A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.

A seatbelt buckle device includes a buckle switch (40) having a switch substrate (42) and a slider part (50) which slides on the switch substrate (42) and a frame (20) which has a substantially U-shaped section and slidably holds an ejector (30) which operates synchronously with attachment/detachment of a tongue plate (1). The buckle switch (40) and the frame (20) are assembled integrally with each other as the a leg part (43) as a rear end of the switch substrate (42) is fixed to a side wall (22A) of the frame (20) through a switch substrate housing (45) and thus supported by the frame (20).

A system for securing a restraint system includes a retractor enclosing a spool, a sensor coupled to the spool, and a motor coupled to the spool and configured to rotate the spool about a spool rotation axis. The system also includes webbing configured to be wound and unwound from around the spool. An automatic locking retractor mode is enabled and disabled to selectively and automatically lock the retractor to prevent rotation of the spool when a predetermined length of the webbing is unwound from the spool.

A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.

A vehicle seatbelt apparatus includes a seatbelt web wrapped in a reel around a motor-rotated shaft. A latch is selectively engageable with the reel to lock a seatbelt retractor from movement in one direction while allowing movement of the retractor under motor rotation of the shaft in response to pre-crash vehicle braking deceleration, a vehicle downhill angle or a vehicle lateral g force exceeding a threshold. When a retractor locked position is detected, the motor is activated to retract the seatbelt web for a predetermined time period to urge the passenger toward a center upright position in a vehicle seat.