SAFETY BELT

• US 20110001312A1
• Filed: 07/06/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCHROTH Safety Products GmbH
• Original Assignee: SCHROTH Safety Products GmbH
• Inventors: Schubert, Elke, Rathmann-Ramlow, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,590 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4841 for sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/38 responsive only to belt movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/41 with additional means for preventing locking during unwinding under predetermined conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats

Abstract

A safety belt includes a length adjuster for securement of one end of a belt webbing, with the length adjuster being constantly biased in a direction of retraction of the belt webbing. A locking mechanism, when rendered effective, inhibits the length adjuster from turning in a direction of protraction of the belt webbing and is operatively connected to a control unit which, when activated, applies a locking function to inhibit the belt member from being pulled out of the retractor and being retracted, thereby preventing a lengthening and shortening of the belt webbing. Operatively connected to the control unit is an actuator which is constructed to allow an occupant, upon actuation, to override the locking function and thereby render the locking mechanism ineffective to enable the occupant to adjust a length of the belt webbing.

Claims

1. A safety belt, comprising:

a retractor for securement of one end of a belt webbing, said retractor being constantly biased in a direction of retraction of the belt webbing;

a control unit which, when activated, applies a locking function to inhibit the belt member from being pulled out of the retractor and being retracted, thereby preventing a lengthening and shortening of the belt webbing; and

an actuator operatively connected to the controller and constructed to allow an occupant upon actuation to override the locking function and to enable the occupant to adjust a length of the belt webbing.

2. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the length adjuster has a spindle for securement of the one end of the belt webbing, and a stepper motor acting on the spindle to spontaneously tighten the belt webbing when the occupant releases the actuator.

3. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the length adjuster has a spindle for securement of the one end of the belt webbing, and a spring acting on the spindle to urge the length adjuster to tighten the belt webbing when the occupant releases the actuator.

4. The safety belt of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism constructed to inhibit the length adjuster from turning in a direction of protraction of the belt webbing, wherein the control unit includes a cam disk, which is rotatable in opposition to a restoring force of a spring and has an arcuate slot, a locking pin received in the arcuate slot for movement between a first position in which the locking pin engages the locking mechanism to implement the locking function and a second position in which the locking pin is disengaged from the locking mechanism, and a cable pull connecting the actuator with the cam disk.

5. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a release button provided in an armrest of a vehicle seat.

6. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a magnetic switch which is activated when the occupant actuates the actuator to override the locking function.

7. The safety belt of claim 6, wherein the magnetic switch includes a timer to define a time period within which the occupant is able to override the locking function.

8. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the control unit is deactivated by a master signal triggered by a vehicle sensor or distance sensor or manually, to override the locking function and to allow a shortening and thereby tightening of the belt webbing.

9. The safety belt of claim 8, wherein the control unit is activated again within a predefined time period to implement the locking function after the master signal has been triggered.

10. The safety belt of claim 1, further comprising a detector operatively connected to the control unit to cause the control unit to implement the locking function when the detector ascertains that the occupant occupies a vehicle seat, and to cause an overriding of the locking function, when the vehicle seat is vacated so that the length adjuster is able to retract excess belt webbing.

11. The safety belt of claim 10, wherein the control unit applies the locking function within a predefined time period after the detector has recognized that the vehicle seat is occupied.

12. The safety belt of claim 10, wherein the detector is a pressure sensor which is integrated in a seating area of the vehicle seat.

13. The safety belt of claim 1, further comprising a buckle for receiving another end of the belt webbing, and a switching device fitted in the buckle and constructed to cause the control unit to implement the locking function when the belt webbing is engaged in the buckle and to cause an overriding of the locking function, when the belt webbing is disengaged from the buckle so that the length adjuster is able to retract excess belt webbing.

14. The safety belt of claim 13, wherein the belt webbing has conductors interlaced therein and operatively connected to contacts of the length adjuster so that the control unit implements the locking function, when the switching device recognizes that the belt webbing is engaged in the buckle.

15. The safety belt of claim 1, wherein the length adjuster is incorporated as flying adjustment in the belt webbing.