Appeal No. 2002-1911 Page 6
Application No. 09/598,087
A second embodiment of Verma's invention is shown in Figure 3 wherein the
same seat structure is used and the same reference numerals apply. In this case the
strain gauges 30 are applied to the four feet 28, thereby sensing all the seated weight
of the occupant. This configuration, like that of Figures 1 and 2 requires four strain
gauges for full implementation.
A third embodiment of Verma's invention, as shown in Figure 4, requires only two
strain gauges. The seat structure is slightly altered by incorporating a thin spacer 32 at
each bolt 25 to slightly separate the brackets 16 from the tracks 26. The spacers
support the brackets at their extreme ends so that the vertical force imposed by the
cushion support 14 on the riser portions 18 and 20 inboard of the spacers applies a
moment to the beams 22 which connect the riser portions. Since the beams are thus
allowed to flex slightly due to their separation from the track, strain gauges 30 on the
two beams 22 will respond to the total force applied to the brackets.
Figure 5 of Verma is an isometric view, partly exploded, of a strain gauge for use
in carrying out the invention. The strain gauge includes a steel substrate 38 supporting
a housing 40 having a circuit connector 42 at one end. The housing contains a hybrid
circuit including a Wheatstone bridge having two resistors 44 in one pair of opposite
arms and two thick film piezoresistors 46 in another pair of opposite arms. Ground and
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