Method for setting a safety belt and adjusting apparatus for a safety belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207674-B2
Application number	US-201515302147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A method for setting a safety belt in a vehicle is provided. For the adjustment of the safety belt an adjusting apparatus is provided, the position of a deflection point for the safety belt being able to be set thereby and the safety belt extending therefrom in the direction of the shoulder of a vehicle occupant fastened-in by the safety belt, and the position of the deflection point is automatically set by means of at least one sensor device in order to adapt the path of the safety belt to the fastened-in vehicle occupant. Via the sensor device an angle is evaluated which is present between a belt portion which extends from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant and a further belt portion and/or a part fixed to the bodywork or seat part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for setting a safety belt in a vehicle, wherein
for the adjustment of the safety belt an adjusting apparatus is provided, the position of a deflection point for the safety belt being able to be set thereby and the safety belt extending therefrom in the direction of the shoulder of a vehicle occupant fastened-in by the safety belt, the method comprising:
automatically setting the position of the deflection point via at least one sensor device in order to adapt the path of the safety belt to the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
evaluating, via the at least one sensor device, an angle which is present between
a belt portion which extends from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
a further belt portion and/or a part fixed to a bodywork or seat part,

in order to set automatically an adjusted position of the deflection point adapted to the fastened-in vehicle occupant via the adjusting apparatus,
wherein an evaluation of the angle and thus an automatic setting of the deflection point only takes place upon at least one detected operating event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the further belt portion extends from a fastening point of the safety belt to the deflection point.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a height of the deflection point in the region of the shoulder of a fastened-in vehicle occupant is set via the sensor device, in order to adapt automatically the path of the safety belt to a size and/or seating position of the vehicle occupant.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an adjustment of the deflection point takes place until the evaluated angle is in a predetermined angular range.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein an evaluation as to whether the evaluated angle is in the predetermined angular range is undertaken during and/or after the completion of an adjustment of the deflection point.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a signal is produced for providing an acoustic and/or visual information to the vehicle occupant when the evaluated angle is in the predetermined angular range.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for evaluating the angle via at least one sensor element of the sensor device, at least one spacing is detected between the belt portion extending from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant and
the further belt portion,
the part fastened to the bodywork or seat part, and/or
the at least one sensor element.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an evaluation of the angle and thus an automatic setting of the deflection point takes place after the insertion of an insertion tongue of the safety belt into a belt buckle and/or the starting of an engine of the vehicle has been detected.

9. A method for setting a safety belt in a vehicle, wherein
for the adjustment of the safety belt an adjusting apparatus is provided, the position of a deflection point for the safety belt being able to be set thereby and the safety belt extending therefrom in the direction of the shoulder of a vehicle occupant fastened-in by the safety belt, the method comprising
automatically setting the position of the deflection point via at least one sensor device in order to adapt the path of the safety belt to the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
evaluating, via the at least one sensor device, an angle which is present between
a belt portion which extends from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
a further belt portion and/or a part fixed to a bodywork or seat part,

in order to set automatically an adjusted position of the deflection point adapted to the fastened-in vehicle occupant via the adjusting apparatus,
wherein an evaluation of the angle and thus an automatic setting of the deflection point is automatically repeated after a predefined time period has passed.

10. An adjusting apparatus for a safety belt in a vehicle, the adjusting apparatus comprising:
at least one adjustable belt guiding element for defining a deflection point, the safety belt extending therefrom in the direction of the shoulder of a vehicle occupant fastened-in by the safety belt; and
a sensor device, an adjusted position of the belt guiding element being able to be automatically set thereby in order to adapt the path of the safety belt to the fastened-in vehicle occupant,
wherein via the sensor device an angle is able to be evaluated which is present between
a belt portion which extends from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
a further belt portion and/or a part fastened to a bodywork and/or a seat part,

in order to predetermine an adjusted position for the adjustable belt guiding element adapted to the fastened-in vehicle occupant,
wherein at least two sensor elements arranged adjacent to one another and/or above one another relative to a vehicle vertical axis are provided in order to detect in each case a spacing.

11. The adjusting apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the sensor device for evaluating the angle comprises at least one sensor element for detecting a spacing between the belt portion extending from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant and
the further belt portion,
the part fixed to the bodywork or seat part, and/or
at least one sensor element of the at least two sensor elements.

12. The adjusting apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least two sensor elements in each case are arranged above the deflection point in order to detect in each case a spacing relative to the upper face of the belt portion.

13. The adjusting apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least two sensor elements in each case are arranged below the deflection point, in order to detect in each case a spacing relative to the lower face of the belt portion.

14. The adjusting apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one sensor element of the sensor device is provided on the belt guiding element and/or a cladding part, the belt guiding element being adjustable relative thereto.

15. The adjusting apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensor element is embedded in the material of the belt guiding element or of the cladding part.

16. An adjusting apparatus for a safety belt in a vehicle, the adjusting apparatus comprising:
at least one adjustable belt guiding element for defining a deflection point, the safety belt extending therefrom in the direction of the shoulder of a vehicle occupant fastened in by the safety belt, and
a sensor device, an adjusted position of the belt guiding element being able to be automatically set thereby in order to adapt the path of the safety belt to the fastened-in vehicle occupant,
wherein via the sensor device an angle is able to be evaluated which is present between
a belt portion which extends from the deflection point in the direction of the shoulder of the fastened-in vehicle occupant, and
a further belt portion and/or a part fastened to a bodywork and/or a seat part,

in order to predetermine an adjusted position for the adjustable belt guiding element which adapted to the fastened-in vehicle occupant,
wherein at least one sensor element of the sensor device is arranged so as to be inclined relative to the vertical.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile

Inventors

• Panejko Hubert
• Herrmann Christian
• Uebel Wolfgang
• Stegerer Mario
• Baetz Stefan
• Rienecker Maik

Classifications

• B60R2022/208

  by automatic or remote control means · CPC title

• B60R22/20 Primary

  adjustable in position, e.g. in height · CPC title

• B60R22/48 Primary

  Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness · CPC title

• B60R2022/485

  for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like · CPC title