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:
May. 21, 2002
Filed:
May. 25, 2000
Louis R. Brown, Oxford, MI (US);
Antonio Esquivel, Shelby Township, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus includes a lockable element ( ) and a buckle ( ) that includes a base ( ), a latch ( ), a Hall effect device ( ), and a pair of magnets ( ) and ( ). The base ( ) defines a passage ( ) into which the lockable element ( ) is insertable. The latch ( ) is made of a ferromagnetic material and is movable from a non-locking position to a locking position in which it engages the lockable element ( ). The Hall effect device ( ) is disposed between the magnets ( ) and ( ). The magnetic fields of the magnets ( ) and ( ) oppose each other. In the locking position, the magnets ( ) and ( ) provide a net magnetic field of a first magnitude that acts on the Hall effect device ( ). In the non-locking position, the magnets ( ) and ( ) provide a magnetic field of a second magnitude acting on the Hall effect device ( ) that is different than the net magnetic field of a first magnitude. The Hall effect device ( ) thus has a first output when the latch ( ) is in the non-locking position, and a second, different output when the latch ( ) is in the locking position.