Safety belt, notably for aircraft seat

• US 10,464,678 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Seats Co.
• Original Assignee: Safran Seats
• Inventors: Brunaux, Yannick, Gill, Alison
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US15/747,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20180208318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 3404571, 3405391, 34053911, 34053913
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/485 for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats

Abstract

A safety belt is intended to be installed on an aircraft seat and includes a first part and a second part which are able to be joined together by means of a buckle to hold the passenger on the seat. The safety belt may also include a status detection system able to transmit information relating to the fastening status of the safety belt, a presence detection system able to transmit information relating to the presence of a passenger wearing the safety belt, and/or a communications module, notably wireless, able to transmit information relating to the fastening of the safety belt and/or to the presence of a passenger wearing the safety belt.

Claims

1. A safety belt to be installed on an aircraft seat, comprising a first part and a second part that can be attached to one another by means of a locking buckle to retain a passenger on the seat, the safety belt further comprising at least one of:

a state detection system, capable of transmitting an item of information relating to a locking state of the safety belt;

a presence detection system comprising at least one sensor, wherein the presence detection system is capable of transmitting an item of information relating to the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt; and

a wireless communication module capable of transmitting an item of information relating to at least one of the locking of the safety belt and the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt,

wherein an electrical resistance of the at least one sensor varies as a function of a curvature of at least one of the first part and the second part of the safety belt.

2. The safety belt of claim 1, comprising a power source so as to be electrically autonomous.

3. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein at least one of the state detection system for detecting the locking state of the safety belt, the presence detection system, and the wireless communication module are fitted in at least one of the first part, the second part of the safety belt, and inside the locking buckle of the safety belt.

4. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the presence detection system is configured to be switched on after the detection of the locking of the safety belt.

5. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned in a space provided in a weave of at least one of the first part and the second part of the safety belt.

6. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated into at least one of the first part and the second part of the safety belt.

7. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor extends over a distance of between 30% and 100% of a total length of at least one of the first part and the second part of the safety belt.

8. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is made of a piezoresistive material.

9. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the presence detection system comprises a transmitter and a receiver fitted, respectively, in the first part and/or the second part of the safety belt to generate an electric field.

10. The safety belt of claim 9, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are located at the ends of the safety belt.

11. The safety belt of claim 10, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are located at a distance of between 5 cm and 20 cm from fastening interfaces for fastening the safety belt to a seat structure.

12. The safety belt of claim 9, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are positioned in a space provided in a weave of at least one of the first part and the second part of the safety belt.

13. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the presence detection system comprises at least one accelerometer.

14. The safety belt of claim 13, wherein the accelerometer is integrated into the locking buckle.

15. The safety belt of claim 13, wherein the presence detection system comprises a module for comparing signals transmitted by the accelerometer for a free seat, a seat on which an object is placed, and a seat occupied by a passenger, from which an inherent vibration signature of the aircraft in operation has previously been subtracted.

16. The safety belt of claim 13, wherein the accelerometer is coupled to a rate gyroscope for the additional measurement of an angle formed between the locking buckle and at least one of a seat cushion of the seat and a horizontal reference frame.

17. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the presence detection system comprises a transmitter and a receiver fitted in the locking buckle, the receiver being capable of receiving a magnetic field reflected by a back of the seat, which is made of a metal material.

18. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is a low-consumption module incorporating a power management strategy for switching various components of the wireless communication module on and off so as to minimize its power consumption.

19. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module forms part of a mesh network.

20. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the locking buckle comprises a male element and a female element, and in that the state detection system of the safety belt comprises:

a receiving member arranged in the male element or the female element, respectively, of the locking buckle; and

a transmitting member arranged in the female element or the male element, respectively, of the locking buckle.

21. The safety belt of claim 20, wherein the transmitting member is an RFID chip.

22. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the state detection system comprises a magnetic switch.

23. The safety belt of claim 22, wherein the magnetic switch comprises:

a magnet integrated into a male element or a female element, respectively, of the locking buckle; and

a contactor integrated into the female element or the male element, respectively, of the locking buckle.

24. A safety belt to be installed on an aircraft seat, comprising a first part and a second part that can be attached to one another by means of a locking buckle to retain a passenger on the seat, the safety belt further comprising at least one of:

a state detection system, capable of transmitting an item of information relating to a locking state of the safety belt;

a presence detection system capable of transmitting an item of information relating to the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt; and

a wireless communication module capable of transmitting an item of information relating to at least one of the locking of the safety belt and the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt,

wherein the presence detection system comprises a transmitter and a receiver fitted, respectively, in the first part and/or the second part of the safety belt to generate an electric field.

25. A safety belt to be installed on an aircraft seat, comprising a first part and a second part that can be attached to one another by means of a locking buckle to retain a passenger on the seat, the safety belt further comprising at least one of:

a state detection system, capable of transmitting an item of information relating to a locking state of the safety belt;

a presence detection system capable of transmitting an item of information relating to the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt; and

a wireless communication module capable of transmitting an item of information relating to at least one of the locking of the safety belt and the presence of a passenger encircled by the safety belt,

wherein the presence detection system comprises at least one accelerometer.