Electric Reversible Belt Retractor for Rear-End Collision Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rear-end collision warning systems often falsely classify non-threatening driving situations as imminent collisions, leading to late activation of seat belt retractors, which may not provide sufficient time for adequate occupant positioning and protection against whiplash injuries in rapid rear-end collisions.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle safety arrangement featuring a rearward-looking detection system and sensors to monitor vehicle parameters, a control unit that determines critical driving states, and an electric reversible safety belt retractor to apply a predetermined pullback force on the safety belt in response to high collision risk within a predetermined time, utilizing existing vehicle sensors for cost efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seat belt retractor is activated late to avoid false alarms from aggressive driving, then false classifications are reduced, but sufficient time for occupant positioning and whiplash protection is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning of the occupant into the seat using the electric reversible seat belt retractor before the actual collision occurs. By detecting critical driving states and approaching objects in advance, the system activates the retractor to pull the occupant into the seat during a predetermined time window before collision, ensuring proper positioning is achieved even in rapid rear-end collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies a preliminary counteracting force to the whiplash effect by activating the seat belt retractor before collision. The retractor applies a pullback force on the safety belt to counteract the forward motion of the occupant's head and body during a rear-end collision, preventing whiplash injuries by opposing the harmful motion in advance.
2Reliability
If the seat belt retractor is activated frequently to protect against all potential collisions, then occupant protection is improved, but driver disturbance and annoyance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different activation criteria based on the specific driving situation. It distinguishes between critical driving states (where frequent activation is justified) and normal driving conditions. The control unit evaluates multiple parameters including steering angle, vehicle deceleration, and object approach characteristics to determine whether activation is appropriate, applying protection selectively rather than uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the activation parameters dynamically based on detected driving conditions. It monitors vehicle parameters such as steering angle, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, and wheel speeds to adjust the collision risk assessment. When critical driving state parameters are exceeded combined with detected approaching objects, the system activates protection; otherwise, it remains inactive.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein relate to a motor vehicle safety arrangement and method for positioning an occupant properly on a vehicle seat and restraining the occupant thus positioned in preparation of the vehicle potentially being subject to a rear-end collision. A safety belt is associated with the vehicle seat and an electric reversible safety belt retractor is associated with the safety belt. A rearward-looking detection system detects and classifies the collision risk for an approaching object. At least one sensor monitors one or more vehicle parameters. A control unit determines a driving state as critical or non-critical from the monitored vehicle parameters. The control unit controls the electric reversible safety belt retractor to apply a predetermined pullback force on the safety belt in response to the collision risk for an approaching object being classified as high within a predetermined time of an indicated critical driving state.