Seat belt system

• US 20050263990A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clute, Gunter K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/026 at least two ends of the belt being retractable after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/343 with electrically actuated locking means B60R22/3405 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat belt system for motor vehicle applications incorporating a dual retractor restraint system with a portion of the seat belt webbing having a locally thick segment such as an inflatable seat belt portion. The dual retractors include electrically controlled actuating clutching mechanisms which operate to maintain the inflatable belt portion in a desired position relative to the upper torso of the seat occupant without requiring the inflatable belt portion to pass through the system D-ring or latch tongue or a high mounted retractor. When the occupant is donning the belt, the shoulder retractor is locked and the webbing is extracted from the lap retractor. Once the tongue is latched into the latch plate, the lap retractor is locked and movement of the occupant is permitted by allowing extraction of webbing from the shoulder retractor.

Claims

1. A seat belt system for a motor vehicle for restraining an occupant in a seat comprising:

seat belt webbing,

a shoulder retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a shoulder belt section of the webbing for engaging the upper torso of the occupant,

a lap retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a lap belt section of the webbing for engaging the lower torso of the occupant,

a tongue engaging the seat belt webbing and slidable along the seat belt webbing,

a buckle engageable with the tongue to secure the seat belt webbing across the occupant,

a thick belt section affixed to the seat belt webbing shoulder belt, and

a controller for selectively controlling the shoulder retractor and the lap retractor to position the thick belt section at the upper torso of the occupant.

2. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thick belt section is an inflatable belt section.

3. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a D-ring positioned on the belt webbing between the shoulder retractor and the tongue for positioning and guiding the webbing between the shoulder retractor and the tongue.

4. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the shoulder retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode, the locked and unlocked modes being controlled by a shoulder retractor control signal from the controller.

5. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the lap retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode, the locked and unlocked modes being controlled by a lap retractor control signal from the controller.

6. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an occupant presence control signal coupled with the controller which is related to the presence or absence of the occupant in the seat.

7. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the buckle producing a latching signal coupled with the controller which is related to the state of the buckle being latched with the tongue or unlatched from the tongue.

8. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the thick belt section being dimensioned to prevent it from passing through the tongue.

9. A seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the lap and shoulder retractors each having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode, the locked and unlocked modes being controlled by a lap retractor control signal and a shoulder retractor control signal from the controller, and the buckle producing a latching signal coupled with the controller which is related to the state of the buckle being latched with the tongue or unlatched from the tongue, wherein when the occupant is in the seat and extending the belt system with the tongue disengaged with the buckle, the shoulder retractor is locked and the lap retractor is unlatched, allowing extraction of the webbing from the lap retractor, and when the occupant is in the seat and the tongue is engaged with the buckle, the controller locking the lap retractor and the shoulder retractor is unlocked, allowing extraction of the webbing from the shoulder retractor.

10. An inflatable seat belt system for a motor vehicle for restraining an occupant in a seat comprising:

seat belt webbing,

a shoulder retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a shoulder belt section of the webbing for engaging the upper torso of the occupant, the shoulder retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode,

a lap retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a lap belt section of the webbing for engaging the lower torso of the occupant, the lap retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode,

a tongue engaging the seat belt webbing and slidable along the seat belt webbing,

a buckle engageable with the tongue to secure the seat belt webbing across the occupant, the buckle producing a latching signal coupled with the controller which is related to the state of the buckle being latched with the tongue or unlatched from the tongue,

an inflatable belt section affixed to the seat belt webbing shoulder belt section, and

a controller for selectively controlling the shoulder retractor and the lap retractor by providing control signal for the clutches of the shoulder retractor and the lap retractor based upon the presence of the occupant in the seat and the buckle latching signal to position the inflatable belt section at the upper torso of the occupant.

11. An inflatable seat belt system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a D-ring positioned on the belt between the shoulder retractor and the tongue for positioning and guiding the webbing between the shoulder retractor and the tongue.

12. An inflatable seat belt system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising an occupant presence control signal coupled with the controller which is related to the presence or absence of the occupant in the seat.

13. An inflatable seat belt system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising the inflatable belt section being dimensioned to prevent it from passing through the tongue.

14. An inflatable seat belt system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising the locked and unlocked modes of the retractors being controlled by a lap retractor control signal from the controller, wherein when the occupant is in the seat and extending the belt system with the tongue disengaged with the buckle the shoulder retractor is locked and the lap retractor is unlocked, allowing extraction of the webbing from the lap retractor, and when the occupant is in the seat and the tongue is engaged with the buckle, the controller locking the lap retractor and the shoulder retractor is unlocked, allowing extraction of the webbing from the shoulder retractor.

15. A method of controlling an inflatable seat belt system for a motor vehicle for restraining an occupant in a seat comprising the steps of:

providing a seat belt webbing,

providing a shoulder retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a shoulder belt section of the webbing for engaging the upper torso of the occupant, the shoulder retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode,

providing a lap retractor engaging an end of the webbing adjacent a lap belt section of the webbing for engaging the lower torso of the occupant, the lap retractor having a controllable clutch for selectively allowing extension and retraction of the webbing in an unlocked mode and restricting extraction of the webbing in a locked mode,

providing a tongue engaging the seat belt webbing and slidable along the seat belt webbing,

providing a buckle engageable with the tongue to secure the seat belt webbing across the occupant, the buckle producing a latching signal coupled with the controller which is related to the state of the buckle being latched with the tongue or unlatched from the tongue,

providing an inflatable belt section affixed to the seat belt webbing shoulder belt section and having a length selected to encompass the upper torso of the occupant, and

controlling the shoulder retractor and the lap retractor by providing control signal for the clutches of the shoulder retractor and the lap retractor based upon the presence of the occupant in the seat and the buckle latching signal to position the inflatable belt section at the upper torso region of the occupant.

16. The method of controlling in accordance with claim 15 wherein the controlling step includes the locked and unlocked modes of the retractors being controlled by a lap retractor control signal from the controller, wherein when the occupant is in the seat and extending the belt system with the tongue disengaged with the buckle the shoulder retractor is locked and the lap retractor is unlocked, allowing extraction of the webbing from the lap retractor, and when the occupant is in the seat and the tongue is engaged with the buckle, the controller locking the lap retractor and the shoulder retractor is unlocked, allowing extraction of the webbing from the shoulder retractor.