Seat belt apparatus and vehicle

• US 20070046015A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koji, Inuzuka, Koji
• Application Number:
  US11/509,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/3424 Multi-spool or multi-belt retractors
• 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 apparatus can comprises a seat belt, a first winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the first end side of the seat belt, a second winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the second end side of the seat belt. The first and second winding-up mechanism are configured to operate such that after a buckle release, a first portion of the seat belt is first wound up and a second portion of the seat belt is then wound up.

Claims

1. A seat belt apparatus comprising:

a seat belt having a first end side and second end side;

a first winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the first end side of the seat belt;

a second winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the second end side of the seat belt;

a tongue; and

a buckle for engaging the tongue,

wherein the first winding-up mechanism and the second winding-up mechanism are configured to operate such that, after a buckle release, a first portion of the seat belt is first wound up and a second portion of the seat belt is then wound up.

2. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a deflection fitting, wherein the seat belt extends from the first winding-up mechanism through the deflection fitting and further extends to the second winding-up mechanism through the tongue.

3. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat belt extends from the first winding-up mechanism through the tongue to the second winding-up mechanism.

4. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the seat belt comprises a shoulder belt portion located between the first winding-up mechanism and the tongue and a lap belt portion located between the tongue and the second winding-up mechanism when the tongue is latched to the buckle.

5. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first portion of the seat belt is first wound up is the lap belt portion and the second portion of the seat belt then wound up is the shoulder belt portion.

6. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first winding-up mechanism is configured to apply a first winding-up force to a first spool for winding up the seat belt, and

wherein the second winding-up mechanism comprises a return spring for applying a second winding-up force to a second spool for winding up said seat belt.

7. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first winding-up mechanism comprises another return spring for applying the first winding-up force to the first spool for winding up the seat belt.

8. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first winding-up mechanism further comprises an electric motor for applying a third winding-up force to the first spool for winding up the seat belt when the motor is driven,

wherein the second winding-up force applied to the seat belt is set to be larger than the first winding-up force and to be smaller than a sum of the first and third winding-up forces.

9. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a controller configured to wind up the first portion onto the second spool of the second winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the first winding-up mechanism to not be driven and to wind up the second belt portion onto the first spool of the first winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the first winding-up mechanism to be driven.

10. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second winding-up mechanism further comprises an electric motor for applying a third winding-up force to the second spool for winding up the seat belt when the motor is driven,

the first winding-up force applied to the seat belt is set to be larger than the second winding-up force and to be smaller than a sum of the second and third winding-up forces.

11. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to wind up the first belt portion onto said second spool of said second winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the second winding-up mechanism to be driven and to wind up said second belt portion onto the first spool of said first winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the second winding-up mechanism to not be driven.

12. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first winding-up mechanism comprises an electric motor for applying the first winding-up force to the first spool for winding up said seat belt.

13. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second winding-up force applied to the seat belt is set to be smaller than the first winding-up force by said electric motor when driven.

14. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to wind up the first belt portion onto the second spool of the second winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the first winding-up mechanism to not be driven and to wind up the second belt portion onto the first spool of the first winding-up mechanism by controlling the electric motor of the first winding-up mechanism to be driven.

15. The seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first winding-up mechanism comprises an electric motor for applying a winding-up force to the first spool for winding up said seat belt, and

wherein the second winding-up mechanism is configured to apply another winding-up force to a second spool for winding up said seat belt.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a running system including an engine;

an electrical system;

a drive control device for performing the drive control of the running system and the electrical system; and

a seat belt apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, wherein the seat belt apparatus comprises;

a seat belt having a first end side and second end side;

a first winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the first end side of the seat belt;

a second winding-up mechanism for winding up the seat belt from the second end side of the seat belt;

a tongue; and

a buckle for engaging the tongue,

wherein the first winding-up mechanism and the second winding-up mechanism are configured to operate such that, after a buckle release, a first portion of the seat belt is first wound up and a second portion of the seat belt is then wound up.