Inertia Responsive Locking Or Tightening Of Belt Or Harness Patents (Class 280/806)
  • Patent number: 8292329
    Abstract: A seat belt for dogs and cats is configured to couple to both a buckle and a prong of a vehicle seat belt system. In one embodiment, a detachable seat belt kit comprises a restraint strap having a coupling member and a harness having a securing member which is configured to couple to the coupling member. The harness includes a first connector and a second connector adapted to releasably couple to a first prong and a first buckle of a shoulder/lap belt combination seat belt system respectively. The harness further includes a first harness portion between a first harness end and a second harness end. The first harness portion includes a first intermediate point at which the securing member is affixed. The restraint strap includes a second intermediate point where the coupling member is affixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Inventor: Sanjeev Kumar Singh
  • Publication number: 20120256407
    Abstract: [Object] To allow force transmission members to smoothly move in a pipe, to facilitate setting of a stopper for stopping rotation of a ring gear, and to reduce the cost with a simple structure. [Solution] A ring gear 15 of a pretensioner 8 includes a plurality of levers 17 and one arc-shaped stopper 16. During operation of the pretensioner 8, the levers 17 are sequentially pressed by balls 12a to rotate a pinion 19 and a spool in a seatbelt retracting direction. When the ring gear 15 rotates by a predetermined rotation amount, an outer peripheral edge 16c of the stopper 16 contacts and presses the opposing ball 12a. Since the ball 12a is thereby clamped between the stopper 16 and an inner peripheral surface 10d1 of a pipe 10, the ring gear 15 is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Patent number: 8262133
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor utilizing active material actuation for selectively modifying the tension in a seat belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Patrick B. Usoro, Alan L. Browne, Steven G. Corrion, Xiujie Gao, Nancy L. Johnson, Nilesh D. Mankame, Lawrence C. Maugh, William B. Carter, Guillermo A. Herrera, Geoffrey P. McKnight
  • Publication number: 20120217733
    Abstract: A seat belt system for a vehicle has a shoulder-belt extending diagonally across the seat. A belt tensioner applies tension to the belt in response to detection/prediction of a potentially unsafe situation by a safety sensor/control system. A support arm has an upper end mounted to the vehicle structure above an upper outboard portion of the seat. The support arm extends downwardly and a guide member is attached to the lower end of the support arm and engages the belt. The lower end of the support arm is movable relative to the upper end/mounting point such that when the tensioner is activated, the belt urges the guide member from a comfort position relatively far from the neck and/or upper shoulder of a seat occupant to a safety position closer to the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Adolfsson, Gert Aldeborg
  • Publication number: 20120205903
    Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner for a belt retractor includes a member that rotates relative to a frame of the belt retractor in response to a vehicle condition to rotate a spool of the belt retractor relative to the frame. A drive device rotates the member in response to the vehicle condition. The drive device applies a first torque to the member during a first stage of rotation of the member and the spool and applies a second torque greater than the first torque during a second stage of rotation of the member and the spool. A flexible drive member rotates the member relative to the frame. The flexible drive member extends around an axis of the member more than 360° after activation of the pretensioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventor: John A. Lee
  • Publication number: 20120187671
    Abstract: A rollover safety system for truck cab sleeper berths and other sleeper berths in moving vehicles. The system includes a rollover sensor which generates a signal in response to a rollover condition. The signal is used by a controller to tension a tether which is attached to a load bearing harness worn by a sleeper berth occupant. The tether is tensioned to prevent the occupant from injuriously contacting the roof and or walls of the berth The system moves the occupant away from the potentially injurious surfaces while allowing freedom of movement when there is no crash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventor: Keith Friedman
  • Patent number: 8226122
    Abstract: A linear pretensioner for use as part of a motor vehicle occupant belt restraint system mountable to vehicle structure and coupled with a belt restraint system component. The pretensioner includes at least one base plate having a slot and at least one closure plate fixedly attached to the base plate. The closure plate(s) and the slot of the base plate(s) form a cavity having an open end. A piston plate has a piston tail slidably disposed within the cavity and a piston head extending from the open end. A cable is coupled with the piston plate, the base plate(s), and/or the closure plate(s). The piston plate, the slot of the base plate(s), and the closure plate(s) cooperate to form an expanding chamber that enlarges when pressurized by a gas generator, which drives the piston plate and the base plate relative to each other to exert tension on the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Wendell Chenney Lane, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8215675
    Abstract: A restraint system (14) for a seat belt (22) is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The restraint system (14) comprises one or more pneumatic ports (42, 44) for actuating the restraint system (14) from a first position to a second position. The restraint system (14) also comprises one or more pyrotechnic ports (52, 54) for actuating the restraint system (14) from either the first position or the second position to a third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Norgren Limited
    Inventors: Mark Edward Byers Sealy, Hugh Christopher Bramley, Graham Barber
  • Patent number: 8210569
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt tensioner comprises a traction element that transmits a tensioning force to a seat belt strap. The traction element may be formed for example of a flexible rope or a wire, or a thrust element which can transmit traction and thrust forces. A force limiting unit, which limits the retaining force exerted by the seat belt strap on a passenger has a functional element coupled to the traction or thrust element, which is displaceable by means of a displaceable piston element in the effective direction of the tensioning force. The vehicle belt tensioner according to the invention includes means for the parallel application of tensioning force to both the piston element and the traction or thrust element, concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Walter Eberle, Till Heinrich
  • Publication number: 20120146319
    Abstract: A pipe includes a cutout portion through which levers of a ring gear enter the pipe. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe opposing the cutout portion includes a curved inner peripheral surface in a curved portion of the pipe, a linear inner peripheral surface in a linear portion of the pipe, and a transition portion from the curved inner peripheral surface to the linear inner peripheral surface. The transition portion is located closer to a position where balls start to press the levers of the ring gear, than an intersection where an imaginary straight line a extending from a cutout end portion of the cutout portion intersects an imaginary extension line of the inner peripheral surface of the linear portion of the pipe at a right angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Yuichiro HODATSU, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20120146318
    Abstract: An anchor pretensioner structure for cars, may include an inflator mounted on a car-body plate to pull a seat belt upon a collision, a pretensioner wire made of a flexible material and connected to the inflator, a protector mounted to the pretensioner wire coupled to the seat belt, and an angle-adjuster to selectively rotate the pretensioner wire, depending upon whether or not a passenger may be sitting on a seat, so that the pretensioner wire may be allowed to rotate by a predetermined angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicants: Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Tae Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 8196962
    Abstract: In the present pretensioner, press contact portions are formed further to a side of an open end of a packing housing section than central portions of opposing faces along a depth direction of the packing housing section. Accordingly, when a packing is being fitted into the packing housing section, no great resistance is imparted to a curved face side of the packing from a press contact wall of a housing section body and the opposing face, and the packing is fitted comparatively smoothly therein. Consequently, even when fitting the packing into the packing housing section, a packing main body is largely resilient-deformed, such that a large collapse in a through hole can be prevented, and the sealing ability of the seal due to deformation of the packing main body can be effectively enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Motoki Sugiyama, Seiji Hori, Tomonori Nagata, Tetsushi Muromachi, Masaru Ukita, Katsuki Asagiri, Tomohiro Okuhira, Naoki Urakawa
  • Patent number: 8196961
    Abstract: A linear pretensioner device for motor vehicle belt restraint systems. In one embodiment, the linear pretensioner is formed by a pair of stamped sheet metal housing components joined along a plane which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the internal piston bore. After the sheet metal housing half members are formed, assembly proceeds by loading the elements of a cable assembly into one of the housing half members, placing the second housing half member over the first and fastening them together by spot welds or other fastening processes. Alternate embodiments include a one-piece housing component deformed to form the housing, and a variety of means for connecting together the housing members or sections. The invention is also related to methods of assembling various designs of pretensioners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Wendell C. Lane, Jr., David J. Dziuda, Randy G. Handrinos
  • Publication number: 20120139223
    Abstract: A side wall portion of a housing is provided with an arm-protective extending portion below a pawl and a mechanical arm. The arm-protective extending portion extends inwardly at a substantially right angle. Further, a side wall portion of the housing is provided with a shaft-protective extending portion which extends inwardly from the lower edge portion of a horizontally long opening portion. The horizontally long opening portion is formed so as to face a coupling shaft over its full length. Below this shaft-protective extending portion, there is formed a bolt insertion hole through which a bolt is inserted at the time of mounting the housing to a fastening piece of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: ASHIMORI INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakaoka, Eri Yamane
  • Publication number: 20120119478
    Abstract: A linear pretensioner for use as part of a motor vehicle occupant belt restraint system mountable to vehicle structure and coupled with a belt restraint system component. The pretensioner includes at least one base plate having a slot and at least one closure plate fixedly attached to the base plate. The closure plate(s) and the slot of the base plate(s) form a cavity having an open end. A piston plate has a piston tail slidably disposed within the cavity and a piston head extending from the open end. A cable is coupled with the piston plate, the base plate(s), and/or the closure plate(s). The piston plate, the slot of the base plate(s), and the closure plate(s) cooperate to form an expanding chamber that enlarges when pressurized by a gas generator, which drives the piston plate and the base plate relative to each other to exert tension on the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventor: Wendell Chenney Lane, JR.
  • Patent number: 8172267
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for restraining passengers in a retaining passengers in a vehicle upon impact with an obstacle, a possible accident is initially sensed. Thereafter, at the latest, whenever the vehicle first contacts the obstacle, or whenever vehicle deceleration exceeds a threshold, a force acting in the direction of impact is exerted upon the passenger via a seat belt system. The force is introduced by bilateral tensioning of a lap belt of a seat belt system, from both sides at a force of at least 2000-4500 N. The latter is maintained for a retaining phase of at least 20 ms along a displacement path of the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Walter Eberle, Till Heinrich, Christian Mayer
  • Patent number: 8165758
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Odate, Yoshitaka Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8132829
    Abstract: In the pretensioner, a guiding wall is provided in a generator-side passing portion of a gas passing portion, and an inner portion of the generator-side passing portion at a portion where the guard wall is set is located to a base end rather than a tip end of a wire protective cylinder. Further, a gas generator mounting hole and the generator-side passing portion is inclined to be directed the base end of the wire protective cylinder. For this reason, gas that is jetted from a gas generator is blown to the base end of the wire protective cylinder or a surrounding portion thereof. As a result, even though the thickness of the wire protective cylinder is not set to be large, it can be against pressure of the blown gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Motoki Sugiyama, Masaru Ukita, Tetsushi Muromachi
  • Patent number: 8131428
    Abstract: A control module for seat belt retractor capable of controlling a winding torque of a seat belt within a predetermined range, and such a seat belt retractor are provided. The seat belt retractor includes a spool 300 around which a seat belt for vehicle is wound, a motor 200 that causes the spool 300 to rotate, and a motor power transmission mechanism unit that couples the motor 200 and the spool 300. A microcomputer 400 uses a preset control parameter value to control a motor current that flows through the motor 200. The microcomputer 400 changes, based on the motor current and an output torque value of the spool, the control parameter value. The control parameter value is an apparent torque constant for each seat belt retractor product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., Takata Corp.
    Inventors: Masashi Saito, Hiroshi Ito
  • Publication number: 20120049501
    Abstract: A connection member which connects an outside portion of a cross member and an inside wall face portion of a side sill includes a cross-member-side connection portion connected to the cross member and a side-sill-side connection portion connected to the side sill, the side-sill-side connection portion is configured to have a lower rigidity than the cross-member-side connection portion, and an outside end portion of the cross member is located at a specified position which is located on the outside of the cross-member-side connection portion and on the inside away from the inside wall face portion of the side sill. Thereby, the impact load in the vehicle side collision can be effectively supported by the cross member with a simple structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio FUJII, Kohei KIRITA, Yosuke ONDA, Hideharu KAERIYAMA, Masafumi SAKAKIDA, Kenichi YUKUMATSU
  • Publication number: 20120049500
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for use in seat belt restraint systems. The retractor incorporates dual rotopretensioner units and adaptive load limiting characteristics. Preferably, the rotopretensioners are positioned on opposite ends of a retractor spool for driving the spool for pretensioning rotation. A first pretensioner may be activated alone to provide pretensioning rotation. In one embodiment of the invention, if the second pretensioner is not activated, the system will be engaged to provide a given belt load limiting characteristic. A second rotopretensioner may be fired either after the first pretensioner is fired to increase pay-in capacity or to activate a different load limiting characteristic for the retractor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Bin Wang, Frank Kiiskila, Daniel K. Webb, Jon E. Burrow, Kurt W. Schulz, Chad E. Moore, Gerald J. Keller
  • Publication number: 20120013111
    Abstract: A pretensioner mechanism comprising webbing capable of restraining a vehicle occupant; a cylinder member into which gas is supplied when specific conditions occur; a movement member provided so as to be capable of moving inside the cylinder member, the movement member being formed with a communication hole that communicates a first side and a second side of the movement member; a closure member that is inserted into the communication hole and substantially closes off the communication hole to such an extent that pressure from the gas supplied into the cylinder member causes the movement member to move towards the first side and the restraining force of the webbing on the occupant is increased; and a communication groove formed between the communication hole and the closure member to communicate a first side of the closure member with a second side of the closure member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tomonori NAGATA, Katsuki ASAGIRI
  • Patent number: 8090505
    Abstract: Vehicle seat belt apparatus includes: a motor for driving a belt reel having a belt wound thereon; a trigger section for detecting a change in a traveling state of a vehicle to output an activation signal that instructs or triggers activation of the motor; a lateral acceleration detection section for detecting lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle; a slip state detection section for detecting a slip state quantity of the vehicle; and a control section for, in response to receipt of the activation signal from the trigger section, controlling the amount of current supply for activating the motor on the basis of a signal of the lateral acceleration output by the lateral acceleration detection section and/or a signal of the slip state quantity output by the slip state detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naotoshi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20110316265
    Abstract: A linear pretensioner device for motor vehicle belt restraint systems of the type mountable to a motor vehicle structure and coupled with a belt restraint system component. In one form, the linear pretensioner includes a stroking housing forming a bore and a cable coupled with the stroking housing and to the belt restraint component. A main housing adapted to be fixed to the motor vehicle structure is positioned within the bore of the stroking housing, with the stroking housing telescopically overfitting the main housing. The main housing and the stroking housing form an expanding chamber that enlarges when pressurized by a gas generator. Upon activation, the gas generator drives the stroking housing along the main housing to exert tension on the cable. In another form, the pretensioner has an inner housing positioned within a bore of an outer housing, and the cable is coupled with the inner housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Wendell Chenney Lane, JR.
  • Patent number: 8086375
    Abstract: A method for adjusting sensitivity of a load detecting device of a seat for a vehicle includes a seat assembling step for assembling the seat with plural load sensors assembled, a zero point adjusting step for obtaining a non-load output value by totaling output values of the load sensors when no load is applied on the seat and memorizing the non-load output value in a memory of a processing device, an adjusted output value calculating step for obtaining an adjusted output value by subtracting the non-load output value from a total of the output values of the load sensors when a predetermined load is applied on the seat, a trimming coefficient calculating step for calculating a trimming coefficient by dividing a designed output value by the adjusted output value, and a trimming coefficient memorizing step for memorizing the trimming coefficient in the memory of the processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satohiko Nakano, Mutsuro Aoyama, Akira Enomoto, Minoru Izawa
  • Patent number: 8079616
    Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus is provided which can constrain a passenger by ensuring removal of a slack of a lap belt when two pretensioners are activated under two different time frames. A pretensioner of a seatbelt retractor is activated first, and a shoulder belt and a lap belt are pulled in a direction toward the seatbelt retractor. Subsequently, a pretensioner of a belt anchor portion is activated and pulls a seatbelt toward the belt anchor portion, and hence a one-way tongue catches and locks the seatbelt. Accordingly, the shoulder belt is prevented from moving toward the lap belt through the tongue. Therefore, removal of the slack of the lap belt is ensured, and hence a lumber of the passenger is firmly fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Higuchi, Yasuo Itoga
  • Patent number: 8075019
    Abstract: A kit for a device for restraining a vehicle occupant includes a prefabricated seat belt retractor (1) that has a winding shaft (2) mounted in a rotatable manner in a retractor frame (4) to wind up and unwind the seat belt. The kit further includes a similarly prefabricated drive module (30) having an electric motor (32), the drive module being connectable to the retractor frame (4) in a rotationally fixed manner. Force-transmission elements are provided on the drive module (30) and on the seat belt retractor (1) that are to be connected to each other to transmit the torque from the electric motor (32) to the winding shaft (2) when the seat belt retractor (1) and drive module (30) are assembled. An assembled device for restraining a vehicle occupant and having the components of the kit is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 8070185
    Abstract: The invention relates to a restraint device (1) for a seat belt (2) in a vehicle, comprising a housing (10) for guiding the seat belt (2) and for accommodating an energy-absorbing element (12) adapted to cooperate with the seat belt (2) so as to absorb energy when a predetermined retardation condition of the vehicle is fulfilled. Said device (1) comprises a device (15, 16, 23, 27, 28) for attaching the energy-absorbing element (12) to said seat belt (2) when said condition is fulfilled, said energy-absorbing element (12) being adapted to be attached in a lamellar manner to said seat belt (2) along a predetermined length thereof. The invention also relates to a method for restraining a seat belt (2). By means of the invention, a cost effective and safe device and method for restraining a seat belt in the event of a vehicle collision is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Clas Jernstrvm
  • Publication number: 20110291395
    Abstract: A seat belt system in motor vehicles includes a seat belt disposed at a front seat and a shoulder-belt portion and a lap-belt portion, which at its outer anchorage point, is retained in the area of a door sill of the motor vehicle on a belt tensioner that is connected to the lap-belt portion via a connecting device. The connecting device is disposed out of view below a door-sill molding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2009
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Carsten Moeker, Stefan Grutzeck
  • Publication number: 20110291396
    Abstract: A mounting concave portion with a predetermined depth is formed on a gas-pressure-receiving-side surface of a piston. Further, a plate-like sealing member includes a mounting convex portion which is erected at a position meeting with the mounting concave portion on the gas-pressure-receiving-side surface of the piston. When the piston and the sealing plate are assembled together, the mounting convex portion is fitted in the mounting concave portion. By merely pushing the mounting convex portion in the mounting concave portion, the sealing plate and the piston can be integrated, which improves productivity in assembly. Further, the sealing plate will not get twisted, deviated or displaced due to friction against inner wall of the pipe cylinder when the sealing plate and the piston are integrally inserted in the pipe cylinder. Deterioration of sealing function due to improper mounting of the sealing plate can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: ASHIMORI INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masataka Tanaka, Kazunori Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 8066303
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system includes: a lap belt that restrains a hip of a seated occupant; a shoulder belt that has a lower end portion coupled to a middle portion of the lap belt in a seat width direction and that is used to restrain an upper body of the seated occupant; a lap belt tensioner that applies tension to the lap belt; and a shoulder belt tensioner that applies tension to the shoulder belt. When a vehicle collision is predicted or detected, the lap belt tensioner is activated before the shoulder belt tensioner is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Nezaki
  • Patent number: 8068956
    Abstract: In a restraining device for an occupant of a vehicle, having a belt that can be drawn out or retracted by a lockable retractor, and a reversible seat-belt tightener, in the case of an impending but still avoidable first event the reversible seat-belt tightener automatically exerts and maintains a first tightening force on the belt and/or reduces the first tightening force if the first event is no longer impending. In the case of an impending, no longer avoidable second event, automatically exerts a second tightening force on the belt which is greater than the first tightening force. The first tightening force and the second tightening force acting constantly in the retracting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Dirk Beisheim, Werner Bernzen, Xavier Christmann, Dominic Reutter, Juergen Schmitt, Florian Zenker
  • Patent number: 8061781
    Abstract: A configurable restraint system (10-10vi) for a vehicle seat (12, 12?) may comprise a first restraint harness (30-30?) coupled to a first engagement member (32), a second restraint harness (34-34?) coupled to a second engagement member (36), and a third engagement member (50-50??) configured to be movable between first and second positions relative to the vehicle seat. The first position may be located relative to the vehicle seat so that the first engagement member (32) may releasably engage the third engagement member (50-50??) to restrain a first occupant of the vehicle seat via the first restraint harness (30-30?). The second position may be located relative to the vehicle seat so that the second engagement member (36) may alternatively releasably engage the third engagement member (50-50??) to alternatively restrain the first occupant of the vehicle seat via the second restraint harness (34-34?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher W Foye, Aaron J Acton, Guy R Dingman
  • Patent number: 8056927
    Abstract: A pet travel safety device is provided for use with a vehicle seatbelt system to controllably restrain movement of a pet in a vehicle during a collision or sudden deceleration of the vehicle. In one embodiment, a safety restrainer may secure a pet in a vehicle having a seat belt with a first prong configured to latch into a first buckle of a shoulder/lap belt combination system. The safety restrainer may comprise a restraint assembly including a restraint strap having a first strap end and a second strap end which are configured to releasably couple to each other. The safety restrainer may further comprise a harness configured to couple to the restraint assembly. The harness may include a first harness end and a second harness end. The first harness end comprises a first connector to releasably couple to the first prong and the second harness end comprises a second connector to releasably couple to the first buckle. The harness may include first and second harness portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Inventor: Sanjeev Kumar Singh
  • Patent number: 8047573
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a safety belt including a seat belt spindle for winding up and unwinding the safety belt and a tensioning drive. The seat belt spindle includes a gas generator, a drive wheel and a supply pipe which connects the gas generator and the drive wheel. A plurality of thrust members are present in the supply pipe which, after triggering the gas generator, are accelerated and indirectly or directly drive the drive wheel for winding up the safety belt. An inertia coupling is arranged between the drive wheel and the seat belt spindle. The inertia coupling comprises coupling elements which, during an acceleration of the drive wheel, pivot outward and are directly or indirectly coupled to the seat belt spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
    Inventors: Udo Friedsmann, Hermann Hasse, Jochen Benz, Jochen Lang, Sebastian Götze, Hans-Jürgen Divo, Gerhard Klingauf, Carsten Felber, Robert Fleischmann, Paul Sprongl, Wolfgang Schrade, Christoph Pechhold
  • Patent number: 8042835
    Abstract: A belt tensioner for a safety belt system has a drive unit and a power transmission element, which engages on a drive element when the drive unit is activated. The power transmission element is a non-rigid medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Bieg, Thomas Moedinger, Dominik Seitz, Oliver Gross
  • Publication number: 20110221178
    Abstract: A linear pretensioner device for motor vehicle belt restraint systems. In one embodiment, the linear pretensioner is formed by a pair of stamped sheet metal housing components joined along a plane which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the internal piston bore. After the sheet metal housing half members are formed, assembly proceeds by loading the elements of a cable assembly into one of the housing half members, placing the second housing half member over the first and fastening them together by spot welds or other fastening processes. Alternate embodiments include a one-piece housing component deformed to form the housing, and a variety of means for connecting together the housing members or sections. The invention is also related to methods of assembling various designs of pretensioners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Wendell C. Lane, JR., David J. Dziuda, Randy G. Handrinos
  • Patent number: 8019509
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preventatively actuating a vehicle occupant protection system in a vehicle having a sensor system which acquires driving state data, and a reversible vehicle occupant protection means which can be triggered before the collision time and thus moved into an operative position. A control signal for triggering the vehicle occupant protection means is activated if at least one critical driving state is present, and is deactivated if the respective critical driving state ends and as a function of at least one further condition which represents at least one sensed controllable driving behavior. As a result, the vehicle occupant protection system is reset to its initial state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Werner Bernzen, Dominic Reutter
  • Patent number: 8011696
    Abstract: A pre-tensioning device for a seat belt with a piston which is guided in a bent tube, and which in case of triggering is influenced by gas generated by a gas generator located in one section of the tube, to which a cable led into the tube by a cable opening is attached. The gas generator section (12) of tube (10) which accommodates gas generator (16) is offset from the piston path section (11) of tube (10) which accommodates piston (17) by creation of a narrowed cross-section inside the tube with a defined gas flow path (29, 41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv Development Ab
    Inventor: Klaus-Peter Singer
  • Patent number: 7997620
    Abstract: An adaptive load-limiting seat belt buckle presenter includes a plow assembly movable within a tube and connected to the buckle by cables. Movement of the plow assembly presents the buckle at various positions relative to the occupant. The plow assembly has a plurality of plow elements that engage with the tube to plow troughs in the tube when an occupant restraining load moves the plow assembly within the tube. A plow actuator mechanism selects a number of the plurality of plow elements to be engaged or not engaged with the tube to thereby adapt the load-limiting capability of the presenter. A controller and various sensors cooperate to operate an adjusting motor for translating the plow assembly within the tube to present the buckle at a desired position and to also operate a rotary actuator to select the number of plow elements that will be engaged or not engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ke Dong, Jenne-Tai Wang, Tito R. Huffman
  • Patent number: 7976066
    Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner may include a cylinder, a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder, a gas generator installed to rear end portion of the cylinder and configured to supply a propellant gas to the piston for moving the piston in a forward direction, a first direction conversion unit disposed between the gas generator and the piston and connected to the cylinder, and a coupling member for coupling a seat belt and the piston, wherein a portion of the coupling member is engaged with the first direction conversion unit so as to change a movement direction of the coupling member while the piston moves in the forward direction, and a reward movement restriction member configured to restrict a rearward movement of the piston while the piston moves in the forward direction by the propellant gas of the gas generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Samsong Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Kyu Bok, Jang Chun Kong
  • Patent number: 7963562
    Abstract: A safety belt system for a motor vehicle is provided. The safety belt system comprising a safety belt, a shoulder portion of the safety belt, a buckle element, a mobile region of the buckle element, which under the action of forces caused by a crash is mobile from an initial position in which the safety belt may slide along the buckle element into a final position, in which the safety belt is fixed to the buckle element. The safety belt cooperating with the mobile region, such that the mobile region is movable by a force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, from its initial position into its final position. The fixing of the safety belt on the buckle element is carried out by the mobile region itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
    Inventors: Mario Wendt, Kliment Vidolov
  • Publication number: 20110140404
    Abstract: There is provided a passive safety device which can prevent an occupant from moving when an acceleration that causes the occupant to move in a vehicle is working on the occupant, and which can improve the ride comfort. A passive safety device of the present invention comprises an acceleration detecting unit that detects an acceleration of a vehicle, a seat adjusting unit that expands a seat side of a seat in order to prevent an occupant sitting down the seat from moving, a safety belt adjusting unit that controls tension of a safety belt worn by the occupant, and a control unit that controls an expansion of the seat side and/or the tension of the safety belt through the seat adjusting unit and the safety belt adjusting unit, based on the detected acceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shotaro Odate
  • Patent number: 7954590
    Abstract: In a method for operating a preventive-action protection system in a vehicle having safety devices for diminishing the consequences of accidents, driving state data is acquired by a driving state sensor system and is monitored with respect to the longitudinal deceleration of the vehicle and a braking torque request by the driver. A state of emergency braking is determined by a braking request evaluation means, and at least one of the safety devices is triggered only if a longitudinal deceleration below a longitudinal deceleration threshold is simultaneously present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Werner Bernzen, Dominic Reutter
  • Patent number: 7954901
    Abstract: A configurable restraint system (10-10vi) for a vehicle seat (12, 12?) may comprise a first restraint harness (30-30?) coupled to a first engagement member (32), a second restraint harness (34-34?) coupled to a second engagement member (36), and a third engagement member (50-50??) configured to be movable between first and second positions relative to the vehicle seat. The first position may be located relative to the vehicle seat so that the first engagement member (32) may releasably engage the third engagement member (50-50??) to restrain a first occupant of the vehicle seat via the first restraint harness (30-30?). The second position may be located relative to the vehicle seat so that the second engagement member (36) may alternatively releasably engage the third engagement member (50-50??) to alternatively restrain the first occupant of the vehicle seat via the second restraint harness (34-34?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Inventors: Christopher W. Foye, Aaron J. Acton, Guy R. Dingman
  • Patent number: 7953532
    Abstract: A seatbelt device for a vehicle including: a belt reel having webbing wound thereon; a position detection device that detects a winding position of the belt reel; a motor that drives the belt reel to rotate to thereby perform winding of the webbing; and a control section that performs control of electric current conduction to the motor, wherein: the control section performs electric current conduction to the motor at a predetermined amount at the time of a rear vehicular collision or when a rear vehicular collision is predicted; and the electric current conduction amount is controlled, so that during electric current conduction at the predetermined electric current conduction amount, when a winding position detected by the position detection device reaches a predetermined position, variation in the winding position is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Odate, Osamu Tsurumiya, Yo Ito
  • Patent number: 7946519
    Abstract: Seat belt retractors for spooling seat belts (webbings) include multiple independent torque transmission or absorbing systems. The seatbelt retractor comprises a webbing, a spool, a pinion, a pretensioner, at least one coupler pawl, and a locking mechanism including a lock base and a lock pawl. The at least one coupler pawl is positioned in a cavity in the spool. During a predetermined low acceleration event, the at least one coupler pawl pivots so that a portion of the at least one coupler pawl leaves the cavity and engages the lock base to load the lock base which is then prevented from rotating in a spool extracting direction by the locking pawl. When the pretensioner activates during a predetermined higher acceleration event, the pretensioner rotates the pinion in the webbing retraction direction to rotate the spool in the webbing retraction direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Mark F. Gray
  • Patent number: 7942448
    Abstract: A vehicular seatbelt device whereby slack in a lap belt is sufficiently eliminated according to a traveling state of a vehicle, and a comfortable ride for a vehicle occupant is maintained. A seatbelt device comprises a belt retraction part and an actuator for driving the belt retraction part. The belt retraction part pulls part of a belt in a direction opposite the direction in which the belt is wound up by a belt reel so as to restrain the vehicle occupant. A controller includes a plurality of pre-set control modes for controlling a motor and the actuator in accordance with the traveling state of the vehicle, and selects and implements one control mode corresponding to the traveling state from among the plurality of control modes. The control modes include a mode for drivably controlling both the motor and the actuator, a mode for drivably controlling only the motor, and a mode for drivably controlling only the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Odate, Yo Ito
  • Patent number: 7934673
    Abstract: To obtain a webbing take-up device that can not only transmit to a take-up shaft only rotation from a motor by a clutch but is also simple and compact. A clutch of this webbing take-up device has a simply configuration where sliders 144 of a clutch body portion 114 are caused by frictional force to be retained in a case, whereby the sliders 144 and lock bars 154 are caused to relatively move and the lock bars 154 are caused by this relative movement to move to positions where they engage with or disengage from a ratchet 134. Consequently, the overall configuration of a clutch 100 can be made significantly compact (thinned) in comparison to a configuration that causes a pawl to move using an inertial disk that is large and has weight as in a conventional clutch. Thus, the overall configuration of a webbing take-up device 10 can be made compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takuhiro Saito, Katsuki Asagiri, Shinji Mori
  • Publication number: 20110074142
    Abstract: A seat belt tensioner for motor vehicle, having a belt shaft (12) rotatably supported in housing as a carrier of a seat belt wound thereon and with a tensioner drive coupled thereto by a metal strip (18), the drive rotatable driving the belt shaft (12) when triggered by action on the metal strip (18) and the movement thereof, the metal band (18) before triggering the tensioning drive (10) surrounds an extension (13) of the belt shaft. The metal strip (18) is wound around the extension (13) of the belt shaft (12) in at least one winding turn serving as winding supply (20) for the movement thereof. The winding reserve (20) is held at a radial gap (21) to the extension (13) of the belt shaft (12) by a holding element (22) releasing the metal band (18) in case of tensile force acting on the metal strip caused by activation of the belt tensioner causing the metal stripto engage and rotate the belt shaft extension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Erik Arthur Rydsmo, Linus Karl Alex Larsson