[0024] Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described below limit various technically preferable modes for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments and examples of drawings.
[0025] figure 1 It is a perspective view of the occupant weight measuring device 1 of the vehicle seat, figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the passenger weight measuring device 1 .
[0026] like Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, a slide adjuster 2 for adjusting the front-rear position of the vehicle seat is mounted on the floor of the passenger compartment. The slide adjuster 2 includes a pair of left and right lower rails 3 provided in parallel with each other, and a pair of left and right upper parts engaged with the lower rails 3 so as to be slidable on the lower rails 3 in the front-rear direction with respect to each of the lower rails 3 The rail 4. The lower bracket 5, which is fixed to the lower surface of the lower rail 3 by bolt and nut coupling or riveting, and is spanned between the left and right lower rails 3, is used for locking and releasing the upper rail 4 with respect to the lower rail 3. The locking mechanism 6 , the bracket 7 mounted on the front end of the lower surface of each lower rail 3 , and the bracket 8 mounted on the rear end of the lower surface of each lower rail 3 . These brackets 7, 8 are mounted on the floor of the vehicle so that the lower rail 3 is fixed to the floor of the vehicle.
[0027] The bracket 9 is fixed to the front-rear direction central portion of the upper surface of each upper rail 4 by bolt-and-nut connection or caulking connection. The bracket 9 is installed in an upright state with respect to the upper surface of the rail 4 . The right end portion of a submarine pipe 10 is welded to the bracket 9 , and the bottom pipe 10 is spanned between the left and right brackets 9 .
[0028] The load sensor 21 is mounted on the front end portion of the upper surface of the upper rail 4 on the right, and another load sensor 21 is mounted on the rear end portion of the upper surface of the upper rail 4 . Also on the upper surface of the upper rail 4 on the left, load sensors 21 are mounted on the front end portion and the rear end portion, respectively. The four load sensors 21 are arranged so as to be located at the vertices of a square or a rectangle when viewed from above.
[0029] image 3 This is a perspective view of the load sensor 21 . Any of the load sensors 21 are provided in the same manner. like image 3 As shown, the load sensor 21 includes a columnar sensor portion 21a for detecting a load, a plate-shaped flange portion 21b horizontally extending forward and rearward from the lower end of the sensor portion 21a, and an upper end from the sensor portion 21a. The extended rod 21c and the connector 21d extended from the sensor part 21a in parallel with the flange part 21b. The rod 21c is formed in a male screw shape. The front part and the rear part of the flange part 21b are respectively formed with the female screw-shaped circular hole 21e, 21f which penetrates in an up-down direction. A strain gauge is built in the sensor part 21a, and the load is converted into an electric signal by the strain gauge.
[0030] like figure 2 As shown, the load cell 21 is fastened to the upper rail 4 on the right. Specifically, the lower surface of the flange portion 21b is in contact with the upper surface of the upper rail 4, and the two bolts 22 inserted through the upper rail 4 from bottom to top are screwed into the circular holes 21e and 21f, respectively. 21 is fixed. In addition, the load sensor 21 may be fixed to the upper rail 4 by tightening the nut to the bolt 22 above the flange portion 21b without forming screw threads in the circular holes 21e and 21f.
[0031] Either of the load cells 21 is similarly fixed to the upper rail 4, but with respect to the two load cells 21 fixed to the rear, the connector 21d points forward, and with respect to the two load cells 21 fixed to the front, the connector 21d Point back.
[0032] like figure 1 , figure 2 As shown, a rectangular frame-shaped frame 30 is mounted on the four load sensors 21 . Figure 4 It is a top view of the rectangular frame 30 . like Figure 4 As shown, the rectangular frame 30 has a pair of left and right beams 31 , a front beam 32 , and a rear lateral tube 33 .
[0033] Both beams 31 are metal members with a U-shaped cross-section having a connecting plate 31a, an inner flange 31b, and an outer flange 31c. Mounting holes 31d are formed in the front and rear of the connecting plate 31a, respectively.
[0034] The front beam 32 is a metal member having a U-shaped cross-section having a connecting plate 32a, a front flange 32b, and a rear flange 32c. The front beam 32 is spanned between the front ends of the left and right beams 31 , and is welded to these beams 31 .
[0035] The horizontal pipe 33 is spanned between the rear end portions of the left and right beams 31 , and is welded to these beams 31 .
[0036] The rods 21c of the load cells 21 are inserted into the respective mounting holes 21d from bottom to top, and the load cells 21 are mounted on the right front, right rear, left front, and left rear of the rectangular frame 30 by screwing nuts 46 to the rods 21c. department. refer to Figure 5 to Figure 7 , an attachment structure for attaching the right front load sensor 21 to the right front portion of the rectangular frame 30 will be described. Figure 5 is a top view of the right front part of the rectangular frame 30, Image 6 is the cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrow along the plane of section line VI-VI, Figure 7 It is a sectional view in the direction of the arrow along the plane of the sectional line VII-VII. like Figure 5 to Figure 7As shown, an annular bush 41 is fitted to the edge of the right front mounting hole 31 d, and grease is applied to the bush 41 . The bushing 41 is made of an oil-free bushing or synthetic resin impregnated with oil in a metal material. The bushing 41 may also be constructed of other materials. Further, a stepped ferrule 42 including a cylindrical portion 42a and a ring-shaped flange portion 42b formed on one end surface of the cylindrical portion 42a is inserted into the mounting hole 31d inside the bushing 41 . Here, the cylindrical portion 42a is inserted into the mounting hole 31d from bottom to top, and the flange portion 42b is locked to the lower surface of the connecting plate 31a via the bush 41 so that the stepped ferrule 42 does not come out upward. Moreover, the cylindrical part 42a protrudes more than the upper surface of the connection plate 31a, and the upper end surface of the cylindrical part 42a is located in the position higher than the upper surface of the connection plate 31a. Here, the cylindrical portion 42a and the bushing 41 are fitted, and there is no gap between the cylindrical portion 42a and the bushing 41 .
[0037] The rod 21c of the load sensor 21 is inserted into the stepped ferrule 42 from bottom to top. The inner diameter of the stepped ferrule 42 is designed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the rod 21c, and the dimensional error and the installation position error can be eliminated by such a design.
[0038] The nut 46 is screwed to the rod 21c, but a flat washer 43, a coil spring 44, and a spring seat 45 are interposed between the upper surface of the connecting plate 31a of the beam 31 and the nut 46. The rod 21c and the cylindrical portion 42a with the stepped collar 42 are inserted through a flat washer 43 in a state of being placed on the connecting plate 31a, in particular, the bush 41. Furthermore, the rod 21 c is inserted through the coil spring 44 , and the coil spring 44 is placed on the flat washer 43 . The portion of the coil spring 44 in contact with the flat washer 43 is formed flat.
[0039] The spring seat 45 has a cup-shaped portion 45c having a through hole formed in the bottom portion 45b, and an annular flange 45a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the cup-shaped portion 45c. The rod 21c penetrates the through hole of the bottom portion 45b of the cup portion 45c, the bottom portion 45d of the cup portion 45c is placed on the end surface of the stepped ferrule 42, and the cup portion 45c is inserted into the coil spring 44. In addition, the coil spring 44 and the flat washer 43 are in a state of being sandwiched between the flange 45a of the spring seat 45 and the connecting plate 31a.
[0040] The nut 46 is screwed to the rod 21c in a state of being inserted into the cup portion 45c, and the bottom portion 45b of the cup portion 45c is sandwiched between the nut 46 and the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 42a by the tightening of the nut 46, and the The coil spring 44 and the flat washer 43 are sandwiched between the flange 45 a and the connecting plate 31 a of the beam 31 . In addition, since the coil spring 44 is compressed by the tightening of the nut 46, a load acts on the nut 46, so that the nut 46 can be prevented from loosening. In addition, although the coil spring 44 is placed on the connecting plate 31a of the beam 31 via the flat washer 43, the coil spring 44 may be directly placed on the connecting plate 31a of the beam 31, and the coil spring 44 may be sandwiched between between the flange 45a and the connecting plate 31a.
[0041] The left front, left rear, and right rear load cells 21 are also attached to the left front, left rear, and right rear mounting holes 31 d, respectively, similarly to the right front load cell 21 . In a state where the rectangular frame 30 is attached to the four load sensors 21 , the bottom tube 10 is positioned on the rear side of the front beam 32 .
[0042] like Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, the side frames 51 are welded to the flanges 31c on the outer sides of the beams 31 on the left and right, respectively. These side frames 51 are part of the bottom frame of the vehicle seat.
[0043] The front portions of these side frames 51 are covered from above by the base frame 53, and the side frames 51 and the base frame 53 are fixed by bolt-and-nut connection or riveting connection. A seat spring 54 is spanned between the horizontal tube 33 and the base frame 53 , a seat cushion is mounted on the base frame 53 and the seat spring 54 , and the entire seat cushion, base frame 53 and side frame 51 are covered by a cover.
[0044] A back frame is connected to the rear end portion of the side frame 51, and the back frame can be tilted by a reclining mechanism. In addition, about the back frame and the seat cushion, illustration is abbreviate|omitted in order to make a drawing easy to recognize.
[0045] In the occupant weight measuring device 1 configured as described above, when an occupant sits on the seat bottom, the occupant's weight acts on the four load sensors 21 through the rectangular frame 30, and the occupant's weight is converted by the load sensors 21 into electric signal.
[0046] Here, the load sensor 21 is installed between the upper rail 4 and the rectangular frame 30, and the load sensor 21 moves in the front-rear direction integrally with the vehicle seat. The load input to the load sensor 21 by the vehicle seat is always kept constant. Therefore, the measurement accuracy of the occupant weight can be improved.
[0047] In addition, a spring seat 45 is placed on the upper end surface of the stepped ferrule 42, and the coil spring 44 is sandwiched between the spring seat 45 and the connecting plate 31a by tightening the nut 46, so that the rectangular frame 30 is perpendicular to the load cell 21. staggered in direction. Therefore, the disturbance of the load due to the skew of the slide adjuster 2 or the like and the like is smaller.
[0048] In addition, even if the rectangular frame 30 is displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the load sensor 21, since the coil spring 44 is sandwiched between the nut 46 and the connecting plate 31a, the load sensor 21 can be stably and properly attached to the rectangular frame 30 . Therefore, the assembly of the occupant weight measuring device 1 is easier.
[0049] In addition, due to the elastic deformation of the coil spring 44 caused by the tightening of the nut 46 , a load is stably applied to the nut 46 from the coil spring 44 .
[0050] In addition, since the bottom tube 10 is positioned further rearward than the front beam 32, if a forward inertial force acts on the occupant due to a frontal collision of the vehicle or the like, the buttocks of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat will be damaged. The bottom tube 10 is restrained and held. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the so-called sliding phenomenon in which the occupant slides down below the lap belt.
[0051] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the coil spring 44 is placed on the flat washer 43, and the portion of the coil spring 44 that is in contact with the flat washer 43 is formed flat, but may be, for example, Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 As shown, a protrusion 431a protruding upward is formed using the inner portion of the washer 431 . The outer edge portion of the protrusion 431a is a curved surface, and a step 431b formed by the protrusion 431a is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 431a. Then, the end portion of the coil spring 44 is locked to the step 431 b , and the coil spring 44 is in contact with the curved surface of the projection 431 a and the flat surface of the washer 431 . Therefore, the coil spring 44 is centered by the protrusion 431 a of the washer 431 so as not to slide on the flat surface of the washer 431 .
