SEAT OCCUPANT SENSING SYSTEM

摘要

A seat occupant sensing system has a plurality of variable resistance force sensors (20) located between a rigid seat support member (16) and the floor of the vehicle. The force transferred from the rigit seat support member to the floor of the vehicle passes through said variable resistance force sensors which sense the magnitude of the force transferred therethrough and generate a signal which is indicative of the force transferred therethrough resistance force sensors interposed between a rigid seat support member and a rigid seat pan member (18) such that the weight supported by the seat pan member is transferred from the seat pan member to the seat support member via said at least one variable resistance force sensor which senses the magnitude of the weight transferred therethrough. A device, such as a microprocessor, processes a signal from the variable resistance force sensors to determine the weight that the rigid seat pan member is bearing. The signal processing device may control the activation and operation of a safety device such as an airbag or seat belt pretensioner as a function of the presence of and weight of a seat occupant.