SAFETY BELT REGULATING APPARATUS

• US 3,821,621 A
• Filed: 03/28/1973
• Issued: 06/28/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ade R, Gakenholz W
• Original Assignee: Ade R, Gakenholz W
• Inventors: ADE R, GAKENHOLZ W
• Application Number:
  US05/345,777
• Time in Patent Office: 457 Days
• US Class Current: 318/261
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/04 Passive restraint systems, i.e. systems both applied and removed automatically, e.g. by movement of the vehicle door
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/06 having the belt or harness connected to a member slidable in a vehicle-mounted track
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/03 for controlling the direction of rotation of DC motors

Abstract

A motor which responds to operation of a switch drives a winch which winds or feeds a cable that loosens or tightens a safety belt about the passenger of a vehicle. The cable feeds and winds between two limit positions. A control, connected in series with the motor and having a control element, energizes or deenergizes the motor on the basis of signals at the control element. The switch is a polarity reverser in series with the motor and the control. The reverser applies current to the motor in one or the other direction when the control energizes the motor. A first diode couples the polarity reverser to the control element to apply a signal of one polarity to the control element when the reverser applies a current in one direction. A second diode applies a signal of the other polarity to the control element when the reverser applies current in the other direction. Limit switches which respond to the cable being in either of the limit positions disable the control and deenergize the motor. According to one embodiment the control element is a relay coil and the control is its relay contact. According to another embodiment, a switch responds to the tautness of the cable and causes the control to deenergize the cable when the cable is slack.

Claims

1. In a vehicle safety belt system wherein a winch driven by a motor draws and feeds a cable between two limit positions to tighten and loosen the belt, a circuit for controlling the motor, comprising control means connected in series with the motor and having a control element, said control means energizing the motor and deenergizing the motor in response to signals applied to said control element, polarity reversing means in series with said control means for applying current to said control means and the motor in one or the other direction when said control means responds to the control element to energize the motor, first unidirectional means coupling said polarity reversing means to said control element for applying a signal of one polarity to said control element when said reversing means supplies current in one direction, second unidirectional means coupling said polarity reversing means to said control element for applying a signal of the other polarity to said control element when the current applied to said control means is in the other direction, first limit switch means in said first unidirectional means and responsive to the cable being in one limit position for causing said control element to make said control means deenergize the motor when the cable is in the one limit position and the current applied by said reversing means to said control means is in the one direction, second limit switch means in said second unidirectional means and responsive to said cable being in the other limit position for causing said control element to make said control means deenergize the motor when the cable is in the other limit position and the current applied by said reversing means to said control means is in the other direction.

2. A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said control means is a relay having a contact, said control elements being a relay coil.

3. A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said circuit reversing means includes a first output conductor, a second output conductor and a third output conductor, said reversing means applying one or the other polarity to said first conductor on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, said reversing means applying the other polarity to each of said second and third conductors on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, resistance means connected between said second and third output conductors, one of said second and third output conductors being connected to said control means and the other of said output conductors being connected to said limit switch means.

4. A circuit as in claim 3, wherein said control means is a relay having a contact, said control elements being a relay coil.

5. A circuit as in claim 3, wherein disabling switch means connected to said control element and responsive to the tautness of the cable disables the control elements and said control means in response to the cable being slack and enables the control element at said control means in response to the cable being taut.

6. A circuit as in claim 5, wherein said control means is a relay having a contact, said control elements being a relay coil.

7. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said circuit reversing means includes a first output conductor, a second output conductor and a third output conductor, said reversing means applying one or the other polarity to said first conductor on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, said reversing means applying the other polarity to each of said second and third conductors on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, resistance means connected between said second and third output conductors, one of said second and third output conductors being connected to said control means and the other of said output conductors being connected to said limit switch means.

8. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein disabling switcH means connected to said control element and responsive to the tautness of the cable disables the control elements and said control means in response to the cable being slack and enables the control element at said control means in response to the cable being taut.

9. A circuit as in claim 2, wherein said contact forms a switchover switch, said switchover switch connecting the motor to said reversing means in one position and short-circuiting the motor in the other position.

10. A circuit as in claim 9, wherein said circuit reversing means includes a first output conductor, a second output conductor and a third output conductor, said reversing means applying one or the other polarity to said first conductor on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, said reversing means applying the other polarity to each of said second and third conductors on the basis of the condition of said reversing means, resistance means connected between said second and third output conductors, one of said second and third output conductors being connected to said control means and the other of said output conductors being connected to said limit switch means.

11. A circuit as in claim 9, wherein disabling switch means connected to said control element and responsive to the tautness of the cable disables the control elements and said control means in response to the cable being slack and enables the control element at said control means in response to the cable being taut.