Belt buckle for a motor vehicle

• US 20070221428A1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Baumann, Peter, Leschke, Andre, Strutz, Torsten, Winkler, Jorg
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor

Abstract

A belt buckle for a motor vehicle is provided wherein, through the use of the belt buckle, a tongue of a seat belt is mechanically receivable and, through the use of a switch, an insertion status of the tongue is detectable. A device is assigned to the switch through the use of which the switch position of the switch is wirelessly communicable to a receiver circuit.

Claims

1. A belt buckle for a motor vehicle wherein, through the use of the belt buckle, a tongue of a seat belt is mechanically receivable and, through the use of a switch, an insertion status of the tongue is detectable, wherein a device is assigned to the switch through the use of which the switch position of the switch is wirelessly communicable to a receiver circuit.

2. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the belt buckle has at least one identifier assigned thereto which is communicated with the switch position of the switch.

3. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an electromechanical energy converter which generates electric energy at least during a change of the switch position and feeds it to a transmitter.

4. The belt buckle according to claim 3, wherein the electromechanical energy converter is embodied as a piezoelectric crystal or as an induction generator.

5. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein an RF-ID tag with at least one switchable ID is assigned to the switch and a switching between two IDs is done by the switch position of the switch.

6. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein an LC oscillator circuit is assigned to the switch and the oscillator circuit is detunable through the use of the switch.

7. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein a transponder is assigned to the switch and wherein the transponder is disposed in or at the vehicle seat and transmits a switch position of the belt buckle.

8. The belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein at least a further seat status sensor, whose status is communicable to the receiver circuit, is assigned to the device.

9. In combination with a motor vehicle having a seat belt with a tongue, a belt buckle configuration comprising:

a belt buckle configured to mechanically receive the tongue of the seat belt;

a switch operatively connected to said belt buckle, said switch being configured to detect an insertion status of the tongue of the seat belt;

a communicating device operatively connected to said switch; and

a receiver circuit operatively connected to said communicating device, said communicating device being configured to wirelessly communicate a switch position of said switch to said receiver circuit.

10. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, wherein:

said belt buckle has an identifier assigned thereto; and

said communicating device is configured to wirelessly communicate the identifier assigned to said belt buckle together with the switch position of said switch.

11. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, wherein said communicating device includes an electromechanical energy converter and a transmitting device, said electromechanical energy converter generates energy when said switch changes the switch position and supplies the energy to said transmitting device.

12. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 11, wherein said electromechanical energy converter is one of a piezoelectric crystal and an induction generator.

13. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, including an RF-ID tag operatively connected to said switch, said RF-ID tag having at least one switchable ID such that a switching between two IDs is done by the switch position of said switch.

14. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, including an LC oscillator circuit operatively connected to said switch such that said LC oscillator circuit is detunable with said switch.

15. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, wherein:

the motor vehicle includes a vehicle seat; and

said communicating device includes a transponder disposed in or at said vehicle seat, said transponder communicates the switch position of said switch to said receiver circuit.

16. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 9, wherein said communicating device includes a seat status sensor for sensing a seat status, and said communicating device is configured to communicate the seat status to said receiver circuit.

17. The belt buckle configuration according to claim 16, wherein said seat status sensor is a seat occupancy sensor.