Seat mounted adjustable seat belt webbing guide

• US 10,703,331 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Loew, Pattrick, Yilma, Benjamin, Raines, Travis Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Adamos, Theodore V
• Application Number:
  US16/226,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20190118761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 297483, 297468, 297473, 297485, 280808
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1831 comprising a slotted plate sliding in its plane, e.g. inside circular guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/207 Horizontally or transversally adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A webbing guide for a vehicle seat includes a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining a plurality of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof. The webbing guide further includes a guide body coupled with the base and defining a guide channel extending through the guide body in a direction generally normal to the length of the base and normal to the post holes.

Claims

1. A webbing guide for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining a plurality of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof and configured to receive a post of a headrest of a vehicle seatback, wherein the top surface is planar between the first end and the second end; and

a guide body integrally formed with the base at the second end and defining a guide channel disposed beneath the top surface and extending through the guide body in a fixed direction generally normal to the length of the base and normal to the post holes;

wherein the top surface comprises an opening configured to allow a seatbelt webbing to be selectively moved into and out of the guide channel.

2. The webbing guide of claim 1, wherein a seatbelt webbing associated with the vehicle seat is received through the guide channel.

3. The webbing guide of claim 1, wherein each of the pairs of spaced-apart post holes are spaced apart from each other at a first distance.

4. The webbing guide of claim 3, wherein successive first post holes of each of the pairs of corresponding spaced apart post holes are positioned at increasing distances from the guide channel.

5. The webbing guide of claim 4, wherein the pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are arranged in the base with all of first ones of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes closest to the guide channel in the respective pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are adjacent each other and remaining second ones of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are adjacent each other.

6. The webbing guide of claim 1, wherein ones of the post holes within the plurality of pairs of corresponding post holes are interconnected by a slot in the base.

7. The webbing guide of claim 6, wherein the slot extends through respective centers of the ones of the post holes.

8. The webbing guide of claim 6, wherein the slot defines one of a keyed or serpentine shape.

9. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seatback;

a headrest coupled with the seatback by a pair of posts; and

a webbing guide, including;

a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining a plurality of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof and configured to receive a respective post of the headrest; and

a guide body coupled with the base and defining a guide channel extending through the guide body and spaced apart from the post holes, wherein the guide body is fixed relative to the base such that the guide channel extends in a direction that is normal to an axis extending through the post holes, and further wherein a top surface of the guide body extending above the guide channel is coplanar with the top surface of the base;

wherein the top surface of the guide body comprises an opening configured to allow a seatbelt webbing to be selectively moved into and out of the guide channel.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein a seatbelt webbing associated with the vehicle seat is received through the guide channel.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein the guide channel is moveable toward and away from the headrest such that movement of the guide channel adjusts a position of the webbing with respect to the headrest.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein each of the pairs of spaced-apart post holes are spaced apart from each other at a first distance.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12, wherein successive first post holes of each of the pairs of corresponding spaced apart post holes are positioned at increasing distances from the guide channel.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the guide channel is moveable toward and away from the headrest by disengagement of the posts from a first one of the pairs of post holes and engagement of the posts with another pair of the plurality of pairs of post holes.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein the pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are arranged in the base with all of first ones of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes closest to the guide channel in the respective pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are adjacent each other and remaining second ones of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are adjacent each other.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein ones of the post holes within the plurality of pairs of corresponding post holes are interconnected by a slot in the base.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 16, wherein the slot extends through respective centers of the ones of the post holes.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 16, wherein the slot defines one of a keyed or serpentine shape.

19. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle seat coupled within the vehicle and including a seatback and a headrest coupled with the seatback by a pair of posts;

a webbing coupled with the vehicle and associated with the vehicle seat; and

a webbing guide, including;

a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining a plurality of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof and configured to receive a respective post of the headrest, and

a guide body fixedly coupled with the base and defining a guide channel extending through the guide body, receiving the webbing, and spaced apart from the posts, the guide body further defining a top surface that is positioned above the guide channel and coplanar with the top surface of the base, wherein the guide channel extends in a direction that is normal to an axis extending through the post holes;

wherein the top surface of the guide body comprises an opening configured to allow a seatbelt webbing to be selectively moved into and out of the guide channel.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein:

each of the pairs of spaced-apart post holes are spaced apart from each other at a first distance; and

successive first post holes of each of the pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes are positioned at increasing distances from the guide channel.