Safety belt apparatus

• US 20020084645A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Petri Ulm GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Petri Ulm GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lobert, Amrei, Wengert, Andreas, Schnabl, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 6,793,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/19 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions included in the retractor B60R22/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1951 characterised by arrangements in vehicle or relative to seat belt

Abstract

A safety belt apparatus for motor vehicles. The apparatus includes a safety belt and a belt tensioner which can be mounted to the vehicle in the region of a free belt section and which cooperates with the safety belt in the region of the free belt section to alter the effective length of the safety belt.

Claims

1. A safety belt apparatus for motor vehicles comprising a safety belt and a belt tensioner mounted to the vehicle in the region of a free belt section and wherein the belt tensioner is configured to cooperate with the safety belt in the region of the free belt section to alter the effective length of the safety belt.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the belt tensioner comprises a clamping unit configured to move into clamping engagement with the safety belt after starting from a rest position in which the safety belt is not engaged.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to alter the path of the safety belt.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a guide operatively connected to the belt tensioner, wherein the belt tensioner is movable along the guide in the region of a side panel of the vehicle.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the belt tensioner includes a control unit configured to move along the belt section, wherein movement of the control unit forces a clamping unit of the belt tensioner into clamping engagement with the safety belt.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the clamping unit is movable along the belt section together with the control unit with a lag with respect to the control unit, wherein the lag is caused by the inertia of the clamping unit.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the clamping unit includes at least one clamping member having with a control surface facing generally away from the safety belt configured to be acted upon by a control section of the control unit.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the control surface is configured as an oblique surface extending with an angle with respect to the direction of movement of the control unit.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the clamping member is configured as a wedge, and wherein a control section of the control unit is configured to be a cooperating wedge for the clamping member.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the clamping unit has at least two oppositely disposed clamping members which can be moved toward one another by movement of the belt tensioner.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to move out of the rest position against the restoring force of a return spring.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the belt tensioner comprises at least two clamping reels configured to moved relative to one another to form a clamping gap for the safety belt, wherein at least one clamping reel includes a rotary drive.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the drivable clamping reel is mounted to a pivotable arm, wherein an axis of rotation of the drivable clamping reel is parallel to a pivot axis of the pivotable arm.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the belt tensioner comprises at least two guide reels around which the safety belt is guided and which can be moved relative to one another to alter the path of the safety belt.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a control device for adjusting the relative position of the guide reels at any time in the normal operation of the vehicle in accordance with a pre-set contact pressure of the safety belt at a vehicle occupant.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to be mounted within the B or C pillar of the vehicle.

18. A belt tensioner in accordance with claim 17, wherein the tensioner is configured as a retrofitting kit which can be integrated into an installed safety belt apparatus.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the belt tensioner comprises a clamping unit configured to move into clamping engagement with the safety belt after starting from a rest position in which the safety belt is not engaged.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to alter the path of the safety belt.

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a guide operatively connected to the belt tensioner, wherein the belt tensioner is movable along the guide in the region of a side panel of the vehicle.

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the belt tensioner comprises at least two clamping reels configured to moved relative to one another to form a clamping gap for the safety belt, wherein at least one clamping reel includes a rotary drive.

23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to be mounted within the B or C pillar of the vehicle.

17. A belt tensioner for a motor vehicle having a safety belt, wherein the tensioner is configured to be mounted to the vehicle in the region of a free belt section and configured to cooperate with the safety belt in the region of the free belt section to alter the effective length of the safety belt.