System for controlling one or more locking web retractors in a motor vehicle occupant restraint system

A method for controlling operation of an electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor of an occupant restraint operatively coupled to an occupant seat of a motor vehicle, wherein the electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor comprises a frame including spaced-apart side walls, a spool rotatably mounted between the side walls, the spool rotatable in a web take-up direction and web a payout direction opposite the web take-up direction, locking components, a ferromagnetic component movable relative to the locking components between an unlocking position in which the ferromagnetic component does not cause the locking components to prevent the spool from rotating in the web pay out direction and a locking position in which the ferromagnetic component causes the locking components to prevent the spool from rotating in the web pay out direction, a magnet responsive to actuation to cause the ferromagnetic component to move from the unlocking position to the locking position, and responsive to de-actuation to cause the ferromagnetic component to move from the locking position to the unlocking position, and a magnet actuator configured to be responsive to a control signal to actuate and de-actuate the magnet, the method comprising:

• monitoring, by a control circuit, output signals produced by one or more sensors or sensing systems operatively mounted to at least one of the occupant restraint, the occupant seat, and the motor vehicle, and configured to produce one or more respective sensor output signals indicative of one or more corresponding sensed conditions,
• processing, by the control circuit, the output signals produced by the one or more sensors or sensing systems to determine one or more values of the one or more sensed conditions,
• comparing, by the control circuit, the one or more determined values of the one or more sensed conditions to one or more corresponding threshold or range values, and
• providing, by the control circuit, the control signal, based on the one or more comparisons, to actuate or de-actuate the magnet.

A system for controlling operation of an electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor of an occupant restraint operatively coupled to an occupant seat of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

• at least one sensor configured to produce at least one sensor output signal corresponding to at least one corresponding operating condition of the motor vehicle,
• a control circuit, and
• a memory unit having stored therein instructions executable by the control circuit to (i) process the at least one sensor output signal to determine at least one value of the at least one operating condition, (ii) compare the at least one determined value of the at least one operating condition to one or more corresponding threshold or range values, (iii) determine a control signal, based on the one or more comparisons, for locking or unlocking of the web retractor, and (iv) provide the control signal to a magnet actuator of the web retractor to cause the web retractor to lock or unlock,
• wherein the electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor comprises:
• a frame including spaced-apart side walls,
• a spool rotatably mounted between the side walls, the spool rotatable in a web take-up direction and web a payout direction opposite the web take-up direction,
• locking components,
• a ferromagnetic component movable relative to the locking components between an unlocking position in which the ferromagnetic component does not cause the locking components to prevent the spool from rotating in the web pay out direction and a locking position in which the ferromagnetic component causes the locking components to prevent the spool from rotating in the web pay out direction,
• a magnet responsive to actuation to cause the ferromagnetic component to move from the unlocking position to the locking position, and responsive to de-actuation to cause the ferromagnetic component to move from the locking position to the unlocking position, and
• the magnet actuator, the magnet actuator configured to be responsive to the control signal to actuate and de-actuate the magnet.