Described herein is a device comprising members in a kinematic relationship. The kinematic relationship is at least partially governed by at least one magnetically induced force that introduces a force threshold that, in effect, provides a threshold to part movement and confers a degree of hysteresis, preventing movement until a sufficiently large energizing force is applied. The effect may be further altered by use of an additional magnetically induced force interaction with at least one further member to urge or slow movement once started and/or to prevent movement once a new position is reached.

Described herein is a device comprising members in a kinematic relationship. The kinematic relationship is at least partially governed by at least one magnetically induced force that introduces a force threshold that, in effect, provides a threshold to part movement and confers a degree of hysteresis, preventing movement until a sufficiently large energizing force is applied. The effect may be further altered by use of an additional magnetically induced force interaction with at least one further member to urge or slow movement once started and/or to prevent movement once a new position is reached.

A car seat system for automatically displacing the movable components of the car seat. The car seat including sensors and a computing module to detect the measurements of a child placed in the car seat. The car seat system determines the current position of the movable components and displaces the movable components automatically based on the child's measurements or a desired amount. The car seat system automatically learns child's behaviors when the child is placed in the car seat. The car seat system learns schedules utilized by the child, routes taken by the driver of the car, and other data over a period of time. The behavioral, scheduling, routing, and other data obtained is stored by the car seat system and utilized to enhance the safety and comfortability of the child during a car ride. The car seat system also determines thickness of clothing worn by the child while placed in the car seat and adjusts the shoulder belts to accommodate for the clothing while providing a snug fit of the shoulder belts that fall within safety recommendations. The car seat also auto reclines to a desired angle and also rotates about itself to face the door. The car seat system includes an auto-incident detection mode. In this mode, the system detects an incident, such as an accident, hard braking, or another hazard, and automatically displaces the features in the car seat to make the car seat secure during the crash minimizing the effect of the incident on the child. The car seat also includes pretensioners and motors to release, pull back, and lock the car seat belts.

A car seat system for automatically displacing the movable components of the car seat. The car seat including sensors and a computing module to detect the measurements of a child placed in the car seat. The car seat system determines the current position of the movable components and displaces the movable components automatically based on the child's measurements or a desired amount. The car seat system automatically learns child's behaviors when the child is placed in the car seat. The car seat system learns schedules utilized by the child, routes taken by the driver of the car, and other data over a period of time. The behavioral, scheduling, routing, and other data obtained is stored by the car seat system and utilized to enhance the safety and comfortability of the child during a car ride. The car seat system also determines thickness of clothing worn by the child while placed in the car seat and adjusts the shoulder belts to accommodate for the clothing while providing a snug fit of the shoulder belts that fall within safety recommendations. The car seat also auto reclines to a desired angle and also rotates about itself to face the door. The car seat system includes an auto-incident detection mode. In this mode, the system detects an incident, such as an accident, hard braking, or another hazard, and automatically displaces the features in the car seat to make the car seat secure during the crash minimizing the effect of the incident on the child. The car seat also includes pretensioners and motors to release, pull back, and lock the car seat belts.

A seat belt retractor, with a belt shaft mounted rotatably in a frame, a blocking device for blocking the belt shaft in an extension direction of the seat belt, a control device having a control disc with a toothing for activating the blocking device, an electric actuator with a first blocking lever, which is spring-loaded into the toothing of the control disc in an engagement direction, an ECL blocking lever which, in a first position, blocks the first blocking lever of the actuator during a first belt band extension in a position in which said blocking lever does not engage in the toothing of the control disc, and an LC blocking lever which, in a first position, blocks the first blocking lever of the actuator when a predetermined belt band extension length is fallen short of in a first position.

In a vehicle emergency, a spool of a webbing take-up device is rotated in a pull-out direction such that a main lock is displaced toward a rotation-radial direction outside of the spool and engages with a clutch gear configuring a first rotation body. Rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction is thus restricted. Also in a vehicle emergency, the first rotation body is rotated in a take-up direction of the spool such that the main lock engages with the first rotation body, and rotation force of the first rotation body is transmitted to the spool through the main lock and the spool is rotated in the take-up direction.

In a vehicle emergency, a spool of a webbing take-up device is rotated in a pull-out direction such that a main lock is displaced toward a rotation-radial direction outside of the spool and engages with a clutch gear configuring a first rotation body. Rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction is thus restricted. Also in a vehicle emergency, the first rotation body is rotated in a take-up direction of the spool such that the main lock engages with the first rotation body, and rotation force of the first rotation body is transmitted to the spool through the main lock and the spool is rotated in the take-up direction.

A system is provided for controlling operation of an electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor of an occupant restraint coupled to an occupant seat of a motor vehicle. A control circuit may monitor output signals produced by one or more sensors configured to produce one or more respective sensor output signals indicative of one or more corresponding sensed conditions of the motor vehicle, vehicle seat or occupant restraint, process the output signals produced by the one or more sensors to determine one or more values of the one or more sensed conditions, compare the one or more determined values of the one or more sensed conditions to one or more corresponding threshold or range values, and then provide a control signal, based on the one or more comparisons, to a magnet actuator of the web retractor to cause the web retractor to lock or unlock.

A system is provided for controlling operation of an electrically controlled and magnetically actuated locking web retractor of an occupant restraint coupled to an occupant seat of a motor vehicle. A control circuit may monitor output signals produced by one or more sensors configured to produce one or more respective sensor output signals indicative of one or more corresponding sensed conditions of the motor vehicle, vehicle seat or occupant restraint, process the output signals produced by the one or more sensors to determine one or more values of the one or more sensed conditions, compare the one or more determined values of the one or more sensed conditions to one or more corresponding threshold or range values, and then provide a control signal, based on the one or more comparisons, to a magnet actuator of the web retractor to cause the web retractor to lock or unlock.

An adaptive load-limiting seatbelt assembly for a passenger vehicle includes a rotatable spool drum storing a length of seatbelt fabric and a piezoelectric device including a controller that can dynamically control torque applied to the spool drum resisting pay-out of the seatbelt from the spool drum during a dynamic event such as a vehicle crash.