Seat belt retractor and seat belt apparatus

• US 20060289219A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/02 Semi-passive restraint systems, e.g. systems applied or removed automatically but not both ; Manual restraint systems knee, leg or head belts B60R22/001; devices for releasing in an emergency, remote or automatic unbuckling devices B60R22/32
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/03 Means for presenting the belt or part thereof to the wearer , e.g. foot-operated

Abstract

The disclosed seat belt retractor and seat belt apparatus may comprise: an electric motor; a spool that is capable of winding and unwinding a seat belt for occupant restraint in association with the driving of the electric motor; and a controller for controlling the electric motor. A starting condition can be defined by the state of the seat belt relative to a vehicle occupant and the state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt and, in cases where a starting condition is satisfied, the controller can be configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction such that the motor output of the electric motor is varied according to a satisfaction pattern of the starting condition.

Claims

1. A seat belt retractor to be installed in a vehicle comprising:

an electric motor;

a spool capable of winding and unwinding a seat belt for occupant restraint in association with a driving of the electric motor; and

a controller for controlling the electric motor,

wherein a starting condition is defined by a state of the seat belt relative to a vehicle occupant and a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt,

wherein, in cases where the starting condition is satisfied, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in a belt winding direction such that a motor output of the electric motor is varied according to a satisfaction pattern of the starting condition.

2. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern comprises a wearing of the seat belt on the vehicle occupant being cancelled, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction such that the motor output of the electric motor is varied according to the state of the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt.

3. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt being in a closed state when a wearing of the seat belt is cancelled, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction with a first motor output in response to the first satisfaction pattern.

4. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 3, wherein a second satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt being in an open state when the wearing of the seat belt is cancelled, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction with a second motor output larger than the first motor output in response to the second satisfaction pattern.

5. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the wearing of the seat belt being cancelled when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is changed from a closed state to an open state, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction.

6. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the seat belt being worn when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is changed from a closed state to an open state, the controller is configured to control the electric motor not to rotate.

7. A seat belt apparatus to be installed in a vehicle comprising:

a seat belt for occupant restraint adapted to be worn by a vehicle occupant;

an electric motor;

a spool capable of winding and unwinding the seat belt in association with a driving of the electric motor;

a controller for controlling the electric motor;

a seat belt buckle adapted to be fixed to the vehicle;

a tongue attached to the seat belt and is latched to the seat belt buckle when the seat belt is worn; and

a detection sensor for detecting that the tongue is latched to the seat belt buckle,

wherein a starting condition is defined by a state of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant and a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt,

wherein in cases where the starting condition is satisfied, the controller is configured to determine whether or not the seat belt is worn by a vehicle occupant based on information detected by the detection sensor, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction such that the motor output of the electric motor is varied according to a satisfaction pattern of the starting condition.

8. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises a wearing of the seat belt being cancelled, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction such that the motor output of the electric motor is varied according to the state of the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt.

9. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein a first satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt being in a closed state when it is determined that the wearing of the seat belt is cancelled based on information detected by the detection sensor, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction with a first motor output in response to the first satisfaction pattern.

10. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a second satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt being in an open state when it is determined that the wearing of the seat belt is cancelled based on information detected by the detection sensor, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction with a second motor output larger than the first motor output in response to the second satisfaction pattern.

11. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the determination that the wearing of the seat belt is cancelled based on information detected by the detection sensor when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is changed from a closed state to an open state, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction.

12. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the determination that the seat belt is worn based on information detected by the detection sensor when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is changed from a closed state to an open state, the controller is configured to control the electric motor not to rotate.

13. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a contact sensor for determining the state of the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt.

14. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the contact sensor comprises a first contact adapted to be placed on the vehicle door and a second contact adapted to be placed on a vehicle pillar.

15. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a transmission mechanism disposed between the spool and the electric motor, wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to selectively achieve a connected state where the electric motor and the spool are connected and a disconnected state where the connected state is cancelled.

16. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein, when the satisfaction pattern of the starting condition comprises the seat belt being worn when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is changed from a closed state to an open state, the controller is configured to have the transmission in the disconnected state.

17. A vehicle with a seat belt apparatus comprising:

a seat belt apparatus comprising a seat belt retractor, wherein the seat belt retractor comprises;

an electric motor;

a spool capable of winding and unwinding a seat belt for occupant restraint in association with a driving of the electric motor; and

a controller for controlling the electric motor,

wherein a starting condition is defined by a state of the seat belt relative to a vehicle occupant and a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt,

wherein in cases where a starting condition is satisfied, the controller is configured to control the electric motor to rotate in the belt winding direction such that the motor output of the electric motor is varied according to a satisfaction pattern of the starting condition,

wherein the seat belt apparatus is accommodated in an accommodating space in the vehicle.