Motorized adjustment of seat belt anchor position

• US 20040155450A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Monroe, Keith V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,869,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/025 Adaptations for use with children seats or luggages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/208 by automatic or remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for adjusting the position of a movable seat belt through the use of a motor operatively attached to the movable seat belt anchor, and a controller operatively connected to the motor for providing a motor drive signal to the motor for moving the seat belt anchor. The controller includes a memory for storing one or more desired positions of the anchor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjusting the position of a movable seat belt anchor, the apparatus comprising:

a motor operatively attached to the movable seat belt anchor; and

a controller operatively connected to the motor for providing a motor drive signal to the motor for moving the seat belt anchor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller includes an input element for indicating a positional command to the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the input element is a positioning switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller includes a processing unit operatively connected to the motor, and the input element is operatively connected to the processing unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is further adapted for:

receiving the positional command from the input element; and

sending the motor drive signal to the motor for driving the motor to move the anchor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller further includes a memory for storing a position of the anchor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller is adapted for receiving a present position signal designating the present position of the anchor and storing data representing the position of the anchor in the memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the motor includes an anchor position sensor operatively attached to the anchor and the controller for sensing the present position of the anchor and sending the present position signal to the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the controller is further adapted for storing the data representing the present position of the anchor as a desired position of the anchor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is further adapted for storing a desired position indicator linked to the desired position of the anchor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the input element is adapted for generating a signal including the desired position indicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller is further adapted for:

receiving a desired position signal including the stored desired position indicator; and

sending the motor drive signal to the motor for driving the motor to move the anchor to the desired position corresponding to the stored desired position indicator.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the motor includes an anchor position sensor operatively attached to the anchor and the controller for sensing the present position of the anchor and sending the present position signal to the controller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller compares the present position signal to the desired position signal and terminates the motor drive signal when the present position signal matches the desired position signal for the anchor.

25. The method of claim 2 further comprising storing a desired position of the anchor corresponding to a preferred position of the anchor when the seat belt is restraining a child safety seat.

15. A restraint system for a vehicle seat in a vehicle, the restraint system comprising:

a seat belt anchor movably mounted to the vehicle; and

an apparatus having a motor operatively attached to the movable seat belt anchor for adjusting the position of a movable seat belt anchor.

16. The restraint system of claim 15 further comprising a controller operatively connected to the motor for providing a motor drive signal to the motor for moving the seat belt anchor to a desired position.

17. The restraint system of claim 16 wherein the controller includes an input element for sending a signal indicative of the desired position to the controller.

18. The restraint system of claim 17 further comprising a memory for storing a desired position of the anchor.

19. The restraint system of claim 18 wherein the input element generates a signal including an indicator signal designating a desired position of the anchor stored in the memory.

20. The restraint system of claim 19 wherein multiple desired positions are stored in the memory, each associated with a unique indicator signal, and the controller selects the desired position from memory designated by the unique indicator signal.

21. The restraint system of claim 20 wherein the vehicle includes multiple seats, each having a movable anchor driven by a separate motor attached to the controller, and the controller provides a unique motor drive signal to one of the motors for driving the motor to position the movable anchor attached to that motor to the desired position designated by the unique indicator signal.

22. The restraint system of claim 21 further comprising multiple input elements operatively connected to the controller, each input element sending a unique identifier code to the controller designating for which seat in the vehicle the controller is to move the movable anchor.

23. A method for adjusting the position of a movable seat belt anchor in a vehicle, the method comprising:

operatively attaching a motor to the anchor for moving the anchor; and

moving the anchor with the motor.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising storing a desired position of the anchor in a memory and moving the anchor to the desired position stored in memory.