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:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 20, 2000
Timothy A. Swann, Mesa, AZ (US);
John W. Nicklos, Chandler, AZ (US);
Ahmad K. Al-Amin, Higley, AZ (US);
Roy D. Van Wynsberghe, Mesa, AZ (US);
Bryan W. Shirk, Mesa, AZ (US);
Eric C. Erike, Mesa, AZ (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus ( ) for use with a removable child seat ( ) in a vehicle ( ) comprises a vehicle seat ( ) on which a removable child seat may or may not be present, and a seat belt webbing pretensioner ( ) for retracting seat belt webbing ( ) associated with the vehicle seat. A first sensor ( ) provides a first output signal in response to a vehicle collision of a magnitude above a predetermined threshold. A second sensor ( ) provides a second output signal in response to the presence of a child seat ( ) on the vehicle seat ( ). A controller ( ) receives the first and second output signals and, in response to the first output signal, actuates the seat belt webbing pretensioner ( ) when a child seat ( ) is not present on the vehicle seat ( ) and inhibits actuation of the seat belt webbing pretensioner when a child seat is present on the vehicle seat.