Member position detection apparatus not affected by external magnetic field

• US 20040196029A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Ichiro, Okumura, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,521,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a member position detecting apparatus having a high degree of freedom for design and layout of a seat rail, capable of suppressing accumulation of dust and eliminating influence of an external magnetic field. A member position detecting apparatus 1 has a function of detecting whether a metallic seat rail (a moving member) 3 guided by a metallic stationary rail 2 has reached a front end position (a predetermined position) P on the stationary rail 2. The openings of the stationary rail 2 and the seat rail 3 face each other and the end portions thereof are folded and engaged with each other. The stationary rail 2 is disposed on the floor of a vehicle, and a planar magnet 5 is provided at a front end portion thereof. The seat rail 3 is fixed on a lower portion of the vehicle seat, and a magnetic sensor 7 is provided to face the magnet 5 at the front end portion of the seat rail.

Claims

1. A member position detecting apparatus for detecting that a metallic moving member guided by a metallic stationary rail has reached a predetermined position of the stationary rail,

wherein one of a magnet and a magnetic sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the stationary rail,

wherein the other of the magnet and the magnetic sensor is disposed at a position of the moving member facing the stationary rail, and

wherein the magnet and the magnetic sensor are disposed on inner sides of the stationary rail and the moving member.

2. The member position detecting apparatus-according to claim 1,

wherein a central region and two side regions of a facing plane of the magnet facing the magnetic sensor are magnetized with opposite magnetic polarity, the central region being disposed to directly face the magnetic sensor and the two side regions being disposed at both sides of the central region in the widthwise direction of the rail.

3. The member position detecting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein openings of the stationary rail and the moving member face each other and end portions thereof are folded and engaged with each other, and

wherein the magnet and the magnetic sensor are disposed inside the openings.

4. The member position detecting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a vehicle seat is fixed on the moving member.