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US 7,119,671 B2Granted
Seat buckle sensor
AssigneeStoneridge Control Devices, Inc.
InventorsRonald Frank, Matthew De Remer, Adam Young
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seat buckle sensor system is provided that provides an output representative of a lock condition of a seat belt buckle. The system includes a magnet on an end of a seat buckle lock pin and a Hall device. The lock pin, and magnet on the end thereof, move between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the Hall device. The magnet imparts a first magnetic flux on the Hall device in the locked position causing the Hall device to produce a first output. The magnet imparts a second magnetic flux on the Hall device in the unlocked position causing the Hall device to produce a second output.
Claims19
A seat buckle sensor assembly comprising:
- a sensor housing;
- a single sensor at least partially disposed in said sensor housing;
- and
- said sensor housing being configured for attachment to a seat buckle housing of a seat buckle, said seat buckle comprising a lock pin having a magnet disposed on an end thereof, said lock pin movable through a switch zone extending between a first position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves a locked condition and a second position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves an unlocked condition;
- said sensor exhibiting a gray zone range of magnetic flux whereby flux imparted to said sensor beyond a first end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a first output and flux imparted to said sensor beyond a second end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a second output different from said first output, said gray zone range of magnetic flux being within a switch zone range of magnetic flux imparted by said magnet to said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone, whereby said first output is provided as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said locked condition and said second output is provided by said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said unlocked condition.
2 more elements
A seat buckle assembly comprising:
- a seat buckle configured to releasably retain a seat belt buckle tongue, said seat buckle comprising a seat buckle housing and a lock pin at least partially disposed in said seat buckle housing, said lock pin movable through a switch zone, said switch zone extending between a first position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves a locked condition and a second position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves an unlocked condition;
- a magnet disposed on an end of said lock pin;
- a sensor housing coupled to said seat buckle housing;
- and
- a single sensor at least partially disposed in said sensor housing, said sensor exhibiting a gray zone range of magnetic flux whereby flux imparted to said sensor beyond a first end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a first output and flux imparted to said sensor beyond a second end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a second output, different from said first output, said gray zone range of magnetic flux being within a switch zone range of magnetic flux imparted by said magnet to said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone, whereby said first output is provided as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said look pin achieves said locked condition and said second output is provided by said sensor as said look pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said unlocked condition.
2 more elements
A method of determining a state of a seat buckle comprising:
- providing a seat buckle comprising a look pin, said lock pin movable through a switch zone, said switch zone extending between a first position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves a locked condition and a second position of said lock pin wherein said look pin achieves an unlocked condition;
- providing a seat buckle sensor assembly comprising a sensor;
- and
- providing a magnet disposed on an end of said lock pin;
- said sensor exhibiting gray zone range of magnetic flux whereby flux imparted to said sensor beyond a first end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a first output and flux imparted to said sensor beyond a second end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a second output different from said first output, said gray zone range of magnetic flux being within a switch zone range of magnetic flux imparted by said magnet to said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone, whereby said first output is provided as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said locked condition and said second output is provided by said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said unlocked condition.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.