Vehicle seat belt system
First Claim
1. A passive vehicle seat belt system comprising:
- a seat belt movable between an out-of-use position and an in-use position,a retractor from which said seat belt can be withdrawn against a retractive bias,latch means adapted to be enabled to latch said retractor against belt withdrawal in response to a first, predetermined condition,an electric drive motor for moving said seat belt between said out-of-use and in-use positions,circuit means for controlling energization of said drive motor to effect said belt movements in response to command signals generated in response to second predetermined conditions, anddisabling means for disabling said latch means from latching said retractor against belt withdrawal in response to a command signal for effecting belt movement requiring belt withdrawal from said retractor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A passive vehicle seat belt system includes measures to prevent overheating of the drive motor and obstruction of system operation. Drive motor excess current demand is sensed to effect motor de-energization and/or disabling of latching means of a retractor included in the system and/or operation of an indicator light. The indicator light can prompt manual motor de-energization. Disabling of retractor latching means can be effected by a belt movement command signal. Retractors with means for signalling operation of latching means, with solenoid means for disabling latching means, and with means for indicating when a predetermined belt length has been received therein, are described.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A passive vehicle seat belt system comprising:
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a seat belt movable between an out-of-use position and an in-use position, a retractor from which said seat belt can be withdrawn against a retractive bias, latch means adapted to be enabled to latch said retractor against belt withdrawal in response to a first, predetermined condition, an electric drive motor for moving said seat belt between said out-of-use and in-use positions, circuit means for controlling energization of said drive motor to effect said belt movements in response to command signals generated in response to second predetermined conditions, and disabling means for disabling said latch means from latching said retractor against belt withdrawal in response to a command signal for effecting belt movement requiring belt withdrawal from said retractor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A seat belt retractor for use in a vehicle seat belt system, said retractor comprising
a frame, a spool journalled on said frame for releasably receiving the seat belt, a bias spring biassing said spool to wind the seat belt on said spool, and an electrical means adapted to change condition in response to a predetermined change in the length of belt wound on said spool.
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9. A seat belt retractor for use in a vehicle seat belt system, said retractor comprising
a frame, a spool journalled on said frame for releasably receiving the seat belt, a bias spring biassing said spool to wind the seat belt on said spool, a ratchet wheel secured to said spool to rotate therewith, a pawl pivotably mounted on said frame for movement from an unlatching position to a latching position of engagement with said ratchet wheel to thereby prevent unwinding of said belt from said spool, a member mounted on said frame for rotation from an inoperative position to an operative position to thereby cause said pawl to engage said ratchet wheel, inertial acceleration sensing means operable in response to a predetermined acceleration condition to link said member to said spool whereby spool rotation effects said rotation of said member, and an electrical element adapted to change condition in response to said movement of said member to thereby signal the position of said pawl.
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12. A seat belt retractor for use in a vehicle seat belt system, said retractor comprising a frame, a spool journalled on said frame for releasably receiving the seat belt, a bias spring biassing said spool to wind the seat belt on said spool, a latch mechanism responsive to a predetermined acceleration of said retractor to latch said spool against rotation to unwind said belt, and disabling means for disabling said latch mechanism from so latching said spool, wherein said latch mechanism comprises:
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an inertial weight, means mounting said weight for movement in response to said predetermined acceleration, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said spool, a lever having a first arm, means pivotably mounting said lever for movement from a rest position to engage said first arm with said ratchet wheel in response to said movement of said weight, and wherein said disabling means comprises; a solenoid coil a second arm of said lever adapted to function as an armature for said solenoid coil, whereby said lever occupies said rest position during energization of said coil. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A seat belt retrator for use in a vehicle seat belt system, said retractor comprising a frame, a spool journalled on said frame for releasably receiving the seat belt, a bias spring biassing said spool to wind the seat belt on said spool, a latch mechanism responsive to a predetermined acceleration of said retractor to latch said spool against rotation to unwind said belt, and disabling means for disabling said latch mechanism from so latching said spool, wherein said latch mechanism comprises:
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a hollow inertial weight, a support supporting said weight for toppling movement thereon in response to said predetermined acceleration, and an elongate output member received within said weight and movable thereby from a rest position to effect said latching in response to said toppling of said weight, and wherein said disabling means comprises; a solenoid coil, means mounting said solenoid coil below said support with the solenoid coil axis substantially aligned with output member in the rest position thereof, an aperture in said support, an extension portion of said output member extending through said aperture towards said solenoid coil, and an armature carried by said output member extension portion for co-operation with said solenoid coil whereby said output member occupies said rest position thereof during energization of said solenoid coil.
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15. A passive vehicle seat belt system comprising:
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a seat belt, a retractor from which said seat belt extends, biassing means in said retractor opposing withdrawal of said belt therefrom, latch means in said retractor responsive to a predetermined acceleration condition to prevent withdrawal of said belt from said retractor, a drive motor operable to move said seat belt between in-use and out-of-use positions thereof, a sensor adapted to provide an output in response to excess current demand by said drive motor due to obstruction to said movement of said seat belt, and means responsive to said sensor output to deenergize said motor to thereby prevent overheating thereof. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A passive vehicle seat belt system comprising:
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a seat belt movable between an out-of-use position and an in-use position, an electric drive motor for moving said seat belt between said out-of-use and in-use positions, circuit means for controlling energization of said drive motor to effect said belt movements in response to predetermined conditions, a sensor adapted to provide an output on the sensing thereby of an effect on said drive motor due to obstruction to seat belt movement, indicator means responsive to said sensor output to indicate said obstruction of said seat belt movement, and means manually operable to de-energize said drive motor to thereby prevent overheating thereof. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A passive vehicle seat belt system comprising:
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a seat belt, a retractor from which said seat belt extends, biassing means in said retractor opposing withdrawal of said belt therefrom, latch means in said retractor responsive to a predetermined condition to prevent withdrawal of said belt from said retractor, a drive motor operable to move said belt between in-use and out-of-use positions thereof, a sensor adapted to provide an output in response to an effect on said drive motor of obstruction to said movement of said belt, and disabling means responsive to said sensor output to disable said latch means from preventing withdrawal of said belt. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A vehicle safety system comprising:
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a seat belt, a retractor device, said retractor device being capable of receiving therein a variable length of said seat belt, and sensing means responsive to the length of said belt received in said retractor device and having first and second electrical conditions when said received length is respectively less than and greater than a predetermined length, and indicator means responsive to said sensing means condition to indicate whether said received length is less than or greater than said predetermined length.
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Specification