A vehicle occupant protection device includes a seat belt device having a variable force limiter mechanism that can change a force limiter load that an occupant who is sitting on a vehicle seat receives from a seat belt at a time of a frontal collision of a vehicle, an airbag device that deploys an airbag toward the front of the occupant at the time of the frontal collision, a seating position detection unit that detects a seating position at which the occupant is seated, and a control unit that reduces the force limiter load if, compared to a case in which the occupant is positioned within a standard seating region, the seating position of the occupant detected by the seating position detection unit is further toward a vehicle rear than the standard seating region and is within an airbag protection region in which the occupant is protected by the airbag.

The invention relates to an active restraint system (1), comprising a seat belt retractor (3), having a frame (2) and a belt reel (4) with a belt webbing (10) wound thereon and rotatable supported by the frame (2) for allowing winding and unwinding the belt webbing (10). An electric disc motor (28) comprising a rotor (30) and a stator (32) is attached to the belt reel (4). The rotor (30) is directly attached by an attachment (31) to the belt reel (4). The restraint system further comprises a control unit (40) connected to the disc motor (28) and adapted to control the disc motor (28) to drive the belt reel (4) in accordance with a determined belt motion profile.

A seat belt retractor comprises (a) a rotatable spool on which seat belt webbing is wound and (b) a load-limiting system to limit a load applied to a vehicle occupant by the webbing. The load-limiting system includes a flow control orifice through which fluid is forced when a load in excess of a predetermined load is applied to the rotatable spool by the webbing. The cross-sectional flow area of the flow control orifice is adjustable in response to unwinding of webbing from the rotatable spool prior to a vehicle crash event and ceases to be adjustable after the crash event is in progress. The load-limiting system also includes a piston in a cylinder. The piston and cylinder are operatively coupled to the spool such that rotation of the spool causes the piston to move relative to the cylinder, which movement causes fluid to be forced through the flow control orifice.

A seat belt retractor that includes a torsion bar is positioned in a spool. The second end of the torsion bar is engaged with a locking mechanism mounted to the frame. The torsion bar is configured to be locked at the second end while the first end rotates with the spool so that the torsion bar deforms to absorb force. The locking mechanism includes a lock base and a locking hub that is mounted to the second end of the torsion bar and is releasably connected to the lock base to prevent the second end of the torsion bar from rotating. The locking hub is configured to be released and rotate relative to the lock base to thereby permit rotation of the second end of the torsion bar with the first end of the torsion bar and the spool.

A variable force limiter control system for a vehicle includes a variable force limiter mechanism, a relative speed sensor, an acceleration sensor and an electronic control unit. The variable force limiter mechanism is configured to change a force limiter load. The relative speed sensor is configured to detect a relative speed of the vehicle with respect to a collision object before a collision. The acceleration sensor is configured to detect an acceleration of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to predict a severity of a collision on the basis of at least the relative speed. The electronic control unit is configured to control the force limiter load on the basis of both the predicted severity and the acceleration in an initial stage of the collision of the vehicle.

A seatbelt device includes a webbing; a tongue; a buckle, in buckled up the webbing, a portion of the webbing configures a lap webbing; a lower restraint member a portion thereof disposed inside a vehicle seat cushion, the lower restraint member, together with the lap webbing, forming a loop opening along a seat front-rear direction, a length direction one side of the lower restraint member being pulled so as to tighten the loop, and the lower restraint member configured to press the body of the occupant from a seat lower side; and a tensioning device actuated in a case of a front-on collision or in a case in which a front-on collision is predicted, the tensioning device pulling the length direction one side of the lower restraint member to tighten the loop, and the tensioning device pulling the lap webbing so as to move toward a seat lower front side.

A seatbelt retractor includes a spool, a piston, a cylinder, a ring, and a valve. The spool is rotatably connected with a base by the piston and the cylinder. The piston is fixed to one of the base and the spool. The cylinder receives the piston and is fixed to the other of the base and the spool. The piston and the cylinder define a first chamber. The ring is sealed against the cylinder and defines a second chamber connected with the first chamber by an aperture. The valve is disposed across the aperture.

A seat belt retractor comprises (a) a rotatable spool on which seat belt webbing is wound and (b) a load-limiting system to limit a load applied to a vehicle occupant by the webbing. The load-limiting system includes a flow control orifice through which fluid is forced when a load in excess of a predetermined load is applied to the rotatable spool by the webbing. The cross-sectional flow area of the flow control orifice is adjustable in response to unwinding of webbing from the rotatable spool prior to a vehicle crash event and ceases to be adjustable after the crash event is in progress. The load-limiting system also includes a piston in a cylinder. The piston and cylinder are operatively coupled to the spool such that rotation of the spool causes the piston to move relative to the cylinder, which movement causes fluid to be forced through the flow control orifice.

A belt retractor comprises a frame (10), a belt reel (12) rotatably arranged in the frame (10) and having a first end (16) and an opposite second end (17) as well as comprising a blocking mechanism (18) arranged at an end face of the belt reel (12) by which the belt reel (12) can be blocked within the frame (10). The belt retractor further comprises an axially extending first load limiter which is releasably coupled to the belt reel (12) by means of a disconnecting clutch (24), a second load limiter which is coupled to be rotationally fixed to the first load limiter or a hub, and a third load limiter which can be coupled to be rotationally fixed to the belt reel (12) by means of a connecting clutch (38). Moreover, a method for controlling such belt retractor is provided.

A system includes a sensor, a controller, and a seatbelt retractor. The controller is programmed to receive a signal from the sensor indicating detection of a vehicle front oblique impact. The seatbelt retractor includes a load limiting mechanism selectively releasable from a high load mode to a low load mode. The controller is programmed to release the load limiting mechanism from the high load mode to the low load mode at a predetermined time in response to a signal from the sensor indicating a vehicle front oblique impact.