WEIGHT SENSOR ASSEMBLY WITH OVERLOAD SPRING

摘要

A vehicle seat assembly (12) is mounted to a vehicle base member (24) such as a riser or a vehicle floor. Weight sensor assemblies (32) for measuring weight on the vehicle seat (12) are mounted to a seat structural component. The weight sensor assemblies (32) each include plate (44) having a bendable center body portion (46) for supporting a strain gage (48). The strain gage (48) measures bending in the center body portion caused by normal weight force applications on the vehicle seat (12). A secondary resilient beam member (34) is mounted between each weight sensor (32) and the vehicle base member (24). The beam member (34) and the weight sensors (32) deflect to prevent failure of the weight sensors (32) in response to an overload force applied in an opposite direction to the direction of a normal weight force application. The beam member (34) prevents permanent deformation of the plate (44) and strain gage (48) failure by allowing the weight sensor (32) to deflect upwardly away from the vehicle floor. An overload stop (68) reacts between the seat structural component and the vehicle floor to prevent seat separation under overload conditions.