Sensor system for detecting the adjustment position of a vehicle seat

• US 10,336,273 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polyresearch Ag
• Original Assignee: Polyresearch Ag
• Inventors: Lanter, Josua, Buergler, Silvano, Joerimann, Beat, Kaebisch, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/457,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/07 Slide construction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0722 Constructive details
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/147 influenced by the movement of a third element, the position of Hall device and the source of magnetic field being fixed in respect to each other

Abstract

A sensor system for detecting an adjustment position of a vehicle seat, the sensor system having a Hall sensor and a first preloaded magnet, and it is free of flux concentrators and shielding sheets. The Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet are arranged along a longitudinal extension of the upper rail that is movable lengthwise such that during adjustment of the upper rail, passage of a free longitudinal end of the stationary lower rail will be monitored and result in a change of an output signal of the Hall sensor.

Claims

1. A sensor system for detecting the adjustment position of a vehicle seat, by which a relative adjustment of an at least partially ferritic upper rail, moveable lengthwise along a longitudinal extension of an at least partially ferritic stationary lower rail, at least in two adjustment positions, namely a forward adjustment position and a rearward adjustment position, will be detected, the sensor system comprising:

a Hall sensor, and a first preloaded magnet, free of flux concentrators and shielding sheets, whereby the Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet are arranged along a longitudinal extension of the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise in such a way that during an adjustment of the upper rail relative to the stationary lower rail, passage of a free longitudinal end of the lower rail will be monitored and will result in a change of an output signal of the Hall sensor corresponding to a change from the forward adjustment position to the rearward adjustment position of the vehicle seat and vice versa, the sensor system being configured in such a way that in the unmounted state, and output signal corresponding to a reatward adjustment position of the vehicle seat will be generated at the Hall sensor.

2. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet are aligned with one another in such a way that in a mounted state and when the stationary lower rail is not present, a bulk of magnetic field lines of a magnetic field produced by the first preloaded magnet will run through a measuring field of the Hall sensor.

3. The sensor system according to claim 1, comprising:

a second preloaded magnet arranged relative to the Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet in such a way that in a mounted state and when the stationary lower rail is not present, a bulk of magnetic field lines of a resulting magnetic field run through a measuring field of the Hall sensor.

4. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein in the forward adjustment position, a magnetic field that runs through a measuring field of the Hall sensor has a magnetic flux density, which is greater than a magnetic flux density in the rearward adjustment position.

5. The sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the Hall sensor and the first and the second preloaded magnets are arranged relative to the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise in such a way that they are moveable jointly and together with the upper rail, and in a case of a running-over and detecting of the stationary lower rail, a magnetic field of the first preloaded magnet or a resulting magnetic field from the first and second preloaded magnets will be deformed in such a way that a bulk of the field lines of the magnetic field will be essentially directed past a measuring field of the Hall sensor and an output signal corresponding to a rearward adjustment position will be generated at the Hall sensor.

6. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor is a smaller distance from the stationary lower rail than the first preloaded magnet.

7. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the first preloaded magnet is at a vertical distance of 0.5 mm to 10 mm from the Hall sensor.

8. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the first preloaded magnet has a magnetization whose vector with an angle of 0°

to 180°

relative a measuring surface of a measuring field of the Hall sensor.

9. The sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the Hall sensor and/or the first preloaded magnet and/or the second preloaded magnet are arranged at a distance from the upper rail that can be moved lengthwise.

10. The sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet and the second preloaded magnet are arranged in a sensor housing.

11. The sensor system according to claim 3, wherein the Hall sensor and the first preloaded magnet and the second preloaded magnet or the sensor housing are connected to the adjustable upper rail.

12. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise in the forward adjustment position projects over a forward free end of the stationary lower rail.

13. The sensor system according to claim 12, configured such that during adjustment of the upper rail, a forward free end of the stationary lower rail will be monitored.

14. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein relative to a mounting position of the stationary lower rail and the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise, the Hall sensor is encompassed in a mounted state by a longitudinal side of the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise and by a metal extension that projects laterally and upward essentially along an entire longitudinal extension of the longitudinal side of the upper rail that is moveable lengthwise, while the Hall sensor is covered from above by the first preloaded magnet that is arranged thereabove.