Seat belt apparatus

• US 20050205330A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Higashiyama, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,438,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• 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 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches

Abstract

A seat belt apparatus has a seat belt, a retracting device for the seat belt, a clash predicting means for outputting a clash predicting signal, a control unit for operating the retracting device when it receives the clash predicting signal, and a switching means for prohibiting the operation of the retracting device when the switching means is manually operated to an OFF state. As a result, unpleasant feeling to a vehicle occupant can be reduced.

Claims

1. A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a seat belt to be fastened to a vehicle seat for tightly holding an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat;

a retracting device for retracting the seat belt;

a clash predicting means for outputting a clash predicting signal; and

a control unit for operating the retracting device when it receives the clash predicting signal, so that the seat belt is retracted,

wherein the seat belt apparatus further comprises;

an OFF switch provided in a passenger room of the vehicle for prohibiting the operation of the retracting device when it is turned on.

2. A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a seat belt to be fastened to a vehicle seat for tightly holding an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat;

a retracting device for retracting the seat belt;

a clash predicting means for outputting a clash predicting signal; and

a control unit for operating the retracting device when it receives the clash predicting signal, so that the seat belt is retracted,

wherein the seat belt apparatus further comprises;

a child seat detecting means for outputting a child seat detecting signal to the control unit, when it detects that a child seat is mounted to a vehicle seat, and

wherein the retracting device retracts the seat belt, when the child seat detecting signal is inputted into the control unit, at a lower retracting force than that in the case that no child seat detecting signal is inputted into the control unit

3. A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a seat belt to be fastened to a vehicle seat for tightly holding an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat;

a retracting device for retracting the seat belt;

multiple clash predicting means for outputting respective clash predicting signals; and

a control unit for operating the retracting device when it receives at least one of the clash predicting signals, so that the seat belt is retracted,

wherein the seat belt apparatus further comprises;

an OFF switch provided in a passenger room of the vehicle for outputting an OFF signal to prohibit the operation of the retracting device when it is turned on,

and wherein the control unit operates the retracting device in the case that the clash predicting signals from the multiple clash predicting means are inputted to the control unit even when the OFF signal is outputted from the OFF switch.

4. A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a seat belt to be fastened to a vehicle seat for tightly holding an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat;

a retracting device for retracting the seat belt;

multiple clash predicting means for outputting respective clash predicting signals; and

a control unit for operating the retracting device when it receives at least one of the clash predicting signals, so that the seat belt is retracted,

wherein the seat belt apparatus further comprises;

a child seat detecting means for outputting a child seat detecting signal to the control unit, when it detects that a child seat is mounted to a vehicle seat, and

wherein the retracting device retracts the seat belt, when the child seat detecting signal is inputted into the control unit, at a lower retracting force than that in the case that no child seat detecting signal is inputted into the control unit, and

wherein the retracting device retracts the seat belt at a normal retracting force, in the case that the clash predicting signals from the multiple clash predicting means are inputted to the control unit even when the child seat detecting signal is outputted from the child seat detecting means.