Safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle

• US 7,735,859 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dahlgren, Mikael, Lenning, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLOMB, JORDAN RIVARD
• Application Number:
  US11/658,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/737, 280/739, 180/268, 180/274, 180/282
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01279 Load limiters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01317 monitoring seat belt tensiont
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0155 sensing belt tension

Abstract

A safety arrangement to provide protection for an occupant in a motor vehicle includes a seat-belt provided with a measuring device to measure energy absorbed by the seat-belt. The measuring device may determine the length of safety-belt paid-out after a retractor locks, the belt being paid-out against a force provided by a force-limiter. The energy absorbed is calculated and is used to control the vents of a ventable air-bag. The air-bag is vented if a substantial part of the energy of the occupant is absorbed by the seat-belt, but is not vented if a large proportion of the energy has not been absorbed by the seat-belt.

Claims

1. A safety arrangement for an occupant positioned in a front cabin of a motor vehicle, wherein the safety arrangement includes a safety-belt and an air-bag which is ventable in response to a control signal, the safety arrangement comprising:

a measuring device including an angle measurement device cooperatively configured with a control unit for calculating energy absorbed via the safety-belt as the occupant of the vehicle moves against the safety-belt during an accident situation; and

the control unit configured to generate the control signal in response to the calculated energy absorbed.

2. The safety arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safety arrangement further comprises a comparator to compare the calculated energy absorbed by the safety-belt with a predetermined threshold and to cooperate with the control unit to generate the control signal for venting the air-bag when the calculated energy absorbed is greater than the predetermined threshold.

3. The safety arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined by the control unit in response to an input selected from a group consisting of a predicted crash violence, an actual crash violence, a position of the occupant, and a weight of the occupant.

4. The safety arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safety arrangement includes a retractor for the safety-belt and an energy absorbing device, the retractor cooperating with the energy absorbing device to absorb energy as the occupant moves against the safety-belt during the accident situation, wherein the measuring device and the control unit cooperate to calculate the energy absorbed by the energy absorbing device.

5. The safety arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the energy absorbing device is an adaptable load-limiter which provides a selected energy absorbing resistance during the accident situation.

6. The safety arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the adaptable load-limiter provides the selected energy absorbing resistance in response to at least one input selected from a group consisting of a severity of the accident, a position of the occupant and a weight of the occupant.

7. The safety arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the retractor includes a spool onto which the safety-belt is wound, wherein the energy absorbing device absorbs energy on rotation of the spool after locking of the retractor, and the retractor further includes the angle measurement device for measuring the angle of rotation of the spool as the safety-belt is paid out from the retractor after locking of the retractor for determining the calculated energy absorbed.

8. The safety arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safety arrangement includes a crash algorithm unit and a timer, wherein the crash algorithm unit determines when the accident situation is occurring and produces a trigger signal to inflate the air-bag and the timer times to a pre-determined time after the trigger signal is transmitted to the air-bag and generates a timer signal which indicates the air-bag is substantially inflated, wherein the control signal is transmitted to the air-bag when the timer signal is generated.

9. The safety arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safety arrangement further comprises a position sensor, wherein the position sensor measures a position of the occupant relative to the front of the cabin of the vehicle and produces an input signal which is input into the control unit, wherein the position sensor is configured to determine if the occupant is out of position and the control unit is configured to produce the control signal for venting the air-bag when the position sensor generates the input signal indicating that the occupant is out of position.