Patent ID: 6257363
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B60R,G01R

Abstract:
An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an automotive vehicle, having a seatbelt, for restraining an occupant of the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant, comprising:a reel shaft having the seatbelt wound thereon;winding amount detecting means for detecting an amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft;driving means for rotating said reel shaft in a direction of retraction of the seatbelt and in a direction of protraction of the seatbelt;control means for controlling said driving means;seatbelt attaching detecting means for detecting whether the seatbelt is attached to the occupant or disconnected from the occupant;fault detecting means for detecting a fault of said seatbelt attaching detecting means; anddetermining means, responsive to a fault detection by said fault detecting means, for determining whether the seatbelt is attached to the occupant according to the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means in a manner such that when the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means does not exceed a predetermined value the seatbelt is determined to be attached to the occupant, and when the amount of winding of the seatbelt on said reel shaft detected by said winding amount detecting means exceeds the predetermined value the seatbelt is determined to be disconnecting from the occupant;wherein said control means comprises means for, when said fault detecting means makes the fault detection, controlling said driving means according to whether or not said determining means has determined the seatbelt is attached to the occupant.