摘要 |
<p>A capacitive sensing apparatus (26) for a vehicle seat (10) includes a deflectable dielectric mat (28) and a flexible printed circuit (30) that wraps around the major surfaces of the dielectric mat (28) to define upper and lower conductor strips (34, 36) that overlap in a direction perpendicular to the dielectric mat (28). Overlapping regions of the conductor strips (34, 36) define an array of capacitive load cells distributed over the seating surface (14a). A connector stub (30d) depending from the flexible printed circuit (30) couples the conductor strips (34, 36) to an external circuit (40, 60) that measures the capacitance of the various load cells to determine occupant weight and weight distribution.</p> |