Seat belt retractor system

• US 5,571,253 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Mazur, Joseph F., Blackburn, Brian K., Brown, Louis R., Gentry, Scott B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US08/468,265
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 280/806, 280/807, 280/801.1, 280/735, 280/730.1, 180/274, 180/282, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 340/539, 340/436, 340/667, 297/468, 297/474, 297/477, 297/483, 297/480, 242/382
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/404 with remote sensor, e.g. for mounting on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/343 with electrically actuated locking means B60R22/3405 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat belt retractor system (10) includes two seats (16, 18) each having its own integrated seat belt webbing retractor (60, 112). Each retractor (60, 112) includes locking assembly (76, 80) for blocking belt withdrawal in response to an electrical signal. At a central location in the vehicle spaced from the seats (16, 18), a sensor (24) is disposed for sensing vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration and for providing a control signal indicative thereof. An RF transmitter (42) is electrically connected with the sensor (24) and is actuatable in response to the control signal to transmit an RF signal. An RF receiver (100, 114) on each vehicle seat (16, 18) receives the RF signal and provides an output signal to actuate the locking assembly (76, 80) of the two seat belt retractors (60, 112). Each vehicle seat (16, 18) also has (a) a battery (98) for supplying electric power to actuate the locking assembly (76, 80) of the retractors (60, 112) and (b) a piezoelectric member (90) responsive to an occupant sitting on the seat for generating an electric current to charge the battery (96). In a second embodiment, a separate deceleration sensor (24a) is mounted on each vehicle seat for electrically actuating its associated retractor. In a third embodiment, the transmitted signal provides the power for actuating a vehicle occupant restraint (178).

Claims

1. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

a seat for an occupant of a vehicle;

vehicle occupant protection means on said seat and actuatable for protecting a vehicle occupant in response to vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration;

mounting means for mounting said vehicle occupant protection means on said seat;

sensor means for sensing vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration and for providing a control signal indicative thereof;

transmitter means operatively coupled to said sensor means and actuatable in response to the control signal for transmitting an EMF signal;

signal receiver means for receiving said transmitted EMF signal;

means for mounting said signal receiver means for movement in response to said signal receiver means receiving said transmitted signal; and

means for actuating said vehicle occupant protection means in response to movement of said signal receiver means.

2. A vehicle safety apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said signal receiver means comprises a coil and including means for producing an alternating current in said coil.

3. A vehicle safety apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a fixed permanent magnet providing a magnetic field, said means for mounting said signal receiver means for movement including means for mounting said coil for rotation in the magnetic field.

4. A vehicle safety apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for actuating said vehicle occupant protection means in response to movement of said coil includes shaft means fixed for rotation with said coil and means for transmitting rotary movement of said shaft means to said vehicle occupant protection means to actuate said vehicle occupant protection means.

5. A vehicle safety apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vehicle occupant protection means comprises a seat belt retractor having a spool on which belt webbing is wound and which is rotatable in a belt withdrawal direction and an opposite belt retraction direction and a locking means for blocking rotation of said spool in the belt withdrawal direction in response to movement of said signal receiver means.

6. A vehicle safety apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said locking means comprises a locking member and an intermediate linkage operatively disposed between said locking member and said retractor spool, said locking member acting through said intermediate linkage to block rotation of said spool in the belt withdrawal direction upon movement of said locking member into a locking position.

7. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

sensor means for sensing vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined deceleration and for providing a control signal indicative thereof;

transmitter means operatively coupled to said sensor means and actuatable in response to the control signal for transmitting an EMF signal;

receiver means for receiving said transmitted EMF signal;

means for mounting said receiver means for movement in response to said receiver means receiving said transmitted EMF signal; and

means for actuating a vehicle occupant protection means in response to movement of said receiver means.