Abstract: An occupant information sensing device 100 includes a plurality of heater electrodes that are provided at a vehicle steering wheel 104 and insulated and separated from one another and that generate heat by conduction. Power sources provide electrical current for heater electrodes. Electrical circuit elements enable the system to provide occupant biological condition monitoring, gripping detection, and electrical stimulation. The circuits enable common electrical connecting to the heater electrodes to provide multiple functions through the use of filtering and time division multiplexing.

Abstract: With the steering wheel, steering system, method of controlling steering, and non-temporary computer readable storage media, a grasp detection function can be applied to a steering wheel with a heating function, where one function can contribute to the improvement of the other function. The steering wheel (1) includes a core part (10) to which ground potential is supplied, a first conductor (12) provided on the exterior of the core part (10) and insulated from the core part (10), and a second conductor (14) provided on the exterior of the first conductor (12) and insulated from the first conductor (12) to sense gripping of the steering wheel (1).

Abstract: A power transmission mechanism (19) for transmitting power from a motor (34) to a spindle (12) having a clutch housing (50), a pawl (41) engageable with the clutch housing (50), a gear wheel (57) which holds the pawl (41) and rotates with the rotation of the motor (34), an outer gear cover (26), and a friction ring (42) engaging with the pawl (41) and held on the outer gear cover (26) by frictional force. The friction ring (42) is provided with a protruding portion (42a) which engages with an engagement groove (41b) of the pawl (41), and a plurality of contact pieces (42b) in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a small diameter ring portion (26c) of the outer gear cover (26) and press radially against the outer peripheral surface towards an inner side The friction ring can be easily coupled to the outer gear cover.

Abstract: A seat belt device includes a spindle (11) for retracting a seat belt (13), an electric actuator (55), a pre-tensioner (14) and a power transmission mechanism (20), wherein the power transmission mechanism (20) can reversibly switch the connection and disconnection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) before the pre-tensioner (14) is activated, while when the pre-tensioner (14) is activated. The power transmission mechanism (20) non-reversibly interrupts the connection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) via an elastic piece (60) when a torque difference between an actuator-side gear (80) and a spindle-side gear (82) becomes larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A steering wheel that enables heat to be efficiently conducted to a steering wheel outer covering. The steering wheel includes: a core; a spacer member arranged around an outer periphery of a rim portion of the core; a temperature adjusting element provided on the spacer member; and a resin layer formed to cover an outside portion of the spacer member. The spacer member keeps at least a part of the temperature adjusting element away from the core.

Abstract: A power transmission mechanism (19) for transmitting power from a motor (34) to a spindle (12) having a clutch housing (50), a pawl (41) engageable with the clutch housing (50), a gear wheel (57) which holds the pawl (41) and rotates with the rotation of the motor (34), an outer gear cover (26), and a friction ring (42) engaging with the pawl (41) and held on the outer gear cover (26) by frictional force. The friction ring (42) is provided with a protruding portion (42a) which engages with an engagement groove (41b) of the pawl (41), and a plurality of contact pieces (42b) in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a small diameter ring portion (26c) of the outer gear cover (26) and press radially against the outer peripheral surface towards an inner side The friction ring can be easily coupled to the outer gear cover.

Abstract: A seat belt device includes a spindle (11) for retracting a seat belt (13), an electric actuator (55), a pre-tensioner (14) and a power transmission mechanism (20), wherein the power transmission mechanism (20) can reversibly switch the connection and disconnection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) before the pre-tensioner (14) is activated, while when the pre-tensioner (14) is activated. The power transmission mechanism (20) non-reversibly interrupts the connection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) via an elastic piece (60) when a torque difference between an actuator-side gear (80) and a spindle-side gear (82) becomes larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An occupant information sensing device 100 includes a plurality of heater electrodes that are provided at a vehicle steering wheel 104 and insulated and separated from one another and that generate heat by conduction. Power sources provide electrical current for heater electrodes. Electrical circuit elements enable the system to provide occupant biological condition monitoring, gripping detecton, and electrical stimulation. The circuits enable common electrical connecting to the heater electrodes to provide multiple functions through the use of filtering and time division multiplexing.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor 100 includes stop state detecting means 118 which detects that a driving signal is not inputted to power generation means 110 and drawing-direction rotation detecting means 119 which detects that the power generation means 110 is rotating in a drawing-direction of a webbing 302. Here, a control means 200 controls the power generation means 110 to rotate in the drawing direction of the webbing 302, when the stop state detecting means 118 detects that the driving signal is not inputted to the power generation means 110 and the drawing-direction rotation detecting means 119 detects that the power generation means 110 is rotating in the drawing direction of the webbing 302.

Abstract: A seat belt device includes a spindle (11) for retracting a seat belt (13), an electric actuator (55), a pre-tensioner (14) and a power transmission mechanism (20), wherein the power transmission mechanism (20) can reversibly switch the connection and disconnection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) before the pre-tensioner (14) is activated, while when the pre-tensioner (14) is activated. The power transmission mechanism (20) non-reversibly interrupts the connection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) via an elastic piece (60) when a torque difference between an actuator-side gear (80) and a spindle-side gear (82) becomes larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A steering wheel that enables heat to be efficiently conducted to a steering wheel outer covering. The steering wheel includes: a core; a spacer member arranged around an outer periphery of a rim portion of the core; a temperature adjusting element provided on the spacer member; and a resin layer formed to cover an outside portion of the spacer member. The spacer member keeps at least a part of the temperature adjusting element away from the core.

Abstract: A seatbelt device for preventing a torque limiter mechanism from operating due to inertia force when a gear rotates quickly due to a winding force of an electric actuator, while maintaining satisfactory operating characteristics of the torque limiter mechanism. In the torque limiter mechanism, when a motor is driven to perform a wind-up operation, a prescribed operational torque that is set as a torque at which a limit spring moves from an engaging surface where the limit spring is positioned when a large-diameter side gear and a small-diameter side gear are in an assembled state, to an adjacent engaging surface, is greater than an operational torque at which the limit spring moves from the adjacent engaging surface to a next adjacent engaging surface by means of a shear pin.

Abstract: A spindle (2) of a seat belt retractor is rotationally driven when required by a motor (5) to the webbing take-up direction side through a power transmission mechanism section (6). Further, the spindle (2) is always connected to a take-up spring (7) and is always subjected to rotational power acting to the webbing take-up side. The structure enables a user wearing a seat belt to be restrained even in failure, realizing a safer and more reliable restraining device.

Abstract: A seat belt device includes a spindle (11) for retracting a seat belt (13), an electric actuator (55), a pre-tensioner (14) and a power transmission mechanism (20), wherein the power transmission mechanism (20) can reversibly switch the connection and disconnection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) before the pre-tensioner (14) is activated, while when the pre-tensioner (14) is activated. The power transmission mechanism (20) non-reversibly interrupts the connection between the electric actuator (55) and the spindle (11) via an elastic piece (60) when a torque difference between an actuator-side gear (80) and a spindle-side gear (82) becomes larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A switch-equipped buckle device capable of accurately detecting an attachment-detachment state of a tongue plate by mounting fixed contacts immovably therein. The switch-equipped buckle device has, inside a buckle body, a slide switch that detects a state of attachment of the tongue plate according to the sliding position of an ejector. A slider of the slide switch is integrated with the ejector, and three fixed contacts of the slide switch are integrated with a lower case by insert molding.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system that includes a clutch mechanism, an electric actuator, a spindle and a power transmission mechanism that transmits motive power from the actuator to the clutch mechanism. The transmission mechanism has a low reduction transmission path that reduces rotation of the actuator at a low reduction ratio, a high reduction transmission path that reduces rotation of the electric actuator at a high reduction ratio, and switching means. When a possible collision is detected, the actuator is positively rotated and rotation is transmitted to the clutch mechanism at a high speed and low torque via the low reduction transmission path, until coupling of the clutch mechanism is complete. Subsequently, the transmission mechanism is switched to the high reduction transmission path and rotation is transmitted to the clutch mechanism, at a low speed and high torque, to wind the seatbelt around the spindle.

Abstract: A seat belt device includes a spindle 11 for retracting a seat belt 13, an electric actuator 55, a pre-tensioner 14 and a power transmission mechanism 20, wherein the power transmission mechanism 20 can reversibly switch the connection and disconnection between the electric actuator 55 and the spindle 11 before the pre-tensioner 14 is activated, while when the pre-tensioner 14 is activated, the power transmission mechanism 20 non-reversibly interrupts the connection between the electric actuator 55 and the spindle 11.

Abstract: An occupant protection system includes a winding shaft that winds up a seat belt; a reacher rotatably supported by a rotating shaft and which changes the position of the seat belt in a front-back direction of a vehicle; a biasing member biasing the reacher to turn in a front direction of the vehicle; a retraction detection unit detects that the reacher is in a rear position; a motor rotates the winding shaft in a winding direction and a pull-out direction of the seat belt; a current detection unit detects the motor current; and a control unit The control unit is configured to change the rotating direction of the motor to the pull-out direction when the motor is rotating in the direction of winding up the seat belt, the reacher is not in the rear position, and the motor current is a predetermined current value or higher.

Abstract: An occupant protection system includes a winding shaft that winds up a seat belt; a reacher rotatably supported by a rotating shaft and which changes the position of the seat belt in a front-back direction of a vehicle; a biasing member biasing the reacher to turn in a front direction of the vehicle; a retraction detection unit detects that the reacher is in a rear position; a motor rotates the winding shaft in a winding direction and a pull-out direction of the seat belt; a current detection unit detects the motor current; and a control unit The control unit is configured to change the rotating direction of the motor to the pull-out direction when the motor is rotating in the direction of winding up the seat belt, the reacher is not in the rear position, and the motor current is a predetermined current value or higher.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system that shortens the time from when the actuation of the motor is started to when the actual winding of the seatbelt around the spindle is started. This vehicle occupant restraint system includes a clutch mechanism that connects or disconnects an electric actuator and a spindle, and a power transmission mechanism that can transmit motive power from the electric actuator to the clutch mechanism 20. The power transmission mechanism is provide with a low reduction transmission path that reduces the rotation of the electric actuator at a low reduction ratio, a high reduction transmission path that reduces the rotation of the electric actuator at a high reduction ratio, and switching means.