WO2011053015A2

WO2011053015A2 - Buckle hall switch for seat-belt of vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2011053015A2
Application number: PCT/KR2010/007474
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byoung Gae You
Original assignee: Autoliv Development Ab
Priority date: 2009-10-29
Filing date: 2010-10-28
Publication date: 2011-05-05
Also published as: WO2011053015A3; KR20110046611A; KR101148166B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a buckle hall switch for a seat belt of a vehicle. A Hall switch magnet is placed at a lower middle portion in a buckle attached to the seat belt, so that the whole size of the buckle can be reduced, thereby allowing a passenger to feel improved riding comfort. A magnet, which is provided inside the buckle Hall switch in the related art, is provided outside the buckle Hall switch, so that the normal magnet can be employed, thereby reducing the total cost of the magnet and improving the economic effect. The buckle Hall switch for the vehicle includes lower and upper cases forming an outer cover of the buckle of the seat belt for the vehicle, an warning switch assembly provided on an inner lateral surface of the buckle to detect that the seat belt is not fastened and deliver the recognition information to an electronic control unit of the vehicle to ring warning sound; a Hall sensor assembly provided therein with a Hall sensor magnet and mounted on an internal bottom surface of the buckle to determine by using a magnet field if the tongue is inserted into the buckle to deliver the determination information to an electronic control unit of an airbag through a Hall switch wire connected to one end; a magnetic assembly provided therein with a magnet to interact with the Hall sensor assembly by using a magnet field inside the buckle such that the coupling between the buckle and the tongue can be detected; and an ejector allowing the magnetic assembly to be coupled, thereby allowing the buckle Hall switch to operate by a magnet field between the Hall sensor assembly and the magnetic assembly.

Description

BUCKLE HALL SWITCH FOR SEAT-BELT OF VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a buckle Hall switch in which a magnet to perform Hall sensing is coupled with an assembling member of an ejector and independently mounted at an upper lateral surface inside a buckle, and a Hall sensor assembly is fixedly placed on an inner bottom surface of a lower case inside the buckle.

According to the present invention, a Hall switch magnet is placed at a lower middle portion in a buckle attached to the seat belt, so that the whole size of the buckle can be reduced, thereby allowing a passenger to feel improved riding comfort. In addition, a magnet, which is provided inside the buckle Hall switch in the related art, is provided outside the buckle Hall switch, so that the normal magnet can be employed, thereby reducing the total cost of the magnet and improving the economic effect.

In general, an airbag device and a seat belt device are installed in a vehicle to protect drivers and passengers. The airbag device and the seat belt device prevent the drivers and passengers from colliding with internal structures of the vehicle upon vehicle collision and restrain the drivers and passengers such that drivers and passengers may not be separated from seats. In particular, the seat belt (safety belt) restrains the upper part of the body to safely protect the drivers and passengers when vehicle collision occurs, so that the drivers and passengers may not collide with an instrument panel, thereby minimizing the bodily injury.

Such a seat belt device includes a buckle fixed to one side of a floor panel by a cable, and a retractor fixed to a lower portion of a center pillar to wind or release a webbing. In addition, the seat belt device includes a tongue provided on the webbing released from the retractor by a predetermined length so as to be coupled with the buckle, a guider for preventing the webbing from being twisted when the webbing is released or wound, and an anchor for adjusting the height of a belt.

According to the seat belt device having the above structure, both ends of the webbing having a predetermined width are fixed to the floor panel and the center pillar to restrain a driver positioned between the floor panel and the center pillar, thereby preventing the driver from spring out in the forward direction or the colliding direction. In general, the retractor is fixed to the center pillar to wind or release the webbing and a fixing unit is installed in the retractor to fix the webbing upon emergency. In addition, the buckle is installed on the floor panel to selectively fix the tongue provided on the webbing.

In such a seat belt device having the above structure, a Hall switch and an warning switch are additionally installed in the buckle in order to detect whether the seat belt is fastened. According to the related art, a Hall sensor, which operates in response to the magnetic field generated from a magnet, is employed or an warning switch, such as a micro switch or a lead switch, is used to detect whether the seat belt is fastened. The Hall sensor can be employed together with or independently from the warning switch.

For instance, if an occupant inserts the tongue into the buckle to fasten the seat belt, the tongue simultaneously turns on/off the Hall switch and the warning switch provided at both sides in the buckle. In addition, if the occupant separates the tongue from the buckle to release the seat belt, the tongue simultaneously turns off/on the Hall switch and the warning switch, so the fastening state of the seat belt with respect to the occupant can be mechanically or electronically detected.

In general, the Hall switch detects whether the tongue is fitted into the buckle by using a magnetic field of the magnet. However, the Hall switch is placed at a lower lateral surface of the buckle, so that the whole size of the buckle may be enlarged. Therefore, a passenger may feel uncomfortable due to the buckle provided at a lower lateral side of the passenger.

In addition, the magnet used in the Hall switch must be molded with an exact size and an exact shape such that the Hall switch can properly perform the intrinsic function thereof. In this case, the cost of the magnet is increased, so that the economic effect may be lowered.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a buckle Hall switch, capable of reducing the volume thereof by manufacturing a Hall sensing part separately form a magnet to form a magnetic field while taking into consideration that the position and the volume of the buckle Hall switch exert influence upon the whole size of a conventional buckle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle Hall switch having a magnetic holder function, in which a normal magnet having a smaller size and a space suitable for the normal magnet having the smaller size are utilized, so that a magnet may not be needed to be molded in a specific shape, thereby significantly improving the economic effect.

In order to accomplish the above objects, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a buckle Hall switch of a seat belt for a vehicle includes lower and upper cases constituting an external cover of a buckle of the seat belt for the vehicle, an warning switch assembly mounted on an internal lateral surface of the buckle to detect that the seat belt is not fastened and deliver detection information to an electronic control unit of the vehicle through an warning switch wire connected to one end, a Hall sensor assembly provided therein with a Hall sensor magnet and installed at an internal lower surface of the buckle to determine by using a magnetic field if a tongue is coupled with the buckle and deliver determination information to the electronic control unit of the vehicle through a Hall switch wire connected to one end, a magnetic assembly interacting with the Hall sensor assembly through a magnetic field in the buckle, and an ejector, one side of a lower portion of which is coupled with the magnetic assembly.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic assembly includes a magnetic holder fixedly coupled with the ejector and provided therein with a magnet, and the magnet detachably inserted into the magnetic holder to form a magnetic field. The magnetic assembly includes an ejector coupling groove coupled with a lower lateral surface of the ejector, and the ejector includes a magnetic assembly coupling member which protrudes from the lower lateral surface of the ejector, and is inserted into the ejector coupling groove so that the ejector is fixedly coupled with the magnetic assembly.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the magnet of the magnetic assembly has the form of a normal magnet, so that the magnet is easily detached from the magnetic assembly and replaced with new one. The Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor magnet installed in the Hall sensor assembly to interact with the magnet of the magnetic assembly so that the Hall sensor magnet detects whether or not the tongue is fitted into the buckle, a printed circuit board that is an electronic circuit installed in the Hall sensor assembly, and a Hall switch wire a turn-on state/turn-off state of the buckle detected by the Hall sensor assembly to the electronic control unit of the vehicle.

According to still yet another embodiment of the present invention, the Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor waterproofing part surrounding and protecting the Hall sensor magnet and the printed circuit board. The Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor cover surrounding the Hall sensor waterproofing part and protecting the Hall sensor magnet and the electronic circuit of the Hall sensor assembly from an outside.

According to still yet another embodiment of the present invention, the Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor fixing member integrated with the Hall sensor cover and fixedly installed, and a water-proof adhesion member sealing a gap between the Hall sensor cover and a Hall sensor wire to protect the Hall sensor magnet and the electronic circuit from moisture.

As described above, the present invention having the above structure represents the following effects.

Conventionally, the buckle Hall switch generally detects whether or not a tongue is fitted into a buckle by using a magnetic field. Since the buckle Hall switch is placed at a lower lateral end of the buckle, the whole size of the buckle may be increased. Therefore, according to the present invention, the magnet performing hall sensing is coupled with the assembling member of the ejector such that the magnet is independently installed at an upper lateral surface inside the buckle, and a Hall sensor assembly is fixed on an inner bottom surface of the lower case inside the buckle. Accordingly, the whole volume of the buckle can be reduced, so that the structure of the buckle can be simplified.

Conventionally, a passenger feels uncomfortable due to the buckle provided at a lower lateral side of the passenger. That is, the position and the volume of the conventional buckle Hall switch exert an influence on the whole size of the buckle. According to the present invention, the buckle Hall switch is manufactured in a smaller volume. Further, the volume of the buckle Hall switch can be more reduced by separately manufacturing the hall sensing part of the buckle Hall switch and the magnet of the buckle Hall switch. Therefore, according to the present invention, the Hall switch magnet (magnet) is placed at a lower middle portion inside the buckle attached to a seat belt of a vehicle, so that the whole size of the buckle can be reduced. Therefore, the passenger may feel improve riding comfort.

According to the present invention, a magnet provided inside a buckle Hall switch in the related art is placed outside the buckle Hall switch such that a normal magnet can be used. Accordingly, the cost for the magnet can be reduced. In addition, since a magnetic holder is independently prepared, the magnet can be easily replaced with new one when the magnet is damaged. Therefore, economic effect can be improved.

In addition, the magnet used in the conventional buckle Hall switch must be molded with an exact size and an exact shape such that the buckle Hall switch can properly perform the intrinsic function thereof. In this case, the cost of the magnet is increased, so that the economic effect may be degraded. Therefore, according to the present invention, a normal magnet having a smaller size and a space suitable for the normal magnet having the smaller size are utilized. Accordingly, a magnet may not be needed to be molded in a specific shape, so that economic effect can be remarkably improved.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a buckle of a safety according to the related art;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a buckle Hall switch of a safety belt according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the buckle of the safety belt according to one embodiment of the present invention when the buckle is assembled;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the assembling state between a magnetic assembly and an ejector according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the magnetic assembly and the ejector when the magnetic assembly is coupled with the ejector according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a magnet assembly when the magnet is installed in the magnet holder according to the present invention

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a Hall sensor assembly according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the Hall sensor assembly according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the structure of a buckle Hall switch of a seat belt for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

Prior to explaining the detailed description, it should be understood that the terms or words used in the present specification and claims may not be limited to common meanings or dictionary meanings, but interpreted as a meaning or a concept appropriate to the technical scope of the present invention under the principle that the inventor can coin new words to explain the present invention in the best manner.

Accordingly, the embodiments described in the present specification and the structure shown in accompanying drawings are only for illustrating the exemplary embodiments of the present invention within the technical scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the person skilled in the art should comprehend that various equivalents and modifications can be made in place of the embodiments.

Prior to the description of the buckle Hall switch of the seat belt for the vehicle according to the present invention, the typical operating relation between a tongue and the buckle when the tongue is inserted into the buckle in the seat belt for the vehicle will be described below. FIG. 1 is a view showing the operating relation between a Hall sensor and a micro-switch (an warning switch) when a tongue 2 is inserted into a buckle 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the buckle 1 has a structure to prevent the tongue 2 from being separated from the buckle 1 when the tongue 2 is inserted into a housing 3. A buckle frame 6 is placed inside the housing 3, and is provided at the rear end thereof with fixing members W firmly fixed to a vehicle body.

A latch 8 is provided at the middle portion of the buckle frame 6 and supported by a spring. Although not shown in FIG.1 in detail, the latch 8 moves downward in operation and is coupled such that the tongue 2 is not separated. A slider 9 moves reward by the tongue 2 in a state in which the slider 9 is inserted into the middle portion of the buckle frame 6, such that the latch 8 operates. As described above, after the tongue 2 has been inserted into the buckle 1, when an ejector 7 is pressed, the latch 8 moves upward and then forward such that the tongue 2 can be retrieved. A micro-switch 4 acting as an warning switch and a Hall sensor 5 acting as an electro-switch are provided at both sides of the buckle frame 6.

Although not shown, the tongue 2 has a rear end with a hole coupled with a webbing and a front end having an insertion part with a hole coupled with the latch 8. Therefore, as the insertion part of the tongue 2 is inserted into an insertion member (slot) formed in the buckle frame 6 (in an F direction), the slider 9 moves in an arrow direction (F direction). As the slider 9 moves, the latch 8 moves downward to allow a lower end thereof to be inserted into the hole of the tongue 2, so that the tongue 2 can be locked.

In this case, when the slider 9 moves, both ends 9 and 9' protruding out of the buckle frame 6 move a magnet 5a of the Hall sensor 5 and the micro-switch 4, respectively, so that the Hall sensor 5 is turned on while the micro-switch 4 is being turned off. In other words, when the Hall sensor 5 is turned on, it is recognized that the seat belt is fastened and delivers the recognition information to an electro-controller of an airbag. When the micro-switch 4 is turned off, the fastening of the seat belt is recognized, such that the warning switch is maintained at an off-state, thereby preventing warning sound generated when the seat belt is not fastened from ringing.

After the seat belt has been fastened, if the ejector 7 is pressed to release the tongue 2 from the buckle, the latch 8 moves upward, so that the slider 9 moves forward. Accordingly, the tongue 2 is released to be separated from the housing 3. The Hall sensor magnet 5a is returned to the original position thereof to turn off the Hall sensor 5, and turn on the micro-switch 4.

As described above, in the Hall sensor 5 of the conventional buckle 1 shown in FIG. 1, since the Hall sensor magnet 5a is simply provided on an internal lateral surface of the buckle 1 and occupies the most space of the buckle. In general, the Hall sensor magnet 5a has to be specially molded such that the Hall sensor magnet 5a has the form suitable for installation. However, the cost of the Hall sensor magnet 5a is increased so that economic effects may be improved. In addition, when parts are damaged, the replacement of the parts is difficult. In the Hall sensor 5 according to the present invention, the position of the Hall sensor magnet 5a is changed, so that the whole size of the buckle 1 can be reduced. In addition, the separate molding of the Hall sensor magnet 5a is not required, so that the economic effects can be improved. Further, when the performance of the magnet 5a is degraded or parts are damaged, the replacement of the magnet 5a is easy, so that economic effects can be improved.

Hereinafter, the construction and operation of a buckle Hall switch installed in the seat belt for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a buckle Hall switch of a safety belt according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the buckle for the safety belt according to one embodiment of the present invention when the buckle is assembled. FIG. 4 is a view showing the assembling state between a magnetic assembly and an ejector according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the magnetic assembly and the ejector when the magnetic assembly is coupled with the ejector according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a view showing the magnetic assembly when the magnet is mounted on the magnet holder. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the Hall sensor assembly according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the Hall sensor assembly according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a buckle Hall switch according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The buckle Hall switch for the vehicle according to the present invention includes lower and

upper cases

10 and 20 forming an outer cover of the buckle of the seat belt for the vehicle, an warning switch assembly 100 provided on an inner lateral surface of the buckle to detect that the seat belt is not fastened and deliver the recognition information to an electronic control unit of the vehicle through an warning switch wire connected to one end to ring warning sound; a Hall sensor assembly 200 provided therein with a Hall sensor magnet and mounted on an internal bottom surface of the buckle to determine by using a magnet field if the tongue is inserted into the buckle to deliver the determination information to an electronic control unit of an airbag through a Hall switch wire connected to one end; a magnetic assembly 300 provided therein with a magnet to interact with the Hall sensor assembly 200 by using a magnet field inside the buckle such that the coupling between the buckle and the tongue can be detected; and an ejector 400 allowing the magnetic assembly 300 to be coupled, thereby allowing the buckle Hall switch to operate by a magnet field between the Hall sensor assembly 200 and the magnetic assembly 300.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower case 10 is a base cover in which the warning switch assembly 100 and the Hall sensor assembly 200 are mounted and fixed. The lower case 10 protects the buckle of the seat belt from the outside and includes several grooves and protrusions allowing internal parts to be installed in the lower case 10. Therefore, since the lower case 10 serves as an outer cover of the buckle, the lower case 10 is preferably made of hardened plastic. Since the outer portion of the lower case 10 directly makes contact with an occupant, the outer portion of the lower case 10 is preferably made of light material having superior touch feel.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper case 20 allows the internal parts of the buckle to be installed therein corresponding to the lower case 10, and protects the internal parts of the buckle from being the outside. Accordingly, since the upper case 20 serves as an outer cover of the buckle, the upper case 20 is preferably made of hardened plastic. Since the upper case 20 has to be firmly coupled with the lower case 10, the upper case 10 may be generally coupled with the lower case 10 by using a bolt. A slot is formed at a front surface of a contact part between the upper case 20 and the lower case 10 in such a manner that the tongue can be fixedly inserted into the buckle. The tongue inserted into the buckle can be released from the buckle by the ejector 400 and the button provided in the buckle.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the warning switch assembly 100 is mounted on an inner bottom surface of the lower case 10, that is, on a lateral surface opposite to that of the Hall sensor assembly 200 to be described below. The warning switch assembly 100 is mounted on the lateral surface in the buckle to transmit the signal to the electronic control unit of the vehicle through the warning switch wire 110 in order to raise an warning sound when the seat belt is not fastened. In this regard, the warning switch assembly 10 includes the warning switch wire 110.

The warning switch wire 110 is connected to one end of the warning switch assembly 100 to deliver the recognition information detected by the warning switch assembly 100 after the warning switch assembly 100 has detected that the tongue is inserted into the buckle. The warning switch wire 110 is provided independently from a Hall switch wire 210 constituting the Hall sensor assembly 200, so that the warning switch operates independently from the Hall switch. Accordingly, when each part is damaged, the damage of the part does not affect other parts, so that an economic and functional buckle can be provided.

Hereinafter, the Hall sensor assembly 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The Hall sensor assembly 200 is mounted on one side of the inner bottom surface of the lower case 10 while being opposite to the warning switch assembly 100. The warning switch assembly 100 is opposite to the Hall sensor assembly 200, so that the size of the buckle can be optimized. When the size of the buckle is reduced, an occupant can have a more comfortable driving feel. In addition, the Hall sensor assembly 200 is provided therein with a Hall sensor magnet 220, and mounted on the internal bottom surface of the buckle to determine by using a magnet field if the tongue is inserted into the buckle. Then, the Hall sensor assembly 200 can deliver the determination information to the electronic control unit of the airbag through the Hall switch wire connected to one end thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, according to still another embodiment of the present invention, the Hall sensor assembly 200 includes the Hall switch wire 210, the Hall sensor magnet 220, a Hall sensor printed circuit board (PCB) 230, a Hall sensor cover 240, a Hall sensor waterproofing part 250, and a Hall sensor fixing member 260. The description of the Hall sensor assembly 200 will be again made in detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the magnetic assembly 300 includes a magnet 310 fixedly coupled with one side of the ejector 400 which is described below. The magnetic assembly 300 enables the buckle Hall switch of the present invention to perform hall sensing through a magnet field. The magnetic assembly 300 is provided therein with the magnet 310 and interacts with the Hall sensor assembly by using a magnet field in the buckle to determine if the tongue is coupled with the buckle. The magnetic assembly 300 includes the magnet 310 installed therein to detect a magnet field, a magnet holder 330 detachably fixing the magnet 310, and an ejector coupling groove 350 fixedly coupled with the ejector 400.

As shown in FIG. 6, the magnet 310 is installed in the magnetic assembly 300 and detachably inserted into the magnet holder 330 to form a magnet field. Accordingly, the magnet 310 interacts with the Hall sensor assembly 200 by using a magnet field to act as a buckle Hall switch to determine if the tongue is coupled with the buckle. Differently from a conventional magnet, the magnet 310 is not specially molded, but the normal magnet is employed. The shape and the size of the magnet 310 are processed so as to be embedded in the magnet holder 330. Accordingly, the magnet 310 constituting the magnetic assembly 300 is detachably installed in the magnetic assembly 310, so that economic effects can be improved. When parts are damaged, the magnet can be easily replaced with new one, so that a work can be easily carried out.

As shown in FIG. 6, the magnet holder 330 acts as a holder to keep the magnet 310 inside. As described above, the shape of the magnet 310 is preferably simple such that the magnet 310 can be easily molded. In addition, since the magnet 310 must be detachably formed, the magnet 310 must have grooves therein as shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ejector coupling groove 350 is formed at one lateral surface of the magnetic assembly 300 coupled with the ejector 400. The ejector coupling groove 350 has the structure corresponding to a magnetic assembly coupling member 410 of the ejector 400 so that the magnetic assembly coupling member 410 passes through the ejector coupling groove 350 to be inserted into the magnetic assembly 300. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnetic assembly 300 receives the magnetic assembly coupling member 410 through the lateral surface thereof, so that the magnetic assembly 300 is firmly coupled with the ejector 400. Accordingly, when locking and releasing operations are performed as the tongue is inserted, the ejector 400 slides according to the sliding of the tongue, and the magnetic assembly 300 also slides according to the sliding of the ejector 400. Accordingly, the ejector 400 forms the magnet field together with the Hall sensor assembly 200 to perform a hall sensing function.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnetic assembly 300 is fixedly coupled with one lower lateral surface of the ejector 400. According to the original function of the ejector 400, the tongue is inserted into the buckle to push the ejector 400, so that sliding members installed in the ejector 400 operate the latch to turn on/off the Hall switch and the warning switch. As described above, the ejector 400 operates according to the insertion of the tongue, so that the magnetic assembly 300 fixedly coupled with the ejector 400 slides. Accordingly, the magnetic assembly 300 forms a magnet field together with the Hall sensor assembly 200 to perform a hall sensing function. The ejector 400 may include the magnetic assembly coupling member 410 so that the ejector 400 is fixedly coupled with the magnetic assembly 300 through the lower lateral surface.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnetic assembly coupling member 410 has a structure corresponding to the ejector coupling groove 350 of the magnetic assembly 300 and protrudes out of the lower lateral surface of the ejector 400. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnetic assembly coupling member 410 is preferably provided as a plate-shape protrusion, which horizontally projects from the ejector 400, corresponding to the plate-shape through hole of the ejector coupling groove 350.

Hereinafter, the structure of a Hall sensor switch according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

The Hall sensor assembly 200 includes the Hall sensor magnet 220 installed in the Hall sensor assembly 200 to interact with the magnet 310 of the magnetic assembly 300 by using a magnet field, thereby determining if the tongue is coupled with the buckle; the PCB 230, which is an electronic circuit installed in the Hall sensor assembly 200; and the Hall switch wire 210 to deliver an on/off state of the buckle detected by the Hall sensor assembly 200 to the electronic control unit of the vehicle. In addition, the Hall sensor assembly 200 may further include the Hall sensor cover 240, the Hall sensor waterproofing part 250, the water-proof adhesion member 250a, and the Hall sensor fixing member 260.

The Hall switch wire 210 is connected to one end of the Hall sensor assembly 200 to detect if the tongue is coupled with the buckle and deliver the detection information to the electronic control unit of the vehicle. The Hall switch wire 210 is installed independently from the warning switch wire 110. Accordingly, the warning switch does not affect the Hall switch. Even if damage or failure occurs, an erroneously-operating part of both the Hall switch and the warning switch can be easily detected, and the switches can be individually repaired or replaced with new one.

As shown in FIG. 8, the Hall sensor magnet 200 has a magnet property inside the Hall sensor assembly 200 and forms a magnet field corresponding to the magnet 310 of the magnetic assembly 300 to perform a hall sensing function. Accordingly, differently from the magnetic assembly 300 fixedly coupled with the ejector 400 to operate according to the sliding of the elector 400, the Hall sensor assembly 200 is fixedly mounted on the lower case 10. Accordingly, the tongue is inserted into the buckle and coupled with the buckle. In addition, the magnet 310 of the magnetic assembly 300 moves according to the sliding of the ejector 400 while interacting with the Hall sensor magnet 220 through a magnet field, so that a hall sensing function can be performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the Hall sensor PCB 230 is an electronic circuit having one end having the Hall sensor magnet 220 and an opposite end having the Hall switch wire 210. After detecting a signal according to the hall sensing, the Hall sensor PCB 230 delivers an on/off state according to the hall sensing to an electronic control unit of an airbag installed in the vehicle.

The Hall sensor cover 240 protects the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the electronic circuit 230 in the Hall sensor assembly 200 from the outside by surrounding the Hall sensor waterproofing part 250. The Hall sensor cover 240 is preferably made of light plastic having superior rigidity.

The Hall sensor waterproofing part 250 protects the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the Hall sensor PCB 230 from moisture by covering the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the Hall sensor PCB 230. In general, when the Hall sensor magnet 220, which is an internal part of the Hall sensor assembly 200, and the Hall sensor PCB 230, which is an electronic circuit, make contact with moisture or water, the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the Hall sensor PCB 230 may be shorted or a magnet function is weakened. Accordingly, the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the Hall sensor PCB 230 must have a structure to block moisture. Therefore, the Hall sensor magnet 220 and the Hall sensor PCB 230 are made of urethane providing a water proof function while absorbing impact.

The water-proof adhesion member 250a seals the gap between the Hall sensor cover 240 and the Hall switch wire 210 to prevent moisture from infiltrating into the internal magnet and the electronic circuit. The water-proof adhesion member 250a is preferably made of urethane similarly to the Hall sensor waterproofing part 250. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the internal part of the Hall sensor assembly 200 must be completely sealed at a connection part between one end of the Hall sensor assembly 200 and the Hall switch wire 210.

The Hall sensor fixing member 260 is integrated with the Hall sensor cover 240 such that the Hall sensor cover 240 is fixedly mounted on the lower case 10 of the buckle. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the Hall sensor fixing member 260 has a plate shape and is provided therein with a through hole. The fixing protrusion of the Hall sensor assembly 200 of the lower case 10 is inserted into and fixedly coupled with the internal through hole of the Hall sensor fixing member 260, so that the Hall sensor assembly 200 is firmly fixed into the buckle even if external shock or external movement occurs. Therefore, the Hall sensor assembly 200 is firmly fixed in the buckle, and the magnetic assembly 300 slides together with the ejector 400 to Hall-sense if the tongue is fixedly inserted into the buckle by using the magnetic field.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is understood that the exemplary embodiments help one ordinary skilled in the art to easily realize the buckle of the safety belt for the vehicle of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited to these exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings. Therefore, various changes and modifications can be apparently made by the skilled in the art without departing from the technical sprit of the present invention. In addition, it is understood that parts that can be easily changed by the skilled in the art are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

A buckle Hall switch of a seat belt for a vehicle comprising:

lower and upper cases constituting an external cover of a buckle of the seat belt for the vehicle;

an warning switch assembly mounted on an internal lateral surface of the buckle to detect that the seat belt is not fastened and deliver detection information to an electronic control unit of the vehicle;

a Hall sensor assembly installed at an internal lower surface of the buckle to determine by using a magnetic field if a tongue is coupled with the buckle and deliver determination information to the electronic control unit of the vehicle;

a magnetic assembly interacting with the Hall sensor assembly through a magnetic field in the buckle; and

an ejector, one side of a lower portion of which is coupled with the magnetic assembly.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 1, wherein the magnetic assembly includes:

a magnetic holder fixedly coupled with the ejector and provided therein with a magnet; and

the magnet detachably inserted into the magnetic holder to form a magnetic field.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 2, wherein the magnetic assembly includes an ejector coupling groove coupled with a lower lateral surface of the ejector, and the ejector includes a magnetic assembly coupling member which protrudes from the lower lateral surface of the ejector, and is inserted into the ejector coupling groove so that the ejector is fixedly coupled with the magnetic assembly.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 3, wherein the magnet of the magnetic assembly is a normal magnet detachably installed in the magnetic assembly and replaced with a new magnet.
The buckle Hall switch of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the Hall sensor assembly includes:

a Hall sensor magnet installed in the Hall sensor assembly to interact with the magnet of the magnetic assembly; and

a printed circuit board that is an electronic circuit installed in the Hall sensor assembly.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 5, wherein the Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor waterproofing part surrounding outer circumferential surfaces of the Hall sensor magnet and the printed circuit board to protect the Hall sensor magnet and the printed circuit board from moisture.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 6, wherein the Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor cover surrounding the Hall sensor waterproofing part and protecting the Hall sensor magnet and the electronic circuit of the Hall sensor assembly from an outside.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 7, wherein the Hall sensor assembly includes a Hall sensor fixing member integrated with the Hall sensor cover and fixedly installed in the lower case of the buckle.
The buckle Hall switch of claim 7, wherein the Hall sensor assembly includes a water-proof adhesion member sealing a gap between the Hall sensor cover and a Hall sensor wire to protect the Hall sensor magnet and the electronic circuit from moisture.