Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ke Dong

Jenne-tai Wang

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Paul W Alexander

Lei Hao

Xiujie Gao

Dorel M Sala

Chin-Hsu Lin

Mark O Neal

Tito R Huffman

A system and method for optimizing various vehicle safety systems, such as airbags and seat belt load tensioning limiters, for a particular occupant of a vehicle seat, such as the vehicle driver or passenger, based on the weight of the occupant and the fore-aft position of the seat. The method senses the mass of the occupant and the position of the seat and classifies the combination of the mass and position. The method then determines the optimized setting of the safety systems for that combination classification, and automatically sets the safety systems to that setting. The method can also determine the optimized setting of the safety systems based on whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt.

Sensor based occupant protection system

An occupant restraint device includes an inflatable airbag cushion, a tether including a first end connected to the airbag cushion and a second end connected to a tether control mechanism. The tether control mechanism including a tether payout mechanism and a tether length adjustment mechanism. The tether length adjustment mechanism controls a length of tether available for payout by the tether payout mechanism, and the tether payout mechanism is operationally decoupled from the tether length adjustment mechanism.

Continuously variable deployment airbag

An active material actuator adapted for use in a circuit includes an active material member, and a piezoelectric or piezoresistive element or otherwise force sensing device, wherein the element or device is communicatively coupled to the member and operable to vary the current within the circuit when the member is caused to achieve a predetermined stress, such that, in one aspect, the element presents an overload protection mechanism.

Active material actuator regulation utilizing piezoelectric and piezoresistive effect

Method and apparatus for limiting the load on a seat belt buckle, includes providing an adjustable energy absorbing device mounting the seat belt buckle on the vehicle, sensing vehicle and occupant conditions to determine the optimal adjustment of the adjustable energy absorbing device for restraint of the occupant under the sensed conditions, and adjusting the adjustable energy absorbing device in response to the sensed conditions to thereby adapt the restraint of the occupant to the sensed conditions. The adjustable energy absorbing device is an extendable strut having an end connected to the buckle and an end connected to the vehicle, said strut having metal deforming elements therein being deformed upon the load reaching a certain magnitude, and said strut having an adjusting mechanism adjusting the metal deforming elements to adjust the degree of metal deformation and thereby adjust the energy absorbing capacity of the strut.

Adaptive seat belt load limiter and method

An adaptive load-limiting seat belt buckle presenter includes a plow assembly movable within a tube and connected to the buckle by cables. Movement of the plow assembly presents the buckle at various positions relative to the occupant. The plow assembly has a plurality of plow elements that engage with the tube to plow troughs in the tube when an occupant restraining load moves the plow assembly within the tube. A plow actuator mechanism selects a number of the plurality of plow elements to be engaged or not engaged with the tube to thereby adapt the load-limiting capability of the presenter. A controller and various sensors cooperate to operate an adjusting motor for translating the plow assembly within the tube to present the buckle at a desired position and to also operate a rotary actuator to select the number of plow elements that will be engaged or not engaged.

Adaptive load-limiting seat belt buckle presenter

A load limiting device for mounting a seat belt buckle includes a plow shoe attached to one of the buckle and the vehicle and a pair of opposed plates attached to the other of the buckle and the vehicle. The plates have the plow shoe captured therebetween so that upon imposition of an occupant restraint load on the buckle, the plow shoe travels therebetween the plates and absorbs energy by deforming at least one of the plates. An adjuster mechanism adjusts the distance between the opposed plates to selectively increase or decrease the energy absorbing capacity of the load limiting device by determining the extent of metal deformation occurring upon the travel of the plow shoe.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Ke Dong