Push button which can handle human weight

[sadpony]

I want to detect whether a chair is occupied or empty. I thought of using a push button(metal contact) on the seat and measuring its status, can anyone suggest a push button that can handle weight of a person, or some sort of metal diaphragm which makes contact when bent. But it should be reliable and low cost. Please do suggest something.

Thanking in advance

 

[andre_luis]

I presume a reed switch is more suitable for such application. You can refer to link bellow as a guidance for select some one which fit to your mechanical requirements:

https://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/switches/magnetic-reed-switches/1114199?k=reed switch



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[Gorgon]

Why not check out how car seats 'see' that somebody is in the seat, to light the fasten seat belt warning.

Depending on how the seat is made you could also use a standard micro switch and an arm to feel the seat.

 

[jpanhalt]

Many pieces of equipment have a safety shutdown to detect when the seat is unoccupied. It is basically a push button or lever switch, but with the 2" or so of foam above it, the amount of pressure on the switch is a lot less than the weight of the person. Some even have a little plate on the button to give more force. Think of it like this: If you had 3" of foam rubber on the floor, and you push a switch into it, the actuator on the switch will respond when there is sufficient resistance from the foam. After that, the switch just presses deeper into the foam. It does not "over actuate," assuming the foam is not too rigid.

John

 

[Gorgon]

The problem with foam and switches will also be how it releases when the weight is removed, and how the foam is reacting in different temperatures, regaining the previous state/ releasing the pressure.

 

[vomit]

Do a search for piezoelectric switches. They react on pressure and have no moving parts.
Also: strain gauges.