Seat belt tension sensor

A seat belt tension sensing assembly fixedly secured to a vehicle, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) a slider slidably received within said housing, said slider being capable of movement between a first position and a second position within said housing, said slider having a first opening for a portion of said seat belt to pass therethrough;
• c) a sensor providing a signal to an air bag controller, said signal corresponding to the position of said slider with respect to said housing;
• d) a controller for receiving said signal, said controller suppressing a vehicle safety device if said signal meets or exceeds a threshold value;
• and
• e) a biasing member for providing an urging force to said slider, said urging force urging said slider into said first position.

A seat belt tension sensing assembly fixedly secured to a vehicle, comprising:

• a) a housing;
• b) a slider slidably received within said housing, said slider being capable of movement between a first position and a second position within said housing, said slider having a first opening for a portion of said seat belt to pass therethrough;
• c) a magnet being secured to said housing;
• d) a sensing device being fixedly secured to said housing and being in a facing spaced relationship with respect to said magnet;
• e) a shunting member being fixedly secured to said slider, said shunting member being disposed in between said sensing device and said magnet when said slider is in said first position, said shunting member being in a shunting position to shunt the magnetic field of said magnet when said slider is in said first position and said shunting member moves away from said shunting position as said slider moves towards said second position;
• and
• f) a biasing member for providing an urging force to said slider, said urging force urging said slider into said first position.

A tension sensing switch assembly for use in a seat restraint system in a vehicle comprising:

• a housing for mounting to a seat restraint system;
• an actuating member disposed in said housing for movement therein and cooperating with belt webbing;
• a spring disposed in said housing for cooperating with said actuating member;
• and
• a sensor disposed in said housing and cooperable with said actuating member to indicate a first tension level and a second tension level in the seat restraint system when said spring is deflected.

A method for suppressing a vehicle safety device, comprising:

• determining a threshold seat belt tension, said threshold seat belt tension corresponding to a child safety seat being secured by said seat belt;
• sensing a seat belt tension by monitoring the movement of a movable member of an anchor assembly of said seat belt, said moveable member being biased in a non-tension position by a biasing member providing an urging force, said urging force corresponding to said threshold seat belt tension, said urging force being overcome when said seat belt tension overcomes said threshold seat belt tension;
• and
• providing a signal when said threshold seat belt tension has been overcome;
• and
• suppressing said vehicle safety device when said signal is received by a controller of said vehicle safety device.