Passenger restraining protective system

• US 6,702,326 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/722,267
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 280/806, 280/748, 180/268, 180/271, 297/480, 242/382, 242/413, 242/374, 242/390.8
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4609 using a plurality of tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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

Abstract

The present invention has an object to permit operation of the second pretensioner operating upon determination of a collision, irrespective of operation of the first pretensioner operating upon determination of the possibility of collision. When a vehicle body deceleration is determined not to exceed a set deceleration, possibility of collision with an obstacle is determined on the basis of a relative distance from the obstacle, a relative speed, and a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle. When the possibility of a collision is determined, a motor associated with a retractor is rotated and the webbing is retracted with a large torque until the webbing has the second set belt tension. When the vehicle deceleration is determined to be over a set deceleration, a buckle pretensioner is operated. The buckle is very strongly pulled, and the webbing is set at a third belt tension. The passenger is thus restrained by a large restraining force. At this point, the buckle pretensioner is preferentially operated irrespective of operation of the motor.

Claims

1. A passenger restraining protective system having a seat belt retracting apparatus for retracting a seat belt in order to restrain a passenger of a vehicle, comprising:

a first pretensioner having a motor adapted to operate when the possibility of a collision is determined to exist, to thereby retract the seat belt until the tension of the seat belt reaches a first belt tension that is higher than the belt tension that exists during normal driving conditions, the motor including a deceleration mechanism for converting rapid rotation of the motor into torque for producing the first belt tension;

a second pretensioner adapted to operate when a collision is determined to have occurred, to thereby retract the seat belt until the tension of the seat belt reaches a second belt tension that is higher than said first belt tension;

a controller which, when a collision is determined to have occurred, is adapted to cause said second pretensioner to operate, irrespective of the operation of said first pretensioner.

2. The passenger restraining protective system of claim 1, wherein said first pretensioner comprises a seat belt retractor having a spool.

3. The passenger restraining protective system of claim 2, wherein said second pretensioner comprises a buckle type pretensioner.

4. The passenger restraining protective system of claim 1, wherein, the controller is adapted to cause the first pretensioner to continue to operate even after discontinuance of operation of said second pretensioner until the possibility of a collision no longer exists.

5. The passenger restraining protective system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the possibility of a collision occurring based on the relative distance between the vehicle and an obstacle.

6. The passenger restraining system of claim 1, wherein the deceleration mechanism includes a plurality of gears for transferring the rapid rotation of the motor into a torque for producing the first belt tension.

7. The passenger restraining system of claim 6, wherein the gears include a ring gear and a plurality of planetary gears engaged with an inner surface of the ring gear and operatively connected to a spool for holding the seat belt.

8. The passenger restraining system of claim 7, further comprising a locking mechanism for preventing rotation of the ring gear.

9. The passenger restraining system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to operate to prevent the ring gear from rotating when a collision is determined to have occurred.

10. The passenger restraining system of claim 1, wherein the deceleration mechanism includes a plurality of gears for transferring the rotation of the motor to a spool for winding up the seat belt.

11. The passenger restraining system of claim 10, wherein the gears include a lockable ring gear and at least one planetary gear operatively connected to the spool.