Seat belt apparatus

• US 20060119091A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takao, Masato, Nomura, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/801.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4473 using an electric retraction device combined with a spring B60R2022/444, B60R2022/4466
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/022 with means for facilitating access to rear seats in two-door cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/03 Means for presenting the belt or part thereof to the wearer , e.g. foot-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/22 secured to the vehicle floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/44 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions not included in the retractor B60R22/19; B60R22/3405 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle that allows a vehicle passenger to smoothly get in or out of the vehicle. The seat belt apparatus may be mounted in a vehicle, so that with a turning operation of a turning member, a seat belt front-end of an overall seat belt, that is fixed to the turning member of an out-anchor apparatus, is set at a first setting position close to a vehicle passenger upon wearing the seat belt and at a second setting position remote from the vehicle passenger upon retracting the seat belt.

Claims

1. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a seat belt to be worn by a vehicle passenger sitting in a seat;

a seat belt retractor for retracting and winding off the seat belt;

a guide member guiding the seat belt wound off from the seat belt retractor so as to be deflected downwards in an upper region in a vehicle, located higher than the seat belt retractor;

an anchor member fixing a front-end of the seat belt that is guided by the guide member to a vehicle body side in a lower region in the vehicle, located lower than a seating surface of the seat; and

a driving device for moving the seat belt front-end between a first setting position close to the vehicle passenger and a second setting position remote from the vehicle passenger,

wherein, when the seat belt is worn, the seat belt front-end is set at the first setting position by the driving device, and when the seatbelt is stored, the seat belt front-end is set at the second setting position by the driving device.

2. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a turning mechanism allowing the anchor member to turn towards the front and rear sides of the vehicle about a turning fulcrum.

3. The seat belt apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when the seat belt is worn, the turning mechanism serves as the driving device to turn the anchor member frontward of the vehicle, setting the seat belt front-end at the first setting position, and when the seat belt is stored, the turning mechanism turns the anchor member rearward of the vehicle to set the seat belt front-end at the second position.

4. The seat belt apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an urging device for urging the anchor member frontward of the vehicle.

5. The seat belt apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when the seat belt is worn, the seat belt retractor performs a seat belt winding-off operation to provide slack to the seat belt, allowing the anchor member to turn frontward of the vehicle due to an urging force of the urging device, setting the seat belt front-end at the first setting position, and when the seat belt is stored, the seat belt retractor performs a seat belt retracting operation, causing the anchor member to turn rearward of the vehicle against the urging force of the urging device, setting the seat belt front-end at the second setting position.

6. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat belt retractor is adapted to perform a seat belt winding-off operation when the seat belt is worn, thereby causing the anchor member to move frontward in relation to the vehicle and set the seat belt front-end at the first setting position.

7. The seat belt apparatus of claim 6, wherein the seat belt retractor is adapted to perform a seat belt retracting operation when the seat belt is stored, thereby causing the anchor member to move rearward in relation to the vehicle and set the seat belt front-end at the second setting position.

8. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein seat belt retractor is adapted to perform a seat belt winding-off operation to provide slack to the seat belt when a passenger sits in the seat.

9. The seat belt apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a sensor to detect when a passenger enters the vehicle and/or sits in the seat, and wherein the sensor signals the seat belt retractor to perform the seat belt winding-off operation.

10. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat belt retractor is adapted to perform a seat belt retracting operation to remove slack from the seat belt when the seat belt is worn by the passenger.

11. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat belt retractor is adapted to control the seat belt to maintain the posture of the passenger during a collision.

12. The seat belt apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a control unit adapted to detect a vehicle collision, wherein the control unit signals the seat belt retractor to control the seat belt to maintain the posture of the passenger during the collision.

13. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat belt retractor is adapted to control the seat belt to alert the passenger when the apparatus detects that a driver of the vehicle is not alert.

14. The seat belt apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a control unit adapted to detect that the driver of the vehicle is not alert, wherein the control unit signals the seat belt retractor to control the seat belt to alert the passenger.

15. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sliding mechanism allowing the anchor member to slide in the back and forth direction of the vehicle.

16. The seat belt apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sliding mechanism is configured so that when the seat belt is worn, the sliding mechanism serves as the driving device to slide the anchor member frontward of the vehicle to set the seat belt front-end at the first setting position, and when the seat belt is stored, the sliding mechanism slides the anchor member rearward of the vehicle to set the seat belt front-end at the second setting position.

17. The seat belt apparatus of claim 16, wherein the seat belt retractor is disposed in a region between front and rear seats with respect to the back and forth direction of the vehicle, wherein the first and second setting positions are formed closer to the front side of the vehicle than the seat belt retractor, and a third setting position is further formed closer to the rear side of the vehicle than the seat belt retractor, with the seat belt retractor being interposed between the third setting position and the first and second setting positions.

18. The seat belt apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sliding mechanism allows the anchor member to slide between the first setting position and the third setting position, wherein the second setting position is interposed between the first setting position and the third setting position, and wherein, when a front-seat passenger wears the seatbelt, the seat belt front-end is set at the first setting position, wherein upon storage of the seat belt, the seat belt front-end is set at the second setting position, and when a rear-seat passenger gets in or out of the vehicle, the seat belt front-end is set at the third setting position.

19. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a seat belt to be worn by a vehicle passenger sitting in a seat;

a seat belt retractor for retracting and winding off the seat belt;

an anchor member fixing a first end of the seat belt to a vehicle body side in a lower region in the vehicle, located lower than a seating surface of the seat; and

a driving device for moving the seat belt first end between a first setting position close to the vehicle passenger and a second setting position remote from the vehicle passenger,

wherein, when the seat belt is worn, the seat belt first end is set at the first setting position by the driving device, and when the seatbelt is stored, the seat belt first end is set at the second setting position by the driving device.