Sensor Mounting Damper for Vehicle Passenger Distinguishing Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passenger distinguishing apparatuses face issues with sensor durability and coupling force due to assembling tolerance, leading to increased costs and reduced accuracy in measuring passenger weight for air bag inflation, especially when multiple sensors are required at vehicle corners.
Innovation Solution
A passenger distinguishing apparatus with a damper system that absorbs assembling tolerance by using a ring-shaped damper integrated into the sensor's end parts, reducing the need for multiple dampers and sleeves, and enhancing the coupling force through a design that maximizes the contact area between the damper and fastening holes, thereby improving sensor durability and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple dampers and sleeves are provided to absorb assembling tolerance, then assembling tolerance is absorbed and sensor durability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple dampers into a single integrated damper structure that absorbs assembling tolerance in multiple directions. Instead of providing separate dampers for each direction of tolerance, the invention merges them into one unified component that handles all tolerance absorption needs, thereby reducing the total number of parts while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The damper in the patent is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it absorbs assembling tolerance in various directions, provides mechanical coupling, and compensates for misalignment. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components for each function, reducing overall device complexity
2Reliability
If dampers and sleeves are added to absorb assembling tolerance, then sensor durability improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple dampers into a single integrated component, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled. This consolidation reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary tolerance absorption capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of tolerance absorption from multiple separate dampers and concentrates it into a single optimized component. This extraction allows for simpler manufacturing processes and reduced material costs while achieving the same reliability outcome
3Device complexity
If assembling tolerance is not absorbed, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and sensor durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The damper acts as an intermediary element between the sensor and the mounting structure. It mediates the assembling tolerance by absorbing dimensional variations and misalignments, thereby protecting the sensor from erroneous loads and maintaining measurement precision without adding complex adjustment mechanisms
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 solution effectively absorbs assembling tolerance, enhances the coupling force of sensors, and reduces costs by minimizing the number of dampers and sleeves required, improving the durability and accuracy of passenger weight measurement while maintaining the sensor's performance.
Implementation Method 1
dampers for absorbing assembling tolerance of the sensors while being fixed due to a contact with nuts
Data Source
AI summary
A passenger distinguishing apparatus is provided. The passenger distinguishing apparatus includes: a plurality of lower brackets that are fixed to a floor of a vehicle room; upper brackets that assist mounting of a passenger seat disposed at an upper part of the lower brackets; and a plurality of sensors that are disposed between the lower brackets and the upper brackets to detect a weight of a passenger seated in the passenger seat, wherein in an upper end part and a lower end part of the sensors, male screw threads for bolt-fastening to fastening holes formed at each of the lower bracket and the upper bracket are formed, and in at least one of the upper end part and the lower end part of the sensors, dampers for absorbing assembling tolerance of the sensors while being fixed due to a contact with nuts tightened and fixed to a portion in which the male screw threads are formed, are formed. Therefore, an assembling process can be improved, a cost can be reduced, and durability of the sensor can be improved.