Method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant

• US 6,650,982 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata (Europe) Vehicle Safety Technology GmbH
• Inventors: Kopetzky, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/139,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 180/268, 180/271, 180/273, 280/734, 280/735, 280/801.1, 280/803
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/284 using electric or magnetic braking means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/285 using friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/288 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0155 sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system. The method includes measuring a belt force transferred from a safety belt to the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident and a slackening of the safety belt is controlled.

Claims

1. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprise a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the reaction force (belt force) transmitted from the safety belt to the vehicle occupant in a reel or in a belt lock of the safety belt.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the forward displacement of the vehicle occupant by determining the rotary movement of a spindle of a belt reel of the safety belt.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the forward displacement of the motor vehicle occupant using an infrared sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the forward displacement of the motor vehicle occupant using a camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct slackening of the safety belt is only effected after the safety belt has been tensioned by a belt tensioning device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the slackening of the safety belt is controlled in dependence on the development of the accident.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the slackening of the safety belt is controlled in real time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the slackening of the safety belt is controlled by an actively influenceable braking device acting on the safety belt.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the braking device is an eddy current brake.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitted forward displacement of the vehicle occupant is recalled from storage in a look-up table based on a measured severity of the accident.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein during an early achievement of the permitted forward displacement, the slackening of the safety belt is controlled such that a digressive reaction force development is always ensured.

13. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprises a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value; and

measuring the forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in dependence on time, and wherein the step of controlling the direct slackening of the safety belt includes controlling the slackening of the safety belt n dependence on the measured forward displacement and characteristic vehicle values.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an acceleration and/or speed of the vehicle is used as the characteristic vehicle values.

15. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprises a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value; and

recalling the permitted forward displacement of the vehicle occupant from a storage in memory and wherein the slackening of the safety belt is controlled in dependence on the stored forward displacement as well as in dependence on characteristic vehicle values and characteristic occupant values.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the size and/or weight of the occupant is used as the characteristic occupant values.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an acceleration and/or speed of the vehicle is used as the characteristic vehicle values.

18. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprises a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value; and

measuring the weight of the vehicle occupant and wherein the step of controlling the direct slackening of the safety belt includes controlling the direct slackening in dependence on the weight measured.

19. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprises a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value;

storing pre-set maximum values of motor vehicle characteristics and/or occupant values in a characteristic field in a memory of a control;

reading the stored maximum values out of memory in the event of an accident, stored maximum values are read out of the memory; and

wherein the slackening of the safety belt takes place in dependence on the maximum values read such that the belt force falls short of the maximum value.

20. A method for the restraint of a vehicle occupant with the aid of a vehicle restraint system which comprises a windable three-point safety belt, comprising the steps of:

permitting forward displacement of the vehicle occupant in the event of an accident;

controlling a direct slackening of the safety belt in dependence on the permitted forward displacement such that the reaction force (belt force) transmitted to the vehicle occupant does not exceed a pre-set maximum value; and

wherein the direct slackening of the safety belt is controlled such that the pre-set maximum value of the belt force is achieved as early as possible—

relative to the time of the impact of the accident—

and is maintained for the time of the impact of the accident.