Seat belt apparatus

• US 20080054616A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,686,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/805
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4676 comprising energy-absorbing means operating between belt reel and retractor frame

Abstract

A seat belt apparatus is disclosed that includes a rotatable spool connected to the seat belt webbing and at least one variable energy absorbing mechanism connected to an end of the rotatable spool. The variable energy absorbing mechanism may include a chamber configured to be filled with a fluid and a flexible member attached to an outer circumference of the rotatable spool within the chamber.

Claims

1. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a seat belt webbing for occupant restraint;

a rotatable spool connected to the seat belt webbing and rotatably supported by a base frame;

at least one variable energy absorbing mechanism connected to an end of the rotatable spool, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism comprises;

a chamber configured to be filled with a fluid;

a flexible member attached to an outer circumference of the rotatable spool within the chamber; and

a locking mechanism for preventing rotation of the chamber during a crash event.

2. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a constant energy absorbing mechanism connected to the rotatable spool on one end, and configured to be locked in a fixed position by the locking mechanism during a crash event.

3. The seat belt apparatus of claim 2, wherein the constant energy absorbing mechanism is a torsion bar.

4. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible member is a vane.

5. The seat belt apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flexible vane is curved.

6. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible member of the variable energy absorbing mechanism is limited to one or less revolutions of the rotatable spool.

7. The seat belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid within the chamber, and wherein the fluid is hydraulic or rheological.

8. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a rotatable spool; and

a variable energy absorbing mechanism, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism comprises;

a flexible member attached to a circumferential surface of the rotatable spool and disposed inside a chamber filled with fluid,

wherein during a crash event energy is absorbed by drag of the flexible member through the fluid and by deformation of the flexible member.

9. The seat belt apparatus of claim 8, wherein the chamber is filled with hydraulic or rheological fluid.

10. The seat belt apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an interior wall protruding inside the chamber, wherein the interior wall engages with the flexible member and limits rotation of the rotatable spool to one or less revolutions.

11. The seat belt apparatus of claim 8, wherein flexible member is curve-shaped.

12. The seat belt apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a locking mechanism, wherein the chamber is locked in position by the locking mechanism during a crash event.

13. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a variable energy absorbing mechanism configured to adjust a resistant energy absorbing force of a vehicle occupant during a crash event; and

a rotatable spool configured to connect to a seat belt webbing and rotatably supported by a base frame; and

wherein the energy absorbing mechanism may absorb an impact energy against a vehicle occupant.

14. The seat belt apparatus of claim 13, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism uses a hydraulic action to increase or decrease a resistance of the rotatable spool.

15. The seat belt apparatus of claim 13, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism allows a desired length of webbing to unwind in reaction to the impacting energy of the occupant acting on the webbing after a crash event.

16. The seat belt apparatus of claim 13, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism comprises a chamber and flexible member.

17. The seat belt apparatus of claim 16, wherein the variable energy absorbing mechanism further comprises a cover and fluid, wherein the fluid is a hydraulic or rheological fluid.

18. The seat belt apparatus of claim 16, wherein the flexible member is curved-shaped.

19. The seat belt apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an interior wall protruding inside the chamber, wherein the flexible member is mounted on the rotatable spool, and wherein the interior wall limits the rotation of the rotatable spool to one or less revolutions.

20. The seat belt apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a second variable energy absorbing mechanism.