Front seatbelt system for vehicle

• US 20030217882A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakao, Hiroaki, Sakakida, Masafumi, Murai, Takeshi, Yamachi, Ippei, Nishikaji, Satoshi, Yoshikawa, Kazuhiko, Sone, Akira, Kosaka, Masanobu
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/41 with additional means for preventing locking during unwinding under predetermined conditions

Abstract

A seatbelt system for a front seat of a vehicle having such a double door that a front door (2) and a rear door (3) open outwardly forward and rearward, respectively, to form an uninterrupted doorway (14) to a passenger compartment (A) and the front door (2) overlaps the rear door from the outside so as to allow the rear door (3) to open and close while the front door is open comprises a retractor (28) installed in the rear door (3) and retracting a seatbelt (27) therein, a seatbelt lock mechanism (37) operative to lock the seatbelt (27) when the seatbelt (27) attains a predetermined acceleration, and a lock canceling mechanism (38) operative to put the seatbelt lock mechanism (37) inoperative when activated, The seatbelt system activates the lock canceling mechanism (38) to put the seatbelt lock mechanism (37) inoperative when the seatbelt (27) is unbuckled while the front door and/or the rear door is open or not properly closed and deactivates the lock canceling mechanism (38) to put the seatbelt lock mechanism (37) operative when the seatbelt (27) is buckled up while the front door and/or the rear door is open or not properly closed.

Claims

1. A front seatbelt system for a front seat of a vehicle equipped with a double door construction in which a front door and a rear door overlapped by an rear end of the front door from the outside of the vehicle open outwardly forward and rearward, respectively, to form a single uninterrupted doorway opening to a passenger compartment of the vehicle and the front door allows the rear door to open and close while the front door is open, said front seatbelt system comprising:

a retractor installed in the rear door and retracting a seatbelt therein;

seatbelt lock means for locking said seatbelt being drawn out from said retractor when said seatbelt attains a predetermined acceleration;

lock canceling means for putting said seatbelt lock means inoperative when activated;

door detection means for detecting whether at least either one of the front and rear doors is open;

seatbelt detection means for detecting whether said seatbelt is unbuckled; and

control means for activating said lock canceling means to put said seatbelt lock means inoperative when said seatbelt detection means detects said seatbelt that is unbuckled while said door detection means detects at least either one of the front and rear doors that is open and deactivating said lock canceling means to put said seatbelt lock means operative when said seatbelt detection means detects said seatbelt that is buckled up while said door detection means detects at least either one of the front and rear doors that is open.

2. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means activate said lock canceling means to put said seatbelt lock means inoperative when a vehicle sped sensor detects a vehicle speed lower than a predetermined speed.

3. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 2, wherein said lock canceling means comprises electrically operated means and said control means excites said electrically operated means to put said seatbelt lock means inoperative and releases said electrically operated means to put said seatbelt lock means operative.

4. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 3, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited while an engine speed sensor detects an engine speed higher than said predetermined speed.

5. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 3, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited while a battery voltage sensor detects a battery voltage higher than a predetermined voltage (E₀).

6. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 3, wherein said control means releases said electrically operated means after a lapse of said predetermined time from a point of time at which said electrically operated means is excited.

7. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 6, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited still after a lapse of said predetermined time while an engine speed sensor detects an engine speed higher than said predetermined speed.

8. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 6, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited still after a lapse of said predetermined time while a battery voltage sensor detects a battery voltage higher than a predetermined voltage (E₀).

9. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein said lock canceling means comprises electrically operated means and said control means excites said electrically operated means to put said seatbelt lock means inoperative and releases said electrically operated means to put said seatbelt lock means operative.

10. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 9, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited while an engine speed sensor detects an engine speed higher than said predetermined speed.

11. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 9, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited while a battery voltage sensor detects a battery voltage higher than a predetermined voltage (E₀).

12. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 9, wherein said control means releases said electrically operated means after a lapse of said predetermined time from a point of time at which exciting said electrically operated means.

13. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 12, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited still after a lapse of said predetermined time while an engine speed sensor detects an engine speed higher than a predetermined speed.

14. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 12, wherein said control means keeps said electrically operated means excited still after a lapse of a predetermined time while a battery voltage sensor detects a battery voltage higher than a predetermined voltage (E₀).

15. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means deactivate said lock canceling means to put said seatbelt lock means operative when a vehicle speed sensor detects a vehicle speed higher than a predetermined speed even when said seatbelt detection means detects said seatbelt that is unbuckled while said door detection means detects at least either one of the front and rear doors that is open.

16. A front seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein said lock canceling means comprises an electrically operated means disposed in an electric power supply means, said door switch means comprises door switches disposed in series to said electrically operated means in said electric power supply means and operative to trigger electric power supply to said electrically operated means when at least either one of the front and rear doors is open, and seatbelt switch means comprises a buckle switch disposed in series to said electrically operated means and said door switch means in said electric power supply means and operative to close said electric power supply means when said seatbelt is unbuckled and to break said electric power supply means when said seatbelt is buckled up, said electric power supply means interrupting said electric power supply to said electrically operated means after a lapse of said predetermined time from a point of time at which said electric power supply is triggered.