Patent · US Expired

Device for detecting seat occupancy in a motor vehicle

US5612876A · kind A · utility

85Cited by

8References

15Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Mercedes-Benz Group AG · DE

Inventors

Falk Zeidler · Sindelfingen, DE
Volker Petri · Aidlingen, DE
Reinhold Mickeler · Altdorf, DE
Michael Meyer · Altdorf, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 3, 1995
Grant date	Mar 18, 1997
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 3, 2015

Classification

Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
CPC primaryB60N2210/40
WIPO fieldTransport
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A device for detecting seat occupancy in a motor vehicle, especially for inhibiting airbag release when a seat is unoccupied, is provided. A seat occupancy sensor has a front sensing region and a rear sensing region, which can be evaluated separately. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the front seat passenger is in a sitting position close to the front seat edge of the seat cushion, which reduces the protective effect of the airbag. This can possibly be indicated visually or audibly. As a further measure, the inhibiting of an airbag release can be provided in the case of an incorrect sitting position. The seat occupancy sensor can be a resistive membrane pressure sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.