Seatbelt retracting method
First Claim
1. A seatbelt system, comprising:
- a seatbelt with a buckle and a tongue;
a retractor with a motor configured to retract the seatbelt; and
a controller configured to control the motor, wherein the retractor is configured to retract an entire quantity of the seatbelt even when the seatbelt is unintentionally engaged and stops retracting, wherein the motor is configured to stop a retracting operation when a load of the motor (except for an accelerating load) reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, wherein when a time from which the motor starts retraction, due to disengagement between the buckle and the tongue of the seat belt, until the motor stops retraction for the first time is equal to or exceeds a first predetermined value, a state of stopped retraction is maintained, and wherein when the time from which the motor starts retraction until it stops for the first time is smaller than the first predetermined value, the retracting operation starts again every time when the retracting operation is stopped until a total time of the retracting operation carried out by the motor reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seatbelt retracting method can retract the entire quantity of a seatbelt even when the seatbelt is unintentionally engaged with something during retraction of the seatbelt. When a time from engagement between a buckle and a tongue of the seatbelt is released and a motor starts retraction until it stops for a first time is equal to or exceeds a first predetermined value, a state in which retraction is stopped is maintained, and when the time from the motor starts retraction until it stops for the first time is smaller than the first predetermined value, the retracting operation is restarted every time when the retracting operation is stopped until a total time of retracting operation carried by the motor reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value.
28 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A seatbelt system, comprising:
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a seatbelt with a buckle and a tongue;
a retractor with a motor configured to retract the seatbelt; and
a controller configured to control the motor, wherein the retractor is configured to retract an entire quantity of the seatbelt even when the seatbelt is unintentionally engaged and stops retracting, wherein the motor is configured to stop a retracting operation when a load of the motor (except for an accelerating load) reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, wherein when a time from which the motor starts retraction, due to disengagement between the buckle and the tongue of the seat belt, until the motor stops retraction for the first time is equal to or exceeds a first predetermined value, a state of stopped retraction is maintained, and wherein when the time from which the motor starts retraction until it stops for the first time is smaller than the first predetermined value, the retracting operation starts again every time when the retracting operation is stopped until a total time of the retracting operation carried out by the motor reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A seatbelt retracting method in a seatbelt retracting apparatus comprising:
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retracting a seatbelt by a motor, and stopping a retracting operation when a load of the motor (except for an accelerating load) reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, wherein when a time from which the motor starts retraction, due to disengagement between a buckle and a tongue of the seat belt, until the motor stops retraction for the first time is equal to or exceeds a first predetermined value, a state of stopped retraction is maintained, and wherein when the time from which the motor starts retraction until it stops for the first time is smaller than the first predetermined value, the retracting operation starts again every time when the retracting operation is stopped until a total time of the retracting operation carried out by the motor reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A seatbelt retracting method, comprising:
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(a) determining if a seatbelt buckle and tongue are released;
(b) retracting a seatbelt;
(c) stopping retraction of the seatbelt for a first time;
(d) determining a retraction position of seatbelt by determining elapsed time between steps (b) and (c); and
(e) stopping retraction operation if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a first predetermined time value or restarting retraction to continue retracting the seatbelt if the elapsed time is less than the first predetermined time value. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification