Seat belt apparatus

• US 20070084955A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koji, Takao, Masato, Inuzuka, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/374
• 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 seat belt retractor is provided that comprises an electric motor; a spool operatively associated with the electric motor for winding and unwinding a seat belt for occupant restraint; and a controller. The controller can be configured to control a drive of the electric motor based on a seat belt storage starting condition defined by information about a state of the seat belt relative to a vehicle occupant and information about a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt. The controller can be configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt when the seat belt storage starting condition is satisfied and to temporarily stop the rotation of the spool for a time period when a seat belt load acting on the seat belt exceeds a predetermined amount. The time period can be set according to a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition.

Claims

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

an electric motor;

a spool operatively associated with the electric motor for winding and unwinding a seat belt for occupant restraint; and

a controller configured to control a drive of the electric motor based on a seat belt storage starting condition defined by information about a state of the seat belt relative to a vehicle occupant and information about a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt when the seat belt storage starting condition is satisfied and to temporarily stop the rotation of the spool for a time period when a seat belt load acting on the seat belt exceeds a predetermined amount, and wherein the time period is set according to a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition.

2. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt and to set the time period to a first stoppage time period in a case of a first satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is in an open state when a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled.

3. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt and to set the time period to a second time period longer than the first time period in a case of a second satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is in a closed state when the wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled.

4. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the time period to be longer than a reference stoppage time period in a case of a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is closed.

5. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the time period to be shorter than a reference stoppage time period in a case of a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is open.

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

a seat belt for occupant restraint of a vehicle occupant;

an electric motor;

a spool for winding and unwinding the seat belt in association with a drive of the electric motor;

a controller for controlling the drive of the electric motor;

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

a tongue attached to the seat belt and for latching to the seat belt buckle when the seat belt is worn,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor based on a seat belt storage starting condition defined by information about a state of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant and information about a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt when the seat belt storage starting condition is satisfied and to temporarily stop the rotation of the spool for a time period when a seat belt load acting on the seat belt exceeds a predetermined amount, and wherein the time period is set according to a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition.

7. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising

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

a current detection sensor for detecting a current value of the electric motor.

8. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt and to set the time period to a first stoppage time period in a case of a first satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is in an open state when a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled.

9. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt and to set the time period to a second time period longer than the first time period in a case of a second satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is in a closed state when the wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled.

10. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to set the time period to be longer than a reference stoppage time in a case of a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is closed.

11. A seat belt apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to set the time period to be shorter than a reference stoppage time in a case of a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition where a wearing of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant is cancelled when the vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt is open.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a seat belt apparatus comprising;

a seat belt for occupant restraint of a vehicle occupant;

an electric motor;

a spool for winding and unwinding the seat belt in association with a drive of the electric motor;

a controller for controlling the drive of the electric motor;

a seat belt buckle fixed to the vehicle; and

a tongue attached to the seat belt and for latching to the seat belt buckle when the seat belt is worn,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor based on a seat belt storage starting condition defined by information about a state of the seat belt relative to the vehicle occupant and information about a state of a vehicle door corresponding to the seat belt,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive of the electric motor to rotate the spool to wind up the seat belt when the seat belt storage starting condition is satisfied and to temporarily stop the rotation of the spool for a time period when a seat belt load acting on the seat belt exceeds a predetermined amount, and wherein the time period is set according to a satisfaction pattern of the seat belt storage starting condition.