Inflatable safety belt for motor vehicles

• US 6,406,059 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ritzl, Friedrich, Sertl, Hans Peter, Kompass, Klaus, Werkmeister, Klaus, Taubenberger, Josef, Meister, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINNER, TONY H
• Application Number:
  US09/832,000
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/735, 280/808, 280/801.1
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/026 at least two ends of the belt being retractable after use
• 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 inflatable seat belt for securing an occupant in a motor vehicle having a belt strap which is divided by way of a belt latch into a diagonal region resting against the occupant'"'"'s upper body and into a horizontal region resting against the occupant'"'"'s pelvis. A belt buckle is fastened to the vehicle and the belt latch is detachably connectable with the belt buckle. On the diagonal region of the belt strap, an air bag is mounted which extends from the occupant'"'"'s upper body to behind the head. The air bag is made of a material which is shortened in an axial direction during inflation. The diagonal region of the belt strap is connected with an upper retractor fastened to the vehicle, and the horizontal region of the belt strap is connected with a lower retractor fastened to the vehicle.

Claims

1. An inflatable seat belt for securing an occupant in a motor vehicle comprising:

a belt strap comprising two ends connected with the motor vehicle;

a belt latch arranged on the belt strap and dividing the belt strap into (i) a diagonal region for resting against an occupant'"'"'s upper body and (ii) a horizontal region for resting against an occupant'"'"'s pelvis;

a belt buckle arranged on the vehicle onto which the belt latch is detachably connectable;

a first retractor arranged on the motor vehicle onto which an end corresponding with the diagonal region of the belt strap is connected;

a second retractor arranged on the motor vehicle onto which an end corresponding with the horizontal region of the belt strap is connected;

an air bag arranged on the diagonal region of the belt strap so as to extend substantially from an occupant'"'"'s upper body to an area behind an occupant'"'"'s head, the air bag comprising a material which is shortened in an axial direction of the air bag during inflation;

a clamping fastener detachably connecting the belt strap with the belt latch with a defined holding force;

wherein the clamping fastener and the first retractor are electrically controllable such that (i) the first retractor and the clamping fastener are released, (ii) after a withdrawal of a defined length of the belt strap by the occupant, the first retractor is locked, (iii) after an insertion of the belt latch into the belt buckle, the clamping fastener is locked and the first retractor is released, and (iv) in the event of an impact of the vehicle, the clamping fastener is released.

2. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 1, wherein a gas generator is connected with the air bag.

3. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 2, wherein the air bag is actuatable in the event of an impact of the vehicle when the belt latch is not connected with the belt buckle.

4. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 2, comprising a child seat detection system which locks the upper retractor and prevents a triggering of the gas generator when a child seat is detected.

5. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 2, wherein the gas generator is connected by way of a gas feeding hose with the end of the belt strap corresponding to the diagonal region.

6. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 5, wherein the gas feeding hose is integrated in the belt strap.

7. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 6, wherein the gas generator is connected with the belt strap and is guided on a guide rail fastened to the vehicle.

8. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 6, wherein the gas generator is connected with the vehicle, and the belt strap is arranged around a movably disposed tension roller.

9. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 5, wherein the gas generator is connected with the vehicle and, by way of a separate gas feeding hose, is connected with the air bag, the gas feeding hose permitting a change in distance between an upper end of the air bag and the gas generator.

10. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 2, wherein the gas generator is connected by way of the belt buckle and the belt latch with a lower end of the air bag.

11. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 2, wherein the gas generator is integrated in the air bag.

12. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 6, wherein the gas feed hose is arranged in a neutral fiber of the belt strap.

13. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 12, wherein the belt strap is guided around a roller, the roller having a circumferential groove adapted to correspond to the profile of the gas feeding hose.

14. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 12, wherein the gas feeding hose has a flat profile.

15. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the gas feeding hose comprises a plurality of individual hoses situated side-by-side.

16. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 10, wherein a horizontal gas transition is provided in the belt buckle below the inserted belt latch.

17. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 16, wherein a seal is arranged at the gas transition, the seal resting on a sealing surface under a pressure from the gas flow.

18. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 1, wherein, in a folded condition, the air bag is surrounded by an envelope.

19. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 18, wherein the envelope comprises the belt strap and a cover band having longitudinal sides, at least one longitudinal side of the covering band covering the air bag being welded to the belt strap.

20. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 19, wherein a rearward end of the envelope facing away from the air bag is connected with an expansion bellows which surrounds a gas feeding hose.

21. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 5, wherein the gas feeding hose and the air bag are woven in one piece.

22. A method for securing an occupant in a motor vehicle comprising:

providing a belt strap comprising two ends connected with the motor vehicle;

providing a belt latch on the belt strap which divides the belt strap into (i) a diagonal region for resting against an occupant'"'"'s upper body and (ii) a horizontal region for resting against an occupant'"'"'s pelvis;

providing a belt buckle on the vehicle onto which the belt latch is detachably connectable;

providing a first retractor on the motor vehicle onto which an end corresponding with the diagonal region of the belt strap is connectable;

providing a second retractor arranged on the motor vehicle onto which an end corresponding with the horizontal region of the belt strap is connectable;

providing an air bag on the diagonal region of the belt strap so as to extend substantially from an occupant'"'"'s upper body to an area behind an occupant'"'"'s head, the air bag comprising a material which is shortened in an axial direction of the air bag during inflation;

providing a clamping fastener on the belt latch which connects the belt strap with the belt latch with a defined holding force;

electrically controlling the clamping fastener and the first retractor in the following order;

(i) releasing the first retractor and the clamping fastener;

(ii) after a withdrawal of a defined length of the belt strap by the occupant, locking the first retractor;

(iii) after an insertion of the belt latch into the belt buckle, locking the clamping fastener and releasing the first retractor; and

(iv) during an impact of the vehicle, releasing the clamping fastener.