Seat belt buckle and tongue presenter system
AssigneeBreed Automotive Technology, Inc.
InventorsKenneth H. Kohlndorfer, Mark F. Gray, Markell Seitzman, Mohannad F. Murad, Hossam Almasri, Randal Gosk
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Abstract
A system (20) comprising a buckle presenter (100) and/or a tongue presenter (200) and mechanism to activate and control each presenter. The buckle presenter and tongue presenter (200) are used to respectively move a seat belt buckle (26) and a corresponding tongue (24) from a stowed position to activated positions generally in front of the occupant to make the process of inserting the tongue into the buckle more convenient.
Claims15
A method of operating a seat belt system comprising a seat belt buckle and a tongue manually insertable into the buckle and a buckle presenter mechanism for moving the buckle from a stowed condition in which the buckle is located to the side of an occupant to a presented position generally in front of the occupant and a tongue presenter mechanism for moving the tongue from a stowed condition in which the tongue is respectively located at an opposite side of the occupant to a tongue presented position generally in front of the occupant, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) monitoring if an occupant has sat down on a seat cushion;
- b) moving the tongue presenter, and hence the tongue, from its stowed position to its forward or active position;
- c) moving the buckle presenter (100) and buckle from its stowed position to its corresponding forward or active position;
- d) monitoring whether or not the tongue (24) has been locked in the buckle;
- e) moving the buckle presenter, with the tongue locked to the buckle, to the buckle stowed position;
- f) also stowing the tongue presenter and;
- g) deactivating a buckle pretensioner at least until the buckle and tongue have been moved to the buckle stowed position.
A method of operating a seat belt system comprising a seat belt buckle and a tongue manually insertable into the buckle and a buckle presenter mechanism for moving the buckle from a stowed condition in which the buckle is located to the side of an occupant to a presented position generally in front of the occupant and a tongue presenter mechanism for moving the tongue from a stowed condition in which the tongue is respectively located at an opposite side of the occupant to a tongue presented position generally in front of the occupant, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) monitoring if an occupant has sat down on a seat cushion;
- b) moving the tongue presenter, and hence the tongue, from its stowed position to its forward or active position;
- c) moving the buckle presenter (100) and buckle from its stowed position to its corresponding forward or active position;
- d) monitoring whether or not the tongue (24) has been locked in the buckle;
- e) moving the buckle presenter, with the tongue locked to the buckle, to the buckle stowed position;
- and
- f) delaying the withdrawal of the buckle presenter until the occupant has placed the transmission in gear.
A method of operating a seat belt system comprising a seat belt buckle and a tongue manually insertable into the buckle and a buckle presenter mechanism for moving the buckle from a stowed condition in which the buckle is located to the side of an occupant to a presented position generally in front of the occupant and a tongue presenter mechanism for moving the tongue from a stowed condition in which the tongue is respectively located at an opposite side of the occupant to a tongue presented position generally in front of the occupant, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) interrogating the state of various control mechanisms including interrogating:
- a weight sensor (404), a door status sensor (406), an ignition status sensor (400), a web sensor (362), a buckle status sensor (105), and a transmission status sensor (408);
- b) determining if the occupant is properly seated within his or her seat;
- c) if the occupant is properly seated with the door closed then generating control signals to:
- a) move the buckle presenter from its stowed position to its activated position and b) move the tongue presenter from its stowed position to its activated position;
- d) determining if the occupant has opened the door after being seated and if this situation has occurred before the occupant has inserted the tongue into the buckle, then
- e) generating control signals to cause the tongue and the buckle to move to their respective stowed positions to enable easy egress from the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.