Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Harley-davidson Motor Company Group, LLC

Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.

Brian Michael Curtis

Harald Lichtinger

Robert Graf

Jeffrey Allen Clark

Daniel Reich

Michael Baker

Scott Morrell

Maria Kremer

Andrew Joseph Wisniewski

Harold Lichtinger

Michael Allan Dingman

Maria T Kremer

John W Schanz

Scott M Morell

Robert L Leppanen

Bryan Todd Fulmer

Peter J Duvernell

Michael Duley

Christopher R Poquette

William Boppre

Michael T Arndt

Steve Twining

Samuel D McCarley

Ronald Cook

Dean Lax

A hydraulic manifold assembly having a block including a plurality of fluid ports provided on a common surface of the block, and a set of hydraulic fittings. Each fitting is assigned to a prescribed one of the ports. Each fitting includes a hollow bolt insertable into the prescribed fluid port, and a banjo block having a first aperture for receiving the hollow bolt and a second aperture intersecting the first aperture. The second aperture provides an external fluid port for fluidly coupling a remote device. The plurality of banjo blocks includes at least one adjacent pair of banjo blocks that are unique from each other and have exterior shapes complementary to each other to control the relative orientation therebetween when coupled to the prescribed fluid ports. The exterior shapes of the adjacent banjo blocks cooperate to prevent misassembly.

Poka-yoke for a set of hydraulic fittings

A method and apparatus is provided that classifies a seat occupant into one of several different weight classes based on an estimated value of the seat occupant weight. An occupant's measured weight varies when the occupant's seating position changes or when the vehicle travels over adverse road conditions. A plurality of weight sensors are used to measure the weight exerted by a seat occupant against a seat bottom and are used to determine center of gravity for the seat occupant. A seat belt force sensor is also used to assist in classifying the seat occupant. Compensation factors using the seat belt force and center of gravity information are used to generate an estimated weight value. The estimated value of the occupant weight is compared to a series of upper and lower weight thresholds assigned to each of the weight classes to generate an occupant weight sample class. Over a period of time, several estimated weight values are compared to the weight class thresholds. Once a predetermined number of consistent and consecutive occupant weight sample classes is achieved, the occupant is locked into a specific occupant weight class. When the weight class is locked, the separation value between the upper and lower thresholds is increased to account for minor weight variations due to adverse road conditions and changes in occupant position.

Sensor assembly for seat occupant weight classification system

A motorcycle power transmission assembly including an engine, a transmission, a drive assembly, and a starter assembly. The engine includes a crankcase, and the transmission includes a transmission case coupled to the crankcase to define an engine-transmission assembly. The drive assembly includes a drive housing coupled to the engine-transmission assembly to define a drive chamber. The drive housing including an opening, and the drive assembly further includes a starter gear. The starter assembly is mounted to the drive housing and includes a nose portion that extends through the opening. The nose portion includes a pinion gear adapted to engage the starter gear.

Starter assembly for a motorcycle engine

A system for measuring seat belt forces is used to control deployment of vehicle airbags. The system includes a rigid plate member having one end attached to a portion of the seat belt and an opposite end mounted to a vehicle structure. The seat belt is used to secure passengers or an infant car seat to the vehicle seat. A sensor including a strain gage is mounted on the rigid plate between the ends and is used to measure the magnitude of forces exerted on the seat belt by the passenger or car seat. The strain gage generates a signal representative of the tension in the seat belt, which is used to control deployment of the airbag. The airbag is not deployed if the tension in the seat belt exceeds a predetermined limit.

Seat belt force sensor system

An air bag sensor module fastening device for a vehicle is provided includes a vehicle mounting structure having an internally threaded member. A sensor is secured to a base for sensing vibrations caused by a crash of the vehicle. The base has an aperture extending therethrough that is aligned with the internally threaded member. The aperture includes a retaining portion. A fastener for securing the base to the vehicle mounting structure has a shaft with a head and a threaded portion opposite the head. The threaded portion is temporarily retained within the retaining portion in a shipping position. The threaded portion has a minor diameter and the shaft portion has a shaft diameter less than the minor diameter. As a result, the shaft will not be in an interference fit relationship with the retaining portion so that the compressive load of the fastener alone secures the base to the vehicle mounting structure. The threaded portion is disposed outside of the retaining portion in an installed position in which the threaded portion is received in the internally threaded member to secure the base to the vehicle mounting structure. In this manner, the threaded portion will engage only the internally threaded member so that the base is secured to the vehicle mounting structure by the compressive load of the fastener alone.

Air bag sensor module fastening device

Weight sensor assemblies for measuring weight on a vehicle seat are mounted at the connecting points between a seat bottom frame and a seat mounting member. The weight sensor assemblies each include a beam member having a bendable center body portion for supporting a strain gage. The strain gage and associated traces are screen printed on the surface of the beam. The beam acts similar to a dual constrained cantilever beam, concentrating the bending at a reduced neck section that narrows in the middle of the center body portion. The strain gage measures strain resulting from bending in the center body portion caused by a weight force being applied against the seat.

Sensor assembly for measuring weight applied to a vehicle seat

Weight classification system

An occupant restraint assembly and for a motor vehicle operates to sense the tension forces on a seat belt to detect the presence of a human occupant or a child restraint seat. A sensor attached to the seat belt measures tension forces. The sensor is mounted in line with the seat belt. A strain gauge senses tension on the seat belt. An additional embodiment of the sensor includes three prongs attached to a common beam that allow the sensor to be slipped onto the seat belt without modification to the seat belt. A middle prong includes the strain gauge to sense movement relative to outside prongs. The seat belt threads over the outside prongs and under the middle prong such that tension on the seat belt forces the middle prong transversely to tension exerted on the seat belt.

Belt force sensor

Weight sensor assemblies for measuring weight on a vehicle seat are mounted at the connecting points between a seat bottom frame and a seat mounting member. The weight sensor assemblies each include a beam member having a bendable center body portion for supporting a stain gage. The strain gage and associated traces are screen printed on the surface of the beam. The beam acts similar to a dual constrained cantilever beam, concentrating the bending at a reduced neck section that narrows in the middle of the center body portion. The strain gage measures strain resulting from bending in the center body portion caused by a weight force being applied against the seat.

A system for measuring the weight of a seat occupant is used to control airbag deployment. The system includes a plurality of weight sensors that have a first end mounted to a seat riser and a second end mounted to a seat frame or track member. The weight sensors have a central bendable portion that extends between the first and second ends. A groove is formed in one of the external surfaces of the central bendable portion to localize strain. A full bridge strain gage assembly is mounted on a surface of each of the weight sensors, opposite from the groove, for generating a weight signal in response to measuring deflection of the central bendable portion. A central processor determines seat occupant weight based on the weight signals and an airbag control module communicates with the processor. The control module controls deployment force of the airbag based on seat occupant weight.

Weight sensor assembly for determining seat occupant weight

A method and apparatus for connecting circuit boards together in a sensor assembly includes a connector that allows the circuit boards to be positioned generally perpendicular to each other. The connector includes a first end that is received within an opening formed at one edge of a main circuit board. A second end of the connector includes a resilient hook or clip that grippingly engages opposing sides of an auxiliary circuit board. The connector comprises an electrical contact between the main and auxiliary circuit boards. The perpendicular orientation of the auxiliary circuit board to the main circuit board allows for more compact packaging.

Method and apparatus for connecting circuit boards for a sensor assembly

A vehicle seat assembly is mounted to a vehicle base member such as a riser or a vehicle floor. Weight sensor assemblies for measuring weight on the vehicle seat are mounted to a seat structural component. The weight sensor assemblies each include plate having a bendable center body portion for supporting a strain gage . The strain gage measures bending in the center body portion caused by normal weight force applications on the vehicle seat . A secondary resilient beam member is mounted between each weight sensor and the vehicle base member . The beam member and the weight sensors deflect to prevent failure of the weight sensors in response to an overload force applied in an opposite direction to the direction of a normal weight force application. The beam member prevents permanent deformation of the plate and strain gage failure by allowing the weight sensor to deflect upwardly away from the vehicle floor. An overload stop reacts between the seat structural component and the vehicle floor to prevent seat separation under overload conditions.

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Orion, MI, United States of America

Brian Michael Curtis