Safety restraint sensor system
First Claim
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1. A safety restraint sensor system comprising:
- a housing, a latch movably mounted with respect to the housing, the latch movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;
a vane projecting from the latch;
a magnet mounted with respect to the housing;
a Hall element mounted with respect to the housing and outside of a magnetic field of the magnet; and
a buckle engageable with the latch, whereby in the latched position the vane and the buckle positioned within the magnetic field of the magnet distribute a magnetic field through the Hall element, and in the unlatched position the vane and the buckle are positioned outside of the magnetic field of the magnet.
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Abstract
A safety restraint sensor system for detecting a latched position and/or an unlatched position of a latch and a buckle. The latch is movably mounted with respect to a housing. A vane projects from the latch. A magnet and a Hall element are mounted with respect to the housing. When the buckle engages the latch, the vane and the buckle move within the magnetic field of the magnet. A magnetic field is distributed through the Hall element by way of the buckle and the vane. The Hall element sends a signal indicating the latched position to an appropriate receptor, such as a safety restraint.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A safety restraint sensor system comprising:
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a housing, a latch movably mounted with respect to the housing, the latch movable between a latched position and an unlatched position; a vane projecting from the latch; a magnet mounted with respect to the housing; a Hall element mounted with respect to the housing and outside of a magnetic field of the magnet; and a buckle engageable with the latch, whereby in the latched position the vane and the buckle positioned within the magnetic field of the magnet distribute a magnetic field through the Hall element, and in the unlatched position the vane and the buckle are positioned outside of the magnetic field of the magnet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A safety restraint sensor system comprising:
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a latch positioned within a housing, a vane projecting from the latch; a magnet and a Hall element positioned in the housing apart from each other; and a buckle engageable with the latch, the magnet and the Hall element positioned between the buckle and the vane to activate a magnetic flux through the Hall element when the buckle is engaged with the latch. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting whether a buckle and a latch are in a latched position or an unlatched position within a housing of a safety restraint, the method comprising:
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positioning a vane of the latch outside of a magnetic field of a magnet; inserting the buckle into the housing and into the magnetic field of the magnet; moving the latch into the latched position and the vane into the magnetic field of the magnet; and passing the magnetic field through the vane and the buckle to activate a Hall effect transducer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification