Seat position sensor

• US 6,907,795 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stoneridge Control Devices, Inc. (Stoneridge Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Stoneridge Control Devices, Inc. (Stoneridge Incorporated)
• Inventors: Southworth, Robert, Powers, Jerry, Baskin, Genn, Barnabo, Susan, White, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, TAKISHA S
• Application Number:
  US10/292,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 738/623.9, 280/735, 180/272, 324/207.3
• US Class Current: 73/862.69
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A seat position sensor including a generally u-shaped housing and a cover disposed on the housing for blocking entry contaminants into a shunt opening of the housing. A sensor including mounting wings that flex upon mounting is also provided, as is a sensor including an integral connector, and a two-piece sensor configuration. A PCB including a heat throttle trace and a heat sink region, and a supply voltage circuit for a Hall Effect sensor including a parallel connected varistor are also provided.

Claims

1. A seat position sensor comprising:

a generally u-shaped housing including first and second arms separated by a shunt opening;

a magnet disposed in said first arm;

a Hall Effect sensor disposed in said second arm and in a magnetic field generated by said magnet; and

first and second mounting wings extending from opposite sides of said housing, each of said mounting wings including a mounting opening for receiving a fastener for fixing said housing to a mounting position;

said mounting wings configured to flex inward against said mounting position upon fastening said housing to said mounting position.

2. A seat position sensor according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises at least one location pin extending from a surface thereof and positioned to align with, a corresponding opening associated with said mounting position.

3. A seat position sensor according to claim 2, wherein said housing comprises first and second ones of said location pins.

4. A seat position sensor according to claim 1, wherein said magnet comprises neodymium.

5. A seat position sensor according to claim 1, wherein said Hall Effect sensor is a programmable Hall Effect sensor.

6. A seat position sensor according to claim 1, said sensor further comprising a cover disposed on said housing, said cover being spring biased in a first position wherein a portion of said cover obstructs said shunt opening and being movable against said spring bias to a second position for allowing entry of a shunt into said shunt opening.