JP3735725B2 - Seating detection device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seating detection device that detects whether or not a person is seated at a regular position of an automobile seat.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The seat detection of an automobile seat is often performed for various purposes such as a seat position and seat height control by a microcomputer and a warning of wearing a seat belt. In recent years, as disclosed in JP-A-7-285364. The data for detecting the seating is also used for controlling the operation of the airbag on the passenger seat side.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional seating detection method, it is possible to determine whether the load on the seat is due to the seating of a person or a load other than a person, such as a baggage other than a person or an object that does not want to operate an airbag. Therefore, there is a problem that, when a large heavy article is put on the passenger seat by mistake, the airbag on the passenger seat side malfunctions immediately when it receives an impact during traveling of the vehicle.
[0004]
The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and makes it possible to reliably detect that a person is seated on the seat within the seat member, and based on the pressure distribution applied on the seat member, It is an object of the present invention to provide a seating detection device capable of easily discriminating whether a seating or a simple load is loaded.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, a seating detection device according to the invention of claim 1 includes a flexible foam of a polymer compound mixed with a conductive substance, and an upper portion sandwiching the flexible foam from the upper surface and the lower surface. A seating sensor comprising a conductor and a lower conductor is installed at a plurality of locations of an automobile seat member, and the flexible foam of the seating sensor to which a load is applied to the seat is compressed, and the upper conductor and the lower conductor are compressed. The seat surface pressure distribution pattern created by the output value based on the change in electrical resistance between the bodies is recognized as coordinate data, and the load is applied to the human seat while referring to the seating pattern data set in the memory in advance. It is provided with a seating discriminating means for quickly discriminating whether the seat is due to a mere baggage .
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat 1 having a seating detection device according to the present invention. The seat 1 is made of a sheet member mainly composed of a polymer compound such as rubber or urethane, and is formed into a predetermined sheet shape. An outer skin (cover) made of vinyl chloride resin, leather or the like is provided on the flexible foam of the polymer compound.
[0008]
A plurality of seating sensors (which may be conductive materials) 2 are distributed and arranged on the seat formed of the flexible foam.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 1, the seating sensor 2 includes a conductive flexible foam 3 formed by mixing a conductive granular material 6 in a polymer compound such as rubber or urethane, and the flexible foam. 3 comprises an upper conductor 4 and a lower conductor 5 sandwiching 3 from the upper and lower surfaces.
[0010]
In the seat 1 having the seating sensor 2, the flexible foam 3 of the seating sensor 2 to which pressure is applied by seating or the like is compressed, and the electrical resistance between the upper conductor 4 and the lower conductor 5 changes. Therefore, the presence or absence of seating or the like can be determined by taking out and processing the change in electrical resistance as seating data.
[0011]
In the seating sensor 2, either the upper conductor 4 or the lower conductor 5 can be an integrated body that is in common contact with the plurality of flexible foams 3. It goes without saying that each independent seating sensor 2 can be constructed.
[0012]
FIG. 3 shows a case where a single metal frame 7 that receives the entire lower surface of the sheet member is used as the lower conductor 5. Here, 8 is a flexible foam having the above-described conductivity, and 9 is a skin covering the flexible foam 8.
[0013]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a thin urethane foam 10 called wadding is usually lined on the skin 9 of the automobile seat. Therefore, the conductive flexible foam is also used for the wadding. In this case, the seat seating detection device can be formed in the same manner as described above by using a conductive material for the skin 9 .
[0014]
Therefore, in the automobile seat having the seating sensor 3 having such a configuration, when a person is seated on the seat, the pressure distribution on the seat surface follows the shape of the buttock due to the change in the resistance value of each seating sensor 3. The pattern is detected as shown in FIG.
[0015]
On the other hand, when a baggage or the like is placed on the seat, for example, a pressure distribution pattern as shown in FIG. 6 is obtained, which is completely different from that due to the seating.
[0016]
Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the microprocessor 11 recognizes the output value of each seating sensor 3 as coordinate data, and the pattern created by the output value of each seating sensor 3 on this coordinate is determined to be seated. By recognizing the microprocessor as a means, it is possible to quickly determine whether the load on the seat is due to the seating of a person or simply due to the load while referring to the seating pattern data set in the memory 12 in advance.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the flexible foam of the polymer compound mixed with the conductive substance is configured to be installed at a plurality of locations of the automobile seat member. Seating or other loads can be reliably detected on the seat member, and based on the pressure distribution pattern loaded on the seat member, it can be easily , accurately and quickly determined whether a person is seated or simply loaded Thus, an effect that the malfunction of the airbag can be surely prevented can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a seating detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an automobile seat having a seating sensor according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an automobile seat having a metal frame used in the practice of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an automobile seat having a wadding used in the practice of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a seating pattern based on an output of a seating sensor according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a load pattern of a load based on an output of a seating sensor according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of seating determination means of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 sheet (sheet member)
3 Flexible foam 11 Microprocessor (sitting determination means)

Claims (1)

A seating sensor comprising a flexible foam made of a polymer compound mixed with a conductive substance, and an upper conductor and a lower conductor sandwiching the flexible foam from the upper surface and the lower surface is provided at a plurality of locations on a seat member for an automobile. Installed ,
The seating sensor flexible foam to which a load is applied to the seat is compressed, and the pressure distribution pattern of the seat surface is generated on the coordinates by the output value as the seating data based on the change in electrical resistance between the upper conductor and the lower conductor. It comprises a seating discriminating means for quickly discriminating whether the load is due to human seating or mere luggage while recognizing as data and referring to seating pattern data set in a memory in advance. A seating detection device.

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