Seat belt retractor,seat belt apparatus, seat belt winding method,computer program, and seat belt system

• US 20100007191A1
• Filed: 11/22/2007
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/029 Belt storage; Devices or systems for controlling winding up of unused seat belt
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• 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

Abstract

A seat belt retractor (1) is provided which comprises a rotation sensor (8) for detecting the withdrawn amount of a seat belt, a control amount setting unit for setting a first control amount for winding up the seat belt (3) and a second control amount to which the amount reaches after the first control amount according to the winding of the seat belt (3), an electric motor (6) having a two-stage winding speed composed of at least a high speed and a low speed as the speed winding the seat belt (3), and a winding speed adjusting unit for setting the winding speed of the electric motor (6) to the high speed between the time when the electric motor (6) starts the winding of the seat belt (3) and the time when the amount reaches the first control amount, setting the winding speed of the electric motor to the low speed when the amount exceeds the first control amount, and stopping the winding action of the seat belt (3) after the amount exceeds the second control amount, thereby quickly accommodating the seat belt (3) regardless of the body size of the occupant and preventing a seat belt fixture (sic) (17) from strongly hitting a pillar or the like.

Claims

1. A seat belt retractor comprising:

a body size index detection unit for detecting an index indicating the body size of an occupant;

a reference value setting unit for setting a first reference value of a predetermined parameter, which varies according to the winding of a seat belt, based on the index detected by said body size index detection unit;

a winding mechanism for winding said seat belt; and

a winding speed adjusting unit which sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to a first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts winding of said seat belt and the time when said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value, and sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to a second speed slower than said first speed after said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value.

2. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said body size index detection unit detects the withdrawn amount of said seat belt from the seat belt retractor;

said predetermined parameter is the withdrawn amount of said seat belt;

said reference value setting unit sets a first withdrawn amount of said seat belt as said first reference value; and

said winding speed adjusting unit sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when said withdrawn amount of said seat belt reaches said first withdrawn amount, and sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said second speed when said withdrawn amount reaches the said first withdrawn amount.

3. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said reference value setting unit sets said first reference value and a second reference value corresponding to a case where the winding amount is larger than the winding amount for said first reference value, and

said winding speed adjusting unit sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value, sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said second speed lower than said first speed when said predetermined parameter reaches the said first reference value, and stops the winding by said winding mechanism after said predetermined parameter reaches said second reference value.

4. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reference value setting unit further sets, based on the index detected by said body size index detection unit, a second reference value where said predetermined parameter reaches after said first reference value according to the winding of said seat belt progresses,

said winding speed adjusting unit sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value, sets said winding speed of said winding mechanism to said second speed when said predetermined parameter exceeds the said first reference value, and stops the winding by said winding mechanism after said predetermined parameter reaches said second reference value.

5. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said body size index detection unit detects the withdrawn amount of said seat belt from the seat belt retractor,

said predetermined parameter is the withdrawn amount of said seat belt,

said reference value setting unit sets a first withdrawn amount of said seat belt as the first reference value and sets a second withdrawn amount, which is smaller than said first withdrawn amount, as the second reference value,

said winding speed adjusting unit sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to said first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when the withdrawn amount of said seat belt reaches said first withdrawn amount, sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to said second speed when said withdrawn amount becomes equal to or lower than said first withdrawn amount, and stops the winding action of said seat belt when said withdrawn amount becomes equal to or lower than said second withdrawn amount.

6. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body size index detection unit detects the withdrawn amount of said seat belt at least at two stages corresponding to said first withdrawn amount and said second withdrawn amount.

7. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body size index detection unit detects continuously the withdrawn amount of said seat belt in proportion to the withdrawn amount.

8. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said winding mechanism has continuously or stepwisely variable winding speed, and

said winding speed adjusting unit continuously or stepwisely reducing the winding speed according to the withdrawn amount when the withdrawn amount of said seat belt becomes equal to or lower than said first withdrawn amount.

9. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said reference value setting unit obtains the withdrawn amount of the seat belt based on said index and sets a first winding time and a second winding time longer than the first winding time according to the obtained withdrawn amount, and

said winding speed adjusting unit sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to the first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when said first winding time elapses, sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to said second speed at a point when said winding time elapses, and stop the winding action of said seat belt after said second winding time elapses.

10. A seat belt retractor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body size index detection unit detects the weight of the occupant and/or the surface profile of the occupant and/or the seat position, and

said reference value setting unit estimates the withdrawn amount of the seat belt based on said weight and/or the surface profile of the occupant and/or the seat position.

11. A seat belt apparatus, comprising:

a fixing member for fixing an end of a seat belt;

a seat belt retractor which is connected to the other end of said seat belt to wind up said seat belt;

an engaging member through which said seat belt is inserted and is slidably supported;

a buckle which is disposed on a side opposite to said fixing member relative to a seat and is engaged with said engaging member; and

a guide member which is located above said fixing member, through which said seat belt is inserted, and which supports slidably said seat belt, wherein

said seat belt retractor comprises;

a body size index detection unit for detecting an index indicating the body size of an occupant;

a reference value setting unit for setting a first reference value of a predetermined parameter, which varies according to the winding of said seat belt, based on the index detected by said body size index detection unit;

a winding mechanism for winding said seat belt; and

a winding speed adjusting unit which sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to a first speed between the time when said winding mechanism starts winding of said seat belt and the time when said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value, and sets the winding speed of said winding mechanism to a second speed slower than said first speed after said predetermined parameter reaches said first reference value.

12. A seat belt winding method comprising:

detecting the withdrawn amount of a seat belt when an occupant wears the seat belt;

setting a predetermined reference value based on the detected withdrawn amount; and

winding said seat belt at a first speed until said withdrawn amount reaches a reference value, and winding said seat belt at a second speed lower than said first speed after said withdrawn amount reaches the reference value according to the winding of said seat belt.

13. A seat belt winding method as claimed in claim 12, comprising:

further setting a second reference value lower than the first reference value according to the withdrawn amount of the seat belt when the occupant wears the seat belt, and

setting the winding speed of a winding mechanism between the time when said winding mechanism starts the winding of said seat belt and the time when the withdrawn amount reaches said first reference value, setting the winding speed to said second speed when the withdrawn amount reaches said first reference value, and stopping the winding when the withdrawn amount becomes lower than said second reference value.

14. A computer program for making a computer, for controlling a winding mechanism for winding a seat belt, carry out:

a step of taking in an index indicating the body size of an occupant to set a reference value of a predetermined parameter which varies according to the winding of said seat belt based on the index,

a step of controlling said winding mechanism to wind up said seat belt at a first speed until said predetermined parameter varying according to the winding of said seat belt reaches said reference value obtained based on the detected index, and

a step of controlling said winding mechanism to wind up said seat belt at a second speed lower than said first speed after said predetermined parameter reaches said reference value.

15. A seat belt system, comprising:

a fixing member for fixing an end of a seat belt;

a seat belt winding mechanism which is connected to the other end of said seat belt to wind up said seat belt;

a driving device for driving said seat belt winding mechanism to wind up said seat belt;

an engaging member through which said seat belt is inserted and is slidably supported;

a buckle which is disposed on a side opposite to said fixing member relative to a seat and is engaged with said engaging member;

a guide member which is located above said fixing member, through which said seat belt is inserted, and which supports slidably said seat belt, and

a computer for inputting an index indicating the body size of an occupant, sets a reference value of a predetermined parameter, which varies according to the winding of said seat belt, based on the index, controlling said driving device to wind up said seat belt at a first speed until said predetermined parameter which varies according to the winding of said seat belt reaches said reference value which was set based on the detected index, and controlling said driving device to wind up said seat belt at a second speed lower than said first speed after said predetermined parameter reaches said reference value.