Motor vehicle passenger safety arrangement

• US 6,241,280 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Schütz, Joachim, Biewendt, Marcus, Bergmann, Rolf, Ritters, Ernst-Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US09/535,113
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/806, 280/735, 280/730.2, 280/807, 180/268, 701/45
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195

Abstract

A passenger safety arrangement for a vehicle has a side air bag and a safety belt which acts as a restraining element for a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. The passenger safety arrangement also includes at least one sensor for detecting a lateral collision and at least one control unit for activating the lateral air bag and/or a belt tensioning device in response to signals supplied by the sensor. In order to improve passenger protection in the event of a lateral collision, the side air bag is activated by the control unit before actuation of the belt tensioning device.

Claims

1. A passenger safety arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising:

at least one side air bag laterally positioned with respect to a passenger seated on a vehicle seat;

a safety belt which acts as a restraining element for the passenger seated on a vehicle seat;

at least one tightening device for the safety belt;

at least one sensor for detection of a side impact; and

at least one control unit responsive to signals from the sensor for activating the side air bag and the tightening device and causing the tightening device to be activated at a predetermined time following activation of the side air bag.

2. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is preset to cause a specific time interval to elapse between activation of the side air bag and activation of the tightening device.

3. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the specific time interval is in a range of up to about 10 ms.

4. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the specific time interval is in the range from about 4 ms to about 10 ms.

5. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the specific time interval is in the range from about 6 ms to about 8 ms.

6. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one tightening device is a locking tightener.

7. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one tightening device is a belt tightener acting on an automatic belt roll-up mechanism.

8. A passenger safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one tightening device is a belt tightener acting on a belt strap by a pull loop.