Rail activated position sensor
First Claim
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1. A non-contact position sensor comprising:
- a sensor assembly comprising a housing and at least one magnet disposed in said housing, said magnet disposed adjacent a magnetic field sensor disposed in said housing, said magnetic field sensor being spaced a fixed distance from said magnet and comprising a surface in opposed facing relationship to said magnet with a north-south axis of said magnet generally parallel to said surface, said sensor assembly mounted to a rail of an automobile seat rail system; and
an activating member, said activating member being vertically spaced from a bottom surface of said housing;
said magnetic field sensor providing a first output corresponding to a first amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a first position relative to said sensor assembly, and a second output corresponding to a second amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a second position relative to said sensor assembly, said first amount of magnetic flux being greater than said second amount of magnetic flux.
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Abstract
A position sensor including a sensor assembly adapted to mount to a first rail of an automotive seat rail assembly. The sensor assembly includes a Hall device and a magnet. The assembly is mountable to the first rail to cause a first output of the Hall device when the first rail is in a first position relative to a second rail of the automotive seat rail assembly, and to cause a second output of the Hall device when the first rail is in a second position relative to the second rail.
24 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A non-contact position sensor comprising:
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a sensor assembly comprising a housing and at least one magnet disposed in said housing, said magnet disposed adjacent a magnetic field sensor disposed in said housing, said magnetic field sensor being spaced a fixed distance from said magnet and comprising a surface in opposed facing relationship to said magnet with a north-south axis of said magnet generally parallel to said surface, said sensor assembly mounted to a rail of an automobile seat rail system; and an activating member, said activating member being vertically spaced from a bottom surface of said housing; said magnetic field sensor providing a first output corresponding to a first amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a first position relative to said sensor assembly, and a second output corresponding to a second amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a second position relative to said sensor assembly, said first amount of magnetic flux being greater than said second amount of magnetic flux. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A non-contact position sensor comprising:
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a sensor assembly comprising a housing and at least one magnet disposed in said housing, said magnet disposed adjacent a magnetic field sensor disposed in said housing, said magnetic field sensor being spaced a fixed distance from said magnet and comprising a surface in facing opposed relationship to said magnet with a north-south axis of said magnet generally parallel to said surface; and an activating member, said activating member being vertically spaced from a bottom surface of said housing and being a rail of an automobile seat rail system; said magnetic field sensor providing a first output corresponding to a first amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a first position relative to said sensor assembly and a second output corresponding to a second amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said magnetic field sensor when said activating member is in a second position relative to said sensor assembly, said first amount of magnetic flux being greater than said second amount of magnetic flux.
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7. A seat position sensor system comprising:
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a seat rail system comprising a movable rail and a stationary rail; a sensor assembly comprising a housing and at least one magnet and a Hall device disposed in said housing, said Hall device being spaced a fixed distance from said magnet and comprising a surface in opposed facing relationship to said magnet with a north-south axis of said magnet generally parallel to said surface, said sensor assembly being mounted to one of said movable rail or said stationary rail with a bottom surface of said housing being vertically spaced from the other of said movable rail or said stationary rail; and said Hall device providing a first output corresponding to a first amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said Hall device when said movable rail is in a first position relative to said stationary rail and a second output corresponding to a second amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said Hall device when said movable rail is in a second position relative to said stationary rail, said first amount of magnetic flux being greater than said second amount of magnetic flux. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of sensing vehicle seat position comprising:
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providing a sensor assembly comprising a housing and at least one magnet and a Hall device disposed in said housing, said Hall device being spaced a fixed distance from said magnet and comprising a surface in opposed facing relationship to said magnet with a north-south axis of said magnet generally parallel to said surface; mounting said sensor assembly to a first seat rail with a bottom surface of said housing being vertically spaced from a second seat rail, said Hall device providing an output, said output being a first output corresponding to a first amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said Hall device when said sensor assembly is in a first position relative to a second seat rail and said output being a second output corresponding to a second amount of magnetic flux imparted perpendicularly to said surface of said Hall device when said sensor assembly is in a second position relative to said second seat rail, said first amount of magnetic flux being different from said second amount of magnetic flux; and determining a position of said seat in response to said output. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification