Inflatable seat belt control system

• US 6,010,151 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Honda, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/961,152
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/735, 180/268
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• 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 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

An occupant holding-back device is provided which is capable of preventing unnecessary operations. When the amount of a webbing drawn from a retractor is any one of equal to and larger than a predetermined value and a tongue mounted on the webbing is coupled to a buckle, an ignition control member is brought into a stand-by state. If an acceleration sensor detects an acceleration which is any one of equal to and larger than a predetermined value, an inflator is ignited, causing a bag accommodated in the webbing to be expanded. When the occupant holding-back device is not being worn by an occupant, or when the occupant holding-back device is utilized for fixing a child seat, the ignition of the inflator is prohibited. Hence, unnecessary operations of the occupant holding-back device is prevented.

Claims

1. An occupant holding-back device comprising:

a webbing;

an inflator connected to said webbing;

a retractor attached to one of opposite ends of said webbing for drawably taking up at least said one end of said webbing;

a tongue mounted at an intermediate portion of said webbing between said opposite ends;

a buckle to be attached with said tongue;

an inflatable bag accommodated in said webbing;

a webbing drawn-amount sensor for detecting an amount of said webbing drawn out of said retractor;

a tongue-coupling sensor for detecting a coupled state of said tongue to said buckle; and

an ignition control unit for igniting said inflator based on outputs from an acceleration sensor, said webbing drawn-amount sensor and said tongue-coupling sensor;

wherein said ignition control unit ignites said inflator and expands said bag when said webbing drawn-amount sensor detects that said webbing is drawn out from said retractor in an amount which is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and said tongue-coupling sensor detects that said tongue has been coupled to said buckle.