Re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter system and method of operation

• US 7,866,703 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Brown, Joseph Robert, Spahn, Brian Robert, Jaradi, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US11/752,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20080290644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 280/806, 280/807, 297/480, 297/481
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/03 Means for presenting the belt or part thereof to the wearer , e.g. foot-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner apparatus is disclosed having a first member engagable with a second member that is moveable relative to the first member, and re-settable in response to various sensed driving conditions to pretension the seat belt around the operator and return to a non pre-tensioned status when the driving conditions have passed. The apparatus may be operated by positioning the belt for use; determining whether the seat belt buckle is in use; locking the pre-tensioner and lowering the seat belt buckle below the seat occupation plane; determining whether a threshold vehicle seat belt pre-tension load has been met; raising the belt buckle to a design position, unlocking the retractor; determining whether a threat event is imminent and locking the retractor; lowering the vehicle seat buckle relative to the plane of occupation, determining whether a crash event is occurring, and if yes, deploying a pyrotechnic deployment to secure the occupant in the seat.

Claims

1. A re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner presenter apparatus, comprising:

a first member engaged with a second member moveable relative to said first member;

said second member capable of receiving a seat belt tongue insert;

said first member driveably connected to a variable reversible drive motor;

said apparatus further equipped with a re-settable seat belt buckle and the drive motor also acting as a belt pre-tensioner adjustor;

said adjustor adapted to adjust said seat belt buckle to a desired position relative a seat to facilitate easy access by an operator;

said seat belt buckle and belt pre-tensioner adjustor further acting as a re-settable seat belt pre-tensioner in response to various sensed driving condition inputs to resettably pre-tension said seat belt around said operator during pre-crash and crash conditions, and return to non pre-tension status when said pre-crash conditions have passed.

2. The re-settable vehicle seat belt pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said first member is variably moveable from a design position to a presented position to a pre-tension position in response to various sensed vehicle conditions.

3. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said pre-tensioner is disabled when a child seat is sensed in said seat.

4. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter, of claim 1, wherein:

said first member has a hollow body along substantially its length, said first body equipped with at least one anchorage to facilitate fixing said first body in a vehicle proximal a seat; and

said second member has a body adjustably insertable in said first member at a first end thereof;

said second member having a seat belt buckle at a second end distal said first end.

5. The re-settable vehicle seat buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said re-settable seat belt presenter and belt pre-tensioner adjustor is comprised of a variable speed reversible electric motor engagable with said second member to actuate said second member longitudinally within said first member a fixed distance to present said seat buckle for access by said operator, and a variable distance in response to various sensed driving conditions to re-settably pre-tension said seat belt around said operator during pre-crash and crash conditions, and return to non pre-tensioned state after said pre-crash conditions have passed.

6. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said motor is equipped with a gear cooperatively engagable with a toothed rack on said second member to move said second member relative to said first member.

7. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a pre-tensioned position in response to various sensed vehicle conditions.

8. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a presented position when said operator first enters said vehicle to make said buckle more accessible to said operator;

said buckle returning to said design position when operator inserts a seat belt tongue in said buckle.

9. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said seat belt buckle is adjusted from a design position to a presented position in response to a sensed vehicle gear position to make said belt more accessible to said operator;

said buckle returning to said design position when operator inserts a seat belt tongue in said buckle.

11. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said buckle is adjusted proximally from a design position to a pre-tensioner condition.

12. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said buckle is adjusted 80 mm proximally to pre-tension said belt.

13. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, wherein said sensed driving condition inputs include brake pedal pressure, vehicle occupant safety data, vehicle longitudinal and lateral acceleration, vehicle deceleration, vehicle seat sensors, adaptive cruise control, radar and pre-crash sensor signals.

14. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, further including a retractor lock to secure the pre-tensioner into a retracted position during the pre-crash and crash events, and release the belt after the pre-crash events have elapsed.

15. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 1, further including a retractor lock to prevent the seatbelt webbing from paying out of the retractor during pre-tensioning of initial slack removal, pre-crash and crash events.

16. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim 15, wherein said retractor lock is a solenoid.

10. The re-settable vehicle seat belt buckle pre-tensioner presenter of claim, wherein said buckle is adjusted 100 mm distally from a design position to a presented position.