Seat belt system with starter engine lock and alarm

• US 4,107,645 A
• Filed: 05/22/1972
• Issued: 08/15/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allied Chemical Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allied Chemical Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Donald J., Jankowski, Albert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/255,740
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52 E, 340/278, 307/10 SB, 180/101, 180/102, 180/82 C, 280/150 SB, 200/61.58 B
• US Class Current: 180/270
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4825 for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4891 preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An automobile equipped with seat belts for the front passengers includes retractors for withdrawing the belts when not in use. Each seat equipped with a belt includes a pressure sensor to provide a signal when the seat is occupied. The retractors include switches indicating whether the belts are extended or retracted. A logic circuit receives the outputs of the sensor and the switches and inhibits the output of power to the starter until the pressure sensors first provide signals indicating the seats are occupied and then the switches associated with each such retractor provide signals indicating the belts have been extended. When an attempt is made to start the car in a normal manner and this sequence of conditions has not occurred, an alarm is sounded as well as the starter being inhibited. Means are provided for allowing the application of power to the starter motor and extinguishing the alarm in the absence of the proper sequence of signals under the control of the driver, in an emergency or when the car stalls.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a belt section for restraining an occupant in a seat, first sensor means for sensing whether the belt section has a protracted or retracted condition;

second sensor means for sensing whether or not the seat is occupied;

a starter motor;

circuit means for receiving the outputs of both said first and second sensor means and for inhibiting the energization of said starter motor under conditions of said first and second sensor means other than conditions indicating that the seat has first been occupied and then said belt section has been placed in a protracted condition; and

means for sensing a stall of the engine and for allowing the engine to be started one time independently of the condition of the sensing means following a stall;

said means for sensing the stall of the engine and for allowing the engine to be started one time independently of the condition of the sensing means including a switch having a first state wherein said circuit means for receiving the output of said first and second sensor means and for inhibiting the energization of said starter motor under conditions other than those indicating that the seat has first been occupied and then the belt section has been placed in a protracted condition is operative, and a second state wherein said circuit means is inoperative, said switch means being connected to the ignition switch of said vehicle and to a third sensor means operative to provide a signal when the engine stops running after the ignition switch has been closed and being normally in its first state and switched to its second state upon receipt of the signal from said third sensor means.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said means for inhibiting the energization of said starter motor includes a normally closed switch connected to said starter motor and a source of power for said starter motor, and said means for sensing a stall of said engine and for allowing the engine to be started one time independently of the condition of said sensing means includes means for preventing opening of said normally closed switch.

3. The safety belt system of claim 1 wherein an ignition switch, a starter switch, a gear selector switch and said relay of said safety start relay switch are connected in series with and between said power source and said starter motor and said coil of said safety start relay switch is connected in series with and between said ignition switch and each of said belt switch and said first reed relay.

4. The safety belt system of claim 3 wherein said circuit means includes a display means in series with and between said ignition switch and each of said belt switch and said first reed relay.

5. The safety belt system of claim 4 wherein said display means comprises a lamp in parallel with the combination in series of a resistor and an audio alarm.

6. The safety belt system of claim 5 wherein said circuit means includes an activator circuit in series with and between said ignition switch and said display means, and said activator circuit comprises a microswitch in series with and between said ignition switch and said display means, said microswitch being connected to the gear selector of said vehicle so as to move from a closed position to an open position when said gear selector is moved from a drive position to a non-drive position.

7. The safety belt system of claim 6 wherein said activator circuit includes a diode in series with and between said starter switch and said display means and said activator circuit is additionally in series with and between said ignition switch of each of said belt switch and said first reed relay.

8. The safety belt system of claim 4 wherein said display means comprises a unit including a lamp in parallel with an audio alarm, said lamp having a resistance value lower than that of said audio alarm, and a resistor in series with and between said unit and each of said belt switch and said first reed relay, said resistor having a resistance value of sufficient magnitude to prevent energization of said audio alarm when said lamp is illuminated and to permit energization of said audio alarm when said lamp is extinguished, and said lamp comprising means for temporarily interrupting application of power thereacross.

9. The safety belt system of claim 8 wherein said circuit means includes an activator circuit in series between said ignition switch and said display means, and said activator circuit comprises a microswitch in series between said ignition switch and said display means and a diode in series between said starter switch and said display means, said microswitch being associated with said gear selector so as to move from a closed position to an open position when said gear selector is moved from a drive position to a non-drive position,

10. The safety belt system of claim 9 wherein said circuit means includes a vacuum switch in series between said activator circuit and said coil of safety start relay, said vacuum switch being moved from a normally closed position to an open position when said engine commences to run and remaining in said open position for a preselected period of time after said engine ceases to run.

11. The safety belt system of claim 9 wherein said circuit means includes a relay connected with the between ground and each of said resistor of said display means and said coil of said safety start relay and having a coil in series between ground and said seat switch, said relay being moved from a normally closed position to an open position upon energization of its coil.

12. In a safety belt system adapted to be disposed in a vehicle having a starter motor and including a belt having an extended and a retracted position, the combination comprising:

a source for supplying electrical power;

a seat switch connected to said power source and associated with a seat of the vehicle;

said seat switch having an open position when said seat is unoccupied and a closed position when said seat is occupied;

a belt switch associated with said belt and having an open position when said belt is in said extended position and a closed position when said belt is in said retracted position; and

circuit means connected to said seat and belt switches so as to be grounded when said belt switch is in the closed position, for disabling said starter motor until (1) said seat switch is closed while said belt switch is in its closed position, and (2) said belt swtich is subsequently moved to its open position;

said circuit means including

a safety start relay switch having a relay in series with and between said power source and said starter motor and a coil in series with and between said power source and said belt switch, whereby said relay is moved from a normally closed position to an open position upon energization of its coil;

a double reed relay switch having a coil connected in series with and between ground and said seat switch through two separate paths, and a first and second reed relay, each of which is moved from a normally open position to a closed position upon energization of said coil;

the first of said paths containing a diode in series with a capacitor and a second of said paths containing a resistor in series with said second reed relay; and

said first reed relay being in series with and between ground and said coil of said safety start relay and being shunted while said belt switch is in its closed position.