Safe belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561777-B2
Application number	US-201314647687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Nov 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) has a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) which is attached to a tongue ( 30 ) that fastens into a buckle mechanism ( 6 ) fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle. The belt system ( 20 ) has a seat belt retractor ( 40 ), a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) with a lap belt portion ( 23 ) appropriately anchored and shoulder harness portion ( 25 ), a self-adjustable webbing guide ( 65 ) and a vertical strap webbing ( 55 ). The self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ) includes a pivoting guide ( 66 ) connected to a locking mechanism ( 70 ) activated by a forward movement of the occupant ( 1, 100 ) extending the shoulder webbing ( 25 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) having a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) which is attached to a tongue ( 30 ) that fastens into a buckle mechanism ( 6 ) fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle; the belt system ( 20 ) comprising:
a seat belt retractor ( 40 );
a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) having a lap belt portion ( 23 ) and a shoulder harness portion ( 25 ), the lap belt portion ( 23 ) appropriately anchored and the shoulder harness portion ( 25 ) connected at one end to the seat belt retractor ( 40 ), the seat belt webbing ( 22 ) releasably connected to the buckle mechanism ( 6 ) at the tongue ( 30 ) and extending to an upper anchorage location ( 41 );
a self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ); and
a vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) extending from a lower portion located inside or behind a seat back ( 2 ) extending upwardly to an intermediate location passing through a passageway or slot ( 84 ) in the seat back ( 2 ) and extending against the seat back ( 2 ) passing through the webbing guide ( 65 ) to an upper anchorage ( 41 );
wherein the self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ) includes a pivoting guide formed in the shape of a loop forming an opening, the loop rotates under load from the shoulder webbing, the loop is connected to an actuating lever ( 75 ) which is part of locking mechanism ( 70 ) activated by a forward movement of the occupant extending the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) which in turn rotates the loop which moves the actuating lever, and wherein the shoulder webbing is free to move relative to the loop.

2. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 1 wherein the seat belt retractor ( 40 ) is located inside or behind the seat back ( 2 ) at a location at least 450 mm above the vehicle seat bottom and wherein the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) passes through an upper opening ( 82 ) in the seat back ( 2 ) to connect to the retractor ( 40 ).

3. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 2 wherein the locking mechanism ( 70 ) is activated by the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) pulling on the pivoting guide ( 66 ) when the pivoting guide ( 66 ) achieves a locking angle of 25 to 30 degrees relative to a vertical plane.

4. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 3 wherein the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) passes through the locking mechanism ( 70 ) of the self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ) and is free to slide relative to the locking mechanism ( 70 ) until a locking angle occurs.

5. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 4 wherein the locking mechanism ( 70 ) further has a rotatable wedge ( 72 ) for gripping the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) upon locking.

6. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 5 wherein the rotatable wedge ( 72 ) has a plurality of serrated teeth or edges ( 77 ) for gripping the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) upon activation.

7. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 6 wherein the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) at a lower end is attached to a shock absorbing spring ( 80 ), the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) being attached to the seat frame ( 2 ).

8. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 7 wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) has a length ( 1 ) in an unstretched condition.

9. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 8 wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) stretches when the forward movement of the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) moves the guide mechanism ( 65 ) to a locking angle.

10. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 9 wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) is a coil spring made from wound wire of a length (x).

11. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 1 wherein the self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ) moves automatically in relation to a shoulder height of the occupant.

12. The vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) of claim 1 wherein the upper anchorage location ( 82 ) is set at 450 mm above the seat ( 2 ) and the range of movement of the self-adjusting guide ( 65 ) is between a maximum of 488 mm for an adult occupant and 335 mm for a typical 3 year old occupant, the range of movement being automatically controlled by the occupant's shoulder height relative to the seat ( 2 ).

13. A vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) having a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) which is attached to a tongue ( 30 ) that fastens into a buckle mechanism ( 6 ) fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle; the belt system ( 20 ) comprising:
a seat belt retractor ( 40 );
a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) having a lap belt portion ( 23 ) and a shoulder harness portion ( 25 ), the lap belt portion ( 23 ) appropriately anchored and the shoulder harness portion ( 25 ) connected at one end to the seat belt retractor ( 40 ), the seat belt webbing ( 22 ) releasably connected to the buckle mechanism ( 6 ) at the tongue ( 30 ) and extending to an upper anchorage location ( 41 );
a self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 );
a vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) extending from a lower portion located inside or behind a seat back ( 2 ) extending upwardly to an intermediate location passing through a passageway or slot ( 84 ) in the seat back ( 2 ) and extending against the seat back ( 2 ) passing through the webbing guide ( 65 ) to an upper anchorage ( 41 );
wherein the seat belt retractor ( 40 ) is located inside or behind the seat back ( 2 ) at a location at least 450 mm above the vehicle seat and wherein the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) passes through an upper opening ( 82 ) in the seat back ( 2 ) to connect to the retractor ( 40 );
wherein the self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 ) includes a pivoting guide ( 66 ) connected to a locking mechanism ( 70 ) activated by a forward movement of the occupant extending the shoulder webbing ( 25 ), the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) being passed through an opening in the pivoting guide ( 65 ) and free to move relative to the pivoting guide ( 66 );
wherein the locking mechanism ( 70 ) is activated by the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) pulling on the pivoting guide ( 66 );
wherein the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) passes through the locking mechanism ( 70 ) of the self-adjusting webbing guide ( 65 );
wherein the locking mechanism ( 70 ) further has a rotatable wedge ( 72 ) for gripping the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) upon locking;
wherein the rotatable wedge ( 72 ) has a plurality of serrated teeth or edges ( 77 ) for gripping the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) upon activation;
wherein the vertical strap webbing ( 55 ) at a lower end is attached to a shock absorbing spring ( 80 ), the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) being attached to the seat frame ( 2 );
wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) has a length ( 1 ) in an unstretched condition
wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) stretches when the forward movement of the shoulder webbing ( 25 ) moves the guide mechanism ( 65 ) to a locking angle,
wherein the shock absorbing spring ( 80 ) is a coil spring made from wound wire of a length (x)
wherein the coil spring ( 80 ) stretches increasing the length ( 1 ) to maximum length of the wound wire (x) or less.

14. A vehicle seat belt system ( 20 ) having a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) which is attached to a tongue ( 30 ) that fastens into a buckle mechanism ( 6 ) fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle; the belt system ( 20 ) comprising:
a seat belt retractor ( 40 );
a seat belt webbing ( 22 ) having a lap belt portion ( 23 ) and a shoulder harness portion ( 25 ), the lap belt portion ( 22 ) appropriately anchored and the shoulder harness portion ( 25 ) connected at one end to the seat belt retractor ( 40 ), the seat belt webbing ( 22 ) releasably connected to the buckle mechanism ( 6 ) at the tongue ( 30 ) and extending to an upper anchorage location ( 41 );
a self-adjusting webbing guide (

Assignees

• Key Safety Systems Inc

Inventors

• Bell John

Classifications

• B60R22/20 Primary

  adjustable in position, e.g. in height · CPC title

• B60R22/024 Primary

  Adaptations for use by small passengers, e.g. children (B60R22/20 takes precedence; using belt anti-slip devices B60R22/30) · CPC title

• B60R2022/263

  Front seats · CPC title

• B60R22/105

  for children (adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803) · CPC title

• B60R22/28

  incorporating energy-absorbing devices {(belt anchors provided with energy-absorbing means for protecting the occupants in case of physical contact therewith B60R21/055; belt retractors comprising energy-absorbing means B60R22/341, B60R22/4676)} · CPC title