Inhibit control of a belted vehicular passive restraint system having door-mounted retractors

In a motor vehicle seat belt system including a seat belt retractor mounted on a vehicle door, a motion sensitive mechanism for preventing belt movement through the retractor in response to a sensed motion, and a desensitizing mechanism energizable to inhibit operation of said motion sensitive mechanism, control apparatus for controlling energization of said desensitizing mechanism, comprising:

• first and second switch means mounted in relation to the vehicle door for independently sensing and indicating closure or nonclosure of the vehicle door;
• monostable means effective when triggered to energize said desensitizing mechanism for a predetermined interval;
• trigger means for triggering said monostable means to energize said desensitizing mechanism at the onset of a nonclosure indication by either of said first and second switch means;
• and
• latch means effective (1) in response to a sensed normal condition wherein both of said first and second switch means indicate nonclosure of the vehicle door within the interval of energization effected by said monostable means, for latching said monostable means to sustain the energization of said desensitizing means so long as such normal condition persists, and (2) in response to a sensed failure condition wherein one of said first and second switch means fails to indicate nonclosure of the vehicle door within the interval of energization effected by said monostable means, for permitting the energization of said desensitizing mechanism to terminate upon expiration of said predetermined interval.

In a motor vehicle seat belt system including a seat belt retractor mounted on a vehicle door, a motion sensitive mechanism for preventing belt movement through the retractor in response to a sensed motion, and a desensitizing mechanism energizable to inhibit operation of said motion sensitive mechanism, apparatus for controlling energization of said desensitizing mechanism, comprising:

• first and second switch means mounted in relation to the vehicle door for independently sensing and indicating closure or nonclosure of the vehicle door;
• monostable means including flip-flop means effective when triggered to energize said desensitizing mechanism, timer means effective when fully charged for maintaining the energization effected by said flip-flop means for a predetermined interval following such energization, and charging means for maintaining said timer means in a fully charged condition prior to the energization of said desensitizing mechanism;
• trigger means for triggering said flip-flop means at the onset of a nonclosure indication by either of said first and second switch means;
• and
• latch means effective (1) in response to a sensed normal condition wherein both of said first and second switch means indicate nonclosure of the vehicle door within the interval of energization effected by said monostable means, for maintaining said timer means in a fully charged condition so long as such condition persists, and (2) in response to a sensed switch failure condition wherein one of said first and second switch means fails to indicate nonclosure of the vehicle door within the interval of energization effected by said monostable means, for permitting the energization of said desensitizing mechanism to terminate upon expiration of said predetermined interval.