JP2020199784A - Seating sensor unit and seat for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seating sensor unit and a seat for a vehicle in which communication between a seating sensor and a reader is less likely to be blocked.SOLUTION: A seating sensor unit 50 comprises a seating sensor 20 which detects seating of a crew member, a reader 30 which receives signal from the seating sensor 20 by wireless and an arrangement part 51 in which the seating sensor 20 and the reader 30 are disposed so that relatively positional relationship does not change. The seating sensor 20 includes a pressure-sensitive part which detects pressure and a communication part which transmits signal in accordance with detection result of the pressure-sensitive part to the reader 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a seating sensor unit and a vehicle seat.

Patent Document 1 includes an occupant detection sensor as an example of a seating sensor that detects an occupant by detecting a load applied to a seat, and a reader that wirelessly reads the detection result of the occupant detection sensor. The occupant detection device is disclosed. The occupant detection sensor is attached to the seating portion of the seat, and the reader is arranged below the seating portion of the seat.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-136811

Seats are typically supported by support members such as metal frames and cushion springs. Therefore, if the seat support member is positioned between the occupant detection sensor and the reader by adjusting the seat position by the occupant, the wireless communication between the occupant detection sensor and the reader may be hindered. ..

An object of the present invention is to provide a seating sensor unit and a vehicle seat in which communication between a seating sensor and a reading device is not easily disturbed.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above problems and their actions and effects will be described.
The seating sensor unit that solves the above problems has a seating sensor that detects the seating of an occupant, a reading device that wirelessly receives a signal from the seating sensor, and a relative positional relationship between the seating sensor and the reading device changes. The seating sensor includes a pressure-sensitive unit that detects pressure, and a communication unit that transmits a signal according to the detection result of the pressure-sensitive unit to the reading device. Have.

The seating sensor unit having the above configuration includes an arrangement portion in which both are arranged so that the relative positional relationship between the seating sensor and the reading device does not change. Therefore, when the seating sensor unit is arranged on the vehicle seat, a foreign substance that interferes with the communication between the seating sensor and the reading device cannot be arranged. Therefore, the seating sensor unit can suppress the communication between the seating sensor and the reading device from being obstructed.

The vehicle seat that solves the above problems includes a seat element that supports the occupant, a seating sensor that detects the seating of the occupant, and a reading device that wirelessly receives a signal from the seating sensor, and positions the seat element. The seating sensor has a pressure-sensitive unit that detects pressure and a communication unit that transmits a signal according to the detection result of the pressure-sensitive unit to the reading device. The seating sensor and the reading device are installed on the seat element so that the relative positional relationship between the seating sensor and the reading device does not change.

In the vehicle seat, for example, the positional relationship between the seating sensor and the reading device does not change even when the position of the seat element is adjusted. That is, even if the position of the seat element is adjusted, it is difficult for an object that obstructs communication to be positioned between the seating sensor and the reading device. Therefore, the vehicle seat can suppress the communication between the seating sensor and the reading device from being obstructed.

The vehicle seat includes an arrangement portion in which a plurality of the seating sensors and the reading device are arranged so that the relative positional relationship does not change, and the arrangement portion is installed on the seat element. It is preferable that the seating sensor and the reading device are installed on the seat element.

The vehicle seat can handle a plurality of seating sensors and a reading device together by the arrangement portion. Therefore, in the vehicle seat, it becomes easier to manage the positional relationship between the plurality of seating sensors and the reading device, as compared with the case where a plurality of seating sensors are installed one by one on the seat element.

The seating sensor unit and the vehicle seat having the above configuration are less likely to interfere with communication between the seating sensor and the reading device.

The side view which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle seat. Top view of the seating sensor of the vehicle seat. The schematic diagram which shows the relationship between one seating sensor and a reading device. It is a schematic view of the seating sensor, and is the cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. It is a schematic view of the seating sensor, and is the cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. Top view of the seating sensor unit.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle seat (hereinafter, also referred to as a “seat”) will be described with reference to the drawings. In some drawings, the ratio of the component parts of the sheet is changed for easy explanation and understanding.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 10 includes a seat cushion 11 having a seat surface, a seat back 12 rotatable with respect to the rear end portion of the seat cushion 11, and a headrest arranged at the tip end portion of the seat back 12. 13 and. Further, the seat 10 includes a seat support portion 14 that supports the seat 10 from vertically below, a fixed rail 15 that is fixed to the floor F of the vehicle, a movable rail 16 that is movable with respect to the fixed rail 15, and an occupant with respect to the seat 10. It is provided with a plurality of seating sensors 20 for detecting the seating of the vehicle, and a reading device 30 for receiving a signal wirelessly transmitted from the seating sensor 20. On the other hand, the vehicle includes a seat ECU 40 that determines the seating status of the occupant with respect to the seat 10 based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 20.

The seat cushion 11, the seat back 12, and the headrest 13 are formed of a cushion material such as urethane foam whose portion in contact with the occupant is elastically deformable. That is, when the occupant sits down on the seat cushion 11 or the occupant leans against the seat back 12, the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 are elastically deformed. Further, the seat cushion 11, the seat back 12, and the headrest 13 are covered with a seat skin (not shown). In the present embodiment, the seat cushion 11, the seat back 12, and the headrest 13 correspond to an example of a “seat element” that supports the occupant.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seat support portion 14 may be configured to include, for example, a frame-shaped seat frame and a cushion spring spanning the seat frame. The seat support portion 14 is mainly made of a metal material in order to secure rigidity.

Each of the fixed rail 15 and the movable rail 16 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The fixed rail 15 and the movable rail 16 are arranged so as to form a pair at intervals in the vehicle width direction of the seat 10. The movable rail 16 supports the seat support portion 14 from vertically below. In this way, when the movable rail 16 moves in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the fixed rail 15, the seat cushion 11 moves in the vehicle front-rear direction. The movable rail 16 may be electrically operated or may be manually operated. The same applies to the angle adjustment of the seat back 12 with respect to the seat cushion 11 and the position adjustment of the headrest 13 with respect to the seat back 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of seating sensors 20 are arranged in the area where the occupant sits on the seat cushion 11. In the present embodiment, the four seating sensors 20 are arranged at intervals in both the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction. Further, the plurality of seating sensors 20 are arranged between the seat cushion 11 and the seat skin.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seating sensor 20 transmits a membrane switch 21 as an example of a “pressure sensitive unit” that detects pressure, and a signal corresponding to the detection result of the membrane switch 21 to the reading device 30. It has a communication unit 22 and.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in the membrane switch 21, the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 made of a conductor, the first film 213 on which the first electrode 211 is formed, and the second electrode 212 are formed. It has a second film 214 and a spacer 215 arranged between the first film 213 and the second film 214.

The first electrode 211 is composed of one electrode, and the second electrode 212 is composed of two separated electrode pieces 216 and 217. One electrode piece 216 of the second electrode 212 extends to the communication unit 22, and the other electrode piece 217 extends to the communication unit 22 by a route different from that of the one electrode piece 216. When the first electrode 211 comes into contact with the second electrode 212, the two electrode pieces 216 and 217 of the second electrode 212 are electrically connected via the first electrode 211. In the following description, in the membrane switch 21, the state in which the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 are separated is referred to as “off”, and the state in which the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 are in contact with each other is referred to as “on”.

The first film 213 is formed smaller than the second film 214. The first film 213 and the second film 214 are insulating films such as PET films. The spacer 215 is arranged between the first film 213 and the second film 214 so that a gap is formed between the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212. The spacer 215 is joined to the first film 213 and the second film 214. The spacer 215 is formed of an insulating material such as PET, like the first film 213 and the second film 214.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication unit 22 includes an antenna 23, a control circuit 24, and a protection unit 25. The communication unit 22 of the present embodiment is a so-called passive type RF tag, but may be an active type RF tag or a semi-active type RF tag.

The antenna 23 receives radio waves transmitted from the reading device 30 and transmits radio waves to the reading device 30. The antenna 23 is preferably shaped so that it can be mounted on a plane, such as a loop shape or a spiral shape.

The control circuit 24 is driven by the electric power supplied from the reader 30. In other words, a current flows through the control circuit 24 when the antenna 23 receives a radio wave transmitted from the reader 30. The control circuit 24 is electrically connected to two electrode pieces 216 and 217 of the second electrode 212 of the membrane switch 21. When power is supplied from the reader 30, the control circuit 24 transmits a signal from the antenna 23 according to the on / off state of the membrane switch 21.

The protection unit 25 is configured to protect the components of the communication unit 22. The protective portion 25 may be, for example, a resin case accommodating the antenna 23 and the control circuit 24, or may be a coating layer in which the antenna 23 and the control circuit 24 are coated with a thermoplastic resin or the like. The protective portion 25 is preferably made of a material having a certain degree of rigidity.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the antenna 23 and the control circuit 24 are mounted on a portion of the second film 214 that does not face the first film 213. Further, the protection unit 25 covers the antenna 23 and the control circuit 24 together with the second film 214.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reading device 30 includes an antenna 31, a control circuit 32, and a harness 33. The control circuit 32 transmits radio waves from the antenna 31 to supply power to the seating sensor 20, and receives the detection result of the seating sensor 20 at the antenna 31. The radio wave transmission method between the reader 30 and the seating sensor 20 may be an electromagnetic induction method or a radio wave method. The harness 33 connects the control circuit 32 and the seat ECU 40, and connects the reading device 30 and a battery (not shown).

The reading device 30 is arranged between the seat cushion 11 and the seat skin at the rear of the vehicle rather than the plurality of seating sensors 20. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the reading device 30 is arranged on the seat cushion 11 so that the relative positional relationship with the plurality of seating sensors 20 does not change.

The operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.
(1) In the seat 10 of the above embodiment, the positional relationship between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30 does not change even when the position of the seat cushion 11 in the vehicle front-rear direction is adjusted. That is, even if the position of the seat cushion 11 in the vehicle front-rear direction is adjusted, no other member can be positioned between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30. Therefore, the seat 10 can prevent the communication between the seating detection sensor and the reading device 30 from being hindered by the position adjustment of the seat 10.

(2) In the seat 10, the plurality of seating sensors 20 are not connected to each other. Therefore, it is possible to freely change the positional relationship of the plurality of seating sensors 20. In other words, it is possible to easily change the positional relationship of the plurality of seating sensors 20 according to the specifications of the seat 10.

This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
-As shown in FIG. 6, the seat 10 may include a seating sensor unit 50. The seating sensor unit 50 includes a plurality of seating sensors 20, a reading device 30, and an arranging portion 51 in which the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 are arranged. The arrangement portion 51 is preferably made of a bag-shaped material whose outer surface has a communication blocking property for blocking communication from the outside. Further, the arrangement portion 51 is preferably made of a soft material as well as having water resistance. The plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 are arranged in the arrangement unit 51 in a state of being housed in the arrangement unit 51. The plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 may be attached to the arrangement portion 51 by using, for example, an adhesive or an adhesive. The arrangement unit 51 is configured to secure a communication path between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30 even when the arrangement unit 51 is crushed by the action of an external force.

According to this configuration, the arrangement unit 51 makes it possible to handle the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 together. Therefore, the seat 10 can easily manage the positional relationship between the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 as compared with the case where a plurality of seating sensors 20 are installed on the seat cushion 11 one by one.

Further, when the seating sensor unit 50 is arranged on the seat 10, a foreign substance that blocks communication between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30 cannot be arranged. Therefore, the seating sensor unit 50 can prevent the communication between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30 from being hindered.

Further, since the arrangement portion 51 has a bag shape, the seating sensor unit 50 makes it difficult for the liquid to reach the inside of the arrangement portion 51 even when the liquid adheres to the seat cushion 11. Further, since the seating sensor unit 50 can block radio waves from the outside, it is possible to suppress malfunction due to disturbance. In other words, the seating sensor unit 50 enables reliable communication between the seating sensor 20 and the reading device 30.

-In the modification shown in FIG. 6, the arrangement portion 51 may be in the form of a film or a flat plate.
The positional relationship between the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 on the seat cushion 11 can be appropriately changed. For example, in the seat cushion 11, the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 may be arranged so as to be arranged in the vehicle width direction, or may be arranged so as to be arranged in the vehicle vertical direction.

-At least one of the plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 may be embedded inside the seat cushion 11.
The plurality of seating sensors 20 and the reading device 30 may be installed on other seat elements such as the seat back 12 and the headrest 13.

The seating sensor 20 may have two or more membrane switches 21.
The membrane switch 21 may be a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure acting on the seat cushion 11. In this case, it is preferable that the seating sensor 20 including the pressure sensor transmits a signal corresponding to the pressure value acting on the seat cushion 11 to the reading device 30.

10 ... Seat (vehicle seat), 11 ... Seat cushion, 12 ... Seat back, 13 ... Headrest, 14 ... Seat support, 15 ... Fixed rail, 16 ... Movable rail, 20 ... Seat sensor, 21 ... Membrane switch (feeling) (Example), 211 ... 1st electrode, 212 ... 2nd electrode, 213 ... 1st film, 214 ... 2nd film, 215 ... spacer, 216 ... electrode piece, 217 ... electrode piece, 22 ... communication part, 23 ... Antenna, 24 ... Control circuit, 25 ... Protective unit, 30 ... Reader, 31 ... Antenna, 32 ... Control circuit, 33 ... Harness, 40 ... Seat ECU, 50 ... Seating sensor unit, 51 ... Arrangement unit.

Claims (3)

A seating sensor that detects the seating of the occupant and
A reader that wirelessly receives signals from the seating sensor, and
It is provided with an arrangement portion in which the seating sensor and the reading device are arranged so that the relative positional relationship does not change.
The seating sensor is a seating sensor unit having a pressure-sensitive unit that detects pressure and a communication unit that transmits a signal corresponding to the detection result of the pressure-sensitive unit to the reading device. A vehicle seat that includes a seat element that supports an occupant, a seating sensor that detects the seating of the occupant, and a reading device that wirelessly receives a signal from the seating sensor, and the position of the seat element can be adjusted. ,
The seating sensor has a pressure-sensitive unit for detecting pressure and a communication unit for transmitting a signal corresponding to the detection result of the pressure-sensitive unit to the reading device.
The seating sensor and the reading device are vehicle seats installed on the seat element so that the relative positional relationship between the seating sensor and the reading device does not change. The seating sensor and the reading device are arranged so that the relative positional relationship does not change.
The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the seating sensor and the reading device are installed on the seat element by installing the arrangement portion on the seat element.