Vehicle passenger restricting system for vehicle rollover condition

A vehicle passenger restricting system comprising:

• a passenger seat;
• a rollover detector including a passenger movement sensor that detects a vehicle rollover condition by sensing passenger movement, the passenger movement sensor including a seat pressure sensor configured to detect a passenger reaction force against the passenger seat;
• a vehicle passenger restricting device configured to restrict passenger movement on the passenger seat;
• a seat tilting device configured to tilt the seat in a backward direction;
• and
• a controller configured to activate the seat tilting device to tilt the seat backwards when the rollover detector detects the vehicle rollover condition exists, the controller determining the vehicle rollover condition exists when a detected value of the seat pressure sensor exceeds a prescribed value.

A method for restricting a passenger on a passenger seat comprising:

• detecting whether a vehicle rollover condition exists;
• restricting movement of the passenger on the passenger seat such that webbing of a shoulder belt of a seat belt system moves upward across a front portion of the passenger seat in response to the detecting of the vehicle rollover condition;
• reclining the passenger seat to increase a clearance between a passenger's head and a vehicle roof in response to the detecting of the vehicle rollover condition;
• and
• mechanically coordinating the restricting of movement of the passenger and the reclining of the passenger seat directly via the webbing of the shoulder belt such that the reclining of the passenger seat synchronically occurs in direct mechanical response to the restricting of movement of the passenger.

A vehicle passenger restricting system comprising:

• a passenger seat;
• a rollover detector configured to detect a vehicle rollover condition;
• a vehicle passenger restricting device configured to restrict passenger movement on the passenger seat;
• a seat tilting device configured to tilt the seat in a backward direction;
• a controller configured to activate the seat tilting device to tilt the seat backwards when the rollover detector detects the vehicle rollover condition exists;
• a mechanical coordinating device mechanically coupling the seat tilting device to the passenger restricting device and configured to synchronize operation of the seat tilting device and operation of the passenger restricting device in a coordinated manner such that the seat tilting device operates in direct mechanical response to operation of the passenger restricting device,
• the seat tilting device and the passenger restricting device both being actuated by a single motor.

A method for restricting a passenger on a passenger seat comprising:

• sensing passenger movement by detecting a passenger reaction force against the passenger seat;
• detecting that a vehicle rollover condition exists when a detected passenger reaction force value exceeds a prescribed value;
• restricting movement of the passenger on the passenger seat in response to the detecting that the vehicle rollover condition exists;
• and
• reclining the passenger seat to increase a clearance between a passenger's head and a vehicle roof in response to the detecting that the vehicle rollover condition exists.

A method for restricting a passenger on a passenger seat comprising:

• detecting whether a vehicle rollover condition exists;
• restricting movement of the passenger on the passenger seat upon detecting the vehicle rollover condition exists;
• reclining the passenger seat to increase a clearance between a passenger's head and a vehicle roof upon detecting the vehicle rollover condition exists;
• and
• mechanically coordinating the restricting of movement of the passenger and the reclining of the passenger seat such that the reclining of the passenger seat synchronically occurs in direct mechanical response to the restricting of movement of the passenger,
• the restricting of movement of the passenger and the reclining of the passenger seat both being actuated by a single motor.