Adaptive seat belt tensioning system

• US 6,746,049 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automotive Components Holdings LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Pavlov, Kevin J., Stachowski, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US10/202,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 280/803, 280/806, 280/807, 297/478, 297/480
• US Class Current: 280/803
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0027 for detecting the position of the occupant or of occupant's body part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4473 using an electric retraction device
• 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

Abstract

An adaptive seat belt system (10) for an automotive vehicle (12). The system (10) includes a seat belt (16) extensible about an occupant (42) of a seat system (14). A seat belt tension sensor (18) is coupled to the seat belt (16) and generates a seat belt tension signal. A seat belt actuator (20) is mechanically coupled to the seat belt (16) and adjusts tension of the seat belt (16). A controller (26) is electrically coupled to the tensioner sensor (18) and the actuator (20). The controller (26) generates a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to the seat belt tension signal and adjusts tension of the seat belt (16) in response to the seat belt tension adjustment signal. A method for performing the same is also provided.

Claims

1. An adaptive seat belt system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a seat belt extensible about an occupant of a seat system;

a seat belt tension sensor coupled to said seat belt and generating a seat belt tension signal;

a seat belt actuator mechanically coupled to said seat belt for adjusting tension of said seat belt;

a controller electrically coupled to said seat belt tension sensor and said seat belt actuator, said controller generating a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to said seat belt tension signal and adjusting tension of said seat belt in response to said seat belt tension adjustment signal;

a vehicle dynamic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating a vehicle dynamic signal; and

said controller adjusting position of at least a portion of said seat system in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

2. A seat belt system as in claim 1 further comprising

one or more seat system actuators mechanically coupled to said seat system and electrically coupled to said controller,

said controller adjusting position of said seat system relative to a vehicle frame in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

3. A system as in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one seat bolster; and

at least one seat bolster actuator coupled to said at least one seat bolster;

said controller electrically coupled to said at least one seat bolster actuator and adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

4. A system as in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one seat bolster; and

at least one seat bolster actuator coupled to said at least one seat bolster;

said controller electrically coupled to said at least one seat bolster actuator and adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

18. A system as in claim 1 or 15 wherein said controller compares said seat belt tension signal with a reference seat belt tension and adjusts tension of said seat belt to approximately equal said reference seat belt tension.

5. An adaptive seat belt system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a seat belt extensible about an occupant of a seat system;

a seat belt tension sensor coupled to said seat belt and generating a seat belt tension signal;

a seat belt actuator mechanically coupled to said seat belt and adjusting tension of said seat belt;

one or more seat system actuators mechanically coupled to said seat system;

one or more directional position sensors electrically coupled to said one or more seat system actuators and generating one or more seat position signals; and

a controller electrically coupled to said seat belt tensioner, said seat belt actuator, said one or more seat system actuators, and said one or more directional position sensors, said controller generating a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to said seat belt tension signal and adjusting tension of said seat belt in response to said seat belt tension adjustment signal.

6. A seat belt system as in claim 5 further comprising:

a vehicle dynamic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating a vehicle dynamic signal;

said controller adjusting position of said seat system relative to a vehicle frame and in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

7. A system as in claim 5 further comprising:

an occupant characteristic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating an occupant characteristic signal;

said controller adjusting position of said seat system relative to a vehicle frame and in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein said occupant characteristic signal comprising at least one of the following:

a weight value, a height value, or position indication of said occupant relative to a seat system.

9. A system as in claim 5 further comprising:

at least one seat bolster;

at least one seat bolster actuator coupled to said at least one seat bolster; and

a vehicle dynamic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating a vehicle dynamic signal;

said controller electrically coupled to said at least one seat bolster actuator and adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

10. A system as in claim 5 further comprising:

at least one seat bolster;

at least one seat bolster actuator coupled to said at least one seat bolster; and

an occupant characteristic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating an occupant characteristic signal;

said controller electrically coupled to said at least one seat bolster actuator and adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

11. A system as in claim 5 wherein said controller compares said seat belt tension signal with a reference seat belt tension and adjusts tension of said seat belt to approximately equal said reference seat belt tension.

12. A method for adaptively adjusting tension of a seat belt within an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining tension of a seat belt and generating a seat belt tension signal;

generating a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to said seat belt tension signal;

adjusting tension of said seat belt in response to said seat belt tension adjustment signals;

generating a vehicle dynamics signal; and

adjusting position of at least a portion of said system in response to said vehicle dynamic signal.

13. A method as in claim 12 further comprising:

adjusting seat position in response to said vehicle dynamics signal; and

generating said seat belt tension signal upon adjusting seat position.

14. A method as in claim 12 further comprising:

adjusting position of at least one seat bolster in response to said vehicle dynamics signal; and

generating said seat belt tension signal upon adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster.

22. A method as in claim 12 or 19 further comprising:

comparing said seat belt tension signal with a reference seat belt tension; and

adjusting said seat belt tension to approximately equal said reference seat belt tension.

15. An adaptive seat belt system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a seat belt extensible about an occupant of a seat system;

a seat belt tension sensor coupled to said seat belt and generating a seat belt tension signal;

a seat belt actuator mechanically coupled to said seat belt for adjusting tension of said seat belt;

a controller electrically coupled to said seat belt tension sensor and said seat belt actuator, said controller generating a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to said seat belt tension signal and adjusting tension of said seat belt in response to said seat belt tension adjustment signal;

an occupant characteristic sensor electrically coupled to said controller and generating an occupant characteristic signal; and

said controller adjusting position of at least a portion of said seat system in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

16. A system as in claim 15 further comprising

one or more seat system actuators mechanically coupled to said seat system and electrically coupled to said controller,

said controller adjusting position of said seat system in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

17. A system as in claim 15 wherein said occupant characteristic signal comprising at least one of the following:

a weight value, a height value, or position indication of said occupant relative to a seat system.

19. A method for adaptively adjusting tension of a seat belt within an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining tension of a seat belt and generating a seat belt tension signal;

generating a seat belt tension adjustment signal in response to said seat belt tension signal;

adjusting tension of said seat belt in response to said seat belt tension adjustment signal;

generating an occupant characteristic signal; and

adjusting position of at least a portion of a seat system in response to said occupant characteristic signal.

20. A method as in claim 19 further comprising:

adjusting seat position in response to said occupant characteristic signal; and

generating said seat belt tension signal upon adjusting seat position.

21. A method as in claim 19 further comprising:

adjusting position of at least one seat bolster in response to said occupant characteristic signal; and

generating said seat belt tension signal upon adjusting position of said at least one seat bolster.