Belt Lock Contact Sheet Mechanism for Reliable State Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger restraint system belt lock designs face challenges with complex and expensive installation of Hall sensors, susceptibility to stray magnetic fields, and issues with compact housing space, leading to unreliable detection of locking states and potential misoperations in safety systems.
Innovation Solution
A circuit arrangement featuring a contact sheet pair with a fixed and elastic contact sheet, where the elastic contact sheet projects through a housing wall opening to interact with a slide, preventing abraded matter from entering the contact region and allowing for reliable electrical contact closure or opening, and optionally generating alert signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Hall sensors are used for contactless monitoring of the locking state, then the detection reliability is improved, but the installation complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical Hall sensor system with a purely mechanical contact sheet system. The contactless magnetic field detection is substituted by direct mechanical contact between the elastic contact sheet and the slide, eliminating the need for complex sensor installation and magnetic field shielding while maintaining reliable state detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the Hall sensor component entirely from the system. By removing the magnetic field sensing mechanism and replacing it with a simple mechanical contact system, the installation complexity and cost are significantly reduced while the essential function of detecting locking state is preserved.
2Measurement precision
If Hall sensors are positioned close to the locking element for accurate detection, then the measurement precision is improved, but the susceptibility to stray external magnetic fields increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the magnetic field-based Hall sensor detection with a direct mechanical contact system. The elastic contact sheet physically contacts the slide to detect its position, completely eliminating susceptibility to stray magnetic fields while maintaining accurate detection of the locking state through mechanical position sensing.
3Volume of moving object
If the belt lock housing is made compact to save space, then the volume is reduced, but the space for arranging sensor components and shielding is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the Hall sensor and magnetic shielding components from the compact housing. By using a purely mechanical contact sheet system, the space-consuming magnetic field sensing and shielding elements are eliminated, allowing for a more compact housing design without compromising the detection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the contact sheet directly into the housing structure, merging the detection function with the existing mechanical components. The elastic contact sheet is positioned within the housing to interact with the slide, eliminating the need for separate sensor mounting spaces and shielding compartments.
4Ease of operation
If the elastic contact sheet projects through the housing wall to interact with the slide, then the ease of operation is improved, but abraded matter may enter the contact region causing contact faults
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protective covering as an intermediary element between the sliding contact surface and the contact sheet opening. This covering prevents abraded matter from entering the contact region while still allowing the elastic contact sheet to project through and interact with the slide, thus maintaining ease of operation without compromising contact reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution simplifies and economizes the belt lock system, prevents contact faults and misinterpretations of the locking state, and allows for retrofitting without modifying the housing size, ensuring reliable operation and compatibility with existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic contact sheet (6) which interacts when moved with a slide (1)
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary circuit arrangement for a belt lock of a passenger restraint system in motor vehicles includes one contact sheet pair having a fixed contact sheet and an elastic contact sheet which interacts with a slide. The slide is a component of a locking mechanism located in a belt lock housing for an inserted belt tongue, and is pushed in a displacement channel from a first end position into a second end position when the locking mechanism is actuated. The contact sheet pair is in a housing part which borders the displacement channel. A part, which projects from the elastic contact sheet through a housing wall opening into the displacement channel, is exposed to the action of the slide to open or close an electrical contact to the contact sheet. The circuit includes means for preventing abraded matter from traveling into the contact region of the contact sheet pair.