Patent ID: 7641229

Claim:
An occupant classification system for a motor vehicle of the type having one or more occupant seats and an inflatable restraint system for providing impact protection for an occupant of the seat, the occupant classification system classifying an occupant of the seat as a function of certain types of occupants occupying the seat, the occupant classification system comprising: an array of electrical switches positioned between a seat trim of the seat and a reactive surface, the switches producing selective outputs signals as an engaging surface of the seat makes contact with one or more of the switches when the occupant occupies the seat, the output signals being interpreted into a control signal to distinguish between occupants for controlling the inflatable restraint system; and a control structure which defines a distance between the array switches and the engaging surface that is greater than zero when the seat is unoccupied so that the switches are insensitive to the initial forces applied to the seat through the seat trim, the distance between one or more of the switches and the engaging surface decreasing to zero when the occupant occupies the seat to produce the selective output signals.