Seat weight measuring apparatus

Abstract

A seat weight measuring apparatus includes a support body one end of which is fixed in position relative to a vehicle body and the other end of which is displaced corresponding to a load from a vehicle seat side. The apparatus includes a permanent magnet which is disposed at one end of the support body and a held body which has a shape retaining property and is held by the other end of the support body, and a detector which is disposed on a tip of the held body to face the permanent magnet with a space therebetween.

1 . A seat weight measuring apparatus comprising: 
 a support body one end of which is fixed in position relative to a vehicle body and the other end of which is configured to be displaced in response to a load from a vehicle seat side;    a held body which has a shape retaining property and is connected to the other end of the support body;    wherein the support body includes a held body facing portion that faces a tip of the held body such that a distance from the tip of the held body to the held body facing portion in the vertical direction of a vehicle body is smaller than a distance from the tip of the held body to the held body facing portion in the horizontal direction; and    wherein a magnetism detecting device is disposed on the tip of the held body,    wherein load from the vehicle seat side is measured by detecting a variation in the strength of a magnetic field detected by the magnetism detecting device, wherein the variation results from the displacement of the support body corresponding to the load from the vehicle seat side.    
   
   
       2 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the held body comprises a cable.  
   
   
       3 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the held body facing portion comprises a first magnetism generating device, and the magnetism detecting device is configured to detect the strength of magnetic field which is generated from the first magnetism generating device and varies depending on the distance in the vertical direction of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       4 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first magnetism generating device comprises a permanent magnet.  
   
   
       5 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first magnetism generating device is disposed over the held body only at the upper side of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       6 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second magnetism generating device disposed on the tip of the held body, wherein the magnetism detecting device detects the strength of magnetic field which is generated from the second magnetism generating device and varies depending on the distance in the vertical direction of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       7 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the held body facing portion has a structure with an opening on at least one side in the horizontal direction of the vehicle body.  
   
   
       8 . A seat weight measuring apparatus comprising: 
 a support body, wherein the rigidity of the support body in the vertical direction of a vehicle body is less than the rigidity of the support body in the horizontal direction, and wherein one end of the support body is fixed relative to the vehicle body and the other end of the support body is configured to be displaced in response to a load from a vehicle seat side;    a held body which has a shape retaining property and is connected to the other end side of the support body;    a held body facing portion for detecting displacement of the support body which is formed in the support body to face a tip of the held body; and    a magnetism detecting device disposed on the tip of the held body,    wherein load from the vehicle seat side is measured based on variation in strength of magnetic field resulting from a variation in the distance between the held body facing portion and the tip of the held body, the variation corresponding to displacement of the support body resulting from the load from the vehicle seat side.    
   
   
       9 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the held body facing portion comprises a third magnetism generating device, and wherein the magnetism detecting device detects the strength of magnetic field which is generated from the third magnetism generating device and varies depending on the distance.  
   
   
       10 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a fourth magnetism generating device disposed on the tip of the held body, wherein the magnetism detecting device detects the strength of magnetic field which is generated from the fourth magnetism generating device and varies depending on the distance.  
   
   
       11 . A seat weight measuring apparatus comprising: 
 a support body one end of which is fixed in position relative to a vehicle body and the other end of which is displaced corresponding to a load from a vehicle seat side;    a cable held at its middle position by the other end of the support body;    a cable facing portion for detecting displacement of the support body which is formed in the support body to face a tip of the cable, the cable facing portion comprising a permanent magnet; and    a magnetic detector disposed on the tip of the cable,    wherein the magnetic detector has a detection range only in the vertical direction.    
   
   
       12 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the permanent magnet is open in the horizontal direction.  
   
   
       13 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the distance between the permanent magnet and the magnetic detector in the horizontal direction is larger than the distance between the permanent magnet and the magnetic detector in the vertical direction.  
   
   
       14 . The seat weight measuring apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein load from a vehicle seat side is measured based on variation in strength of magnetic field accompanying variation in distance between the cable facing portion and a tip of the cable.