Iee International Electronics and Engineering S.a.

Robert Boschgmbh

Dietmar Jungen

Markus Kordel

Manuel Wampach

Konstantin Weires

Andreas Steier

Ralf Henne

Philippe Boyer

Gianluca Favalli

Guenter Goedert

Claus-Christian Kedenburg

Sanel Imamovic

Martin Schmied

Jorg Beck

Björn Wittmann

A vehicle seat occupant classification system for use in a vehicle seat includes a weight-responsive sensor, at least one bracket member serving as a holder for the weight-responsive sensor, and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a status of the at least one weight-responsive sensor. The bracket member is fixedly attached to the seat base. If a mechanical load at least corresponding to a first pre-determined threshold value is applied by a seat occupant, a portion of the vehicle seat comes into mechanical interaction with the at least one weight-responsive sensor, and is configured to change a status of the at least one weight-responsive sensor if a mechanical load at least corresponding to a second pre-determined threshold value is applied. Relative movement between the seat base and the at least one weight-responsive sensor is at least excluded for applied mechanical loads that are smaller than the first pre-determined threshold value.

Weight-responsive vehicle seat occupant detection and classification method and system

An occupant sensor having a switching element, which comprises a top carrier layer and a bottom carrier layer separated by a spacer. The spacer has an opening defining an active zone in which the carrier layers may be brought together in response to a force acting on at least one of them. The switching element includes a first electrode and a second electrode arranged within the active area between the carrier layers such that an electrical contact is established between the first and second electrodes if the carrier layers are brought together. The occupant sensor includes a decoupling layer arranged on a top side of the switching element such that the decoupling layer covers the top carrier layer in the region of the active area. The decoupling layer and switching element are laterally displaceable with respect to each other in the region of the active area.

Occupant sensor and seat with such an occupant sensor

Disclosed is a sensor mat for determining a seat occupation situation of a vehicle seat. Said sensor mat comprises a plurality of sensor cells which can be allocated to a sitting area of the vehicle seat and are configured and interconnected in such a way that an output signal of the sensor mat varies in accordance with the seat occupation situation. At least one first sensor cell and a second sensor cell are interconnected to a pair of sensor cells such that the output signal of the sensor mat exceeds or lies below a predefined threshold value independently of the triggering state of the other sensor cells when the first and the second sensor cell are triggered simultaneously.

Sensor mat comprising two switching levels

A B-surface seat occupancy sensor unit () comprises a support plate () having a top surface () and a bottom surface, a plurality of spacer elements (), which define an upper surface () of the unit. The top surface of the support plate is arranged recessed the upper surface. A first foam pad () is disposed between the spacer elements on the support plate. A recess () formed in the top surface of the support plate, underneath the first foam pad, accommodates a second foam pad () carrying a pressure-responsive membrane switch (). The recess has a depth exceeding the total height of the pressure-responsive membrane switch and the second foam pad. The pressure-sensitive membrane switch projects laterally beyond opposite edges of the second foam pad.

Seat occupancy sensor unit at a lower B-surface side of a seat cushion

A pressure-responsive seat occupancy sensor unit () comprises a support plate () having a top surface () and a bottom surface, a plurality of spacer elements () defining an upper surface () of the pressure-responsive seat occupancy sensor unit, which upper surface the top surface of the support plate is arranged recessed from, a foam pad () disposed between the spacer elements on the support plate, a recess () formed in the top surface of the support plate, underneath the foam pad, and a pressure-responsive membrane switch () arranged in the recess. The recess has a depth exceeding the thickness of the pressure-responsive membrane switch. The foam pad is configured such that, upon it being compressed by application of pressure exceeding a certain threshold, it deforms so as to penetrate into the recess and activates the pressure-responsive membrane switch.

Seat occupancy sensor unit for seat with spring suspension or seat pan

A pressure-responsive seat occupancy sensor unit () for detecting an occupancy state of a seat comprises a support plate () with a support area (), a pressure-responsive membrane switch (), one or more spacers () arranged around the support area and a compressible foam. The membrane switch comprises a first carrier film and a second carrier film spaced from each other by a spacer film. The spacer film has therein an opening defining a cell. The membrane switch comprises at least two electrodes arranged in facing relationship with each other in the cell on the first and the second carrier film, respectively, in such a way that they are brought closer together, possibly into contact with each other, when sufficient pressure is applied on the membrane switch. The one or more spacers () protrude from the support, and define an upper surface () raised with respect to the support area. The compressible foam () rests with its bottom surface () on the upper surface of the one or more spacers. The compressible foam penetrates into the support area in between the one or more spacers and activates the pressure-responsive membrane switch in response to a force applied on the top surface that exceeds a certain threshold force.

Pressure-responsive seat occupancy sensor unit

A sensor mat, particularly for vehicle seats in connection with restraint systems, which includes at least one positioning strip that may be snapped onto a fastener.

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Mehren, Germany

Dietmar Jungen