The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 28, 1994
Barney J Bauer, Fenton, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus (40) includes a movable webbing guide (28) which guides seat belt webbing (26) extendable around an occupant (11) in a vehicle seat (12). A webbing guide stop (70) is movable between different stop positions for stopping movement of the guide (28). The stop (70) is moved between the different stop positions using a positioning screw (64) having one end connected to the stop (70) and the other end operatively connected with a motor (60). A first sensor (80, 84) senses at least one characteristic of an occupant (11) in the seat (12) and provides a signal (82, 86) indicative of the occupant characteristic. The webbing guide stop (70) moves to a stop position which is dependent upon the signal indicative of the occupant characteristic when the occupant (11) is seated in the seat (12) and the vehicle ignition is turned on. An actuator (32), when actuated, causes the guide (28) to move. A second sensor (76) senses vehicle deceleration of at least a predetermined magnitude which is indicative of a vehicle collision requiring actuation of the actuator (32). The actuator (32) actuates to cause the guide (28) and thus the seat belt webbing (26) to move towards the stop (70) at the stop position which is dependent upon the signal indicative of the occupant characteristic when the second sensor (76) senses vehicle deceleration of at least the predetermined magnitude which is indicative of a vehicle collision requiring actuation of the actuator (32).