Restraint system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377340-B2
Application number	US-201715460640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A restraint system includes a housing, a spool rotatably coupled to the housing, and an actuator fixed relative to the housing. The spool has a base plate with holes. The holes are spaced from each other circumferentially about the spool. The actuator has a pin movable between an engaged position extending into one of the holes and a disengaged position spaced from the holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A restraint system comprising:
a housing;
a spool rotatably coupled to the housing, the spool having a base plate with holes, the holes being spaced from each other circumferentially about the spool;
an actuator fixed relative to the housing and having a pin movable between an engaged position extending into one of the holes and a disengaged position spaced from the holes; and
a control module in communication with the actuator, wherein the control module is programmed to move the pin to the engaged position in response to a signal indicating an impact.

2. The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the pin is designed to break at a threshold force, the threshold force being greater than a force exerted by the spool in response to a CRABI 18-month-old child dummy in a rear-facing child seat during a frontal impact at 14 miles per hour.

3. The restraint system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold force is less than a force exerted by the spool in response to a Hybrid III 5th percentile female dummy during a frontal impact at 14 miles per hour.

4. The restraint system of claim 3 , wherein the threshold force is greater than a force exerted by the spool in response to a Hybrid III 6-year-old child dummy during a frontal impact at 14 miles per hour.

5. The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the spool has an axis of rotation, and the holes are located on a circle centered on the axis of rotation.

6. The restraint system of claim 5 , wherein the base plate is orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

7. The restraint system of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is spaced from the axis of rotation by a distance equal to a radius of the circle.

8. The restraint system of claim 7 , wherein the holes are equally spaced along the circle.

9. The restraint system of claim 8 , wherein the pin is linearly movable along an axis parallel to the axis of rotation.

10. The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a solenoid.

11. The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

12. The restraint system of claim 1 , further comprising an automatic locking mechanism coupled to the spool and movable between an engaged state and a disengaged state.

13. The restraint system of claim 12 , further comprising webbing attached to the spool, the automatic locking mechanism moving to the engaged state when the webbing is fully paid out.

14. The restraint system of claim 1 , further comprising a torsion bar fixed to the spool.

15. The restraint system of claim 14 , further comprising an emergency locking mechanism, wherein the torsion bar extends from a first end fixed to the spool to a second end, and the emergency locking mechanism is movable between a disengaged state spaced from the second end and an engaged state engaging the second end.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jaradi Dean M
• Farooq S M Iskander
• Faruque Mohammed Omar

Classifications

• B60R22/36

  self-locking in an emergency ({B60R22/3405} , B60R22/343 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2022/283

  using tearing or scoring of material · CPC title

• B60N2/265

  Adaptations for seat belts · CPC title

• B60R22/415

  with additional means allowing a permanent locking of the retractor during the wearing of the belt · CPC title

• B60R22/343 Primary

  with electrically actuated locking means {(B60R22/3405 takes precedence)} · CPC title