Gulf & Western Manufacturing Company

Wickes Manufacturing Company

Ben J Charboneau

Gary B Zulauf

Richard D Zerod

Robert A Hair

Dennis P Flumignan

Thomas P Arbogast

There is provided an improvement in a seat belt retractor mechanism of the type having a seat belt reel rotatably mounted in a support frame adapted to be assembled on a movable door of a vehicle, wherein the reel has at least on one end a generally circular ratchet plate for engaging a locking element movably mounted on the support frame between a first position allowing the reel to payout the belt freely and a second position engaging the ratchet plate to hold the reel against rotation to payout the seat belt. An inertia sensing element carried by the support frame shifts this locking element into the locked position upon being moved by inertia forces caused by rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle to which the mechanism is mounted. In addition, an electromagnet is employed for increasing the amount of inertia force needed to move the inertia sensor element during such rapid changes in speed of the vehicle. This electromagnet is energized when the door is opened so that movement of the door itself by the occupant in entering or leaving the vehicle will not trip the sensor element. The improvement is the provision of a generally flat pole surface for the electromagnet and a generally flat keeper surface which are engaged in a generally coplanar relationship to cause the increased inertia force by magnetic attraction between the engaged surfaces upon energizing the electromagnet when the door is open. When the door is closed, there is no magnetic force between the engaging surfaces so that the inertia sensor element is moved by normal inertia forces.

Seat belt retractor mechanism

A liquid level sensor is provided which includes a base assembly and a dipstick assembly. The base assembly includes an electronic printed circuit board assembly, electrical connections to both the dipstick assembly and a wiring harness, and a mounting assembly for securing it to an engine dipstick tube. The dipstick assembly includes a cap, a tube, and a sensor element. The cap is designed to provide the necessary keying and locking features to mate with the base assembly. The tube provides protection for lead wires which connect the sensing element to the printed circuit board assembly.

Modular liquid level sensor having integral electronics

A system for actuating a warning device when the level of a liquid in a receptacle is below a preselected level. This system includes a probe formed from a length of positive temperature coefficient wire whereby the resistance through the wire increases with increased temperature. This wire is mounted within the receptacle in a manner that allows the wire to be submerged in the liquid under normal conditions. A detection can be made when such wire is partially or completely out of the liquid. There is a first switching means in the system to apply a voltage across the wire and a detector means for actuating the warning device in response to an electrical characteristic of the wire as determined at a preselected control point in the circuit including the probe. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the detector means includes a capacitor and a second switching means to ground the capacitor for a preselected time and then use the charged capacitor to follow the voltage of the probe. In this manner, the capacitor is charged rapidly toward a voltage determined by the temperature of the probe wire. After a selected time, the second switch means is deactivated so that the voltage supplied by the first switch means continues to heat the probe wire and increase the level of charge on the capacitor according to the resistance of the probe wire. If the wire is not covered sufficiently with the liquid, the voltage of the capacitor continues to increase. When it reaches a given value with respect to a reference voltage, the warning device is activated.

System for detecting low liquid level and probe therefor

A system for actuating a warning device when the level of a liquid in a receptacle is below a preselected level. This system includes a probe formed from a length of positive temperature coefficient wire whereby the resistance through the wire increases with increased temperature. This wire is mounted within the receptacle in a manner that allows the wire to be submerged in the liquid under normal conditions. A detection can be made when such wire is partially or completely out of the liquid. There is a first switching device in the system to apply a voltage across the wire and a detector for actuating the warning device in response to an electrical characteristic of the wire as determined at a preselected control point in the circuit including the probe. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the detector includes a capacitor and a second switching device to ground the capacitor for a preselected time and then use the charged capacitor to follow the voltage of the probe. In this manner, the capacitor is charged rapidly toward a voltage determined by the temperature of the probe wire. After a selected time, the second switch is deactivated so that the voltage supplied by the first switch continues to heat the probe wire and increase the level of charge on the capacitor according to the resistance of the probe wire. If the wire is not covered sufficiently with the liquid, the voltage of the capacitor continues to increase. When it reaches a given value with respect to a reference voltage, the warning device is activated.

A liquid level sensor adapted to be installed inside a reservoir of a liquid to be monitored. The level sensor includes a float made from magnetic material which moves between two opposed end positions along a predetermined up-and-down path following the top surface level of the liquid. An a.c. coil driven by a pulse generator is located at one end of the float path such that the magnetic material of the float is closer to the coil at this one end of the path than at the opposite end, and is thus a variable part of the 'core' of the coil which changes in response to the liquid level in the reservoir. The magnetic flux generated by the coil and/or its inductive reactance, also being a function of the variable core and thus a function of the liquid level, can be monitored electrically to provide an indication of the liquid level to an operator. The level sensor can be used to provide a signal at a predetermined level, or to provide an output which is proportional to the level of the liquid in the reservoir. It is adaptable to be used in hot and other hostile environments, and therefore has special application in the automotive industry to automatically monitor the oil level in the crankcase of an automobile. An electronic monitoring circuit is also disclosed which can be used with the level sensor to provide an indication of the liquid level to an operator. The circuit includes filter means which reduces the response of the circuit to transient indications due, for example, to movement or 'sloshing' of the liquid in the reservoir.

Method and apparatus for automatically sensing the level of a liquid in

A snap action toggle switch having a spring contact element formed of resilient metal strip material and including a U-shaped body member rigidified against flexure and comprised of a pair of spaced parallel side legs integral with and connected at one end by a flat base end portion and a plate spring member connected at one end with said base end portion and extending flatwise therefrom in the same general direction as the side legs and located therebetween. The spring contact element is supported for pivotal movement, in a plane including a pair of opposed stop surfaces at least one of which is a fixed contact, between a bracket arm terminal contact and an actuating lever arm portion which pivotally engage the other ends of respective ones of the body and plate spring members and longitudinally spring load the plate spring member in a longitudinally bowed shape effective to hold the spring contact element normally toggled to a stable rest position, with the base end portion thereof in pressure contact with one of the stop surfaces. The spring loaded plate spring member causes the spring contact element to snap over to an unstable position, with the base end portion thereof in pressure contact with the other one of the stop surfaces, on actuation of the actuator lever arm portion in a direction to move the one of the body and plate spring members engaged therewith to an over-center position relative to the other one of the members. On removal of the actuating force from the actuator lever arm portion, the spring contact element automatically snaps back to its stable rest position.

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Wixom, MI, United States of America

Ben J Charboneau