VEHICLE HAVING A SEAT BELT SYSTEM

• US 20130024074A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: BAUR, Elmar, Voigt, Marcus, Walter, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 9,073,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/028 specially adapted for use in sleeping position, e.g. for reclining seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/485 for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/023 Three-point seat belt systems comprising two side lower and one side upper anchoring devices B60R22/022, B60R22/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes at least one vehicle seat, which has a backrest, the inclination of which can be adjusted, and a control device, by means of which the backrest can be controlled to a lying position having a greater angle of inclination at the request of a seat user. The control device has a signal connection to a monitoring device, which detects at least one belt parameter, by means of which it can be determined whether a flawless belt course of a safety belt being worn by a seat user is ensured in the lying position.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

at least one vehicle seat with a tilt-adjustable backrest;

a control device with which at a request of a seat occupant the backrest is controllable to a recumbent position with a greater tilt angle; and

a monitoring device having a signal connection to the control device, the monitoring device configured to detect at least one belt parameter that is used to determine whether a proper belt route of a seat belt fastened to the seat occupant is assured in the recumbent position.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in determining a proper belt route, the monitoring device releases an adjustment actuation of the backrest to the recumbent position.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in determining a proper belt route, the monitoring device prevents an adjustment actuation of the backrest to the recumbent position.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is a front vehicle seat and is assigned a seat belt arrangement, which has a front seat belt and a rear seat belt, and wherein to achieve a proper belt route in the recumbent position, the rear seat belt is adapted to be fastened to the seat occupant of the front vehicle seat.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the monitoring device detects as a belt parameter, a belt actuation of the rear seat belt by the seat occupant of the front vehicle seat.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the monitoring device has at least one sensor element, which detects whether the front or rear seat belt is fastened to the seat occupant of the front vehicle seat.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the rear seat belt has a belt end fitting adjustable in a vehicle longitudinal direction, which for the use of the rear seat belt on the front vehicle seat is adjustable from a rear end fitting position to a front end fitting position.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein a sensor element of the monitoring device detects the end fitting of the rear seat belt in the front end fitting position.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a sensor element of the monitoring device detects whether the buckle receptacle provided for buckling of the seat belt of the front vehicle seat has been actuated.

10. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a sensor element of the monitoring device detects whether the front seat belt has been actuated, and wherein the sensor element detects a belt extension length of the front seat belt.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring device releases the adjustment actuation of the vehicle seat to the recumbent position, when the first sensor element recognizes that the rear seat belt is in its front end fitting position, and when the second sensor element recognizes an actuation of the buckle receptacle of the front vehicle seat, and when the third sensor element recognizes a non-actuation of the front seat belt.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which the front vehicle seat is in the recumbent position and the seat occupant of the front vehicle seat unbuckles the rear seat belt, the control device generates a warning signal and/or adjusts the backrest to a normal position with a greater tilt angle.

13. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, in a case in which the front vehicle seat is in the recumbent position and the seat occupant of the front vehicle seat switches from the rear to the front seat belt, the control device generates a warning signal and/or adjusts the backrest to a normal position.

14. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, in a case in which the front vehicle seat is in the recumbent position and the seat occupant is buckled in with the rear seat belt, the control device locks a vehicle door assigned to the rear vehicle seat.

15. A method for tilt adjustment of the backrest of a vehicle seat to a recumbent position in a vehicle according to claim 1.