Seat belt alarm apparatus

• US 7,161,477 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Yosuke, Michishige, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US10/879,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/457, 340/459, 701/45, 701/36, 701/29
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A seat belt alarm apparatus according to the present invention executes a weak alarm pattern in which an alarm lamp is blinked and lighted repeatedly when a seat belt switch is turned on and a seat belt is unfastened, and a vehicle speed is equal to or less than a buzzer sound start vehicle speed. When the vehicle speed is more than the buzzer sound start vehicle speed, the seat belt alarm apparatus executes a strong alarm pattern in which the alarm lamp is blinked and lighted repeatedly as well as a buzzer is sounded in synchronism with the blinking of the alarm lamp, and the alarm operation is continued until the seat belt switch is turned off and the seat belt is fastened.

Claims

1. A seat belt alarm apparatus, comprising:

seat belt detection means for detecting whether or not a seat belt is fastened;

alarm means for prompting the fastening of said seat belt;

alarm drive means for driving said alarm means; and

alarm control means for outputting a drive signal to said alarm drive means,

wherein said alarm control means has at least two types of alarm patterns having a different alarm mode respectively;

said alarm control means outputs a drive signal having a weak alarm pattern after an ignition switch is turned on, when said seat belt detection means detects that said seat belt is unfastened and when a vehicle speed is equal to or less than a set vehicle speed;

said alarm control means outputs said drive signal having a continuous strong alarm pattern when said seat belt detection means detects that said seat belt is unfastened and said vehicle speed is more than said set vehicle speed until said seat belt detection means detects that said seat belt is fastened; and

said alarm control means continuously outputs said drive signal having said strong alarm pattern even if said vehicle speed becomes equal to or less than said set vehicle speed thereafter.

2. The seat belt alarm apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said alarm control means outputs the drive signal having said weak alarm pattern when said seat belt detection means detects that said seat belt is fastened and then detects that said seat belt is unfastened and when said vehicle speed is equal to or less than said set vehicle speed.

3. The seat belt alarm apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said alarm control means outputs said drive signal having said strong alarm pattern when said vehicle speed is more than said set vehicle speed after said drive signal having said weak alarm pattern is output, and

said alarm control means continuously outputs said drive signal having said strong alarm pattern when said vehicle speed becomes equal to or less than said set vehicle speed thereafter.

4. The seat belt alarm apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said alarm means has at least said two types of said alarm means for issuing a different alarm; and

said respective alarm means are driven in synchronism with each other in said strong alarm pattern.

5. The seat belt alarm apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said alarm means has at least said two types of said alarm means for issuing a different alarm; and

said respective alarm means are driven in synchronism with each other in said strong alarm pattern.

6. The seat belt alarm apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said alarm means has at least said two types of said alarm means for issuing said different alarm; and

said respective alarm means are driven in synchronism with each other in said strong alarm pattern.