U.S. patent application number 15/055745 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-31 for rotatable seat energy absorption.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to Saeed David Barbat, Mark A. Cuddihy, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Srinivasan Sundararajan.
Application Number | 20170247006 15/055745 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58544144 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170247006 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rao; Manoharprasad K. ; et
al. |
August 31, 2017 |
ROTATABLE SEAT ENERGY ABSORPTION
Abstract
A vehicle seat is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a
vehicle floor from a forward-facing position to a rear-facing
position. The seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back. A seat
belt assembly extends at least partially from the seat back. At
least one airbag is incorporated into the seat belt assembly and is
deployable when the vehicle seat is rotated to at least one of the
rear-facing position and a position between the forward-facing
position and the rear-facing position.
Inventors: |
Rao; Manoharprasad K.;
(Novi, MI) ; Cuddihy; Mark A.; (New Boston,
MI) ; Barbat; Saeed David; (Novi, MI) ;
Sundararajan; Srinivasan; (Ann Arbor, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Global Technologies,
LLC
Dearborn
MI
|
Family ID: |
58544144 |
Appl. No.: |
15/055745 |
Filed: |
February 29, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 21/18 20130101;
B60R 22/023 20130101; B60R 2022/027 20130101; B60R 21/0136
20130101; B60R 2021/0032 20130101; B60R 22/12 20130101; B60R
2021/23146 20130101; B60R 2021/23107 20130101; B60R 21/23138
20130101; B60N 2/14 20130101; B60N 2/143 20130101; B60N 2002/022
20130101; B60R 22/26 20130101; B60R 22/34 20130101; B60R 21/01554
20141001; B60R 2021/0006 20130101; B60R 21/207 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 21/18 20060101
B60R021/18; B60R 22/34 20060101 B60R022/34; B60R 22/12 20060101
B60R022/12; B60R 21/231 20060101 B60R021/231; B60R 21/015 20060101
B60R021/015; B60R 21/0136 20060101 B60R021/0136; B60N 2/14 20060101
B60N002/14; B60R 22/26 20060101 B60R022/26; B60R 21/207 20060101
B60R021/207 |
Claims
1. A system, comprising: a vehicle seat rotatable, about an axis
perpendicular to a vehicle floor, from a forward-facing position to
a rear-facing position, the seat including a seat bottom and a seat
back; a seat belt assembly at least partially extending from the
seat back; at least one airbag incorporated into the seat belt
assembly and deployable when the vehicle seat is rotated to at
least one of the rear-facing position and a position between the
forward-facing position and the rear-facing position; and a
processor programmed to determine a vehicle seat position and to
detect a vehicle impact and to output a control signal to an
inflator to inflate the at least one airbag based on the vehicle
seat position about the axis.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the seat belt assembly includes a
first anchor, a second anchor, and a retractor, wherein the first
and second anchors extend from the seat bottom and the retractor
extends from the seat back.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the seat belt assembly includes a
shoulder strap and a belt strap and wherein the at least one airbag
includes a first airbag and a second airbag, wherein the first
airbag is incorporated into the shoulder strap and the second
airbag is incorporated into the belt strap.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the shoulder strap extends from
the retractor to the first anchor and the belt strap extends from
the first anchor to the second anchor.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the shoulder strap and the belt
strap are formed from a unitary webbing and the first and second
airbags are integrated into the webbing.
6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a third airbag, the
third airbag being a side airbag supported by the seat.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inflator disposed
in at least one of the seat back and the seat bottom, wherein the
inflator is in fluid communication with the at least one
airbag.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further
programmed to output the control signal to the inflator in response
to detecting the vehicle seat in at least one of the rear-facing
position and the position between the forward-facing position and
the rear-facing position and the vehicle impact.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the inflator is configured to
inflate the at least one airbag in response to receiving the
control signal output by the processor.
10. The system of claim 2, further comprising a second retractor
and a buckle, wherein the webbing includes a first webbing and a
second webbing, the buckle connecting the first webbing, the
retractor, and the first anchor, and connecting the second webbing,
the second retractor, and the second anchor.
11. A seatbelt assembly comprising: a webbing forming a shoulder
strap and a belt strap; at least one airbag incorporated into at
least one of the shoulder strap and the belt strap; and a processor
programmed to determine a vehicle seat position, including a
forward-facing position and a rear-facing position, wherein the
processor is programmed to output a control signal in response to
the vehicle seat being in at least one of the rear-facing position
and a position between the forward-facing position and the
rear-facing position and in response to detecting a vehicle impact,
wherein the control signal causes the at least one airbag to
inflate.
12. The seatbelt assembly of claim 11, wherein the seatbelt
assembly includes a first anchor, a second anchor, and a retractor,
wherein the shoulder strap extends from the retractor to the first
anchor and wherein the belt strap extends from the first anchor to
the second anchor.
13. The seat belt assembly of claim 12, further comprising a second
retractor and a buckle, wherein the webbing includes a first
webbing and a second webbing, the buckle connecting the first
webbing, the retractor, and the first anchor, and connecting the
second webbing, the second retractor, and the second anchor.
14. The seatbelt assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least one
airbag includes a first airbag and a second airbag, and the first
airbag is integrated into the shoulder strap and the second airbag
is integrated into the belt strap.
15. The seatbelt assembly of claim 11, wherein the processor is
programmed to output the control signal to an inflator in fluid
communication with the at least one airbag.
16. A system, comprising: a vehicle seat rotatable, about an axis
perpendicular to a vehicle floor, from a forward-facing position to
a rear-facing position, the seat including a seat bottom and a seat
back; a seat belt assembly at least partially extending from the
seat back including a first anchor, a second anchor, and a
retractor; a first airbag and a second airbag incorporated into the
seat belt assembly and deployable when the vehicle seat is rotated
to at least one of the rear-facing position and a position between
the forward-facing position and the rear-facing position; an
inflator disposed in at least one of the seat back and the seat
bottom; and a processor programmed to determine a vehicle seat
position and a vehicle impact and output a control signal to the
inflator in response to detecting the vehicle seat in at least one
of the rear-facing position and the position between the
forward-facing position and the rear-facing position and the
vehicle impact; wherein the first and second anchors extend from
the seat bottom and the retractor extends from the seat back;
wherein the seat belt assembly includes a shoulder strap and a belt
strap and wherein the first airbag is incorporated into the
shoulder strap and the second airbag is incorporated into the belt
strap; wherein the inflator is in fluid communication with at least
one of the first and second airbags and configured to inflate at
least one of the first and second airbags in response to receiving
the control signal output by the processor.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the shoulder strap extends from
the retractor to the first anchor and the belt strap extends from
the first anchor to the second anchor.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the shoulder strap and the belt
strap are formed from a unitary webbing and the first and second
airbags are integrated into the webbing.
19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a third airbag, the
third airbag being a side airbag supported by the seat.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Energy absorbing devices, such as airbags, may absorb energy
during a vehicle impact. Airbags are located throughout the
passenger compartment of the vehicle and are deployed in response
to detecting the impact. For example, airbags are located in the
steering wheel, the instrument cluster, etc. Traditional airbag
locations assume an unchanging seat arrangement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0002] FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram of a vehicle with a system
for deploying airbags incorporated into rotatable seats.
[0003] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the passenger compartment of the
vehicle of FIG. 1, including rotatable seats.
[0004] FIG. 3 is a plan view of an example rotatable seat that may
be incorporated into the passenger compartment of the vehicle
illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0005] FIG. 4 is a side view of the example rotatable seat of FIG.
3.
[0006] FIG. 5 in a plan view of a passenger compartment of another
exemplary vehicle including rotatable seats.
[0007] FIG. 6 is a plan view of an example rotatable seat that may
be incorporated into the passenger compartment of the vehicle
illustrated in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] A vehicle with a traditional seat arrangement would have all
seats facing the same direction. Autonomous vehicles, however,
permit non-traditional seat arrangements. In an autonomous vehicle,
some seats, such as the front seats, may be rotated to face, e.g.,
the rear of the vehicle. Rotating the seats, however, may move the
passenger in the seat away from one or more airbags.
[0009] Rather than incorporate additional airbags into the
passenger compartment to account for every possible seat
configuration, one solution is to incorporate one or more passive
restraints, such as airbags, bolsters, seatbelts, etc., into the
seat itself. Thus, the passive restraint remains fixed to the
orientation of the seat, providing impact absorption regardless of
the seat configuration. One solution, therefore, may include
incorporating a seat belt assembly into a seat back of a rotatable
seat and incorporating an airbag into the seat belt assembly. The
airbag may be deployable when the seat is in a rear-facing
position.
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an example vehicle 101. The vehicle 101
includes a computing device 105 and a seat 110. The computing
device 105 includes a processor and a memory. The computing device
105 may be programmed to output a control signal to deploy a
passive restraint, e.g., an airbag, a bolster, etc. The computing
device 105 is generally programmed to communicate over a controller
area network (CAN) bus or the like. Via the CAN bus, OBD-II, and/or
other wired or wireless mechanisms, e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, or the
like, the computing device 105 may transmit messages to various
devices in a vehicle 101, e.g., airbags 150, 160 discussed below,
and/or receive messages from the various devices, e.g.,
controllers, actuators, sensors, etc., including data collectors.
Alternatively or additionally, in cases where the computing device
105 actually comprises multiple devices, the CAN bus or the like
may be used for communications between devices represented as the
computing device 105 in this disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a passenger compartment of the vehicle
101 including the system 100. The vehicle 101 includes multiple
seats 110. Each seat 110 supports a vehicle occupant during
operation of the vehicle 101. For an autonomous vehicle, each seat
110 may be positioned in the vehicle 101 anywhere in the passenger
compartment, e.g., an operator's side, a passenger's side, etc.
[0012] At least one of the seats 110 is rotatable about an axis
perpendicular to a vehicle floor to an angle 8. As shown in FIG. 2,
the seat 110 may start in a forward-facing position, i.e., facing
the direction of forward vehicle motion. The seat 110 may then be
rotated to an angle .theta. relative to the forward-facing
position. When the angle .theta.=180.degree. , i.e., the seat 110
has rotated by one-half revolution, the seat 110 faces the rear of
the vehicle 101 and is in the rear-facing position. The seat 110
may be secured at any angle .theta. to a position between the
forward-facing position and the rear-facing position. The seat 110
rotates on a rotation mechanism, e.g., a circle gear assembly,
configured to rotate the seat 110 to the angle .theta..
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary rotatable seat 110. The seat
includes a seat back 115. The seat back 115 provides support for
the vehicle occupant and may house at least part of a seat belt
assembly 125. The seat back 115 includes a support structure 170
and a cushion 175. The seat back 115 may rotate, with the seat
bottom 120, about the axis to the angle .theta..
[0014] The seat 110 further includes a seat bottom 120. The seat
bottom 120 is attached to the seat back 115 and provides support
for the vehicle occupant. The seat bottom 120 may house at least
part of the seat belt assembly 125. The seat bottom 120 includes a
support structure 180 and a cushion 185. The seat bottom 120 may
rotate about the axis to the angle .theta..
[0015] The seat 110 includes the seat belt assembly 125. The seat
belt assembly 125 absorbs impact energy from the vehicle occupant
and secures the occupant to the seat back 115 and seat bottom 120.
The seat belt assembly 125 includes a retractor 130, a first anchor
135, and a second anchor 140. The seat belt assembly 125 may be
installed at least in part in the seat back 115 and/or the seat
bottom 120. The seat belt assembly 125 may extend at least
partially from the seat back 115. The seat belt assembly 125 may be
a 3-point seat belt system, wherein the 3 points are the retractor
130, the first anchor 135, and the second anchor 140.
[0016] The seat belt assembly 125 includes the retractor 130. The
retractor 130 houses a webbing 145 and tightens the webbing 145
against the occupant, i.e., controls the payout of the webbing 145.
The retractor 130 may be installed and/or integrated into the seat
back 115. The retractor 130 may extend from the seat back 115,
e.g., may be attached to the seat back support structure 170. The
retractor 130 may be of a known type, e.g., a pretensioner.
[0017] The seat belt assembly 125 includes the first anchor 135.
The first anchor 135 secures the webbing 145 to the seat 110 while
allowing the webbing to move to and from the retractor 130. The
first anchor 135 provides the second point of the 3-point belt
system. The first anchor 135 may be installed and/or integrated
into at least one of the seat back 115 and/or the seat bottom 120.
That is, the first anchor 135 may be attached to one of the support
structures 112, 116 (not shown) of the seat back 115 and the seat
bottom 120, respectively. The first anchor 135 may extend from one
of the seat back 115 or the seat bottom 120. The first anchor 135
may include, as is known, a buckle to allow a latchplate connected
to the webbing 145 to engage with the first anchor 135.
[0018] The seat belt assembly 125 includes the second anchor 140.
The second anchor 140 secures the webbing 145 to the seat 110
opposite the first anchor 135, providing the third of the 3-point
belt system. The second anchor 140 may be installed and/or
integrated into at least one of the seat back 115 and/or the seat
bottom 120. That is, the second anchor 140 may be attached to one
of the support structures 170, 180 of the seat back 115 and the
seat bottom 120, respectively. The second anchor 140 may extend
from one of the seat back 115 or the seat bottom 120.
[0019] The seat belt assembly 125 includes the webbing 145. The
webbing 145 secures the occupant to the seat back 115 and the seat
bottom 120, and, when secured by the retractor 130, the first
anchor 135, and second anchor 140, absorbs energy from movement of
the occupant during an impact. The webbing 145 may be constructed
of, e.g., a fabric, a polymer, a composite, etc. The webbing 145
may be a unitary construction or include several pieces, e.g., a
pair of straps each connected to the first anchor 135.
[0020] The webbing 145 may include a shoulder strap 150 and a belt
strap 155. When the seat belt assembly 125 is buckled, i.e., the
webbing 145 is secured to the first anchor 135, the shoulder strap
150 extends from the retractor 130 to the first anchor 135, placing
the shoulder strap 150 across an upper torso of a vehicle occupant.
The belt strap 155 may extend across the lower torso of the
occupant from the first anchor 135 to the second anchor 140. The
shoulder strap 150 and the belt strap 155 may be two separate
pieces of the webbing 1.45, or may be a unitary piece of the
webbing 145.
[0021] The seat belt assembly 125 includes at least one airbag 160.
The airbag 160 inflates during an impact to absorb some impact
energy that would otherwise be applied to the occupant. The airbag
160 may be constructed of, e.g., a fabric, a polymer, a composite,
etc. The airbag 160 may be installed and/or integrated into the
seat belt assembly 125. Specifically, the airbag 160 may be sewn or
otherwise fastened to the webbing 145. The airbag 160 may be
located between the first anchor 135 to one of the retractor 130
and the second anchor 140. The example of FIG. 3 illustrates two
airbags 160: a first airbag 160a and a second airbag 160b. The
first airbag 160a extends from the first anchor 135 to the
retractor 130 and is incorporated with or otherwise fastened to the
shoulder strap 150. The second airbag 160b extends from the first
anchor 135 to the second. anchor 140 and is incorporated or
otherwise fastened to the belt strap 155. The seat belt assembly
125 may include any number of additional airbags 160.
[0022] The seat 110 may include at least one side airbag 165. The
side airbag 165 is arranged to inflate during an impact to reduce
the amount of energy applied to an occupant moving laterally
relative to the seat 110 during the impact. The side airbag 165 may
be installed in the seat back 115. For example, the side airbag 165
may be attached to the support structure 170 and inflate through
the cushion 175. The seat 110 may include a plurality of side
airbags 165 to absorb energy from the occupant's movements in
several directions, e.g., the seat 110 may include a pair of side
airbags 165 installed to the left and the right of the occupant to
absorb energy as the occupant moves to the left or the right during
an impact.
[0023] The airbags 160, 165 may each be in fluid communication with
an inflator 190, The inflator 190 may be, e.g., a cold gas
inflator. The inflator 190 may receive a control signal output from
the computing device 105 to inflate the airbags 160, 165 upon
detecting an impact. The seat 110 may include a plurality of
inflators 190. The inflators 190 may be disposed in at least one of
the seat back 115 and/or the seat bottom 120.
[0024] Because the seat belt assembly 125 is attached to the seat
110, the retractor 130 and the airbags 160, 165, can be actuated
when the seat 110 is rotated to any angle .theta., including in the
rear-facing position where the occupant may not have the benefit of
other airbags incorporated into the passenger compartment such as
an airbag incorporated into a steering wheel. Thus, even when the
seat 110 is in the rear-facing position when the computing device
105 detects an impact, the computing device 105 can send a signal
to the retractor 130 to halt payout of the webbing 145, locking the
occupant in place. The computing device 105 can also send a signal
to the inflators 190 to inflate at least one of the first and
second airbags 160 and/or the side airbag 165 depending on where
relative to the vehicle 101 the impact occurred and the angle
.theta. of rotation of the seat 110. By consulting, e.g., a look-up
table, the computing device 105 may select one or more airbags 160,
165 to deploy based on the angle .theta. and the direction of the
impact and output a control signal to one or more of the inflators
190 to inflate the selected airbags 160, 165.
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the seat 110. As described
above, the seat back 115 includes the seat back structure 170 and
the seat back cushion 175. The structure 170 extends along the
length of the seat back 115 and is covered by the seat back cushion
175. The structure 170 may be constructed of, e.g., a metal, a
polymer, a composite, etc. The retractor 130 may be attached to the
structure 170 and extend out from the cushion 175. The side airbag
165 may also be attached to the structure 170 and deploy out from
the cushion 175.
[0026] The seat 110 further includes the seat bottom 120. As
described above, the seat bottom includes the seat bottom structure
180 and the seat bottom cushion 185. The structure 180 extends
along the length of the seat bottom 120 and is covered by the seat
bottom cushion 185. The first and second anchors 130, 135 may be
attached to the structure 180 and extend out from the cushion 185.
While not shown in FIG. 4, the side airbag 165 may be attached to
the structure 180 and deploy out from the cushion 185 upon
inflation.
[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates another example system 200 in a passenger
compartment of a vehicle 101. The vehicle 101 includes multiple
rotatable seats 210, The seats 210 may each be rotated to an angle
.theta. about an axis relative to the vehicle floor. Each seat 210
may be rotated to a different angle .theta., shown here as example
angles .theta.,.theta.', .theta.'', .theta.'''. In the example of
Figure .5, the seats 210 each include a seat belt assembly 225 that
is a 4-point harness with integrated airbags. In an autonomous
vehicle 101, the seats 210 may rotate from a forward-facing
position to a rear-facing position.
[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary rotatable seat 210, as shown
in the vehicle 101 of FIG. 5. The seat 210 includes a seat back 215
and a seat bottom 220. The seat back 215 provides support for the
vehicle occupant and may house at least part of a seat belt
assembly 225. The seat back 215 includes a support structure 270
and a cushion 275 similar to the support structure 170 and cushion
175 described for the seat 110 above. The seat back 215 may rotate,
with the seat bottom 220, about the axis to the angle .theta..
[0029] The seat 210 further includes the seat bottom 220. The seat
bottom 220 is attached to the seat back 215 and provides support
for the vehicle occupant. The seat bottom 220 may house at least
part of the seat belt assembly 225. The seat bottom 220 includes a
support structure 280 and a cushion 285 similar to the seat bottom
support structure 180 and the seat bottom cushion 185 for the seat
110 shown in FIG. 4. The seat bottom 220 may rotate about the axis
to the angle .theta..
[0030] The seat belt assembly 225 absorbs impact energy from the
vehicle occupant and secures the occupant to the seat back 215 and
seat bottom 220. The seat belt assembly 225 is a 4-point seat belt
assembly, and includes a first retractor 230a, a second retractor
230b, a first anchor 235, a second anchor 240, a webbing 245, and a
buckle 295. The seat belt assembly 225 may be installed at least in
part in the seat back 215 and/or the seat bottom 220, e.g.,
connected to the support structure 270. The seat belt assembly 225
may extend at least partially from the seat back 215, e.g., through
the cushion 275.
[0031] The seat belt assembly 225 includes the pair of retractors
230a, 230b (collectively, retractors 230) and are two of the four
points in the 4-point belt system. The retractors 230 each house
the webbing 245 and tighten the webbing 245 against the occupant,
i.e., controls the payout of the webbing 245. For example, a first
retractor 230a may control payout of a first shoulder strap 250a
and a first belt strap 255a, and a second retractor 230b may
control payout of a second shoulder strap 250b and a second belt
strap 255b. The retractors 230 may be installed and/or integrated
into the seat back 215. The retractors 230 may extend from the seat
back 215, e.g., may be attached to the seat back support structure
270. The retractors 230 may be of a known type, e.g., a
pretensioner.
[0032] The seat belt assembly 225 includes the first anchor 235.
The first anchor 235 secures the webbing 245 to the seat 210 while
allowing the webbing 245 to move to and from the retractor 230a.
The first anchor 235 provides the third point of the 4-point belt
system. That is, the first anchor 235 may secure the first belt
strap 255a to the seat back 215 or the seat bottom 220. The first
anchor 235 may be installed and/or integrated into at least one of
the seat back 215 and/or the seat bottom 220. That is, the first
anchor 235 may be attached to one of the support structures 270,
280 of the seat back 215 and the seat bottom 220. The first anchor
235 may extend from one of the seat back 215 or the seat bottom 220
out from the respective cushions 275, 285.
[0033] The seat belt assembly 225 includes the second anchor 240.
The second anchor 240 secures the webbing 245 to the seat 210 while
allowing the webbing 245 to move to and from the retractor 230b.
The second anchor 240 provides the fourth point of the 4-point belt
system. That is, the second anchor 240 may secure the second belt
strap 255b to the seat back 215 or the seat bottom 220. The second
anchor 240 may be installed and/or integrated into at least one of
the seat back 215 and/or the seat bottom 220. That is, the second
anchor 240 may be attached to one of the support structures 270,
280 of the seat back 215 and the seat bottom 220. The second anchor
240 may extend from one of the seat back 215 or the seat bottom 220
out from the respective cushions 275, 285.
[0034] The seat belt assembly 225 includes the webbing 245. The
webbing 245 secures the occupant to the seat back 215 and the seat
bottom 220, and, when secured by the retractors 230, the first
anchor 235, the second anchor 240, and the buckle 295 absorbs
energy from movement of the occupant during an impact. The webbing
245 may be constructed of, e.g., a fabric, a polymer, a composite,
etc. The webbing 245 may be a unitary construction or include
several pieces, e.g., a pair of straps each connected to the buckle
295.
[0035] The webbing 245 may include a first shoulder strap 250a, a
second shoulder strap 250b, (collectively, straps 250) a first belt
strap 255a, and a second belt strap 255b (collectively, straps
255). When the seat belt assembly 225 is buckled, i.e., the webbing
245 is secured to the buckle 295, the shoulder straps 250 extend
from the respective retractors 230 to the respective first and
second anchors 230, 235 placing the shoulder straps 250 across an
upper torso of a vehicle occupant. The belt straps 255 may extend
across the lower torso of the occupant from the respective first
and second anchors 230, 235 to the buckle 295. The shoulder straps
250 and the belt straps 255 may each be separate pieces of the
webbing 245, or the first shoulder strap 250a and the first belt
strap 255a may be a first unitary piece of the webbing 245 (i.e., a
first webbing 245), and the second shoulder strap 250b and the
second belt strap 255b may also be a second unitary piece of the
webbing 245 (i.e., a second webbing 245).
[0036] The seat belt assembly 225 includes the buckle 295. The
buckle 295 secures the shoulder straps 250 and the belt straps 255
across the body of the vehicle occupant. The buckle 295 may include
a plurality of slots to receive latchplates from the straps 250,
255. The buckle 295 may be permanently attached to the webbing 245,
e.g., one of the straps 250, 255. The buckle 295 may connect the
retractors 230 to the anchors 235, 240 with the webbing 245. As
shown in FIG. 6, the first shoulder strap 250a extends from the
first retractor 230a and is attached to the buckle 295 via, e.g., a
latchplate. The first belt strap 255a extends from the first anchor
235 and is attached to the buckle 295. The second shoulder strap
250b extends from the second retractor 230b and is attached to the
buckle 295, and the second belt strap 255b extends from the second
anchor 240 to the buckle 295.
[0037] The seat belt assembly 225 includes at least one airbag 260.
The airbag 260 inflates during an impact to absorb some impact
energy that would otherwise be applied to the occupant. The airbag
260 may be constructed of, e.g., a fabric, a polymer, a composite,
etc. The airbag 260 may be installed and/or integrated into the
seat belt assembly 225. Specifically, the airbag 260 may be sewn or
otherwise fastened to the webbing 245. The airbag 260 may be
located, e.g., between the first retractor 230 and the buckle 295.
The example of FIG. 6 illustrates two airbags 260: a first airbag
260a and a second airbag 260b (collectively, airbags 260). The
first airbag 260a extends from the first retractor 230a to the
buckle 295 and is incorporated with or otherwise fastened to the
first shoulder strap 250a. The second airbag 260b extends from the
second retractor 230b to the buckle 295 and is incorporated or
otherwise fastened to the second shoulder strap 250b. The seat belt
assembly 225 may include any number of additional airbags 250.
[0038] The seat 210 may include at least one side airbag 265. The
side airbag 265 is arranged to inflate during an impact to reduce
the amount of energy applied to an occupant moving laterally
relative to the seat 210 during the impact. The side airbag 265 may
be installed in the seat back 215. For example, the side airbag 265
may be attached to the support structure 270 and inflate through
the cushion 275. The seat 210 may include a plurality of side
airbags 265 to absorb energy from the occupant's movements in
several directions, e.g., the seat 210 may include a pair of side
airbags 265a, 265b (collectively, side airbags 265) installed to
the left and the right of the occupant, respectively, to absorb
energy as the occupant moves to the left or the right during an
impact.
[0039] The airbags 260, 265 may each be in fluid communication with
an inflator 290. The inflator 290 may be, e.g., a cold gas
inflator. The inflator 290 may receive a control signal output from
the computing device 105 to inflate the airbags 260, 265 upon
detecting an impact. The seat 210 may include a plurality of
inflators 290. The inflators 290 may be disposed in at least one of
the seat back 215 and/or the seat bottom 220, e.g., attached to one
of the support structures 270, 280.
[0040] Because the seat belt assembly 225 is attached to the seat
210, the retractors 230 and the airbags 260, 265, can be actuated
when the seat 210 is rotated to any angle .theta., including in the
rear-facing position where the occupant may not have the benefit of
other airbags incorporated into the passenger compartment such as
an airbag incorporated into a steering wheel. Thus, even when the
seat 210 is in the rear-facing position when the computing device
105 detects an impact, the computing device 105 can send a signal
to the retractors 230 to halt payout of the webbing 245, locking
the occupant in place. The computing device 105 can also send a
signal to the inflators 290 to inflate at least one of the first
and second airbags 260 and/or the side airbags 265 depending on
where relative to the vehicle 101 the impact occurred and the angle
.theta. of rotation of the seat 210. By consulting, e.g., a look-up
table, the computing device 105 may select one or more airbags 260,
265 to deploy based on the angle .theta. and the direction of the
impact and output a control signal to one or more of the inflators
290 to inflate the selected airbags 260, 265.
[0041] In general, the computing systems and/or devices described
may employ any of a number of computer operating systems,
including, but by no means limited to, versions and/or varieties of
the Ford Sync.RTM. application, AppLink/Smart Device Link
middleware, the Microsoft Automotive.RTM. operating system, the
Microsoft Windows.RTM. operating system, the Unix operating system
(e.g., the Solaris.RTM. operating system distributed by Oracle
Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif.), the AIX UNIX operating
system distributed by International Business Machines of Armonk,
N.Y., the Linux operating system, the Mac OSX and iOS operating
systems distributed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., the
BlackBerry OS distributed by Blackberry, Ltd. of Waterloo, Canada,
and the Android operating system developed by Google, Inc. and the
Open Handset Alliance, or the QNX.RTM. CAR Platform for
Infotainment offered by QNX Software Systems. Examples of computing
devices include, without limitation, an on-board vehicle computer,
a computer workstation, a server, a desktop, notebook, laptop, or
handheld computer, or some other computing system and/or
device.
[0042] Computing devices generally include computer-executable
instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or
more computing devices such as those listed above.
Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted
from computer programs created using a variety of programming
languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation, and
either alone or in combination, JavaTM, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java
Script, Perl, etc. Some of these applications may be compiled and
executed on a virtual machine, such as the Java Virtual Machine,
the Dalvik virtual machine, or the like. In general, a processor
(e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from a
memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these
instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including
one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions
and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of
computer-readable media.
[0043] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a
processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g.,
tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g.,
instructions) that may be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor
of a computer). Such a medium may take many forms, including, but
not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile
media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other
persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic
random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main
memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by one or more
transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber
optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to a
processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable media
include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,
magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other
optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium
with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM,
any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which
a computer can read.
[0044] Databases, data repositories or other data stores described
herein may include various kinds of mechanisms for storing,
accessing, and retrieving various kinds of data, including a
hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, an
application database in a proprietary format, a relational database
management system (RDBMS), etc. Each such data store is generally
included within a computing device employing a computer operating
system such as one of those mentioned above, and are accessed via a
network in any one or more of a variety of manners. A file system
may be accessible from a computer operating system, and may include
files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs the
Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for
creating, storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such
as the PL/SQL language mentioned above.
[0045] In some examples, system elements may be implemented as
computer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more
computing devices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored
on computer readable media associated therewith (e.g., disks,
memories, etc.). A computer program product may comprise such
instructions stored on computer readable media for carrying out the
functions described herein.
[0046] With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics,
etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the
steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring
according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be
practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than
the order described herein. It further should be understood that
certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps
could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be
omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are
provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments, and
should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.
[0047] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above
description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive.
Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided
would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope
should be determined, not with reference to the above description,
but should instead be determined with reference to the appended
claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such
claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future
developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and
that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into
such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the
application is capable of modification and variation.
[0048] All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their
ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the
technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the
contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular
articles such as "a," "the," "said," etc. should be read to recite
one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an
explicit limitation to the contrary.
[0049] As used herein, the adverb "substantially" modifying an
adjective means that a shape, structure, measurement, value,
calculation, etc. may deviate from an exact described geometry,
distance, measurement, value, calculation, etc., because of
imperfections in materials, machining, manufacturing, sensor
measurements, computations, processing time, communications time,
etc.
[0050] The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly
ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted
with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or
limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the
foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various
features are grouped together in various embodiments for the
purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure
is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the
claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly
recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,
inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single
disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby
incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim
standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
* * * * *