RE-SETTABLE VEHICLE SEAT BELT BUCKLE PRE-TENSIONER PRESENTER SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20080290644A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Brown, Joseph Robert, Spahn, Brian Robert, Jaradi, Dean M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/806
• 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 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter system and method for operating the same.

Claims

1. A re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner presenter apparatus, comprising:

a first member engaged with a second member moveable relative to said first member;

said second member capable of receiving a seat belt tongue insert;

said first member driveably connected to a variable reversible drive motor;

said apparatus further equipped with a re-settable seat belt buckle and belt pre-tensioner adjustor;

said adjustor adapted to adjust said seat belt buckle to a desired position relative said seat to facilitate easy access by an operator;

said seat belt buckle and belt pre-tensioner adjustor further acting as a re-settable seat belt pre-tensioner in response to various sensed driving condition inputs to resettably pre-tension said seat belt around said operator during pre-crash and crash conditions, and returning to non pre-tension status when said pre-crash conditions have passed.

2. The re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner presenter apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first member is a seat belt buckle equipped with a carrier to cooperatively engage a second member comprised of a drive screw with threads cooperative with said carrier;

said drive screw having a length and cooperative at one end with a worm gear which is rotated by a drive shaft, said drive shaft rotatably attached to a variable speed reversible electric motor;

said first member carrier movable by said drive screw responsive to the rotation of said drive shaft.

3. The re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said first member is variably moveable from a design position to a presented position to a pre-tension position in response to various sensed vehicle conditions.

4. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said pre-tensioner is disabled when a child seat is sensed in said seat.

6. The re-settable vehicle seat buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said re-settable seat belt presenter and belt pre-tensioner adjustor is comprised of a variable speed reversible electric motor engagable with said second member to actuate said second member longitudinally within said first member a fixed distance to present said seat buckle for access by said operator, and a variable distance in response to various sensed driving conditions to re-settably pre-tension said seat belt around said operator during pre-crash and crash conditions, and return to non pre-tensioned state after said pre-crash conditions have passed.

7. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 2, wherein said motor is equipped with a gear cooperatively engagable with a toothed rack on said second member to move said second member relative to said first member.

8. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a pre-tensioned position in response to various sensed vehicle conditions.

9. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 4, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a presented position when said operator first enters said vehicle to make said buckle more accessible to said operator;

said buckle returning to said design position when operator inserts a seat belt tongue in said buckle.

10. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 4, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a presented position in response to a sensed vehicle gear position to make said belt more accessible to said operator;

said buckle returning to said design position when operator inserts a seat belt tongue in said buckle.

11. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said buckle is adjusted 100 mm distally from a design position to a presented position.

12. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said buckle is adjusted proximally from a design position to a pre-tensioner condition.

13. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said buckle is adjusted 80 mm proximally to pre-tension said belt.

14. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said sensed vehicle conditions include brake pedal position, vehicle occupant safety data, vehicle longitudinal and lateral acceleration, vehicle deceleration, vehicle seat sensors, adaptive cruise control, radar and various other pre-crash sensor signals.

15. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, further including a lock to secure the pre-tensioner into a retracted position during the pre-crash and crash events, and release the belt after the pre-crash events have elapsed.

16. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, further including a retractor lock to prevent the seatbelt webbing from paying out of the retractor during pre-tensioning of initial slack removal, pre-crash and crash events.

17. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 16, wherein said lock is a solenoid.

18. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 10, wherein said pre-tensioner is disabled when a child seat is sensed in said seat.

5. A re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter, comprising:

a first member, said member having a hollow body along substantially its length, said first body equipped with at least one anchorage to facilitate fixing said first body in a vehicle proximal a seat;

a second member, said second member having a body adjustably insertable in said first member at a first end thereof;

said second member having a seat belt buckle at a second end distal said first end;

a re-settable seat belt buckle and belt pre-tensioner adjustor;

said adjustor adapted to adjust said seat belt buckle to a desired position relative said seat to facilitate easy access by an operator;

said seat belt buckle and belt pre-tensioner adjustor further acting as a re-settable seat belt pre-tensioner in response to various sensed driving condition inputs to resettably pre-tension said seat belt around said operator during pre-crash and crash conditions, and returning to non pre-tension status when said pre-crash conditions have passed.

19. A method for operating a re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter system, comprising:

a) determining whether a vehicle door is opened;

b) raising said seat belt buckle above a plane of occupation of a vehicle seat for access by an occupant;

c) determining whether said occupant has buckled said seat belt into said buckle;

d) locking a seat belt retractor;

e) lowering said seat belt buckle below said plane of occupation of a vehicle seat to pre-tension said belt around the occupant;

f) determining whether a threshold vehicle seat belt pre-tension load has been met;

g) raising said seat belt buckle to a design position;

h) unlocking said retractor;

i) determining whether a threat event is imminent;

j) locking said retractor;

k) lowering said vehicle seat belt buckle relative to said plane of occupation until a second pre-tension threshold load has been met;

l) determining whether a crash event is occurring;

m) deploying a pyrotechnic deployment to secure the occupant in the seat; and

n) unlocking the retractor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said crash event is determined by sensing vehicle brake pressure;

vehicle brake pedal position;

steering wheel angle;

chassis longitudinal and latitudinal acceleration;

vehicle roll rate vehicle wheel speed, radar and various other pre-crash sensor signals.

21. A method for operating a re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter system, comprising:

presenting the buckle for access by an operator, initially removing slack after the seat belt has been secured into the buckle, pre-tensioning the seat belt in response to perceived threat events.