Safety-belt arrangement
First Claim
1. A safety-belt arrangement for use in a motor-vehicle, the safety-belt arrangement comprising a safety-belt, one end of which is connected to a retractor, a sensor adapted to generate a signal representative of the amount of the safety-belt paid-out from the retractor, a force limiter associated with the retractor adapted to permit the safety-belt to be paid-out with a variable force limiting effect, means to change the level of force applied by the force limiter, between a first level of resistive force and a second level of resistive force, and a control unit to generate an output signal to control the means which change the level of force, the arrangement determining a reference point either by measuring a period of time following sensing of a predetermined parameter relating to a crash, and then determining when a specific length of safety-belt has been paid out, or by sensing when the first level of resistive force is supplied by the force limiter and optionally then determining when a predetermined length of safety-belt has been paid-out and, after the reference point has been determined, measuring a predetermined period of time after the reference point has been reached before said output signal is generated.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A safety-belt arrangement for use in a motor vehicle has a safety-belt (5), one end of which is connected to a retractor (8), a sensor (11) generates a signal representative of the amount of safety-belt paid-out from the retractor. A force limiter (10) is associated with the retractor to permit safety-belt to be paid-out with a variable force limiting effect. A control arrangement (12) changes the level of force applied by the force limiter (10) by determining a reference point either by measuring a period of time following sensing of a predetermined parameter relating to a crash, and then determining when a specific length of safety-belt has been paid-out, or by sensing when the first level of resistive force is applied by the force limiter, and optionally then determining when a predetermined length of safety-belt has been paid-out, the control arrangement then measuring a predetermined period of time after the reference point has been reached before effecting the change of level of force applied by the force limiter (10).
42 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A safety-belt arrangement for use in a motor-vehicle, the safety-belt arrangement comprising a safety-belt, one end of which is connected to a retractor, a sensor adapted to generate a signal representative of the amount of the safety-belt paid-out from the retractor, a force limiter associated with the retractor adapted to permit the safety-belt to be paid-out with a variable force limiting effect, means to change the level of force applied by the force limiter, between a first level of resistive force and a second level of resistive force, and a control unit to generate an output signal to control the means which change the level of force, the arrangement determining a reference point either by measuring a period of time following sensing of a predetermined parameter relating to a crash, and then determining when a specific length of safety-belt has been paid out, or by sensing when the first level of resistive force is supplied by the force limiter and optionally then determining when a predetermined length of safety-belt has been paid-out and, after the reference point has been determined, measuring a predetermined period of time after the reference point has been reached before said output signal is generated.
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9. A safety-belt arrangement for use in a motor vehicle, the safety belt arrangement comprising:
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a safety-belt having an end; a retractor capable of paying out the safety belt, the end of the safety-belt connected to the retractor; a first sensor capable of generating a signal representative of an amount of the safety-belt paid-out from the retractor; a force limiter associated with the retractor, the force limiter permitting the safety-belt to be paid-out with a variable force limiting effect, the force limiter having a torsion element for changing the level of force applied by the force limiter between a first level of resistive force and a second level of resistive force; and a control unit capable of generating an output signal to control the torsion element; wherein the arrangement is capable of determining a reference point in a series of collision events, and after the reference point has been determined, the arrangement is capable of measuring a predetermined period of time after the reference point has been reached before the output signal is generated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification