Device for determining the load on a vehicle occupant

• US 20030094326A1
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Specht, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 6,786,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4676 comprising energy-absorbing means operating between belt reel and retractor frame

Abstract

A method and vehicle occupant restraint system for a motor vehicle, in which the webbing movement of a seat belt wound on a belt reel 1 caused by the body of the belted-in vehicle occupant is scanned and corresponding measurement data are fed to an evaluating device 3, wherein measurement data relating to the rotating movement of a rotor 2, in particular the electric motor rotor, which serves in tightening the seat belt webbing, may additionally be fed to this evaluating device 3.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system for a vehicle comprising a seat belt retractor for a seat belt, a belt tightener drive, the drive moment of which may be transmitted by a rotor to the belt reel of the seat belt retractor, wherein a torque transmission device exhibiting a given damping behavior transmits the drive moment to the belt reel and a rotational angle sensor supplies an electrical signal corresponding to a rotational angle of the belt reel to an evaluating device that determines from the electrical signal and the damping behavior a force acting upon torque transmission between the seat belt and a belted-in vehicle occupant.

2. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1, wherein an adjusting device for a belt force limiter is triggered as a function of the determined force.

3. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1, wherein a first rotational angle sensor for scanning the rotational angle of the belt reel and a second rotational angle sensor for scanning a rotational angle of the rotor are provided, wherein the measurement data from the two rotational angle sensors are supplied to an evaluating device, which performs a diagnosis of the operation of the seat belt retractor by evaluating the measurement data supplied by the rotational angle sensors.

4. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 2, wherein a first rotational angle sensor for scanning the rotational angle of the belt reel and a second rotational angle sensor for scanning a rotational angle of the rotor are provided, wherein the measurement data from the two rotational angle sensors are supplied to an evaluating device, which performs a diagnosis of the operation of the seat belt retractor by evaluating the measurement data supplied by the rotational angle sensors.

5. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1, wherein the torque transmission device may be switched to a particular transmission mode as a function of the diagnosis result.

6. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 2, wherein the torque transmission device may be switched to a particular transmission mode as a function of the diagnosis result.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 3, wherein the torque transmission device may be switched to a particular transmission mode as a function of the diagnosis result.

8. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 4, wherein the torque transmission device may be switched to a particular transmission mode as a function of the diagnosis result.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 2, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

11. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 3, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

12. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 4, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

13. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 5, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

14. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 6, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

15. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 7, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.

16. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 8, wherein the rotor is the rotor of an electric motor comprising the belt tightener drive.