Vehicle sensor device and seat belt retractor to which the same is applied

Abstract

a pilot lever that rotates when the upper cover rotates while in contact with the steering disc to connect to or disconnect from the steering disc, and a lock canceller lever that releases contact between the steering disc and the pilot lever to rotate the steering disc, thereby enabling insertion and removal of the seat belt webbing; and a vehicle sensor device and a seat belt retractor to which the vehicle sensor device is applied, the vehicle sensor device and a seat belt retractor to which the vehicle sensor device is applied being provided, the vehicle sensor device and a seat belt retractor to which the vehicle sensor device is applied comprising: a steering disc that is disposed on one side of a spindle and rotates in accordance with insertion or removal of the seat belt webbing; a bearing plate in which the steering disc is housed; a sensor housing that is provided so as to be rotatable based on changes in the angle of the bearing plate and changes in the inclination of an object to which the retractor is attached; a ball that moves within the sensor housing in accordance with changes in the inclination and acceleration of the vehicle; an upper cover that is disposed on top of the ball and is provided so as to be rotatable in accordance with movement of the ball;

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a seat belt retractor, and more specifically to a vehicle sensor device that detects changes in the inclination and acceleration of a vehicle to prevent a seat belt from coming loose, and a seat belt retractor that employs the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, vehicles are equipped with seat belt safety devices in their seats to ensure the safety of occupants.

[0003] This seat belt safety device includes a retractor that operates to allow a strip-shaped seat belt webbing (hereinafter referred to as "webbing") for securing an occupant to be wound onto or pulled out of a spool, and a buckle into which a tongue fixed to one end of the webbing is removably inserted.

[0004] Retractors prevent seatbelted occupants from being thrown forward or pulled out of their seats due to driving inertia when a vehicle suddenly stops or accelerates due to a vehicle accident. Such retractors may include devices that allow the webbing to be unwound under normal conditions when the occupant is wearing the seat belt, but prevent further unwound webbing when a change in webbing unwound acceleration or vehicle tilt due to a vehicle crash is detected, as well as emergency tensioning devices and pretensioning devices that reduce webbing slack or sagging, i.e., webbing sag.

[0005] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose retractor technology for controlling the winding and unwinding operation of a seat belt webbing.

[0006] The applicant of the present invention has filed a patent application disclosing a seat belt retractor having a vehicle sensor with an improved fixing structure as disclosed in Patent Document 3 below, and has been granted a patent.

[0007] When a vehicle collision occurs, for example, if acceleration exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the retractor in the horizontal direction, or if the vehicle's inclination changes, a vehicle sensor that detects acceleration or inclination is applied to the retractor to operate the seat belt locking device and prevent the seat belt from being pulled out.

[0008] Vehicle sensors that use balls as inertia members or independent inertia members are generally known in the art.

[0009] For example, the vehicle sensor includes an inertia member that moves in a dangerous situation where a deceleration or tilt higher than the vehicle's normal webbing deceleration is applied to the vehicle, and a sensor lever that interacts with the external teeth of a control disc that is moved by the inertia member and rotates together with the spool of the seat belt retractor.

[0010] That is, the vehicle sensor of the seat belt retractor of the related art measures the inclination of the vehicle by applying a gimbal having a weight inside, and the vehicle sensor can measure the inclination of the vehicle even if the angle of the backrest provided on the seat changes.

[0011] Meanwhile, with the recent development of autonomous vehicles, technologies have been developed to minimize the volume of seats and seat belt retractors applied to vehicles and increase the rotation angle of the seat backs. In addition, an integrated seat belt (Belt In Seat (BIS)) integrated with the seat may be applied.

[0012] However, in the case of a seat belt retractor of the related art, for example, if the rotation angle of a seat on which a backrest is installed exceeds a predetermined angle range, interference between components causes restrictions in the mechanism, making normal operation of the seat belt retractor impossible.

[0013] Therefore, a need exists for the development of seat belt retractor technology that employs vehicle sensors that can expand the angular range for measuring tilt as the rotation angle of the seat back increases.

[0014] (Patent Document 1) U.S. Patent No. 6,499,554 (issued December 31, 2002) (Patent Document 2) U.S. Patent No. 6,443,332 (issued September 3, 2002) (Patent Document 3) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1766844 (issued on August 9, 2017) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] An object of the present disclosure is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a sensor device for a vehicle for sensing changes in the inclination and acceleration of the vehicle, and a seat belt retractor employing the same.

[0016] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle sensor device and a seat belt retractor employing the same that can expand the angle range in which changes in inclination can be measured when the rotation angle of the seat back increases.

[0017] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle sensor device and a seat belt retractor employing the same, which have a simple structure, thereby improving workability during manufacturing and reducing manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle sensor device according to the present disclosure may include: a steering disc disposed on one side of a spindle and rotating in accordance with the retraction or withdrawal of a seat belt webbing; a bearing plate in which the steering disc is accommodated; a sensor housing installed so as to be rotatable based on changes in the installation angle of the bearing plate and the inclination of the object to which it is attached; a ball that moves within the sensor housing in accordance with changes in the inclination and acceleration of the vehicle; an upper cover disposed on an upper portion of the ball and arranged so as to be rotatable in accordance with the movement of the ball; a pilot lever that rotates in contact with the upper cover as the upper cover rotates to couple to or uncouple from the steering disc; and a lock canceller lever that releases contact between the steering disc and the pilot lever and rotates the steering disc, thereby enabling the seat belt webbing to be retracted and withdrawn.

[0019] Additionally, to achieve the above-mentioned object, a seat belt retractor employing a vehicle sensor device according to the present disclosure may include a vehicle sensor device that detects changes in vehicle inclination and changes in seat belt webbing withdrawal acceleration, and a spindle on which the seat belt webbing is wound, and the seat belt retractor may rotate a pilot lever to couple to or discouple from a steering disc based on the detected changes in vehicle inclination and webbing withdrawal acceleration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the vehicle sensor device and the seat belt retractor employing the same according to the present disclosure can achieve the effects of simplifying and improving the structures of the wobble gear, lock canceller lever, and ALR lever applied to the vehicle sensor device, and expanding the angle range to accommodate changes in the angle of the object to which the seat belt retractor is attached, such as the backrest.

[0021] Additionally, the present disclosure simplifies the structure of the vehicle sensor device, thereby improving workability during manufacturing and reducing manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a seat belt retractor according to a related art technique. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor unit described in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a seat belt retractor to which a sensor device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applied; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle sensor device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle sensor device shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an operating state of a vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the operating states of an upper cover and a pilot lever in the vehicle sensor device illustrated in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and a seat belt retractor employing the same will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Before describing the configuration of a seat belt retractor according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration of a seat belt retractor according to the related art will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a seat belt retractor according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor unit illustrated in FIG.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , a seat belt retractor 1 of the related art can include a spindle 3 around which seat belt webbing (hereinafter referred to as "webbing") 2 is wound, a sensor unit 4 that detects the inclination of the vehicle, an emergency tensioning unit 5 that winds the webbing 2 to reduce slack in the event of a vehicle collision, and a pre-tensioning unit 6 that smoothly unwinds the webbing 2 during normal vehicle operation and winds the webbing 2 just before a vehicle collision to reduce slack.

[0027] The sensor unit 4 detects a change in the acceleration of the unwinding of the webbing 2 or a change in the inclination of the vehicle caused by a vehicle collision.

[0028] The emergency tensioning unit 5 activates an inflator (not shown) with explosives embedded therein in response to a detection signal that detects a vehicle collision, and by using the pressure of the generated gas, can wind the webbing 2 around the spindle 3. Therefore, by winding the webbing 2 in the event of a vehicle collision, the emergency tensioning unit 5 can reduce slack in the webbing 2 and limit the extent of injury to the occupant.

[0029] When a vehicle collision is predicted through a sensor applied to the vehicle, the pre-tensioning unit 6 can wind the webbing 2 around the spindle by operating a motor corresponding to rotation and reverse rotation. That is, during normal vehicle driving, even if no accident occurs, the pre-tensioning unit 6 can maintain the tension of the worn webbing 2 and prevent the webbing 2 from slackening until a stronger acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle occurs, and can reduce the injury level of the occupant by reducing the slack in the webbing 2 by winding up the webbing 2 immediately before a vehicle collision.

[0030] Here, the spindle 3 is installed inside the fixed frame 7, and the sensor unit 4, emergency tensioning unit 5, and pre-tensioning unit 6 are arranged on both sides of the fixed frame 7, and the left and right housings are connected to the outside of each unit.

[0031] That is, the units 4, 5, and 6 are disposed on both sides of the spindle 2 in the lateral direction.

[0032] Additionally, the related art seat belt retractor 1 may provide an automatic locking retractor (ALR) function for securing an item such as a stroller seat to a vehicle seat by using the webbing 2, and an unlock function for overriding the locking function that prevents the webbing from being pulled out.

[0033] In the seat belt retractor 1 of the related art configured as described above, when the clutch lever 8 for turning on or off the sensing function using the sensor unit 4 does not control the rotational movement of the ball housing 9 provided in the sensor unit 4, the installation angle of the weight body of the sensor unit 4 and the ball housing 9 can be adjusted to a preset angle, for example, within a range of approximately 0° to approximately 45°.

[0034] However, the seat belt retractor 1 of the related art may have a problem in that if the installation angle of the weight body and ball housing 9 exceeds the adjustable angle range while adjusting the angle of the backrest, normal operation of the sensor unit 4 becomes impossible.

[0035] In addition, the seat belt retractor 1 of the related art has a unit for providing the above-mentioned ALR function and unlocking function that is configured by applying multiple gears, which can have the problem of a complex structure, increasing work time and manufacturing costs.

[0036] To solve these problems, the present disclosure improves the connection structure of the sensor unit 4 and the unit for providing the ALR and unlocking functions to simplify and expand the angle range to accommodate changes in the backrest angle.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a seat belt retractor to which a vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle sensor device described in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle sensor device described in FIG. 4.

[0038] Hereinafter, the direction in which the steering wheel is installed relative to the seat will be referred to as the "forward direction (F)," and the opposite direction will be referred to as the "rearward direction (B)." In addition, terms indicating directions such as "left side (L)," "right side (R)," "upward direction (U)," and "downward direction (D)" are defined to indicate the respective directions relative to the above-mentioned forward direction (F) and rearward direction (B).

[0039] In this embodiment, a configuration of a seat belt retractor that is applied to an integrated seat belt (BIS) that is integrally attached to a seat will be described.

[0040] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited in this respect, and that seat belt retractors of various configurations and shapes may be provided for application in conventional or autonomous vehicles, in addition to integrated seat belts.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, a seat belt retractor 10 to which a vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applied includes a spindle 20 on which a seat belt webbing (hereinafter referred to as "webbing") 21 is wound, and a vehicle sensor device (hereinafter referred to as "sensor unit") 30 that detects changes in the inclination of the vehicle and changes in the unwinding acceleration of the webbing 21.

[0042] In addition to these, the seat belt retractor 10 to which the vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applied may further include an emergency tensioning unit (not shown) that reduces slack by winding up the webbing 21 when an emergency situation such as a vehicle collision occurs, and a pre-tensioning unit (not shown) that smoothly pulls out the webbing 21 during normal vehicle operation and winds up the webbing 21 immediately before the emergency situation occurs to reduce slack.

[0043] The sensor unit 30 can be provided as a sensor device for a vehicle that includes an acceleration sensor that detects changes in the pull-out acceleration and an inclination sensor that detects changes in the inclination of the vehicle.

[0044] In this embodiment, a description will be given of how the sensor unit 30 is used to detect changes in the inclination of the vehicle and changes in the acceleration of unwinding the webbing 21.

[0045] The spindle 20 may be mounted between opposite side walls 23 of a stationary frame 22 .

[0046] The spindle 20 can be formed into a generally cylindrical shape, and the webbing 21, one of whose side ends is fixed, can be wound multiple times along the outer surface of the spindle 20, and in this state, can be wound and unwound according to the operating state of the vehicle.

[0047] The fixed frame 22 has a shape of approximately

[0048]

number

[0049] Here, the elastic member 24 can be installed on one side of the fixed frame 22, that is, on the left end as viewed in FIG. 3, so as to provide a restoring force to the spindle 22.

[0050] The sensor unit 30 can be installed on the other side of the fixed frame 22, at the right end as viewed in FIG.

[0051] A pair of covers 25 can be installed on both ends of the fixed frame 22 to protect the elastic member 24 and the outer surfaces of the sensor unit 30 .

[0052] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the sensor unit 30 may include a steering disc 31, a wobble gear 32, a central gear 33 connected to the left end of the spindle 20, a clutch lever 34 rotatably connected to the central gear 33, a sensor housing 35 that rotates in accordance with changes in inclination, a weight body 36 and an adapter 37 that apply weight to the sensor housing 35, and a pilot lever 40 connected to one end of the adapter 37.

[0053] The sensor unit 30 may further include a lock canceller lever 50 and an ALR lever 60.

[0054] Here, a pair of connecting shafts 26 may protrude from both end portions of the spindle 20. Therefore, one end of the elastic member 24 may be connected to the connecting shaft 26 formed at the right end portion of the spindle 20, and the connecting shaft 26 formed at the left end portion of the spindle 20 may be connected to the central gear 33 through the steering disc 31 and the wobble gear 32.

[0055] Here, the central gear 33 can rotate in response to the rotation of the spindle 20 while being coupled to the coupling shaft 26. On the other hand, the steering disc 31 and the wobble gear 32 can be connected so that the rotational force of the spindle 20 is not directly transmitted.

[0056] The steering disc 31 may be rotatably mounted on one side of the fixed frame 22 so as to rotate in association with the retracting or unretracting movement of the webbing 21 when the webbing 21 is unretracted or retracted. A plurality of locking protrusions 311 may protrude from the outer surface of the steering disc 31.

[0057] The surfaces of the multiple protrusions 311 that come into contact with the extension member 63 of the pilot lever 40 or the ALR lever 60, which will be described later, can be formed so as to be inclined with respect to the tangent line when the webbing 21 is retracted, and the surfaces that come into contact with the pilot lever 40 or the extension member 63 can be formed so as to be perpendicular to the tangent line when the webbing 21 is pulled out.

[0058] Therefore, when the pilot lever 40 or the extension member 63 comes into contact with the outer surface of the steering disc 31, the steering disc 31 may allow the webbing 21 to be retracted and may not allow the webbing 21 to be unretracted.

[0059] To achieve this, a plurality of locking projections 311 may be provided spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance along the circumference of the steering disc 31 to rapidly limit rotational movement by the pilot lever 40.

[0060] That is, the steering disc 31 can be selectively limited by contact with the pilot lever 40 .

[0061] The steering disc 31 may be formed in a substantially disc or cylindrical shape and may be housed in the internal space of a bearing plate 38 coupled to the side wall 23 disposed on the left side of the fixed frame 22.

[0062] The wobble gear 32 is rotatably mounted on the plate surface of the bearing plate 38 and can function to rotate the lock canceller lever 50 and the ALR lever 60.

[0063] To accomplish this, the wobble gear 32 may be formed in a generally disk shape and may have a plurality of teeth protruding from the outer periphery of the wobble gear 32 at positions spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance.

[0064] A support protrusion 381 may protrude from the center of the inner surface, i.e., the right side, of the bearing plate 38 to support the connecting shaft 26, and an external gear portion 382 may be recessed into the outer surface, i.e., the left side, of the bearing plate 38 so as to circumscribe the teeth of the wobble gear 32.

[0065] External gear portion 382 may have one more tooth than formed on wobble gear 32 to form a gerotor. That is, wobble gear 32 may be disposed with its center eccentric from the center of external gear portion 382, ​​i.e., coupling shaft 26, and may be movable up, down, left, and right. Thus, wobble gear 32 may rotate in a direction opposite to that of spindle 20, with one or more teeth formed on an upper portion of wobble gear 32 sequentially engaging with teeth on external gear portion 382.

[0066] The first interlock protrusion 321 may protrude from one side of the plate surface of the wobble gear 32 along the thickness direction of the wobble gear 32 to a predetermined height, and the second interlock protrusion 322 may protrude from the other side of the plate surface of the wobble gear 32 along the thickness direction of the wobble gear 32 to a predetermined height.

[0067] The central gear 33 may be inserted into the center of the wobble gear 32 to couple with the coupling shaft 26, and may generate friction on the contact surface with the wobble gear 32. That is, the central gear 33 may have a coupling shaft portion 331 protruding from its right side surface to couple with an insertion hole 323 formed in the center of the wobble gear 32. Here, the coupling shaft portion 331 may have an outer diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the insertion hole 323 formed in the wobble gear 32.

[0068] Therefore, the wobble gear 32 can move slightly up, down, left, and right within the external gear portion 382 of the bearing plate 38 due to the rotational movement of the central gear 33 caused by the rotation of the connecting shaft 26, and can also rotate as the teeth of the wobble gear 32 sequentially engage with the teeth of the external gear portion 382.

[0069] The clutch lever 34 may include a coupling portion 341 coupled to the central gear 33 and an extension portion 342 extending longitudinally from one side of the coupling portion 341 to selectively contact the sensor housing 35 .

[0070] The coupling portion 341 may be formed substantially in a ring shape with one side open, and may be coupled to the outer periphery of the central gear 33 through the open side, and then may be maintained in a state coupled to the outer periphery of the central gear 33 by the fixing member 343. The fixing member 343 may be provided as an elastic spring formed substantially in a circular arc shape.

[0071] Teeth may be formed on the end of extension portion 342 for selectively engaging teeth portion 352 of sensor housing 35, as described below.

[0072] Here, the stopper 383 may protrude from one side of the bearing plate 38 so as to limit the maximum rotation angle of the clutch lever 34 when the teeth of the extension portion 342 are released from the tooth portion 352 .

[0073] The sensor housing 35 may have a ball 351 housed therein for movement with changes in vehicle tilt, and may rotate forward and backward in response to movement of the ball 351 .

[0074] To achieve this, the sensor housing 35 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having a cross section that is generally arc-shaped when viewed from the side, so that a space is provided inside to accommodate the ball 351.

[0075] The tooth portion 352 may be formed on one side of the sensor housing 35, the left side as viewed in FIG. 4, and may have a plurality of teeth for selectively engaging with teeth formed on the extension portion 342 of the clutch lever 34.

[0076] A pair of coupling protrusions 353 may protrude toward the left from the front and rear ends of the sensor housing 35, respectively, to enable coupling of the weight body 36 thereto, and a pair of rotating shafts 354 may protrude from either side of the center of the sensor housing 35, respectively, to rotatably couple to the bearing plate 38 and the adapter 37.

[0077] The ball 351 may be formed in a spherical shape and may have an upper cover 39 placed on the upper portion of the ball 351 to support the movement of the ball 351 .

[0078] The upper cover 39 may have a center formed to be convex upward to correspond to the shape of the upper end of the ball 351, and a shaft portion 391 may be provided on one side of the upper cover 39 that is rotatably coupled to the front portion of the sensor housing 35.

[0079] To accomplish this, a pair of support plates 355 may project upwardly from the front portion of the sensor housing 35 to allow the shaft portion 391 of the top cover 39 to be coupled thereto.

[0080] Here, the shaft portion 391 of the upper cover 39 can be coupled between the pair of support plates 355 so as to be inclined toward one side, for example, the lower left side.

[0081] Thus, while in contact with the upper end of ball 351 , upper cover 39 can move up and down relative to shaft portion 391 in response to movement of ball 351 .

[0082] The weight body 36 may be formed in an arc shape having a cross section that is generally downwardly convex when viewed from the side, and a pair of coupling holes 361 may be formed at the front and rear ends of the weight body 36 so as to enable a pair of coupling protrusions 353 formed at the front and rear ends of the sensor housing 35 to be coupled thereto, respectively.

[0083] The adapter 37 may be coupled to a space-defining portion 394 extending from a lower portion of the bearing plate 38 to shield the lower portion of the weight body 36 and the sensor housing 35. The space-defining portion 384 may extend in a generally "U" shape from the lower portion of the bearing plate 38 to define a space in which the sensor housing 35 rotates. A plurality of fixing holes 385 may be formed along an edge of the space-defining portion 384 so as to be spaced apart from one another.

[0084] Therefore, the adapter 37 may be formed in a roughly fan-shaped configuration with a downwardly convex cross section when viewed from the side, and a coupling groove may be formed in the upper end of the adapter 37 so as to couple to the rotating shaft 354 formed in the left end of the sensor housing 35.

[0085] A rotation shaft portion 371 may be formed in the upper portion of the adapter 37 to couple to the rear end of the pilot lever 40 to allow the pilot lever 40 to rotate.

[0086] In addition to these, a plurality of fixing protrusions 372 may protrude from the right side surface of the adapter 37 along the edge so as to respectively couple with fixing holes 385 in the space defining portion 384 .

[0087] The pilot lever 40 may be formed in a generally bar shape arranged along the front-rear direction.

[0088] The through hole 41 may be formed at the rear end of the pilot lever 40 to enable the rotating shaft portion 371 of the adapter 37 to be coupled thereto, the first contact protrusion 42 may protrude slightly downward from approximately the center of the pilot lever 40 so as to contact the upper surface of the upper cover 39, and the second contact protrusion 43 may protrude toward the left from the front side of the first contact protrusion 42 so as to contact the inclined member 53 of the lock canceller lever 50.

[0089] Here, the second contact protrusion 43 may be formed to have a substantially triangular cross section so as to protrude sharply upward when viewed from the side. Therefore, the inclined member 53 may come into contact with the inclined surface of the second contact protrusion 43. The shape of the inclined surface of the second contact protrusion 43 may prevent a collision with the inclined member 53.

[0090] The inclined portion 44 may be formed at the front end of the pilot lever 40 so as to be inclined toward the upper front side. The inclined portion 44 may be caught by any one of a plurality of locking protrusions 311 formed on the steering disc 31 according to the rotation angle of the pilot lever 40, in order to control whether the steering disc 31 is rotatable or non-rotatable.

[0091] The lock canceller lever 50 may be rotatably mounted on one side of the wobble gear and may function to rotate the steering disc 31 by releasing contact between the steering disc 31 and the pilot lever 40 in response to rotation of the wobble gear 32.

[0092] The lock canceller lever 50 may include a fastening member 51 rotatably coupled to the plate surface of the bearing plate 38, a first interlock member 52 extending from one side of the fastening member 51 toward the wobble gear 32 and having an interlock groove 521 formed at its end, and an inclined member 53 inclined from one end of the fastening member 51 toward the lower front side, formed to face the pilot lever 4, and in contact with the second contact protrusion 43 of the pilot lever 40.

[0093] The fastening member 51 may be formed in a generally bar shape and may be rotatably coupled to one side of the plate surface of the bearing plate 38 positioned near the wobble gear 32 .

[0094] The first interlock member 52 may extend a predetermined length from one side of the fastening member 51 toward the wobble gear 32 and may function to rotate the lock canceller lever 50 in conjunction with the movement of the second interlock protrusion 322 formed on the wobble gear 32.

[0095] The interlock groove 521 may be recessed into the end of the first interlock member 52 to allow the second interlock protrusion 322 to be inserted therein and separated therefrom, thereby allowing the second interlock protrusion 322 to smoothly contact and separate from the first interlock member 52.

[0096] The inclined member 53 may be formed so as to incline downward from one end of the fastening member 51 toward the front side and face the pilot lever 40. The inclined member 53 may come into contact with the second contact protrusion 43 of the pilot lever 40 in response to rotation of the lock canceller lever 50. The pilot lever 40 may then return to its original position, coming into contact with the lock protrusion 311 formed on the steering disc 31, and the coupling between the pilot lever 40 and the lock protrusion 311 may be released, thereby enabling the webbing 21 to be pulled out.

[0097] The ALR lever 60 can function to limit or release the rotational movement of the steering disc 31 by engaging with the lock canceller lever 50 or by rotating in response to the wobble gear 32, thereby contacting or separating from one side of the steering disc 31.

[0098] When using the webbing 21 to install and secure an item such as a stroller seat to a vehicle seat, the ALR lever 60 may rotate when the webbing 21 is fully extended to allow the webbing 21 to be retracted and prevent the webbing 21 from being extended. Thus, the ALR lever 60 may be in constant contact with the steering disc 31 to allow a user to easily install an item such as a stroller seat to a vehicle seat and to securely secure the item to the seat after installation.

[0099] The ALR lever 60 may include a fixed ring 61 having an annular shape and rotatably coupled to the plate surface of the bearing plate 38, a second interlock member 62 extending from one side of the fixed ring 61 toward the wobble gear 32 and having an interlock protrusion 621 protruding from one end thereof, and a contact protrusion 622 protruding from the other end thereof and contacting the rear end of the lock canceller lever 50, and an extension member 63 extending a predetermined length from the other side of the fixed ring 61 and selectively bringing its end into contact with and separating from the steering disc 31, thereby limiting and releasing the rotational movement of the steering disc 31.

[0100] The fixing ring 61 is positioned near the wobble gear 32 and the lock canceller lever 50, and may be provided as a substantially annular member rotatably coupled to a plate surface of the main body 31 having a predetermined thickness. Thus, the fixing ring 61 may be mated with the second interlock protrusion 323 or the lock canceller lever 50, thereby enabling the ALR lever 60 to rotate.

[0101] The second interlock member 62 can function to mate with the second interlock protrusion 323 and the lock canceller lever 50 that is in substantial contact therewith.

[0102] The interlock protrusion 621 can protrude from one end of the second interlock member 62 to contact the second interlock protrusion 323, and the contact member 622 can protrude from the other side of the second interlock member 62 to contact the lock canceller lever 50.

[0103] The extension member 63 may extend a predetermined length from the other side of the fixed ring 61 and have an end that can be selectively brought into contact with and separated from the steering disc 31 to restrict and release rotational movement of the steering disc 31. To accomplish this, the extension member 63 may have an end that is angled toward the outer surface of the wobble gear 32.

[0104] The end of the extension member 63 may be bent toward the wobble gear 32 to limit the rotational movement of the wobble gear 32 when it comes into contact with the first interlock protrusion 321 formed on the outer surface of the wobble gear 32, and the contact surface that contacts the second interlock protrusion 323 may be formed flat to achieve firm contact.

[0105] As described above, the present disclosure can improve and simplify the structures of the wobble gear, lock canceller lever, and ALR lever applied to a vehicle sensor device, and can also expand the angle range to accommodate changes in the angle of the object on which the seat belt retractor is installed, such as the backrest.

[0106] In addition, the structure of the vehicle sensor device is simplified so that workability can be improved and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0107] A vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and a method for operating a seat belt retractor employing the same will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0108] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operating state of a vehicle sensor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operating state of an upper cover and a pilot lever in the vehicle sensor device described in Fig. 6. Figs. 7A to 7C illustrate the upper cover at angles of 0°, 45°, and 60°, respectively.

[0109] 6, the vehicle sensor device 30, i.e., the sensor unit 30, rotates forward and backward in response to the forward and backward rotation of the seat back while installed in the seat belt retractor, and in this case, the sensor housing 35 can always maintain a vertical position.

[0110] The clutch lever 34 can rotate to contact the toothed portion 352 of the sensor housing 35 and support the sensor housing 35, so that the sensor housing 35 can maintain its vertical position before the backrest is tilted.

[0111] In a state in which the end of the extension portion 342 of the clutch lever 34 is separated from the toothed portion 52 of the sensor housing 35 before the webbing 21 is unwound, the steering disc 31 and the central gear 33 can rotate when the webbing 21 is unwound, and the wobble gear 32 can be rotated by the central gear 33. Therefore, the clutch lever 34 can be connected to the central gear 33 and can rotate in the same direction as the central gear 33 due to the tension of the fixing member 343 provided as a spring, and can also rotate into contact with or released from the toothed portion 352 of the sensor housing 35 due to the first interlock protrusion 321 formed on the wobble gear 32.

[0112] On the other hand, when the vehicle is stopped or running normally, the ball 351 and the upper cover 39 can be maintained vertically disposed, and therefore the pilot lever 40 can maintain contact with the upper surface of the upper cover 38, allowing the webbing 21 to be freely pulled out.

[0113] In this state, if an external force is suddenly applied to the vehicle, or if the vehicle tilts in the width direction when passing through a sharp curve, the ball 351 disposed in the sensor housing 33 may move, causing the upper cover 39 to rotate about the shaft portion 391. Then, the pilot lever 40, which is in contact with the upper surface of the upper cover 39, may rotate upward and downward about the through-hole 41 at its rear end.

[0114] When the pilot lever 40 rotates as described above, the inclined portion 44 at the front end of the pilot lever 40 can be caught by any one of the multiple locking protrusions 311 formed on the outer periphery of the steering disc 31, thereby locking the webbing 21 to prevent it from being pulled out.

[0115] As described above, the present disclosure can use the ball and sensor housing to detect changes in vehicle tilt and seat back tilt, as well as changes in webbing withdrawal acceleration, and can control the pilot lever.

[0116] Here, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C, in all cases where the angle of the upper cover 39 is 0°, 45°, or 60°, the first contact protrusion 42 of the pilot lever 40 can maintain contact with the upper surface of the upper cover 39.

[0117] In this case, the end of the inclined portion 44 of the pilot lever 40 can maintain a constant distance from the locking protrusion 311 of the steering disc 31 .

[0118] As described above, the present disclosure can control the pilot lever to perform normal linear reciprocating motion regardless of the angle at which the vehicle sensor device is rotated and positioned by adjusting the angle of the seat back.

[0119] That is, the present disclosure can expand the angle range so that the pilot lever 40 is normally controlled within a range of approximately 0° to 60° of the vehicle sensor device 30, which changes by adjusting the angle of the backrest.

[0120] When the sensor housing 35 is fixed and the lock canceller function is enabled (on), the wobble gear 32 can rotate counterclockwise, as seen in FIG. 6, and the first interlock member 52 of the lock canceller lever 50 can be pressed backward by the second interlock protrusion 322.

[0121] Then, when the lock canceller lever 50 rotates clockwise around the fastening member 51, the front end of the inclined member 53 can press down on the second contact protrusion 43 of the pilot lever 40, and the inclined portion 44 provided at the front end of the pilot lever 40 can rotate counterclockwise around the through hole 41 at the rear end of the pilot lever 40, thereby separating from and fixing the lock protrusion 311 of the steering disc 31.

[0122] Therefore, the webbing 21 can be in a state where it can be freely pulled out or retracted by the operating force of the occupant.

[0123] On the other hand, when the lock canceller function is disabled (off), the wobble gear 32 can rotate counterclockwise, and the first interlock member 52 of the lock canceller lever 50 can be pushed forward by the second interlock protrusion 322.

[0124] Then, when the lock canceller lever 50 rotates counterclockwise around the fastening member 51, the front end of the inclined member 53 can be released from contact with the second contact protrusion 43 of the pilot lever 40, and the pilot lever 40 can be selectively coupled to or disengaged from the lock protrusion 311 of the steering disc 31 due to the rotation of the upper cover 39 caused by the movement of the ball 351.

[0125] When the ALR function is enabled, the wobble gear 32 can rotate clockwise, and the interlock protrusion 621 of the second interlock member 62 of the ALR lever 60 can be pressed rearward by the first interlock protrusion 321 .

[0126] Then, when the ALR lever 60 rotates clockwise around the fixing ring 61 , the extension member 63 may come into contact with the locking projection 311 of the steering disc 31 , thereby restricting the rotational movement of the steering disc 31 .

[0127] Therefore, when an item such as a stroller seat is installed on a vehicle seat by using the webbing 21, the ALR lever 60 may enable the webbing 21 to be retracted, and when the webbing is fully extended, may disable the extension of the webbing 21. Therefore, the ALR lever 60 may be in constant contact with the steering disc 31, allowing a user to easily install an item such as a stroller seat on a vehicle seat and to securely fasten the item to the seat after installation.

[0128] On the other hand, when the ALR function is disabled (off), the wobble gear 32 can rotate clockwise, and the first interlock member 52 of the lock canceller lever 50 can be pushed backward by the second interlock protrusion 322.

[0129] Next, when the lock canceller lever 50 rotates clockwise around the fastening member 51 , the contact protrusion 622 of the second interlock member 62 of the ALR lever 60 can be pressed downward by the lock canceller lever 50 .

[0130] In this case, when the ALR lever 60 rotates counterclockwise around the fixing ring 61, the extension member 63 can be separated from the locking protrusion 311 of the steering disc 31. When the ALR function is disabled as described above, the steering disc 31 becomes rotatable.

[0131] Through the above process, the present disclosure can improve and simplify the structures of the wobble gear, lock canceller lever, and ALR lever applied to a vehicle sensor device, and can also expand the angle range to accommodate changes in the angle of the object on which the seat belt retractor is installed, such as the backrest.

[0132] In addition, the structure of the vehicle sensor device is simplified so that workability can be improved and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0133] The invention made by the inventors of the present application has been specifically described above based on the above embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical essence of the present disclosure.

[0134] That is, although the configuration of an integrated seat belt device integrated into the seat back has been described in the above embodiment, the present disclosure can be modified so that it is installed not only on the seat back but also on the vehicle body, for example, on a pillar arranged on the side of the vehicle, on a body panel behind the seat, on the roof of the vehicle, or on the bottom of the vehicle body.

[0135] Additionally, the present disclosure is not limited to the seat belt retractor configuration described with reference to FIG. 3, but may be modified to change the seat belt retractor configuration and to apply a vehicle sensor device to a seat belt retractor. [Industrial Applicability]

[0136] The present disclosure is applied to a vehicle sensor device that improves the connection structure of the sensor unit 4 and the unit that provides the ALR function and the lock release function to simplify the device, and expands the angle range to accommodate changes in the angle of the backrest, as well as to a seat belt retractor that employs the same.

Claims

1. A sensor device for a vehicle, a steering disc disposed on one side of the spindle and rotating in accordance with the retraction or withdrawal of the seat belt webbing; a bearing plate in which the steering disc is housed; a sensor housing that is rotatable based on changes in the installation angle of the bearing plate and the tilt of the object to which it is attached; a ball that moves within the sensor housing in response to changes in vehicle tilt and acceleration; an upper cover disposed on an upper portion of the ball and rotatable in accordance with the movement of the ball; a pilot lever that rotates in contact with the upper cover as the upper cover rotates to couple to or decouple from the steering disc; a lock canceller lever that releases the contact between the steering disc and the pilot lever to rotate the steering disc and enable the seat belt webbing to be retracted and pulled out.

2. a wobble gear disposed on one side of the bearing plate and rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the spindle; a central gear passing through the wobble gear to couple to a coupling shaft of the spindle; a clutch lever coupled to the sensor gear and rotated by the wobble gear to selectively contact or separate from the sensor housing; 2. The sensor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the wobble gear has a first interlock protrusion for rotating the clutch lever and a second interlock protrusion for rotating the lock canceller lever.

3. the pilot lever has a first contact protrusion that contacts the upper surface of the upper cover and a second contact protrusion that contacts the lock canceller lever; 3. The sensor device for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: an inclined portion that is selectively captured by any one of a plurality of locking protrusions formed on the steering disc to control whether the steering disc is rotatable or non-rotatable.

4. a fastening member by which the lock canceller lever is rotatably coupled to the bearing plate; a first interlocking member extending from one side of the fastening member toward the wobble gear and having an interlocking groove formed at an end thereof; 4. The sensor device for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising: an inclined member formed so as to incline from one end of the fastening member toward the pilot lever, and selectively contacting the second contact protrusion of the pilot lever.

5. an ALR lever that contacts or separates from one side of the steering disc to limit or release rotational movement of the steering disc; a fixing ring to which the ALR lever is rotatably coupled to a plate surface of the bearing plate; a second interlock member extending from one side of the fixing ring toward the wobble gear and having an interlock projection protruding from one end thereof, and a contact projection protruding from the other end thereof so as to contact the lock canceller lever; 2. The sensor device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, further comprising: an extension member extending a predetermined length from the other side of the fastening member and selectively bringing an end into contact with or separating from the steering disc to restrict or release the rotational movement of the steering disc.

6. A seat belt retractor, A vehicle sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, configured to detect a change in the inclination of a vehicle and a change in the acceleration of withdrawing a seat belt webbing; a spindle around which the seat belt webbing is wound, The seat belt retractor rotates a pilot lever to couple or uncouple from a steering disc based on the detected changes in the inclination of the vehicle and the unwinding acceleration of the webbing.

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