The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1999
David L. Becker, White Lake, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A device (,) for sensing a predetermined relative position of first and second parts (,and,) which are movable relative to each other includes a magnet (,) which creates a magnetic field and a pivotal lever (,) which has first and second opposite surfaces (,and,). The lever (,) has a first position in the magnetic field wherein the first surface (,) has a first magnetic polarity and the second surface (,) has a magnetic polarity opposite the first magnetic polarity. The lever (,) has a second position in the magnetic field when the first and second parts (,and,) are in the predetermined relative position. The first and second surfaces (,and,) move away from the magnet (,) as the lever (,) pivots from the first position to the second position. The first magnetic polarity of the first surface (,) switches to an opposite second magnetic polarity when the lever (,) is in the second position, and the second surface (,) switches to a magnetic polarity opposite the second magnetic polarity when the lever (,) is in the second position. The device (,) also includes a Hall effect device (,) which responds to the change in magnetic polarity from the first magnetic polarity to the second magnetic polarity.