cushion pad. According to this technical idea, the seating sensor portion is arranged in the middle of the cushion pad, so that, for example, even if the CRS is fastened and fixed on the vehicle seat for a long time, the load is relieved by the cushion pad, Degradation of the detection performance of the sensor unit can be suppressed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle seat to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. (A) and (b) are top views which show an electrostatic capacitance sensor part and a seating sensor part. The schematic diagram which shows the laminated structure of the same embodiment, its electric configuration, etc. FIG. (A) (b) (c) is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of a seating sensor part. (A) (b) (c) is a schematic diagram which shows the reaction characteristic of a capacitance sensor part and a seating sensor part. The flowchart which shows the passenger | crew detection process aspect of the embodiment. (A) and (b) are top views which show the manufacture aspect of a sensor main body. The perspective view which shows the manufacture aspect of a sensor main body. The perspective view which shows another example.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle seat, 4 ... Cushion pad, 4a ... Upper cushion, 4b ... Lower cushion, 5 ... Seat skin, 11, 41 ... Sensor main body which forms a film sheet, 12, 42 ... Capacitance sensor part, 13, 43 ... Seating sensor unit, 25 ... Electronic control unit.

Claims (2)

In an occupant detection device that determines a detection object on the vehicle seat based on capacitance characteristics on the vehicle seat and load characteristics applied to the vehicle seat,
The electrostatic capacity sensor part for detecting the electrostatic capacity characteristic and the seating sensor part for detecting the load characteristic are integrally formed in one film sheet, and are formed by a slit that is detachably inserted in the film sheet. The occupant detection device is characterized in that the electrostatic capacity sensor section and the seating sensor section are branched without causing electrical interference . The occupant detection device according to claim 1,
At least one of the electrostatic capacity sensor part and the seating sensor part is disposed between at least one of a seat skin and a cushion pad and an intermediate part of the cushion pad .

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