SEATBELT DEVICE OF VEHICLE

• US 20110017857A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Odate, Shotaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/374
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/468 characterised by clutching means between actuator and belt reel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• 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

Abstract

A seatbelt device of a vehicle includes: a webbing reel around which a webbing is rolled up; a motor; an acceleration detection unit detecting an acceleration applying to the vehicle; an electric current control unit controlling a driving current of the motor; and an acceleration condition determination unit determining whether or not an acceleration greater than or equal to a set value has been applied to the vehicle within a predetermined amount of time after an acceleration greater than or equal to a first threshold acceleration value has been applied to the vehicle. When the acceleration condition determination unit determines that an acceleration greater than or equal to the set value has been applied to the vehicle within the predetermined amount of time, the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor so that a set amount of the webbing is wrapped up.

Claims

1. A seatbelt device of a vehicle comprising:

a webbing reel around which a webbing is rolled up;

a motor which is driven to rotate the webbing reel;

an acceleration detection unit detecting an acceleration applying to the vehicle;

an electric current control unit controlling a driving current of the motor; and

an acceleration condition determination unit determining, based on a detection signal of the acceleration detection unit, whether or not an acceleration greater than or equal to a set value has been applied to the vehicle within a predetermined amount of time after an acceleration greater than or equal to a first threshold acceleration value has been applied to the vehicle, wherein

when the acceleration condition determination unit determines that an acceleration greater than or equal to the set value has been applied to the vehicle within the predetermined amount of time, the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor so that a set amount of the webbing is wrapped up.

2. A seatbelt device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

after the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor so that the set amount of the webbing is wrapped up when the acceleration condition determination unit determines that an acceleration greater than or equal to the set value has been applied to the vehicle within the predetermined amount of time, the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor according to a movement of an upper body of a passenger.

3. A seatbelt device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the acceleration condition determination unit determines that an acceleration greater than or equal to the set value has not been applied to the vehicle within the predetermined amount of time, the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor according to a movement of an upper body of a passenger.

4. A seatbelt device of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clutch maintaining the motor and the webbing reel in a connected state in response to a rotational torque greater than or equal to a set torque value in a direction in which the webbing is wrapped up by the motor, wherein

when an acceleration being applied to the vehicle is greater than or equal to a second threshold acceleration value, the second threshold acceleration value being smaller than the first threshold acceleration value, and is less than the first threshold acceleration value, the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor so that the clutch is maintained in the connected state, without the motor being driven to wrap up the webbing reel.

5. A seatbelt device of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer measuring a time; and

a control device initiating a measurement of the time with the timer when, after the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit becomes greater than or equal to a second threshold acceleration value, the acceleration becomes greater than or equal to the first threshold acceleration value, the second threshold acceleration value being smaller than the first threshold acceleration value, wherein

the electric current control unit controls the driving current of the motor so that the webbing is wrapped up by a predetermined length, when the acceleration condition determination unit determines that the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit is greater than or equal to the second threshold acceleration value, while the time measured with the timer is within a predetermined period of time.