Automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus

• US 6,257,363 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NSK Autoliv Co., Ltd. (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Midorikawa, Yukinori, Kawai, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bottorff, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US09/207,911
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 280/802, 280/805, 280/806, 280/807, 180/268, 704/45
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4473 using an electric retraction device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• 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 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 22/46 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation

Abstract

An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an automotive vehicle has a seatbelt and operates to restrain an occupant of the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant. An electric retractor has a DC motor for retracting and protracting the seatbelt. An MPU applies voltage having a predetermined waveform to the DC motor, and then detects a waveform of current flowing to the DC motor. The MPU carries out fault diagnosis of the DC motor, based upon the detected waveform of current when the voltage having the predetermined waveform is applied to the DC motor. Thus, accurate fault diagnosis of the apparatus can be achieved.

Claims

1. An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an automotive vehicle, having a seatbelt, for restraining an occupant of the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant, comprising:

a reel shaft having the seatbelt wound thereon;

winding amount detecting means for detecting an amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft;

driving means for rotating said reel shaft in a direction of retraction of the seatbelt and in a direction of protraction of the seatbelt;

control means for controlling said driving means;

seatbelt attaching detecting means for detecting whether the seatbelt is attached to the occupant or disconnected from the occupant;

fault detecting means for detecting a fault of said seatbelt attaching detecting means; and

determining means, responsive to a fault detection by said fault detecting means, for determining whether the seatbelt is attached to the occupant according to the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means in a manner such that when the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means does not exceed a predetermined value the seatbelt is determined to be attached to the occupant, and when the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means exceeds the predetermined value the seatbelt is determined to be disconnecting from the occupant;

wherein said control means comprises means for, when said fault detecting means makes the fault detection, controlling said driving means according to whether or not said determining means has determined the seatbelt is attached to the occupant.

2. An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an automotive vehicle, having a seatbelt, for restraining an occupant of the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant, comprising:

an electric retractor having driving means for retracting and protracting the seatbelt;

control means for controlling said driving means;

seatbelt protraction detecting means for detecting protraction of the seatbelt by the occupant;

release detecting means for detecting release of the seatbelt from a state in which the seatbelt is attached to the occupant to a state in which the seatbelt is disconnected from the occupant; and

control signal output means for outputting a control signal for causing retraction of the seatbelt to be stopped over a predetermined time period at least once after retraction of the seatbelt has started and before completion of the retraction, after said release detecting means detects release of the seatbelt;

wherein said control means comprises means for controlling said driving means so as to;

(i) start retraction of the seatbelt in response to the control signal output by said control signal output means when the release of the seatbelt is detected by said release detecting means, (ii) stop operation over said predetermined time period at least one time after retraction of the seatbelt has started and before completion of the retraction, and (iii) protract the seatbelt when said seatbelt protraction detecting means detects protraction of the seatbelt by the occupant within said predetermined time period.

3. An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control means further comprises means for controlling said driving means so as to retract the seatbelt when said seatbelt protraction detecting means has not detected protraction of the seatbelt by the occupant within said predetermined time period.

4. An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an automotive vehicle, having a seatbelt, for restraining an occupant of the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant, comprising:

seatbelt attaching state detecting means for detecting whether the seatbelt is in a state attached to the occupant or in a state disconnected from the occupant;

seatbelt protraction detecting means for detecting protraction of the seatbelt by the occupant;

seatbelt protraction stoppage detecting means for detecting stoppage of protraction of the seatbelt;

inhibiting means for inhibiting retraction of the seatbelt over a predetermined time period after the stoppage of protraction of the seatbelt is detected by said seatbelt protraction stoppage detecting means after the protraction of the seatbelt is detected by said seatbelt protraction detecting means while the seatbelt is detected to be in said state disconnected from the occupant by said seatbelt attaching state detecting means;

protracting speed detecting means for detecting speed of protraction of the seatbelt; and

setting means for setting said predetermined time period according to the speed of protraction of the seatbelt detected by said protracting speed detecting means.

5. An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said setting means sets said predetermined time period to a shorter value as the speed of protraction of the seatbelt detected by said protracting speed detecting means is higher, and to a longer value as the detected speed of protraction of the seatbelt is lower.