A method of controlling the motor speed of an electric retractor motor (18) of a belt retractor (10) for reducing a belt slack in the comfort mode comprises the following steps of: a) measuring the motor current (I.sub.M) applied to the retractor motor (18) as well as the voltage applied to the retractor motor (18), b) estimating the motor speed taking the time curve of the motor current (I.sub.M) applied to the retractor motor (18), the curve of the voltage as well as plural motor parameters (R.sub.M, I.sub.M, K.sub.M) into account, c) adapting the motor current (I.sub.M) in response to the estimated motor speed, and d) repeating the steps a) to c) until the estimated motor speed has reached a defined value.

An occupant protection device includes a drive unit which adjusts a degree of tension of a seat belt and a control unit which controls the drive unit to tension the seat belt to remove looseness of the seat belt when a vehicle has been switched from an automated driving to a manual driving.

A motorized seat belt system includes: a spindle around which webbing is wound; an output gear connected to the spindle through a power transmission shaft; a torsion portion provided on the power transmission shaft or the output gear; a motor which transmits rotational power to the spindle; first and second reduction gears which are connected to an output shaft of the motor and transmit rotational power of the motor to the output gear; a first rotation amount detecting sensor that measures a rotation angle and a rotation direction of the power transmission shaft; a second rotation amount detecting sensor that measures a rotation angle and a rotation direction with respect to a rim portion of the first reduction gear; and a controller which controls output of the motor based on detection signals from the first rotation amount detecting sensor and the second rotation amount detecting sensor.

In a belt retractor (10) for a seat belt comprising a belt reel (12) onto which webbing (14) can be wound while being spring-loaded and comprising a tensioning device (16) which is adapted to act on the belt reel (12) in a winding direction (A), a control (18) is provided which is adapted to activate the tensioning device (16) when the seat belt is unloaded and not fastened.

A vehicle safety system includes a vehicle seat and a child restraint system integrated with the vehicle seat. The child restraint system includes an illuminated status indicator system. The child restraint system includes an occupant detection system. The child restraint system includes one or more position sensors configured to determine seat bottom position. The child restraint includes a harness system. The harness system is stored behind a door panel in a seat back of the vehicle seat. The harness system includes one or more load sensors. The load sensors work in combination with a motor to automatically adjust harness fit. The child restraint system is configured to automatically deploy. The child restraint system is configured to automatically stow. The vehicle safety system includes an input/output (I/O) device configured to facilitate interactions with the child restraint system.

A seatbelt control device for controlling a seatbelt provided in a vehicle, and a seatbelt apparatus having the seatbelt control device, are provided with a restricting circuit that restricts control of the seatbelt in a case in which restricting the control of the seatbelt is permitted, and the restricting circuit, in a case in which a door provided on the vehicle is open, restricts the control of the seatbelt at a timing slower than that for a case in which the door is closed.

A method of controlling the motor speed of an electric retractor motor (18) of a belt retractor (10) for reducing a belt slack in the comfort mode comprises the following steps of: a) measuring the motor current (I.sub.M) applied to the retractor motor (18) as well as the voltage applied to the retractor motor (18), b) estimating the motor speed taking the time curve of the motor current (I.sub.M) applied to the retractor motor (18), the curve of the voltage as well as plural motor parameters (R.sub.M, I.sub.M, K.sub.M) into account, c) adapting the motor current (I.sub.M) in response to the estimated motor speed, and d) repeating the steps a) to c) until the estimated motor speed has reached a defined value.

A belt retractor device for a vehicle comprises a first device component (12), a second device component (14) and a detent mechanism (16) including a first detent element (26) and a second detent element (28). The first detent element (26) has at least two stops (58) which are offset from each other in the radial direction and in the axial direction relative to a mounting axis (20). The second detent element (28) includes a detent edge (40) configured to engage in one of the stops (58) of the first detent element (12) and to prevent the first device component (12) and the second device component (14) from moving relative to each other against the mounting direction of the mounting axis (20).

A seat belt retractor 100 includes stop state detecting means 118 which detects that a driving signal is not inputted to power generation means 110 and drawing-direction rotation detecting means 119 which detects that the power generation means 110 is rotating in a drawing-direction of a webbing 302. Here, a control means 200 controls the power generation means 110 to rotate in the drawing direction of the webbing 302, when the stop state detecting means 118 detects that the driving signal is not inputted to the power generation means 110 and the drawing-direction rotation detecting means 119 detects that the power generation means 110 is rotating in the drawing direction of the webbing 302.

In a system and a method for adjusting seat belt pressure, in which while a passenger in a vehicle is wearing a seat belt, a webbing shape and pressure applied to a passenger's body by webbing can be detected, and webbing pressure adjustment drive devices can be operated based on the detected data so that local pressure applied to the passenger's body by webbing can be reduced, thereby relieving seat belt pressure. The system can include body pressure sensors, a camera, a controller, and various webbing pressure adjustment drive devices.