The present disclosure relates generally to a seat belt assembly, and more particularly to a seat belt assembly having an illuminated seat belt receptacle.
Conventional seat belt systems in today's automotive vehicles typically include a belt or webbing portion and a tongue configured to be detachably secured in a receptacle to secure the webbing portion across a vehicle occupant so as to restrain the occupant from movement in various circumstances. These seat belt systems may also include a lighting arrangement to assist in locating the receptacle. The lighting arrangements can be configured to turn on when a vehicle door is opened and turn off when the tongue is secured in the receptacle. While these seat belt systems and lighting arrangements work for their intended purpose, there remains a need for continuous improvement in the relevant art.
In one form, a seat belt system for a vehicle is provided. The seat belt system can include a plurality of seat belt assemblies each including a seat belt receptacle, a light source and a latch mechanism sensor. The seat belt receptacle includes a light transmitting portion and a latch mechanism for releasably latching a seat belt buckle to the receptacle. The latch mechanism sensor can be operatively associated with the latch mechanism. The light source can be positioned and configured to selectively illuminate the light transmitting area. A controller can be operatively associated with the light source and latch mechanism sensor of each seat belt assembly, as well as a door position sensor and a gear position sensor. The door position sensor can be operatively associated with a door of the vehicle and the gear position sensor can be operatively associated with a transmission of the vehicle. The controller can be operable to process a signal from the door position sensor indicative of the door being opened and direct the light source to illuminate the light transmitting area of each seat belt receptacle. The controller can also be operable to process a signal from the latch mechanism sensor indicative of at least one of the seat belt buckles being releasably latched in at least one respective seat belt receptacle and cause the light source to turn off the illumination of the light transmitting area of the at least one receptacle. The controller can be further operable to turn off the illumination of any remaining seat belt receptacles that are not releasably latched to a respective buckle when the controller receives a signal from the gear position sensor indicative of the transmission being in a gear other than park.
In another form, a seat belt system for a vehicle is provided and can include a plurality of seat belt assemblies that each includes a seat belt receptacle, a light source and a latch mechanism sensor. The seat belt receptacle includes a light transmitting area and a latch mechanism for releasably latching a seat belt buckle to the receptacle. The light source can be positioned and configured to selectively illuminate the light transmitting area. The latch mechanism sensor can be operatively associated with the latch mechanism. A controller can be operatively associated with the light source and latch mechanism sensor of each seat belt assembly, as well as a gear position sensor, an engine sensor and an air bag sensor. The gear position sensor can be operatively associated with a transmission of the vehicle; the engine sensor can be operatively associated with an engine of the vehicle; and the air bag sensor can be operatively associated with an air bag of the vehicle. The controller can be operable to illuminate the light transmitting area of each seat belt receptacle that is determined to be latched to a respective seat belt buckle via the latch mechanism sensor upon receipt of a signal from the engine sensor indicative of an engine stall event, or receipt of a signal from the air bag sensor indicative of an air bag of the vehicle being deployed.
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description, the appended claims and the following drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
With initial reference to
The receptacle 14 can include a housing 28 defining an opening 30 for receipt of the buckle 26, and a latch mechanism 34 for locking the buckle 26 to the receptacle 14 in a known manner. The receptacle can include a substantially rectangular shape as shown in
The latch mechanism 34 can include a latch sensor 42 configured to sense whether or not buckle 26 is latched to receptacle 14. Sensor 42 can send a signal via electrical leads 46 to a controller 84 (
The light transmitting area 18 can be formed of a translucent material such that selective illumination from a light source 54 can be transmitted therethrough for enabling a vehicle occupant or other persons in the vehicle to locate seat belt receptacle 14 as well as the opening 30 and release mechanism 38. It should be appreciated that while the light transmitting area 18 is shown extending around a top perimeter 58 of receptacle 14, light transmitting area 18 can be positioned in other locations on receptacle 14 suitable for illuminating opening 30 and release mechanism 38. In an exemplary configuration, the light transmitting area 18 can be formed of a clear or substantially clear translucent material, or can be tinted with various colors. Light source 54 can be any suitable source capable of providing adequate illumination of the opening 30 and release mechanism 38 discussed above, including an incandescent bulb or a light emitting diode (LED), fiber optics, etc. Electrical leads 62 can extend from light source 54 through receptacle 14 and securing portion 50 to controller 84.
With additional reference to
The controller 84 can be configured to receive inputs from various sensor arrangements and process the inputs to selectively power light source 54, or direct another component to power the light source 54, and thereby selectively illuminate light transmitting area 18 of receptacle 14. In this manner, the controller 84 can be coupled to latch mechanism sensor 42, light source 54, a vehicle door position sensor 88, a vehicle gear position sensor 92, a vehicle propulsion device or engine sensor 96, and a supplemental restraint system or air bag deployment sensor 100, as shown in
With additional reference to
Controller 84 can be configured to determine if seat belt buckle 26 has been inserted into opening 30 and latched to receptacle 14 via latch mechanism sensor 42, as set forth at block 132. Controller 84 can turn off the illumination of each receptacle 14 in response to a signal from the respective latch mechanism sensor 42 indicating that the corresponding buckle 26 has been latched thereto, as set forth at block 136. If controller 84 has not received such a signal thereby indicating that certain buckles 26 have not been latched to corresponding receptacles 14, the illuminated state of the associated light transmitting areas 18 can be maintained, as set forth at block 140.
If the vehicle transmission has been taken out of a park gear and placed into a reverse or drive gear via a transmission shifter arrangement (not shown), the vehicle gear position sensor 92 can be configured to send a signal indicative of the transmission gear change to controller 84. Controller 84 can process the signal from gear position sensor 92 and, based on a determination that the transmission is a gear other than park at block 144, can turn off the illumination of light source 54 for any of the plurality of seat belt assemblies 10 in the vehicle that are not in use (i.e., where the buckle 26 is not latched to receptacle 14), as set forth at block 148. Controller 84 can also be configured to maintain illumination of seat belts for a predetermined time after the transmission is taken out of park.
If the vehicle remains in park, the controller 84 can be configured to determine if a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the door has been opened, as set forth at blocks 144 and 152. If the predetermined period of time has not elapsed, the controller 84 can be configured to maintain the illumination of the seat belt assemblies 10 not currently in use, as shown by the return to block 140. On the other hand, if controller 84 determines that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, controller 84 can be configured to turn off the illumination of any seat belt assemblies 10 not currently in use, as set forth at block 148.
Once the vehicle is in mobile operation, and thus in a gear other than park, controller 84 can be configured to maintain the non-illuminated state of seat belt assemblies 10 in the vehicle until one or more predetermined events may occur. In this regard, the predetermined events can include a signal from the gear position sensor 92 indicating that the transmission gear has been changed to park after block 148; or a signal from the engine sensor 96 indicating that an engine of the vehicle has stalled while the transmission is in a gear other than park; or a signal from the air bag sensor 100 indicating that an air bag of the vehicle has been deployed.
If the transmission gear has been changed to park, controller 84 can be configured to determine via sensor 92 that the transmission gear state has changed from a gear other than park (e.g., drive or reverse) to park, as set forth at block 160. If the gear has not changed to park, the controller 84 can be configured to maintain the non-illuminated state of the seat belt receptacles 14, as set forth in block 162.
Once the determination has occurred at block 160 that the vehicle is in park, controller 84 can be configured to illuminate all of the seat belt assemblies 10 in the vehicle as set forth at block 164 or, alternatively, only the seat belt assemblies 10 that are currently in use as set forth at block 168. In the alternative configuration where only the seat belt assemblies 10 that are in use are illuminated, controller 84 can be configured to then determine if a door of the vehicle has been opened via door position sensor 88 at block 172. If a door of the vehicle has been opened, controller 84 can be configured to illuminate all of the seat belt assemblies 10 in the vehicle, as set forth in block 176. If a vehicle door has not been opened, controller 84 can be configured to maintain the illumination of the seat belt receptacles 14 of the seat belt assemblies 10 that are in use until either the seat belt assemblies 10 are no longer in use or a predetermined period of time has elapsed between when the vehicle has been placed in park after mobile operation and a door of the vehicle has not been opened.
With particular reference to
If the controller 84 determines via engine sensor 96 that the vehicle engine has stalled at block 180, the controller 84 can be configured to illuminate only the receptacles 14 of seat belt assemblies 10 that are in use, as discussed above and set forth at block 184. This operation can be useful in a variety of situations, including an exemplary situation where the engine has stalled and the vehicle is in a position where the occupant(s) desire to leave the vehicle. Illumination of the in-use seat belt receptacles 14 can aid the occupant(s) in quickly finding the respective receptacle 14, especially in a minimum light or dark (i.e., night) condition. As set forth at block 188, if the engine has not stalled as described above, the controller 84 can be configured to maintain the current illumination state of the seat belt receptacles 14.
Continuing with this configuration, if the controller 84 determines that the vehicle engine has been restarted and the transmission has been placed in a gear other than park, controller 84 can be configured to turn off the illumination of the illuminated seat belt receptacles 14, as set forth at blocks 192 and 196. The control process can then continue or return to between blocks 148 and 160 of
The controller 84 can also be configured to determine if an air bag associated with the vehicle has deployed via air bag sensor 100, as set forth at block 206. If the controller 84 determines that the air bag has deployed, the controller 84 can be configured to illuminate only the seat belt receptacles 14 that are currently in use, as set forth in block 210. Otherwise, the controller 84 can be configured to maintain the current non-illuminated state of the seat belt receptacles 14, as set forth in block 188.
Deployment of an air bag is typically indicative of the vehicle being involved in an impact event and it may be desirable for vehicle occupant(s) and/or emergency personnel to find the in-use seat belt receptacles 14 for efficient egress of the occupant(s) from the vehicle. In this regard, and as discussed above, illumination of only the in-use seat belt receptacles 14 can aid the vehicle occupant(s) and/or emergency personnel to more quickly find the in-use seat-belt receptacles, especially in minimum light conditions.
Continuing with this scenario where the air bag has deployed, the controller 84 can be configured to determine if an in-use seat belt assembly 10 has been unlatched subsequent to the air bag deployment and turn off the illumination of that seat belt receptacle 14, as set forth in blocks 214 and 216. Otherwise, controller 84 can be configured to maintain the illuminated state of the in-use receptacle or receptacles 14, as set forth in block 220.
As discussed above with reference to blocks 180 and 206 of
While one or more specific examples have been described and illustrated, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalence may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present teachings as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples may be expressly contemplated herein so that one skilled in the art would appreciate from the present teachings that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the present teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof.