Seat Occupancy Sensor With Elastic Cushion Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat occupancy sensors often cause discomfort and fail to accurately detect sitting due to their placement between the seat surface and cushion pad, leading to incomplete deformation and uneven pressure distribution.
Innovation Solution
A seat occupancy sensor design where a cushion member with elastic properties, made from materials like silicon and polyester, is interposed between the insulating sheets and the seat pan or cushion pad, allowing for appropriate warpage and electrical connection of electrodes upon pressure application, ensuring accurate detection while minimizing discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the seat occupancy sensor is disposed between the seat surface and cushion pad, then the detection sensitivity is improved, but it causes discomfort to the sitting person
Solution Approach 1:
A cushion member is introduced as an intermediary element between the insulating sheet and the seat pan. This cushion member deforms under load to transmit force to the insulating sheet, enabling the sensor to detect sitting while the cushion member itself absorbs the direct contact, preventing discomfort to the passenger.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the seat occupancy sensor is disposed below the cushion pad to prevent discomfort, then comfort is improved, but the detection accuracy deteriorates due to incomplete deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion member serves as a force transmission intermediary that bridges the gap between the cushion pad and the sensor. It transmits the deformation force from the cushion pad to the insulating sheet, enabling accurate detection even when the sensor is positioned below the cushion pad where direct deformation is incomplete.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion member is designed with sufficient thickness and elasticity to undergo partial deformation that is sufficient for detection purposes. This partial deformation action transmits enough force to the insulating sheet to trigger accurate detection without requiring complete compression of the cushion pad.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the seat occupancy sensor is disposed on the rigid seat pan, then structural stability is improved, but detection uniformity deteriorates due to uneven pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion member changes the mechanical parameters of the sensor assembly by introducing elasticity and compliance. This allows the sensor system to adapt to varying pressure distributions while maintaining structural stability on the rigid seat pan, achieving uniform detection across different sitting positions and pressures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sensor effectively detects sitting with high sensitivity and uniformity, maintaining performance across varying temperatures and pressure distributions, thus preventing discomfort and improving detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a cushion member which has an elastic force and is deformed to be crushed when a pressure is applied thereto is provided at the opposite side to the spacer of the first insulating sheet (11)
Data Source
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AI summary
A seat occupancy sensor (1) which is disposed below a cushion pad of a seat device includes a pair of flexible insulating sheets (11 and 21), a sheet-like spacer (30) which is interposed between the pair of insulating sheets (11 and 21) and is provided with at least one opening (34A), a pair of electrodes (14A and 24A) which is provided on the respective surfaces of the pair of insulating sheets (11 and 21) and faces each other through the opening (34A), and a cushion member (51) which is provided at the opposite side to the spacer (30) in the insulating sheet (11) and covers at least a part of the opening (34A) through the insulating sheet (11).