Vehicle and vehicle seat belt system

• US 9,403,479 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ho, Helinda, Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Pappas, Bill, Philip, Abraham G.
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US14/470,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/270, 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 280/807, 280/808, 297/481, 297/486, 297/468, 297/474, 297/482, 362/488
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2565 Illuminated buckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/242 Safety belts; Body harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1806 for buckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/00 Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A vehicle having seat belt system is provided. The vehicle includes a D-ring having a light source, a belt strap passing through the D-ring, a tongue connected to the belt strap, a buckle, and a controller programmed to illuminate the light source in response to a detected trigger condition.

Claims

1. A seat belt system for a vehicle seat comprising:

a D-ring assembly including a visible-light source;

a tongue;

an anchor;

a retractable belt strap passing through the D-ring and tongue, and terminating at the anchor;

a buckle configured to receive the tongue; and

a controller programmed to, in response to a detected trigger condition requiring a vehicle occupant to locate the position of the D-ring, illuminate the visible-light source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the buckle includes a light source.

3. The seat belt system for a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is a door of a vehicle being opened.

4. The seat belt system for a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is an ignition of a vehicle being activated.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a D-ring having a visible-light source;

a belt strap passing through the D-ring;

a tongue connected to the belt strap;

a buckle; and

a controller programmed to, in response to either a door of the vehicle being opened or an ignition of the vehicle being activated, illuminate the visible-light source.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the D-ring only if ambient light conditions fall below a predetermined threshold.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the D-ring for a predetermined period of time after either the door of the vehicle is opened or the ignition of the vehicle is activated.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the D-ring after the predetermined period of time if a seat of the vehicle is occupied.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to terminate the illumination of the light source of the D-ring if the belt strap is pulled from a stationary position and the tongue and buckle are engaged.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the buckle has a light source.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the buckle if ambient light conditions fall below a predetermined threshold.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the buckle if the belt strap is pulled from a stationary position and the tongue and buckle are not engaged.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to terminate the illumination of the light source of the buckle if the tongue and buckle are engaged.

14. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to vehicle movement and an unbuckled condition of the tongue and buckle, trigger a flashing of the light source of the D-ring and the light source of the buckle.

15. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the D-ring and the light source of the buckle for a predetermined period of time after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated.

16. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to illuminate the light source of the D-ring and the light source of the buckle for a predetermined period of time after the ignition of the vehicle is deactivated and the door of the vehicle has been opened.

17. The vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a sensing device in communication with the controller and configured to relay an occupancy status of a seat of the vehicle to the controller.

18. The vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a sensing device in communication with the controller and configured to relay ambient light conditions to the controller.

19. The vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a sensing device in communication with the controller and configured to relay an open/closed condition of the door of the vehicle.