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US 6,742,229 B2Granted
Buckle device
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
InventorsMasakata Kanbe, Masahiro Taniguchi, Katsuya Kogiso, Masaya Tajima
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Abstract
A buckle device in which it can be detected whether or not a tongue plate inserted into a case is locked, and in which reliability of such detection is high. In the buckle device, a magnetic plate is provided at a leg portion which moves together with the tongue plate which is inserted into an interior of the case. Changes in orientation of a magnetic field of a magnet of a sensing section, which orientation varies due to the magnetic plate approaching and moving away from the magnet, are detected at an MRE sensor.
Claims18
A buckle device comprising:
- a tongue plate;
- a buckle main body;
- a movable latch interlocking with the tongue plate which is inserted into the buckle main body;
- an interlock element, including a movable magnetic plate, which moves along with the tongue plate when the tongue plate is inserted;
- and
- a sensor operable for detecting movement of the magnetic plate,
- wherein the sensor includes a magneto resistance element utilizing an anisotropic magneto resistance effect, and a bias magnet, the magneto resistance element being disposed between the bias magnet and the movable magnetic plate such that the bias magnet projects magnetic flux lines through said magneto resistance element in a first orientation when said magnetic plate is moved away from said magneto resistance element and in a second, substantially different orientation when said magnetic plate is moved toward said magneto resistance element, and said sensor operates by detecting changes in an electrical potential of said magneto resistance element caused by changes in the magnetic flux lines from said first orientation to said second orientation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.