Switch for the control of a shut-off of a belt lock

• US 6,278,347 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Höfelsauer, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Application Number:
  US09/150,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/551, 340/552, 738/659, 242/107, 180/268, 335/205-207
• US Class Current: 335/205
• 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

Abstract

The present invention concerns a switch device for verifying the locking position of an automobile seatbelt lock having at least two switch elements whose switch condition can be determined, as well as a control element that can be moved in the seatbelt lock and through which the switch condition of the switch elements can be changed. A switch device with high operating reliability is created by the fact that the switch elements are designed as sensors and the switch condition of the switch elements can be changed by an interaction between control element and sensors.

Claims

1. Switch device for controlling locking position of an automobile seatbelt lock (10) having at least two switch elements with determinable switch condition, as well as a movable control element (40) in the seatbelt lock (10) and from which the switch condition of the switch elements are changeable,

wherein the switch elements are sensors (20,30) and the switch condition of the switch elements is changeable by an interaction between the control element (40) and the sensors (20,30), and

one of said sensors (20) is structured and arranged to register a binary switch condition “

1” and

the other (30) of said sensors register a binary switch condition “

0”

in locked condition, and said one sensor (20) register the binary switch condition “

0” and

said other sensor (30) register the binary condition “

1”

in unlocked condition,

such that when said sensors (20,30) both register the same binary switch condition “

0”

or “

1”

, an error signal is generated.

2. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein the control element (40) and the sensors (20,30) are structured and arranged such that a contact-free interaction between the control clement (40) and the sensors (20,30) is created.

3. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein there are two sensors (20,30) positioned permanently in the belt lock (10).

4. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein the sensors (20, 30) are designed as Hall probes.

5. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein the control element (40) includes a magnet (42) positioned to interact with the sensors (20,30) by movement between two positions.

6. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein said control element (40) comprises a locking pin (44) positioned such that a belt lock tongue is fixable in the belt lock (10) by the locking pin (44).

7. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein a housing (17) is provided in which the sensors (20,30) and an evaluation unit (100) for determining the switch condition are retainable.

8. Switch device according to claim 1, additionally comprising a control unit and an evaluation unit (100) which are connectable, with said evaluation unit (100) coupled to said sensors (20,30) such that in the control unit, an output signal of the evaluation unit (100) is transformable into a threshold value or an error datum.

9. Switch device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit and the evaluation unit (100) are combinable in a single unit.

10. Switch device according to claim 1, wherein the control element (40) is positioned on a belt lock tongue.

11. Switch device according to claim 5, wherein the magnet (42) is a permanent magnet.

12. Switch device according to claim 2, wherein there are two sensors (20,30) positioned permanently in the belt lock (10).

17. Switch device according to claim 1, additionally comprising a locking pin (44) on which said control element (40) is mounted and which is fixable in the belt lock (10) between the two positions by insertion and removal of a belt lock tongue.

13. Switch device for controlling locking position of an automobile seatbelt lock (10) having at least two switch elements with determinable switch condition, as well as a movable control element (40) in the seat belt lock (10) and through which the switch conditions of the switch elements are changeable,

wherein the switch elements are sensors (20,30) and the switch condition of the switch elements is changeable by an interaction between the control element (40) and the sensors (20,30), and

the sensors (20,30) are arranged in an L-shaped relationship with respect to one another and additionally comprising an L-shaped guide (50) in which the control element (40) is arranged to move between said two sensors (20,30) and substantially perpendicular to scanning direction of each sensor (20,30), such that said control element (40) is positioned within scanning area of one (20) of said two sensors (20,30) in unlocked position and the other (30) of said two sensors (20,30) in locked position.

14. Switch device according to claim 13, wherein one of said sensors (20) is structured and arranged to register a binary switch condition “

1” and

the other (30) of said sensors register a binary switch condition “

0”

in locked condition, and said one sensor (20) register the binary switch condition “

0” and

said other sensor (30) register the binary condition “

1”

in unlocked condition,

such that when said sensors (20,30) both register the same binary switch condition “

0”

or “

1”

, an error signal is generated.

15. Switch device according to claim 14, wherein the control element (40) includes a magnet (42) positioned to interact with the sensors (20,30) by movement between said two positions.

16. Switch device according to claim 15, additionally comprising a locking pin (44) on which said control element (40) is mounted and which is fixable in the belt lock (10) between the two positions by insertion and removal of a belt lock tongue.

18. Switch device according to claim 15, wherein the magnet (42) is a permanent magnet.