1. A seat belt tension sensing assembly fixedly secured to a vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a slide slidably received within said housing, said slide being capable of movement between a first position and a second position within said housing, said slide having a first opening for a portion of said seat belt to pass therethrough;
a sensor, a first end of which is fixedly secured in said slide, said sensor generating a signal indicative of tension on said slide as said seat belt tension increases corresponding to movement of said slide toward said second position; and
a compliant member providing an urging force on a second end of said sensor, said urging force thereby urging said sensor and said slide into said first position;
wherein said slide and said housing interface at said second position preventing further deflection of said compliant member and further loading on said sensor.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said interface between said slide and said housing is a stop feature therebetween, said stop feature is configured to prevent said sensor from exceeding its elastic range when an overload force is exerted between said housing and said slide that exceeds the elastic range of said sensor.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said interface between said slide and said housing is a compliant stop feature therebetween, said compliant stop feature having a compliancy between said slide and said housing when an overload force is exerted between said housing and said slide that exceeds the elastic range of said sensor.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said slide is configured with at least one of a tab extending therefrom defining a corresponding outboard end of said slide engageable with a corresponding rail extending from said housing to provide a stop at said second position.
5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a strain gauge.
6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein one end of said strain gauge is fixedly disposed within a second opening of said slide proximate said first opening.
7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said compliant member is disposed at an opposite end of said strain gauge.
8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said compliant member provides one of a tension and compression force on said slide.
9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said compliant member is a spring.
10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said spring is operably connected to said slide and said sensor, said spring provides one of a tension and a compression force relative to movement of said slide from said first position to said second position.
11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said signal is input to a controller configured to suppress a vehicle safety device if said signal meets or exceeds a threshold value.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein said vehicle safety device is a passenger airbag.
13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said passenger airbag is suppressed when said signal is indicative of a child seat retrained by a corresponding seat belt webbing.
14. The seat belt tension assembly as in claim 1, wherein said sensor provides a discrete signal.
15. The seat belt tension assembly as in claim 1, wherein said sensor provides a linear signal.
16. A method for limiting damage to a seat belt tension sensor when an overload force is applied, the method comprising:
receiving a slide within a housing, said slide being capable of movement between a first position and a second position within said housing, said slide having a first opening for a portion of said seat belt to pass therethrough;
attaching a first end of a sensor to said slide, a second end of said sensor being fixedly secured to compliant member;
generating a signal indicative of tension on said slide as said seat belt tension increases corresponding to movement of said slide toward said second position; and
providing said compliant member between said housing and said sensor, said compliant member configured to urge said slide into said first position;
wherein said slide and said housing interface at said second position preventing further deflection of said compliant member and further loading on said sensor.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said interface between said slide and said housing is a stop feature therebetween, said stop feature is configured to prevent said sensor from exceeding its elastic range when an overload force is exerted between said housing and said slide that exceeds the elastic range of said sensor.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein said interface between said slide and said housing is a compliant stop feature therebetween, said compliant stop feature having a compliancy between said slide and said housing when an overload force is exerted between said housing and said slide that exceeds the elastic range of said sensor.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
configuring said slide with at least one of a tab extending therefrom defining a corresponding outboard end of said slide engageable with a corresponding rail extending from said housing to provide a stop at said second position, said stop configured to limit said sensor to sensing in its elastic range.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein said sensor is a strain gauge.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An aniti-cascading suspension clamp for suspending an overhead conductor line from a string of insulators of a transmission tower, the anti-cascading suspension clamp comprising a first part adapted for pivotal connection to the insulator, a second part adapted to clamp onto the overhead conductor, a releasable connection between said first part and said second part for releasing said second part from said first part whenever a predetermined excessive longitudinal force is exerted by the overhead conductor, thereby preventing damage to the tower and the insulator, and a conductor catching portion provided at a lower end of said first part for preventing the overhead conductor together with the second part of the suspension clamp from falling to the ground after said second part has been released from said first part.
2. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said conductor catching portion extends underneath said second part.
3. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said conductor catching portion is formed by a closed bottom end of said first part.
4. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said first part is provided in the form of a stirrup, and wherein said second part is accommodated within said stirrup.
5. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 4, wherein said second part includes a clamping assembly mounted within said stirrup between opposed sides thereof and above a closed bottom portion thereof.
6. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said second part is received within said first part, and wherein said releasable connection includes at least one frangible member extending transversally of said first and second parts.
7. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 6, wherein said at least one frangible member includes a pair of shear pins extending laterally outwardly from opposed sides of said second part.
8. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 7, wherein said shear pins have respective outer ends received in hollow swivel pins, and wherein said first part has an upper portion articulated to a closed lower portion by means of said swivel pins.
9. A suspension clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said releasable connection includes a link connected at a first end thereof to said second part via a transversally extending shear pin and at a second end thereof to said first part via a transversally extending axle.
10. An anti-cascading suspension clamp for suspending an overhead conductor from a string of insulators of a transmission tower, the anti-cascading suspension clamp comprising a stir-up part having an upper end adapted for pivotal connection to a string of insulators and a closed lower end through which the overhead conductor extends, a clamping part received between opposed sides of said stirrup part and above said closed lower end thereof, said clamping part being adapted to clamp onto the overhead conductor, and a calibrated releasable connection between said stirrup part and said clamping part for longitudinally releasing said clamping part from said stirrup part whenever a predetermined excessive longitudinal force is exerted by the overhead conductor, thereby preventing damage to the tower and the insulator, said closed lower end of said stirrup part holding the conductor together with the clamping part suspended once the clamping part has been released from the stirrup part.
11. An anti-cascading suspension clamp as defined in claim 10, wherein said releasable connection includes at least one frangible member extending transversally of said stirrup and clamping parts.
12. An anti-cascading suspension clamp as defined in claim 11, wherein said at least one frangible member includes a pair of shear pins extending laterally outwardly from opposed sides of said clamping part.
13. An anti-cascading suspension clamp as defined in claim 12, wherein said shear pins have respective outer ends received in hollow swivel pins, and wherein said stirrup part has an upper portion articulated to a closed lower portion by means of said swivel pins.
14. An anti-cascading suspension clamp as defined in claim 10, wherein said releasable connection includes a link connected at a first end thereof to said clamping part via a transversally extending shear pin and at a second end thereof to said stirrup part via a transversally extending axle.