DE102022201239A1 - Non-pyrotechnic seat belt tensioner - Google Patents

Abstract

Belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant with a safety belt and with a belt tensioner, the belt tensioner having belt winding means (3, 4) for winding up slack in the safety belt and a drive for driving the belt winding means (3, 4), the drive being set up rotate the belt winding means (3, 4) to wind seat belt around the belt winding means (3, 4).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Pyrotechnic belt tensioners are known. For example, the DE 10 2010 051 419 A1 a pyrotechnic belt tensioner. The pyrotechnical activation involves some risks, e.g. the lack of possibility of reversible activation, high working temperatures in the micro gas generators and the associated risk of ignition in the vehicle interior, dangers in handling the pyrotechnics, dangers of the reaction product of the propellant reaction and the uncontrolled development of energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, the invention is based on the object of specifying a pyrotechnic-free seat belt tensioner.

• - ein Gurtsystem zum Rückhalten eines Fahrzeuginsassen mit einem Sicherheitsgurt und mit einem Gurtstraffer, wobei der Gurtstraffer ein Gurtaufwickelmittel zum Aufwickeln von Gurtlosen des Sicherheitsgurts sowie einen Antrieb zum Treiben des Gurtaufwickelmittels aufweist, wobei der Antrieb eingerichtet ist, das Gurtaufwickelmittel zu drehen, um Sicherheitsgurt um Gurtlose des Sicherheitsgurts zu reduzieren und insbesondere Sicherheitsgurt um das Gurtaufwickelmittel herum zu wickeln.

Accordingly, it is provided:

• - A belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant with a safety belt and with a belt tensioner, the belt tensioner having a belt winding means for winding up slacks in the seat belt and a drive for driving the belt winding means, the drive being set up to rotate the belt winding means in order to seat belt around slack belts of the seat belt and in particular to wrap the seat belt around the belt winding means.

A sensor, also known as a detector, (measuring variable or measurement) pickup or (measuring) probe, is a technical component that detects certain physical, chemical properties or states, e.g. B. temperature, humidity, pressure, speed, brightness, acceleration, pH, ionic strength, electrochemical potential and / or the material properties of its environment can be qualitatively or quantitatively recorded as a measurand. These variables are recorded using physical or chemical effects and converted into an electrical signal that can be further processed as sensor data. Vehicle sensors include optical sensors, such as camera, lidar, radar, TOF, and other sensor technologies, such as acoustic sensors.

An accident sensor system detects an impact, an expected impact of an object on a vehicle or other uncontrolled movements of a vehicle, such as skidding, overturning and the like.

A seat belt is a restraint system in motor vehicles, airplanes and other means of transport. In the event of vehicle deceleration caused by accident situations, the vehicle occupants are held by stable belts connected to the body and can therefore not be thrown through the vehicle or even out of it. The safety bonus of the crumple zone also benefits the occupants. In addition, the belts stretch in the event of an impact in order to limit the deceleration forces.

The task of a belt tensioner is to tighten the seat belts so that a vehicle occupant takes part in an overall deceleration of the vehicle earlier. To do this, the belt is tightened by an adjustment path within a certain period of time. This is particularly useful when thick clothing prevents the belt from sitting snugly on the body.

A slack belt is the loose or loose portion of a motor vehicle seat belt on the body. The slack in the three-point automatic belt is system-related due to belt stretching, the film spool effect of the retractor mechanism and loose clothing. Seatbelt slacks are not a forced course, but rather an accidental course of a seatbelt.

A belt system is used for occupant fixation and includes a safety belt, a belt tensioner, a drive for rolling up or tightening the safety belt and possibly other components.

In this patent application, rolling up a belt by means of a belt winding means firstly means lengthening the forced course of a safety belt by means of the belt winding means. Accordingly, the positions B and C according to 2 a seat belt wound on a belt winding means. The wording includes, in particular, that the seat belt rests against a partial section of the surface of the belt winding means.

A geometric shape is a circle, a polygon, an irregular/regular polygon, an ellipse, and the like.

The machine element gear wheel is a wheel with teeth distributed over the circumference. A rack and pinion pair is used to translate linear motion into rotary motion.

A turbine is a rotating flow machine that converts the internal energy loss of a flowing fluid (liquid or gas) into mechanical rotational energy (torque times speed), which it delivers through its shaft.

Fluids are liquids or gases.

An electric motor is an electromechanical converter that converts electrical power into mechanical power.

The basic idea of the invention is to wind up a safety belt by means of a belt winding means in order to reduce belt slack. The safety belt is arranged with respect to the belt winding means in such a way that a rotation in a first direction of rotation of the belt winding means causes the seat belt to be wound up around the belt winding means or that the belt is released when the belt winding means is rotated back in a direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation , if the seat belt was wound up on the belt retractor.

The belt winding means can be designed in one or more parts.

Advantageous refinements and developments result from the further dependent claims and from the description with reference to the figures of the drawing.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt winding means has a cross section of a geometric shape, in particular a circle or an irregular or regular polygon.

A belt winding means with a circular cross-section is also referred to as a belt reel. It goes without saying that belt winding means with any desired cross-sections are conceivable.

For example, it is conceivable that the belt winding means is a two-part belt reel with two components that are semicircular in cross section.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt winding means has a guide for the safety belt, by means of which the safety belt is guided within the belt winding means.

For example, it is conceivable that the belt winding means is guided between two semicircular components. Alternatively, the belt winding means can also be guided with other guide means, for example along a diagonal of the belt winding means.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the drive has a gear and a toothed rack engaging in the gear, the gear being non-rotatably connected to the belt winding means.

Accordingly, it can be provided that fluid from a fluid reservoir (indirectly) displaces the toothed rack, as a result of which the gear wheel is set in rotation.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the drive has a turbine which is non-rotatably connected to the belt winding means.

Accordingly, provision can be made for fluid from a fluid reservoir to drive the turbine directly. Thus few components are required for a belt system.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt tensioner has a fluid reservoir, with fluid emerging from the fluid reservoir being set up to drive the drive in order to wind the belt onto the belt winding means.

Energy for driving the belt winding means can thus be stored in the form of fluid.

Alternatively or additionally, the drive can have an electric motor.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt tensioner can be operated in at least a first mode and in a second mode, more belt slack being reduced in the first mode than in the second mode.

Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that more belt is wound up in the first mode than in the second mode.

Various modes are conceivable for a seat belt tensioner, for example a first “accident” mode in which the seat belt is tightened to the maximum, i.e. seat belt slack is reduced to a maximum, and a second “comfort” mode in which the seat belt is tightened somewhat, for example around the To improve posture of a vehicle occupant. Provision can also be made for the safety belt to be released again after it has been tightened.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt tensioner has an interface to a determination unit, by means of which it is determined, depending on the situation, how much the seat belt is is to be wound onto the belt winding means, with the drive being controlled accordingly.

For example, the length of the seat belt slack depends on the clothing of a vehicle occupant. Depending on the situation, it is also determined by the determination unit whether a collision is imminent and an occupant is to be tied to the seat accordingly with maximum safety and possibly little comfort, or whether the occupant is merely to be reminded of assuming a safe seating position.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the belt system has a release mechanism with a spring, and the spring relaxes when it is released. A verifiable and reversible mechanism is thus created. For example, it is conceivable that the spring releases fluid from a fluid reservoir as soon as the spring relaxes.

It is also expedient if the triggering mechanism also has a battery and/or a capacitor. A battery can be configured to supply electricity to an electric motor. A capacitor can be set up to ensure spring relaxation.

character list

• 1 eine schematische Prinzipskizze einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 2 eine schematische Prinzipskizze einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 3 ein Blockdiagramm einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4 ein Blockdiagramm einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung.

The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments given in the schematic figures of the drawings. They show:

• 1 a schematic outline sketch of an embodiment of the invention;
• 2 a schematic outline sketch of an embodiment of the invention;
• 3 a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention;
• 4 a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

The accompanying drawings are provided to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the foregoing advantages will become apparent by reference to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale with respect to one another.

In the figures of the drawings, elements, features and components that are identical, have the same function and have the same effect--unless stated otherwise--are each provided with the same reference symbols.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

1 shows a schematic outline sketch of a belt system 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The belt system 10 includes a safety belt 2 and a belt tensioner 1. The safety belt 2 is rolled up on a belt roller 102. In 1 the belt system 10 is shown in relation to a vehicle seat 101 .

The belt tensioner 1 according to 1 is in the 2 detailed and shown in three different positions A, B, C.

The belt tensioner 1 comprises according to 2 a belt winding means 3, 4, which is designed as a two-part belt reel. Accordingly, the Gurtaufspannmittel comprises two halves 3, 4, each having a semi-circular cross-section and between which the seat belt 2 is guided. Accordingly, the belt winding means 3, 4 has a circular cross-section as a whole.

The belt winding means 3, 4 is connected to a gear wheel 5 in a rotationally fixed manner. A toothed rack 6 engages in the toothed wheel 5 and is set up to cause the toothed wheel 5 to rotate in the direction of rotation 104 when the toothed rack 6 is displaced in the direction 105 .

The belt winding means 3, 4 rotates in accordance with the gear wheel 5 and due to its rotation winds up the seat belt 2, which is guided through the inside of the belt winding means 3, 4, so that the seat belt is shortened in direction 103 or pulled in direction 103 becomes.

The 2 shows the belt tensioner 1 in three different positions A, B, C. Position A corresponds to an initial or rest position of the belt tensioner 1, in which the seat belt 2 runs through the belt winding means 3, 4, but is not wrapped around it. Position B corresponds to a second mode position in which the seat belt is tightened to remind a vehicle occupant to assume a safe seating position. The position C of the belt tensioner or the belt winding means 3, 4 corresponds to a first mode in which the seat belt was wound around the belt winding means 3, 4 in order to pull the seat belt 2 even tighter than in position B.

Position B is both the end position of the second mode and an intermediate position of position C of the first mode. In the B position the path of the safety belt in the area of the belt winding means 3, 4 is extended, thereby reducing belt slack even when the safety belt is not yet wound around the belt winding means.

3 Figure 12 shows a schematic block diagram of an embodiment 20 of the invention. Accordingly, an accident sensor system 7 is provided, by means of which an imminent collision is detected. If an impending collision is detected, the accident sensor system 7 sends a message to a control unit 8, which transmits a corresponding control command to a triggering mechanism 13. A battery and/or a capacitor 9 is provided to supply the triggering mechanism 13 with energy. For example, it is conceivable that the release mechanism relaxes a spring 11 which, for example, closes a fluid reservoir directly or indirectly. Due to the relaxation of the spring 11 occurs fluid from the fluid reservoir, whereby, for example, a rack 6 according to 2 or a turbine (not shown) can be driven. Because of this, the belt winding means 3, 4 is set in rotation, as a result of which the seat belt 2 is pulled taut.

4 shows an alternative embodiment 30 to the embodiment 20 according to FIG 3 . Also according to the embodiment 4 has an accident sensor system 7 and a control unit 8, which transmits control commands when the accident sensor system 7 detects an impending collision. The control device transmits control commands to an electric motor 12 which is supplied with energy from a battery and/or capacitor 9 and which is set up to rotate the belt winding means 3, 4 in order to retract the seat belt 2.

Reference List

1

belt tensioners

2

seat belt

3

Half of the belt retractor

4

Half of the belt retractor

5

gear

6

rack

7

accident sensors

8th

control unit

9

battery and/or capacitor

10

belt system

11

Feather

12

electric motor

13

trigger mechanism

101

vehicle seat

102

belt roll

103

belt retraction direction

104

direction of rotation

105

Direction

20

embodiment

30

embodiment

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102010051419 A1 [0002]

Claims (11)

Belt system (10) for restraining a vehicle occupant with a safety belt (2) and with a belt tensioner (1), the belt tensioner having belt winding means (3, 4) for winding up slack in the seat belt and a drive for driving the belt winding means, the drive (5, 6; 12) is arranged to rotate the belt winding means in order to reduce slack in the seat belt and in particular to wind the seat belt around the belt winding means. belt system claim 1 , wherein the belt winding means (3, 4) has a cross section of a geometric shape, in particular a circle or an irregular or regular polygon. Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt winding means (3, 4) has a guide for the safety belt (2), by means of which the safety belt is guided within the belt winding means (3, 4). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive has a gear wheel (5) and a toothed rack (6) engaging in the gear wheel, the gear wheel being non-rotatably connected to the belt winding means (3, 4). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the drive has a turbine which is non-rotatably connected to the belt winding means (3, 4). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt tensioner (1) has a fluid reservoir, fluid emerging from the fluid reservoir being set up to drive the drive (5, 6) in order to wind up the seat belt on the belt winding means (3, 4). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the drive has an electric motor (12). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt tensioner (1) can be operated in at least a first mode and in a second mode, with more belt slack being reduced in the first mode than in the second mode. Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt tensioner has an interface to a determination unit, by means of which it is determined, depending on the situation, how much safety belt is to be wound onto the belt winding means (3, 4), the drive being controlled accordingly by a control unit (8). Belt system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt system has a release mechanism with a spring (11) and the spring relaxes when released. belt system claim 10 wherein the triggering mechanism further comprises a battery and/or a capacitor (9).

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