Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Iee International Electronics and Engineering S.a.

Karsten Henze

Richard Baur

Holger Lorenz

The invention relates to a seat occupancy sensor () comprising at least two switch elements () which can be activated by pressure. Said elements can be associated with the surface of a seat and are arranged at a certain distance from each other in such a manner that a first switch element () is associated with a first area of the seat and a second switch element () is associated with a second area of the seat. According to the invention, the first and second switch elements () are connected to each other in such a manner that a logical AND-linkage is produced. The first and second switch elements are, for example, serially connected in a particularly simple embodiment of the invention.

Seat occupancy sensor

A seat occupancy sensor has at least two pressure-activatable switch elements, which are assigned to two areas of a seat and are spaced a distance apart from one another and connected in a logic AND operation arrangement. An electric resistance element is connected in parallel to each switch element, its resistance value being between the resistance values when the switch element is activated and when the switch element is not activated. Each switch element can have a plurality of parallel connected sensor cells interconnected in a logic OR operation arrangement and distributed over a zone of the seat so that occupancy at any location within this zone is recognized as seat occupancy by one of the sensor's switch elements.

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Munich, Germany

Karsten Henze