Apparatus and method for measuring weight of an occupying item of a seat

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, in order to achieve one or more of the objects above, a vehicle seat structure comprises a seat defining a surface adapted to contact an occupying item and a weight sensor arrangement arranged in connection with the seat for providing an indication of the weight applied by the occupying item to the surface of the seat.
The weight sensor arrangement includes conductive members spaced apart from one another such that a capacitance develops between opposed ones of the conductive members upon incorporation of the conductive members in an electrical circuit.
The capacitance is based on the space between the conductive members which varies in relation to the weight applied by the occupying item to the surface of the seat.
The weight sensor arrangement may include a pair of non-metallic substrates and a layer of material situated between the non-metallic substrates, possibly a compressible material.
The conductive members may comprise a first electrode arranged on a first side of the material layer and a second electrode arranged on a second side of the material layer.
The weight sensor arrangement may be arranged in connection with slide mechanisms adapted to support the seat on a substrate of the vehicle while enabling movement of the seat, possibly between the slide mechanisms and the seat.
If bolts attach the seat to the slide mechanisms, the conductive members may be annular and placed on the bolts.
Another embodiment of a seat structure comprises a seat defining a surface adapted to contact an occupying item, slide mechanisms adapted to support the seat on a substrate of the vehicle while enabling movement of the seat and a weight sensor arrangement interposed between the seat and the slide mechanisms for measuring displacement of the seat which provides an indication of the weight applied by the occupying item to the seat.
The weight sensor arrangement can include a capacitance sensor which measures a capacitance which varies in relation to the displacement of the seat