Patent ID: 7178870

Claim:
An apparatus for use in a vehicle having a seat for a vehicle occupant and a vehicle floor pan supporting the vehicle seat, said apparatus comprising: a vehicle seat frame for supporting a load of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle seat; a bracket transmitting the load of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle seat from said vehicle seat frame to the vehicle floor pan; a spring compressing and allowing said vehicle seat frame to move vertically when the load of the vehicle occupant acts on the vehicle seat; a lever having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite said first end portion, said first end portion being movable with said vehicle seat frame, said second end portion being movable with said vehicle seat frame, said lever having a middle portion interposed between said first end portion and said econd end portion, said lever bending as said seat frame moves vertically relative to said bracket; and a sensor detecting movement of said middle portion of said lever and providing an output signal indicative of the amount of movement of said middle portion of said lever.