Seat sensing mechanism

Claim 2

In combination with a load supporting member having a cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof and compressible in response to a load being applied to the upper surface thereof, a switch cooperating with said load supporting member, said switch having first and second resilient metal strips; a resilient non-conductive member having an elongated passage receiving said strips and normally maintaining said strips in spaced parallel relation; and an elongated resilient actuating strap having sufficient rigidity to remain in a substantially planar condition when no load is applied to the upper surface of said load supporting member, said strap extending generally parallel to said upper surface and below said upper surface, said actuating strap engaging said non-conductive member adjacent said first resilient metal strap and being deflected between opposite ends from a normal position in response to a load being applied to the upper surface of said load supporting member to produce engagement between said metal strips.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said first strip is located above said second strip and said actuating strap is located between said first strip and said upper surface, said actuating strap having projections extending towards said first strip, the further improvement of an elongated resilient supporting strap below and adjacent said second strip.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 1, in which said actuating strap is an elongated spring metal strap substantially coextensive with said first strip and has projections extending towards said first strip, the further improvement of a jacket enclosing said switch and said actuating strap.

Claim 5

The combination as defined in claim 3, in which said jacket includes an upper membrane and a lower membrane interconnected along their peripheral edges, said upper membrane consisting of a woven wire fabric and said lower membrane consisting of a sheet of resinous material, said membranes having sufficient rigidity to be substantially self-supporting in a single plane.

Claim 6

The combination as defined in claim 3, in which said first strip is located above said second strip and said jacket includes a substantially rectangular casing having opposite sides of bellows construction accommodating ready deformation of said sides upon compression of said cushioning material, the further improvement of a second elongated spring metal strap between said casing and said resilient non-conductive member and being substantially coextensive with said second strip.

Claim 7

In combination with a seat having a seat belt including first and second portions each having one end secured adjacent said seat and adapted to surround an occupant with releasable latch means adjacent free ends of said portions, said latch means adapted to be interconnected to locate said seat belt in an occupant encompassing relation and maintain the occupant strapped in said seat, a warning system comprising a circuit having a warning device incorporated therein; first switch means incorporated in said circuit, said first switch means cooperating with said seat belt; and second switch means cooperating with said seat and having at least a portion thereof extending generally parallel to an upper surface of said seat, said portion being deflected from a normal position when an occupant occupies said seat, said first and second switch means and cIrcuit being arranged for actuating said warning device when an occupant occupies said seat and said seat belt is not in encompassing relation, said seat having a cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof and said second switch means including a switch having a movable element to actuate said switch and an elongated actuating strap cooperating with said movable element, said actuating strap having longitudinally spaced projections extending toward said movable element and capable of being self-supporting in a substantially planar condition, said strap being located below and generally parallel to said upper surface of said seat and being deflectable between opposite ends when an occupant occupies said seat.

Claim 8

In combination with a seat having a seat belt including first and second portions each having one end secured adjacent said seat and adapted to surround an occupant with releasable latch means adjacent free ends of said portions, said latch means adapted to be interconnected to locate said seat belt in an occupant encompassing relation and maintain the occupant strapped in said seat, a warning system comprising a circuit having a warning device incorporated therein; first switch means incorporated in said circuit, said first switch means cooperating with said seat belt; and second switch means cooperating with said seat and having at least a portion thereof extending generally parallel to an upper surface of said seat, said portion being deflected from a normal position when an occupant occupies said seat, said first and second switch means and cIrcuit being arranged for actuating said warning device when an occupant occupies said seat and said seat belt is not in encompassing relation, said seat having a cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof and said second switch means including a switch having a movable element to actuate said switch and an elongated actuating strap cooperating with said movable element, said actuating strap having longitudinally spaced projections extending toward said movable element and capable of being self-supporting in a substantially planar condition, said strap being located below and generally parallel to said upper surface of said seat and being deflectable between opposite ends when an occupant occupies said seat.

Claim 9

The combination as defined in claim 6, in which said switch includes first and second elongated resilient metal contact strips and support means defining an elongated passage receiving said contact strips and normally holding said contact strips in spaced relation, said first contact strip acting as said movable element, and in which said strap is adjacent said first contact strip.

Claim 10

The combination as defined in claim 7, further including a casing enclosing said switch and said strap.

Claim 11

The combination as defined in claim 8, in which said first contact strip and said strap are located above said second contact strip and said second switch means is located between the upper and lower surfaces of said seat and is surrounded by said cushioning material, the further improvement of a second supporting elongated strap below said switch and inside said casing; and means for interconnecting opposite ends of said straps and said switch.

Claim 12

The combination as defined in claim 8, in which said casing includes upper and lower membranes interconnected along peripheral edges thereof with said switch and strap sandwiched between said membranes, said membranes having sufficient rigidity to be substantially self-supporting in a single plane.

Claim 13

The combination as defined in claim 9, in which said support means comprises a hollow ribbon of substantially rectangular configuration having upper and lower surfaces, said upper surface being substantially flat and said lower surface being convex and in which said straps are generally flat.

Claim 14

Switch means for use in a seat and cooperating with a warning device to give a warning signal when an operator occupies the seat and fails to buckle a seat belt cooperating with the seat, comprising an elongated switch having first and second resilient metal strips adapted to engage each other and support means for normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation to each other; an actuating member cooperating with said switch, said actuating member being substantially co-extensive with said switch; and an elongated casing enclosing said switch and said actuator, said support means including a resilient non-conductive member having an elongated passage receiving said strips and normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation, said actuating member including a first elongated resilient strap having projections engaging said resilient non-conductive member adjacent said first resilient metal strip, said projections being in the form of dimples deformed from said strap and producing substantially point contact between said first resilient strap and said non-conductive member.

Claim 15

Switch means for use in a seat and cooperating with a warning device to give a warning signal when an operator occupies the seat and fails to buckle a seat belt cooperating with the seat, comprising an elongated switch having first and second resilient metal strips adapted to engage each other and support means for normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation to each other; an actuating member cooperating with said switch, said actuating member being substantially co-extensive with said switch; and an elongated casing enclosing said switch and said actuator, said support means including a resilient non-conductive member having an elongated passage receiving said strips and normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation, said actuating member including a first elongated resilient strap having projections engaging said resilient non-conductive member adjacent said first resilient metal strip, said projections being in the form of dimples deformed from said strap and producing substantially point contact between said first resilient strap and said non-conductive member.

Claim 16

Switch means as defined in claim 12, the further improvement of a second resilient strap between said casing and said non-conductive member adjacent said second resilient metal strip; said first and second strips being constructed of spring metal having sufficient rigidity to normally remain in a substantially planar condition.

Claim 17

Switch means as defined in claim 12, in which said casing includes upper and lower substantially planar membranes having peripheral edges interconnected, said switch and resilient strap being sandwiched between said membranes with said strap being located between said switch and said upper memBrane, said lower membrane consisting of a sheet of resinous material and having sufficient rigidity to be substantially self-supporting in a single plane, said upper membrane having sufficient rigidity to compress said switch when forces are applied to substantially any portion of the exposed surface of said upper membrane.

Claim 18

A seat sensing mechanism for use with a seat having cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof comprising a switch having first and second elongated electrically conductive members and support means normally maintaining said members in spaced relation to each other; an actuating member substantially coextensive with said members, said actuating member having projections extending toward said switch; means for maintaining at least one end of said actuating member in a substantially fixed relation to an adjacent end of said switch; and a flexible frame enclosing said switch and actuating member so that compression of the cushioning material will cause said frame and said actuating member to deflect between opposite ends and produce engagement of said conductive members.

Claim 19

A seat sensing mechanism for use with a seat having cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof comprising a switch having first and second elongated electrically conductive members and support means normally maintaining said members in spaced relation to each other; an actuating member substantially coextensive with said members, said actuating member having projections extending toward said switch; means for maintaining at least one end of said actuating member in a substantially fixed relation to an adjacent end of said switch; and a flexible frame enclosing said switch and actuating member so that compression of the cushioning material will cause said frame and said actuating member to deflect between opposite ends and produce engagement of said conductive members.

Claim 20

In combination with a seat having cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof, a switch cooperating with said seat and located below said upper surface, said switch comprising a pair of elongated narrow conductive members; a resilient member having a passage receiving said conductive members and normally maintaining said conductive members in spaced relation to each other, said conductive members having means for producing substantially point contact at longitudinally spaced locations in response to deflection of said members towards each other; and means cooperating with said conductive members to cause engagement of said members in response to compression of said cushioning material, said last means including at least one elongated element substantially coextensive with one of said members, said element being flexed between opposite ends in response to compression of said cushioning material.

Claim 21

In combination with a seat having cushioning material between upper and lower surfaces thereof, a switch cooperating with said seat and located below said upper surface, said switch comprising a pair of elongated narrow conductive members; a resilient member having a passage receiving said conductive members and normally maintaining said conductive members in spaced relation to each other, said conductive members having means for producing substantially point contact at longitudinally spaced locations in response to deflection of said members towards each other; and means cooperating with said conductive members to cause engagement of said members in response to compression of said cushioning material, said last means including at least one elongated element substantially coextensive with one of said members, said element being flexed between opposite ends in response to compression of said cushioning material.

Claim 22

Switch means for use in actuating a warning device comprising an elongated switch having first and second resilient metal strips; a resilient non-conductive member having an elongated passage receiving said strips and normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation; and an elongated resilient actuator, said actuator including an elongated strap having sufficient rigidity to remain in a substantially planar condition when no external force is applied to said strap, said strap having a plurality of spaced dimples deformed from said body and engaging said non-conductive member adjacent said first resilient metal strip, said dimples producing substantially point contact between opposite lateral edges of said strap and said non-conductive member between opposite lateral edges of said strips so that deflection of said strap from its planar condition by an external force applied thereto will cause said dimples to produce engagement between said metal strips.

Claim 23

Switch means for use in actuating a warning device comprising an elongated switch having first and second resilient metal strips; a resilient non-conductive member having an elongated passage receiving said strips and normally maintaining said strips in spaced relation; and an elongated resilient actuator, said actuator including an elongated strap having sufficient rigidity to remain in a substantially planar condition when no external force is applied to said strap, said strap having a plurality of spaced dimples deformed from said body and engaging said non-conductive member adjacent said first resilient metal strip, said dimples producing substantially point contact between opposite lateral edges of said strap and said non-conductive member between opposite lateral edges of said strips so that deflection of said strap from its planar condition by an external force applied thereto will cause said dimples to produce engagement between said metal strips.

Claim 24

Switch means as defined in claim 17, in which said strap is metal.