Hall Sensor Arrangement and Use of a Hall Sensor Arrangement in a Belt Lock

• US 20070273365A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polycontact AG
• Original Assignee: Polycontact AG
• Inventors: Lanter, Joshua, Kirchner, Martin, Schultze, Henry-J
• Granted Patent: US 7,586,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

Hall sensor arrangement is disclosed for detection of the change in the position of two components which can move relative to one another into two end positions, with a Hall sensor with at least one Hall measurement field (H; H1, H2) and a field magnet. An actuator is provided for transmitting to the Hall sensor the change in the position of the two components which can move relative to one another. The Hall sensor and the field magnet are combined into a preassembled structural unit. When the position of the field magnet changes relative to the Hall sensor from one end position into the other end position the polarity of the magnetic field acting on the Hall measurement field (H; H1, H2) can change, e.g., the polarity becomes reversed.

Claims

1. Hall sensor arrangement for detection of the change in the position of two components which can move relative to one another into two end positions, with a Hall sensor with at least one Hall measurement field and a field magnet, characterized in that there is an actuator for transmitting to the Hall sensor the change in the position of the two components which can move relative to one another and the Hall sensor and the field magnet are combined into a preassembled structural unit such that when the position of the field magnet changes relative to the Hall sensor from one end position into the other end position the polarity of the magnetic field acting on the Hall measurement field changes.

2. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor and the field magnet are located in a module housing and can be moved relative to one another by moving the actuator made as a lever which projects out of the module housing.

3. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the Hall sensor is fixed in a depression of the module housing, and the field magnet is located on a lever which can be moved into two end positions and which has a section which projects out through a recess in the module housing and which is bent, and within the module housing there is a compression spring which applies a force to the lever.

4. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein there is a rib or the like on the bottom of the section of the lever) which projects out of the module housing.

5. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is a bias magnet in the immediate vicinity of the Hall sensor.

6. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor and the field magnet are fixed in the immediate vicinity to one another in a module housing and the actuator is made as a lever of ferromagnetic material which can be moved into two end positions and which has a section which projects through a recess in the module housing and which is bent, and is exposed to a force by a compression spring located within the module housing.

7. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor is a differential Hall sensor with at least two Hall measurement fields located linearly next to one another or in succession.

8. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the field magnet is arranged such that its direction of motion, when the position of the monitored component changes, runs essentially parallel to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields on the differential Hall sensor.

9. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the field magnet has magnetization which runs essentially perpendicular to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields on the differential Hall sensor.

10. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the field magnet has magnetization which runs essentially parallel to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields on the differential Hall sensor.

11. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor and the field magnet are located on an adapter which is made as a monolithic component and has two adapter parts which are made to be movable relative to one another, one adapter part bearing the Hall sensor and the second adapter part bearing the field magnet.

12. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein one adapter part has two lengthwise arms with free ends provided with retaining hooks which are made for mounting on one stationary component and on their opposite ends are connected by a cross arm, and the second adapter part forms the actuator which is made as a link which is movably coupled to the cross arm via a hinge joint and which has fasteners for locking to the second component which can move relative to the first component.

13. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hinge joint is a film hinge.

14. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fasteners provided on the link encompass snap hooks which can be routed through a hole in the second component and can be locked to it.

15. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the arms has a receiver for the Hall sensor, while on the link, in the vicinity of the receiver, there is a holding device for the field magnet.

16. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the adapter is made frame-like and is provided with holding devices for installation on a first stationary component, and the actuator is formed by a movable arm which is surrounded by the frame and is connected to the frame part elastically pretensioned relative to the frame.

17. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein the elastic pretensioning is supported by a spring element which is integrated into the frame part and the elastically resilient arm.

18. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein the Hall sensor is located on the frame and the field magnet is located on the elastically resilient arm.

19. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the Hall sensor is a differential Hall sensor with two Hall measurement fields which are located linearly next to one another or in succession.

20. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein the field magnet is arranged such that its direction of motion, when the position of the monitored component changes, runs essentially parallel to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields on the differential Hall sensor.

21. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 20, wherein the field magnet has magnetization which runs essentially perpendicular to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields (H1, H2) on the differential Hall sensor.

22. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 20, wherein the field magnet has magnetization which runs essentially parallel to the linear arrangement of the Hall measurement fields on the differential Hall sensor.

23. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein there is a bias magnet in the immediate vicinity of the Hall sensor.

24. Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 23, wherein the adapter is a monolithic plastic part which can be produced in an injection, casting or injection molding process.

25. Use of a Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 in the belt lock of a motor vehicle or the like for monitoring the locking mechanism of the belt lock.

26. Belt lock with a lock mechanism (4) and a Hall sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Hall sensor arrangement is arranged such that the actuator duplicates the change in the position of a component which can be moved from one end position into a second end position when locking.

27. Belt lock as claimed in claim 26, wherein the Hall sensor and the field magnet are located in a module housing and can be moved relative to one another by moving the actuator made as a lever which projects out of the module housing, and wherein the lever projecting out of the module housing interacts nonpositively with an ejector for a lock tongue which has been inserted into the belt lock or with a locking body for the lock tongue or a movable component which bears the locking body.

28. Belt lock as claimed in claim 26, wherein the Hall sensor and the field magnet are located on an adapter which is made as a monolithic component and has two adapter parts which are made to be movable relative to one another, one adapter part bearing the Hall sensor and the second adapter part bearing the field magnet, and wherein the first part of the adapter which bears the Hall sensor is connected to a frame of the belt lock, while the second part of the adapter which bears the field magnet is connected positively and nonpositively to a rocker which bears a locking body and which assumes one of two alternative end positions in the locking or opening process.

29. Belt lock as claimed in claim 26, wherein the adapter is made frame-like and is provided with holding devices for installation on a first stationary component, and the actuator is formed by a movable arm which is surrounded by the frame and is connected to the frame part elastically pretensioned relative to the frame, and wherein the elastically resilient arm with pretensioning adjoins a spring which acts on the locking body or a rocker which bears the locking body and which assumes one of two alternative end positions in the locking or opening process.

30. Belt lock as claimed in claim 26, wherein the Hall sensor arrangement is located on the side of the locking mechanism facing away from the belted passenger.