Seatbelt apparatus

• US 7,403,106 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yanagi, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/276,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/664, 340/687, 340/506, 340/650, 307/10.1, 701/34
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

The disclosed detection circuit for a seatbelt apparatus may include an attachment detection switch, first and second resistance elements, and an LED. The resistance value of the first resistance element may be set to a value which allows a current smaller than the maximum current value which cannot turn the LED on to flow through the LED when the attachment detection switch is in an OFF state. The resistance values of the first and second resistance elements can be set to values which allow a current larger than the minimum current value which can turn the LED on to flow through the LED when the attachment detection switch is in an ON state. A monitoring circuit may determine whether or not the tongue on the seat is attached to the buckle.

Claims

1. A seatbelt apparatus comprising:

a tongue;

a buckle to which the tongue is configured to be attached;

a light-emitting element;

a power cable for supplying power to the light-emitting element; and

a current adjuster that is provided between the power cable and the light-emitting element,

wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current to flow to the light-emitting element at a value larger than a minimum current value at which the light-emitting element can emit light when the tongue is not attached to the buckle, and

wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current to flow to the light-emitting element at a value smaller than a maximum current value at which the light-emitting element cannot emit light when the tongue is attached to the buckle.

2. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring device for determining whether or not the tongue is attached to the buckle on the basis of a current flowing in the power cable.

3. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring device is configured to determine that the tongue is not attached to the buckle when a current value flowing in the power cable is within a first current range, and

wherein the monitoring device is configured to determine that the tongue is attached to the buckle when a current value flowing in the power cable is within a second current range.

4. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current adjuster comprises an attachment detection switch for detecting whether or not the tongue is attached to the buckle.

5. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the current adjuster further comprises at least one resistance element.

6. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is a light-emitting diode.

7. A seatbelt apparatus comprising:

a tongue;

a buckle to which the tongue is configured to be attached;

a current adjuster comprising an attachment detection switch for detecting whether or not the tongue is attached to the buckle; and

a power cable associated with the current adjuster,

wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current having a value in a first range to flow to the power cable when the tongue is not attached to the buckle, and

wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current having a value in a second range to flow to the power cable when the tongue is attached to the buckle.

8. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a monitoring device for determining whether or not the tongue is attached to the buckle on the basis of a current flowing in the power cable.

9. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display for displaying the fact that a seatbelt is not worn based on output from the monitoring device.

10. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an electronic control unit that receives output from the monitoring device.

11. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising at least one light-emitter associated with the current adjuster, and

wherein the current adjuster is configured to adjust a value of a current which flows in the at least one light-emitter.

12. The seatbelt apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one light-emitter is a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of seats;

a seatbelt apparatus corresponding to each seat in the plurality of seats,

wherein each seatbelt apparatus comprises;

a tongue;

a buckle to which the tongue is configured to be attached;

a power cable; and

a current adjuster associated with the power cable, wherein the current adjuster comprises an attachment detection switch, wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current having a value in a first range to flow to the power cable when the tongue is not attached to the buckle, and wherein the current adjuster is configured to allow a current having a value in a second range to flow to the power cable when the tongue is attached to the buckle; and

a monitoring device for determining whether or not the tongues of the respective seatbelt apparatuses are attached to their corresponding buckles on the basis of a current flowing in the power cables corresponding to their respective seatbelt apparatuses.