Active material based seatbelt webbing presenter
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsPatrick B. Usoro, Alan L. Browne, Steven G. Corrion, Xiujie Gao, Nancy L. Johnson, Nilesh D. Mankame, Lawrence C. Maugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety belt webbing presenter including an active material actuator configured to selectively cause a webbing engaging mechanism to translate between deployed and stowed conditions, wherein the deployed condition, the mechanism engages a safety belt webbing causing it to translate to a more readily fastened position.
Claims21
An autonomous safety webbing presenter adapted for use with a structure and a safety webbing, said presenter comprising:
- an engaging mechanism drivenly coupled to the safety webbing, and translatable, so as to be caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions, relative to the structure, wherein the webbing is caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions respectively;
- an actuator including at least one active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, so as to be activated and deactivated respectively, and drivenly coupled to the mechanism, so as to cause the mechanism to translate to one of the deployed and stowed conditions as a result of the change;
- and
- a source operable to generate the signal, so as to expose the element thereto,
- wherein the actuator further includes a strain relief mechanism operatively coupled to the element.
An autonomous safety webbing presenter adapted for use with a structure and a safety webbing, said resenter comprising:
- an engaging mechanism drivenly coupled to the safety webbing, and translatable, so as to be caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions, relative to the structure, wherein the webbing is caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions respectively;
- an actuator including at least one active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, so as to be activated and deactivated respectively, and drivenly coupled to the mechanism, so as to cause the mechanism to translate to one of the deployed and stowed conditions as a result of the change;
- a source operable to generate the signal, so as to expose the element thereto;
- and
- a latch configured to selectively engage the mechanism, so as to retain the mechanism in one of the said deployed and stowed conditions, when the change is reversed.
An autonomous safety webbing presenter adapted for use with a structure and a safety webbing, said presenter comprising:
- an engaging mechanism drivenly coupled to the safety webbing, and translatable, so as to be caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions, relative to the structure, wherein the webbing is caused to achieve deployed and stowed conditions respectively;
- an actuator including at least one active material element operable to undergo a reversible change in fundamental property when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, so as to be activated and deactivated respectively, and drivenly coupled to the mechanism, so as to cause the mechanism to translate to one of the deployed and stowed conditions as a result of the change;
- and
- a source operable to generate the signal, so as to expose the element thereto,
- wherein the mechanism includes a translatable arm defining a distal end, drivenly coupled to the element, and
- presenting a plurality of fingers at the distal end, wherein the fingers are configured to entrain the webbing and caused to achieve one of the deployed and stowed conditions, when the arm is translated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.