Vehicle seatbelt apparatus, vehicle having the vehicle seatbelt apparatus and method for controlling vehicle seatbelt

• US 8,046,136 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Odate, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/347,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090173816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 242/374, 242/390.9, 280/807, 297/474, 297/475, 297/481, 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/468 characterised by clutching means between actuator and belt reel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4825 for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/44 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions not included in the retractor B60R22/19; B60R22/3405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195

Abstract

A vehicle seatbelt apparatus includes a belt, a belt reel, a position detector, a motor, a clutch, and a control device. The belt is wound around the belt reel. The position detector is configured to detect a rotational position of the belt reel. The motor is configured to rotate the belt reel. The clutch is configured to connect or disconnect the motor and the belt reel. The control device is configured to control the clutch and a current supplied to the motor. The control device includes a return amount detector which is configured to detect a return amount of the belt reel in a drawing direction of the belt based on the rotational position of the belt reel detected by the position detector after the belt is wound around the belt reel and then the clutch disconnects the motor and the belt reel.

Claims

1. A vehicle seatbelt apparatus comprising:

a belt;

a belt reel around which the belt is wound;

a position detector configured to detect a rotational position of the belt reel;

a motor configured to rotate the belt reel;

a clutch configured to connect or disconnect the motor and the belt reel; and

a control device configured to control the clutch and a current supplied to the motor and comprising;

a return amount detector configured to detect a return amount of the belt reel in a drawing direction of the belt based on the rotational position of the belt reel detected by the position detector after the belt is wound around the belt reel and then the clutch disconnects the motor and the belt reel.

2. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises

a constant current mode controller configured to perform a constant current control mode in which the current supplied to the motor is controlled to be kept substantially at a predetermined current, the constant current mode controller being configured to change a target current or a control gain in the constant current control mode based on the return amount.

3. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises

a position retaining mode controller configured to perform a position retaining control mode in which the current supplied to the motor is controlled to keep the rotational position of the belt reel to be substantially at a predetermined rotational position, the position retaining mode controller being configured to change a target retention position or a control gain in the position retaining control mode based on the return amount.

4. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises

an emergency wind-up mode controller configured to perform an emergency wind-up control mode in which a maximum current is supplied to the motor and then the current supplied to the motor is controlled to keep the rotational position of the belt reel to be substantially at a predetermined wind-up position when the rotational position of the belt reel reaches the predetermined wind-up position, the emergency wind-up mode controller being configured to change the predetermined wind-up position or a control gain in the emergency wind-up control mode based on the return amount.

5. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is configured to connect the motor and the belt reel when the motor is driven to rotate the belt reel so that the belt is wound around the belt reel.

6. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is configured to disconnect the motor and the belt reel when the motor is driven to rotate the belt reel so that the belt is unwound.

7. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises

a running state detector configured to detect a running state of a vehicle;

and

a control mode determination unit configured to determine a control mode for controlling the motor.

8. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control mode comprises at least one of

a constant current control mode in which the current supplied to the motor is controlled to be kept substantially at a predetermined current,

a position retaining control mode in which the current supplied to the motor is controlled to keep the rotational position of the belt reel to be substantially at a predetermined rotational position, and

an emergency wind-up control mode in which a maximum current is supplied to the motor and then the current supplied to the motor is controlled to keep the rotational position of the belt reel to be substantially at a predetermined wind-up position when the rotational position of the belt reel reaches the predetermined wind-up position.

9. The vehicle seatbelt apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the return amount detector comprises

a reference point detecting unit configured to detect a reference point, a change amount in a detected current supplied to the motor being equal to a threshold current change amount at the reference point while the motor is driven to wind the belt around the belt reel, and

a change position detecting unit configured to detect a change position, a change amount in a rotational position of the belt reel being equal to a threshold rotational position change amount at the change point while the motor is driven to wind the belt around the belt reel, the return amount detector being configured to detect the return amount by calculating the difference between the reference point and the change point.

10. A vehicle seatbelt apparatus comprising:

a belt;

a belt reel around which the belt is wound;

position detecting means for detecting a rotational position of the belt reel;

motor means for rotating the belt reel;

clutch means for connecting or disconnecting the motor means and the belt reel; and

control means for controlling the clutch means and a current supplied to the motor means and comprising;

return amount detecting means for detecting a return amount of the belt reel in a drawing direction of the belt based on the rotational position of the belt reel detected by the position detecting means after the belt is wound around the belt reel and then the clutch means disconnects the motor means and the belt reel.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a seatbelt apparatus comprising;

a belt;

a belt reel around which the belt is wound;

a position detector configured to detect a rotational position of the belt reel;

a motor configured to rotate the belt reel;

a clutch configured to connect or disconnect the motor and the belt reel; and

a control device configured to control the clutch and a current supplied to the motor and comprising;

a return amount detector configured to detect a return amount of the belt reel in a drawing direction of the belt based on the rotational position of the belt reel detected by the position detector after the belt is wound around the belt reel and then the clutch disconnects the motor and the belt reel.

12. A method for controlling a vehicle seatbelt, comprising:

detecting a rotational position of a belt reel around which a belt is wound;

providing a motor to rotate the belt reel;

providing a clutch to connect or disconnect the motor and the belt reel;

controlling the clutch and a current supplied to the motor; and

detecting a return amount of the belt reel in a drawing direction of the belt based on the rotational position of the belt reel after the belt is wound around the belt reel and then the clutch disconnects the motor and the belt reel.