Relay for the operation of a belt tightener or tensioner for automobile safety belts

• US 4,705,922 A
• Filed: 11/24/1986
• Issued: 11/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hengstler Bauelemente GmbH Worthstrasse
• Original Assignee: Hengstler Bauelemente GmbH (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Reger, Arno, Seeger, Gunter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US06/933,826
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.45 M, 200/81.9 M, 200/82 E, 335/205, 335/206, 335/207
• US Class Current: 200/61.45M
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/147 the switch being of the reed switch type

Abstract

A relay for the operation of a belt tightener or tensioner for automobile safety belts in the event of a collision with an obstacle. The relay consists of a conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement which is arranged in a housing with its longitudinal axis aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel and vertical to the horiztonal plane of the automobile, and an annular magnet surrounding the contact arrangement which is retained perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conduit of the contact arrangement by springs, equidistant from the contact arrangement at rest, and movable mainly horizontally.

Claims

1. A relay for the operation of a belt tightener or tensioner for automobile safety belts in the event of a collision with an obstacle, the relay comprising:

a housing having walls definingg a cavity therein;

a conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement mounted in the cavity defined by the housing, the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement having a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the automobile;

the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis is vertical to the horizontal plane of the automobile;

a magnet system mounted in the housing for initiating a switching sequence which operates the belt tightener or tensioner;

the magnet system including a permanent magnet which is primarily horizontally movable, the permanent magnet surrounding the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement;

the permanent magnet is perpendicular to the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis; and

spring means affixed to said permanent magnet and supported within said cavity for positioning said permanent magnet equidistant from the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement when the permanent magnet is at rest.

2. The relay as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said cavity defines a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis;

the permanent magnet is annular; and

the springs are mounted radially between the annular permanent magnets circumference and the walls.

3. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said cavity defines a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the conduit or dryreed contact arrangement longitudinal axis;

the permanent magnet is annular having a radially inner surface; and

the springs are mounted radially between the permanent magnets inner surface and the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement.

4. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein said cavity is cylindrical and said walls defining said cavity include a first and second opposed walls and cavity is co-axial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis;

the permanent magnet is annular; and

the springs are mounted between the annular permanent magnet and the first wall, and between the annular permanent magnet and the second wall, the springs being concentric with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis.

5. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said walls define a cavity which is coaxial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis and which includes first and second opposed walls;

the relay further comprises a bearing cup having an upper edge and an outer surface tapering conically downward from the upper edge and resting on one of said opposed walls;

the permanent magnet is annular and is positioned on the bearing cup upper edge; and

the springs are mounted between the annular permanent magnets circumference and said walls other than said opposed walls.

6. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said walls define a cavity which is coaxial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis and which includes first and second opposed walls;

the relay further comprises a bearing cup having an upper edge and an outer surface tapering conically downward from the upper edge and resting on one of said opposed walls;

the permanent magnet is annular having a radially inner surface, and is positioned on the bearing cup upper edge; and

the springs are mounted between the annular permanent magnets inner surface and the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement.

7. The relay as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said walls define a cavity which is coaxial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis;

the relay further comprises a conical spring having an upper large diameter and a lower small diameter, the spring being co-axial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement;

the springs lower small diameter surrounds one end of the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement; and

the permanent magnet is annular and is positioned on the springs upper large diameter thereto biasing the annular permanent magnet against the opposed wall which is closest to the springs upper large diameter.

8. The relay as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said walls define a cavity which is coaxial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement longitudinal axis and which includes first and second opposed walls;

the housing further includes a mounting pin extending from said first opposed wall;

the relay further comprises a conical spring having an upper large diameter and a lower small diameter, the spring being co-axial with the conduit or dry-reed contact arrangement;

the springs lower small diameter surrounds the mounting pin; and

the permanent magnet is annular and is positioned on the springs upper large diameter thereby biasing the annular permanent magnet against said second opposed wall which is closest to the springs upper large diameter.

9. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

10. The relay as defined in claim 2 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

11. The relay as defined in claim 3 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

12. The relay as defined in claim 4 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

13. The relay as defined in claim 5 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

14. The relay as defined in claim 6 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

15. The relay as defined in claim 7 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

16. The relay as defined in claim 8 wherein the annular permanent magnet is a ring magnet consisting of permanently magnetized material.

17. The relay as defined in claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

18. The relay as defined in claim 2 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

19. The relay as defined in claim 3 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

20. The relay as defined in claim 4 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

21. The relay as defined in claim 5 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

22. The relay as defined in claim 6 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

23. The relay as defined in claim 7 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.

24. The relay as defined in claim 8 wherein the annular permanent magnet consists of four permanent magnets regularly mounted between two iron rings thereby forming two magnet-yokes.