Vehicular seatbelt apparatus

• US 8,165,758 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Odate, Shotaro, Suzuki, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/146,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/281, 180/286, 242/374, 242/390.1, 242/390.8, 242/390.9, 280/801.1, 280/806.807, 297/468, 297474-480, 701 45- 47
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• 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 seatbelt apparatus for a vehicle includes a control device for controlling an amount of electric current fed to a motor for winding a seatbelt. The control device controls the motor such that a predetermined amount of electric current is applied to the motor in a behavioral state of the vehicle requiring emergency measures, and such that when the seatbelt is wound a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount of winding is maintained.

Claims

1. A seatbelt apparatus for a vehicle, comprising;

a belt reel for winding a belt;

a motor for rotationally driving the belt reel;

a controller configured to control an amount of electric current applied to the motor; and

a rotational position detector for detecting a rotational position of the belt reel,

wherein the controller comprises;

a device configured to apply a predetermined amount of electric current to the motor when the vehicle is in a predetermined travel state, and

wherein during application of the predetermined amount of electric current to the motor, when a determination is made based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position detector that the belt reel has reached a predetermined rotational position, the device is configured to apply to the motor an amount of electric current for holding the predetermined rotational position.

2. The seatbelt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined rotational position of the belt reel is determined based on a travel state quantity of the vehicle,

wherein in a first travel state the belt reel is in a first rotational position and in a second travel state, which occurs after the first travel state, the belt reel is in a second rotational position.

3. A seatbelt apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a belt reel for winding a belt;

a motor for rotationally driving the belt reel;

a controller configured to control an amount of electric current applied to the motor; and

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

wherein the controller comprises;

a device configured to control the amount of electric current applied to the motor so that the belt reel is kept in a first rotational position when a travel state quantity of the vehicle reaches a first state,

the device configured to apply a predetermined amount of electric current to the motor when the travel state quantity of the vehicle reaches a second state after reaching the first state, and

wherein during application of the predetermined amount of electric current to the motor, when a determination is made based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position detector that the belt reel has reached a second rotational position which is closer to a winding position than the first rotational position, the device is configured to apply to the motor an amount of electric current for holding the second rotational position.