Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-30
2001-01-30
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S807000, C280S808000, C180S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179330
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle occupant restraint systems which comprise a seat belt are often provided even in compact cars with a belt tensioner which tensions the seat belt in a restraint situation so that the belt is in snug contact with the body of the vehicle occupant. Belt tensioners hitherto conventional are available as retractor tensioners, buckle tensioners or end fitting tensioners secured to differing locations in the vehicle and introducing the force exerted by them correspondingly into differing locations in the belt system.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention defines a vehicle occupant restraint system, the restraining effect of which is significantly better than that of hitherto conventional restraint systems.
According to a first aspect, the vehicle occupant restraint system according to the invention comprises a belt web, a belt retractor, a belt buckle, an insertion tongue, two belt tensioners, one of which is a retractor tensioner and the other a buckle tensioner, as well as at least one control unit coupled to the belt tensioners, this control unit activating the belt tensioners in a restraint situation.
According to a second aspect, the vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a belt web, a belt retractor, a belt buckle, an insertion tongue, two belt tensioners, one of which is a retractor tensioner and the other an end fitting tensioner, as well as at least one control unit coupled to said belt tensioners, said control unit activating at least one of said belt tensioners in a restraint situation.
Contrary to those known hitherto, the vehicle occupant restraint system in accordance with the invention operates with two belt tensioners acting on a single belt web, one of which is mainly responsible for tensioning the shoulder belt component and the other mainly for tensioning the pelvis belt component. Friction losses in the case of a retractor tensioner due to deflection of the belt web at the deflection fitting in the region of the B-pillar and friction losses at the insertion tongue are mostly avoided in the case of the vehicle occupant restraint system in accordance with the invention. Each of the two belt tensioners provided may be configured more compact than as usual for a belt tensioner so that advantages materialize for accommodating the belt tensioners in the vehicle. Furthermore, due to several belt tensioners being provided, the time needed for the tensioning action is reduced. More particularly, retractor tensioners suffered the disadvantage that the pelvis belt component was often inadequately tensioned due to the long force travel up to it and due to the elasticity of the belt web. As a result of a tensioning force also being introduced separately into the pelvis belt component directly, belt slack occuring in this region after the tensioning action is avoided and twisting of the lower trunk as well the vehicle occupant slipping under the pelvis belt component are prevented.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment at least one of the two belt tensioners comprises a force limiter so that also the maximum force exterted on the occupant during the restraint action is limited. Preferably at least one of the retractor tensioners is provided with a force limiter to reduce the so-called HIC values in the region of the upper trunk and head of the occupant.
To further reduce the maximum acceleration values occurring it may be of advantage when the control unit activates the two belt tensioners in a restraint action staggered in time, depending on the seat or vehicle structure.
The control unit may be coupled to sensors which detect the constitution of the occupant, i.e. for instance his/her weight or stature, the seating position of the occupants or the ambient conditions such as temperature inside and outside of the vehicle. Depending on one or more of these factors one of the two belt tensioners or both belt tensioners are activated. When a pyrotechnic multistage belt tensioner is provided the tensioning force may in addition be adapted to the restraint situation by ignition of one or more stages.
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Johnson Brian L.
Luby Matthew
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
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