Motorized seat belt retractor

• US 6,726,249 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koji, Yano, Hideaki, Tanji, Hiromasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US09/866,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 280/805, 280/806, 280/807, 242/390.9, 242/390.8, 242/374, 242/379.1
• US Class Current: 280/805
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/469 reusable
• 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 motorized seat belt retractor configured to be activated in response to a signal generated by a dangerous state detection device indicating that a vehicle is in a dangerous state. The retractor is configured so that in response to the signal the retractor operates to retract a seat belt webbing prior to a collision thereby restraining an occupant positioned in a seat in the vehicle. The retractor is activated every time a signal indicating that the vehicle is in a dangerous state is received from the detector.

Claims

1. A motorized seat belt retractor configured to be activated in response to a signal generated by a dangerous state detection device indicating that a vehicle is in a dangerous state, the retractor being configured so that in response to the signal the retractor operates to retract a seat belt webbing prior to a collision thereby restraining an occupant positioned in a seat in the vehicle, wherein the retractor includes a motor for retracting the seatbelt and an energy absorbing mechanism that employs a counter electromotive force generated by the motor, and wherein the retractor is configured to be activated every time a signal indicating that the vehicle is in a dangerous state is received from the detection device.

2. The motorized seat belt retractor of claim 1, wherein said retractor is configured to release the restraint of the occupant when the detection device determines that the vehicle is no longer in a dangerous state.

3. The motorized seat belt retractor of claim 1, wherein said retractor is configured to release the restraint of the occupant when the signal indicating the existence of the dangerous state is absent for a predetermined period of time.

4. The motorized seat belt retractor of claim 1, wherein said dangerous state detection device includes a collision predictive device.

5. The motorized seat belt retractor of claim 1, wherein said dangerous state detection device includes a seated state sensor.

6. A system for protecting a passenger seated in a vehicle seat comprising:

a sensing unit configured to provide a signal indicating that a collision is imminent;

a control circuit operatively connected to the sensing unit;

a seat belt device having a seat belt retractor;

wherein the retractor is configured to retract a webbing of a seat belt when a control signal from the control circuit is received; and

an energy absorbing mechanism for limiting the load on the passenger,

wherein the retractor is adapted to maintain the webbing in a retracted state until the sensing unit determines that the collision is no longer imminent, wherein the energy absorbing mechanism is configured to allow the webbing to withdraw from the retractor during the collision, and wherein the retractor is adapted to retract the webbing following the collision to return the passenger to a normal position.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the retractor includes a motor for retracting the webbing.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy absorbing mechanism is adapted to limit the load on the passenger.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the retractor is adapted to maintain the webbing in the retracted state following the occurrence of the collision.