Motor vehicle seat arrangement occupancy detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a measurement arrangement for detecting an occupancy of a motor vehicle seat arrangement with at least one seat, which comprises a sensor arrangement with at least one sensor (10) for detecting a deformation of a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface or of a force loading by a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface of a seat cushion (20) of at least one seat of the motor vehicle seat arrangement, which is fastened on a structural element (40) of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat arrangement comprising: at least one seat having a seat cushion with a seating surface and a lower side facing away from the seating surface; and a measurement arrangement including a carrier fastened to a structural body element of a vehicle body, the carrier being formed by plastic and having a first modulus of elasticity; a support layer positioned on the carrier on a carrier side opposite the structural body element and being formed by an elastomer, the support layer having a second modulus of elasticity, the first modulus of elasticity being at least twice the second modulus of elasticity; and at least one sensor formed as a foil-like measurement layer on the support layer on a support layer side opposite the carrier and configured to detect a loaded state of the seat cushion by detecting at least one of a deformation or a force loading of the lower side of the seat cushion.

2. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle seat arrangement in vehicle longitudinal direction is arranged behind at least one further seat of the motor vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle seat arrangement in vehicle transverse direction comprises at least two seats arranged next to one another, the occupancy of which is individually detectable by the measurement arrangement.

4. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushion comprises a back seat cushion.

5. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the structural body element comprises a plate-like element having a stiffness in a vehicle vertical direction which is at least two times a stiffness of the seat cushion in the vehicle vertical direction.

6. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lower side facing away from the seating surface contacts the at least one sensor when in a deformed state.

7. The motor vehicle seat arrangement of claim 6, wherein the lower side of the seat cushion also contacts the at least one sensor in an unloaded state.

8. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lower side facing away from the seating surface comprises a recess for at least partial receiving the at least one sensor.

9. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to electrically detect the deformation of the lower side of the seat cushion.

10. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to electrically detect the force loading by the lower side facing away from the seating surface.

11. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is fastened on the structural body element in a manner selected from the group consisting of a form-fit, frictionally engaged manner, a firmly bonded non-destructively detachable manner or a firmly bonded destructively detachable manner.

12. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushion is fastened on the structural element.

13. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the structural body element comprises a trough and the seat cushion is fastened in the trough of the structural element in a rigid or articulated, non-destructively detachable or destructively detachable manner, and/or form-fit, frictionally engaged and/or firmly bonded manner.

14. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the seat cushion is fastened in the trough by a manner selected from the group consisting of a rigid, non-destructively detachable manner, an articulated, non-destructively detachable manner, destructively detachable manner, a form-fit, frictionally engaged manner and/or a firmly bonded manner.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body including a structural element that is an integral element of a BIW (body in white) body of the motor vehicle; and a motor vehicle seat arrangement comprising at least one seat having a seat cushion with seating surface and a lower side facing away from the seating surface, the seat cushion having an unloaded state when not occupied and a loaded state when occupied by an occupant; and a measurement arrangement including a carrier fastened to the structural element, the carrier being formed by plastic; a support layer positioned on the carrier and being formed by an elastomer; at least one sensor formed as a foil-like measurement layer on the support layer and contacting the lower side of the seat cushion during the unloaded state and the loaded state, the at least one sensor configured to detect the loaded state of the seat cushion by detecting at least one of a deformation or a force loading of the lower side of the seat cushion.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein structural element has a first stiffness that is at least four times a second stiffness of the seat cushion in a vehicle vertical direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a measurement arrangement for detecting an occupancy of a motor vehicle seat arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention in a section; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the measurement arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows in a section perpendicularly to a vehicle transverse direction a measurement arrangement for detecting an occupancy of a motor vehicle seat arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) The motor vehicle seat arrangement comprises multiple back seats with seat cushions 20 arranged in vehicle transverse direction (perpendicularly on the drawing plane of FIG. 1, vertically in FIG. 2) next to one another.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the measurement arrangement, wherein the seat cushions 20 are hidden in FIG. 2 and merely their outlines are indicated in dashed lines.

(7) The measurement arrangement comprises a sensor arrangement with a sensor 10 each for each back seat for the electric, automated detection of a deformation of a lower side 21 facing away from the seating surface or a force loading of the corresponding sensor 10 by the lower side 21 facing away from the seating surface of the seat cushion 20 of this seat.

(8) Each of the identically constructed sensors 10 comprises a foil-like measurement layer 11 for electrically detecting an elastic deformation or force loading, in particular pressure loading of the measurement layer 11 and of the lower side 21 of the associated seat cushions 20 contacted by the same. The film-like measurement layer 11 can for example measurably change its electrical resistance as a consequence of the elastic deformation or measurably generate electric current or electrical voltage as a consequence of the force loading or pressure loading.

(9) The measurement layer 11 is in each case connected to or on a cabling 13 via an interface 12 permanently connected to it for passing on signals of the measurement layer 11 to a detection means 30 of the measurement arrangement.

(10) On the side facing away from the seat cushion (bottom in FIG. 1) of the measurement layer 11 of each sensor 10 an elastic support layer 14 of elastomer is arranged in each case and bonded to the measurement layer 11.

(11) On the side facing away from the measurement layer (bottom in FIG. 1) of the elastic support layer 14 of each sensor 10, a carrier 15 made of PP each is arranged and bonded to the support layer 14. In a modification, this carrier 15 can also fall away.

(12) For the assembly, the carrier 15 in each case is plugged onto corresponding pins 41 of a structural element in the form of a back seat plate 40 of a BIW body of the motor vehicle and in an embodiment subsequently additionally bonded to the back seat plate 40. In the modification, the support layers 14 can be directly bonded to or on the back seat plate 40.

(13) The back seat plate 40 substantially extends in vehicle transverse direction and vehicle longitudinal direction (vertically, horizontally in FIG. 2) and comprises seat cushion troughs in which in each case one of the sensors 10 is or will be arranged.

(14) The lower sides 21 facing away from the seating surface of the seat cushions 20 each comprise a recess 22 for receiving an associated sensor 10.

(15) For detecting an occupancy of the motor vehicle seat arrangement by means of the measurement arrangement described here, the detection means 30 detects electrically, automatedly and individually a deformation of the lower sides 21 facing away from the seating surface or force loading by the lower sides 21 facing away from the seating surface of the seat cushions 20 of the back seats, as evident in FIG. 2.

(16) A processing means in the form of a display 50 reminds based on this detection of the wearing of a seat belt in the case that an occupant occupancy of the corresponding seat cushion 20 and a seat belt that is not pulled up for this seat cushion 20 is detected.

(17) Although in the preceding description exemplary embodiments were explained it is pointed out that a plurality of modifications is possible. It is pointed out in addition that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples which are not intended to restrict the scope of protection, the applications and the construction in any way. The preceding description rather provides the person skilled in the art with a guideline for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, wherein various changes, in particular with respect to the function and arrangement of the described components can be carried out without leaving the scope of protection as obtained from the claims and the feature combinations equivalent to these.