Seat belt actuated by antilock brake system

• US 5,201,385 A
• Filed: 07/26/1990
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Browne, Alan L., Chin, Yuen-Kwok, Wang, Jenne-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Graysay, Tamara L.
• Application Number:
  US07/558,546
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/271, 180/282, 280/432, 280/801, 280/802, 280/807, 280/806, 188/1.11, 340/453, 242/107.4 A
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• 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 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/343 with electrically actuated locking means B60R22/3405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/44 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions not included in the retractor B60R22/19; B60R22/3405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4671 characterised by spring actuators B60R22/4623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10

Abstract

A motor vehicle is equipped with an occupant seat belt system including a belt retractor having associated control mechanism such as a reel locking mechanism, a tension relieving mechanism, and/or a belt tensioning mechanism. The onset of a incipient wheel lock up condition sensed by the antilock brake system triggers the retractor associated mechanism so that restraint of the occupant is initiated in response to wheel condition independent of actuation by a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system generating a signal indicative of sensation of a condition of incipient wheel lock,

and means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means actuating the seat belt retractor to initiate occupant restraint in response to the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock.

2. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system generating a signal indicative of sensation of a condition of incipient wheel lock,

means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means actuating the seat belt retractor to initiate occupant restraint in response to the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock,

and time delay means effective to maintain the signal generated by the signal generating means for a predetermined time after cessation of the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock to thereby maintain the actuation of the seat belt retractor.

3. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

spring means associated with the retractor and acting to wind the belt to a tensioned condition about the occupant,

tension relieving means acting to hold the belt at a slackened condition against the effort of the spring means and being releasable to restore the winding effort of the spring means,

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system generating a signal indicative of sensation of a condition of incipient wheel lock,

and means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means releasing the tension relieving means so that occupant restraint is initiated by the spring means rewinding the belt to a tensioned condition about the occupant in response to the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock.

4. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

retractor locking means locking the retractor against belt unwinding so that the occupant is restrained,

vehicle deceleration sensing means associated with the retractor locking means and locking the retractor in response to vehicle deceleration,

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system generating a signal indicative of wheel lock condition,

and means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means locking the retractor locking means independent of the condition of the vehicle deceleration sensing means.

5. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

retractor locking means locking the retractor against belt unwinding so that the occupant is restrained,

vehicle deceleration sensing means associated with the retractor locking means and locking the retractor in response to vehicle deceleration,

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system generating a signal indicative of wheel lock condition,

means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means locking the retractor locking means independent of the condition of the vehicle deceleration sensing means,

and time delay means effective to maintain the signal generated by the signal generating means for a predetermined time after cessation of the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock to thereby maintain the actuation of the seat belt retractor for a predetermined time.

6. In a vehicle having an antilock brake system which senses a condition of incipient wheel lock and a seat belt retractor actuatable to initiate occupant restraint in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration, the improvement comprising:

spring means associated with the retractor and acting to wind the belt to a tensioned condition about the occupant,

tensioning means actuatable to further tension and wind the belt about the occupant,

signal generating means associated with the antilock brake system adapted to generate a signal indicative of sensation of a condition of incipient wheel lock,

and means responsive to the signal generated by the signal generating means actuating the tensioning means so that occupant restraint is initiated by the tensioning means winding the belt to a tensioned condition about the occupant in response to the sensed condition of incipient wheel lock.