Auxiliary Mechanism for Seat Belt Apparatus

• US 20090322141A1
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/03 Means for presenting the belt or part thereof to the wearer , e.g. foot-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

An auxiliary mechanism for a seat belt apparatus includes a support portion and a guide portion. The support portion supports a webbing in a manner drawable to the front of a seat back. The support portion is movable between a storage position, which is near the seat back, and a projection position, which is spaced further apart from the seat back than the storage position to draw out the webbing toward the front of the seat back. The guide portion guides the movement of the support portion between the storage position and the projection position, and then continuously guides the movement of the support portion along a vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position.

Claims

1. An auxiliary mechanism for a seat belt apparatus including a belt-like webbing, which is drawn out from near an upper portion of a seat back of a vehicle seat so as to restrain a passenger seated on the vehicle seat, a tongue plate, which is arranged on the webbing so as to be movable along a longitudinal direction of the webbing, and a buckle, which is engaged with the tongue plate, the auxiliary mechanism comprising:

a support portion which supports the webbing above the tongue plate so that the webbing is drawable toward the front of the seat back along a longitudinal direction of the webbing, in which the support portion is movable between a storage position located near the seat back and a projection position spaced further apart from the seat back than the storage position to draw out the webbing toward the front of the seat back; and

a guide portion which guides the movement of the support portion between the storage position and the projection position and then continuously guides the movement of the support portion along a vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position.

2. The auxiliary mechanism, according to claim 1, wherein:

the support portion includes;

an angle coupled to the guide portion so as to be movable relative to the guide portion; and

a support member arranged on a distal portion of the angle to drawably support the webbing;

the guide portion includes;

a guide plate including an actuation guide portion, which has an adjustment actuation portion and an assistance actuation portion, and an intermediate guide portion, which has an adjustment intermediate portion and an adjustment intermediate portion, with the adjustment actuation portion extending so as to follow undulations on a front surface of the seat back, the assistance actuation portion extending continuously from the adjustment actuation portion, the adjustment intermediate portion being shaped identically to the adjustment actuation portion and spaced from the adjustment actuation portion by a first predetermined distance so that the angle moves while keeping the posture of the angle in a state where the support portion is located in the storage position, and the assistance intermediate portion extending continuously from the adjustment intermediate portion and spaced from the assistance actuation portion; and

wherein an actuation engagement member is movable in the direction the actuation guide portion extends and engaged with the actuation guide portion;

an intermediate engagement member is movable in the direction the intermediate guide portion extends and engaged with the intermediate guide portion;

the actuation engagement member and the intermediate engagement member are fixed to a basal portion of the angle in a state spaced apart from each other by the first predetermined distance to couple the guide plate and the angle.

3. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, wherein:

the guide plate includes an action guide portion spaced from the adjustment actuation portion by a second predetermined distance, which is greater than the first predetermined distance, with the action guide portion being shaped identically to the adjustment actuation portion, and the intermediate guide portion being located between the action guide portion and the actuation guide portion so as to allow the angle to move while keeping the posture of the angle in a state where the support portion is located in the storage position;

a coupling portion movable in the direction the action guide portion extends is engaged with the action guide portion, with the coupling portion being movable in a longitudinal direction of the angle, and the coupling portion coupling the guide plate and the angle.

4. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a slit is formed between the distal portion and the basal portion of the angle, and the coupling portion includes an action engagement member engaged with the action guide portion and the slit so as to be movable in the directions the action guide portion and the slit extend.

5. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the coupling portion includes a collar having a frame-shaped main body portion, which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the angle, and an action engagement portion, which extends from the main body portion and is engaged with the action guide portion so as to be movable in the direction the action guide portion extends.

6. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the actuation guide portion includes an additional assistance portion inclined toward the intermediate guide portion in the direction it extends and extended more than the intermediate guide portion toward an upper side of the guide plate.

7. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, wherein each of the guide portions is a groove, and each of the engagement members is a pin member inserted into the groove.

8. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the support member includes an insertion hole through which the webbing is inserted.

9. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the support member includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged along a thicknesswise direction of the webbing, and an inlet extends through either one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion in a thicknesswise direction of the webbing and a longitudinal direction of the webbing.

10. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

a lever cooperatively operated with the angle, wherein when the lever is moved, movement of the support member between the storage position and the projection position and movement of the support member in the vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position are continuously performed.

11. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

a slide nut cooperatively operated with the angle;

a screw shaft to which the slide nut is engaged, the screw shaft being arranged in correspondence with the guide plate;

a motor which rotates the screw shaft; and

a controller which controls and drives the motor;

wherein when the motor is driven, movement of the support member between the storage position and the projection position and movement of the support member in the vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position are continuously performed.

12. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 11, wherein a spaced distance between the actuation guide portion of the guide plate and the screw shaft changes along an axial direction of the screw shaft, the auxiliary mechanism further comprising:

a joint which couples a basal portion of the angle and the slide nut so as to absorb changes in the spaced distance between the basal portion of the angle and the slide nut in accordance with vertical movement of the slide nut.

13. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the controller moves the support portion to the projection position when determining that the passenger is seated on the vehicle seat and a door is closed based on a detection result of a seating detection unit, which detects whether or not the passenger is seated on the vehicle seat, and a detection result of a door opening and closing detection unit, which detects whether or not the door of the vehicle is closed.

14. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the controller moves the support portion to the storage position when determining that the passenger has fastened the seat belt apparatus based on a detection result of a seat belt fastening detection unit, which detects whether or not the passenger has fastened the seat belt apparatus.

15. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

the support portion includes;

an angle which is coupled to the guide portion so as to be movable relative to the guide portion; and

a support member which is arranged at a distal portion of the angle to drawably support the webbing;

the guide portion includes;

a guide plate including an actuation guide portion, which extends linearly, and an intermediate guide portion, which has a parallel portion and a nonparallel portion, with the parallel portion being spaced from the actuation guide portion by a predetermined distance and extending parallel to the actuation guide portion, and the nonparallel portion extending continuously from the parallel portion spaced from the actuation guide portion;

wherein an actuation engagement member is movable in the direction the actuation guide portion extends and engaged with the actuation guide portion;

an intermediate engagement member is movable in the direction the intermediate guide portion extends and engaged with the intermediate guide portion;

the actuation engagement member and the intermediate engagement member are fixed to a basal portion of the angle in a state spaced apart from each other by a distance that is greater than the predetermined distance to couple the guide plate and the angle.

16. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

the guide plate includes an action guide portion extended parallel to the actuation guide portion, in which the intermediate guide portion is located between the action guide portion and the actuation guide portion;

a coupling portion movable in the direction the action guide portion extends is engaged with the action guide portion, with the coupling portion being movable in a longitudinal direction of the angle, and the coupling portion coupling the guide plate and the angle.

17. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 16, wherein a slit is formed between the distal portion and the basal portion of the angle, and the coupling portion includes an action engagement member engaged with the action guide portion and the slit so as to be movable in the directions the action guide portion and the slit extend.

18. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the coupling portion includes a collar having a frame-shaped main body portion, which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the angle, and an action engagement portion, which extends from the main body portion and is engaged with the action guide portion so as to be movable in the direction the action guide portion extends.

19. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the actuation guide portion includes an additional assistance portion inclined toward the intermediate guide portion in the direction it extends and extended more than the intermediate guide portion toward an upper side of the guide plate.

20. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, wherein each of the guide portions is a groove, and each of the engagement members is a pin member inserted into the groove.

21. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the support member includes an insertion hole through which the webbing is inserted.

22. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the support member includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged along a thicknesswise direction of the webbing, and an inlet extends through either one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion in a thicknesswise direction of the webbing and a longitudinal direction of the webbing.

23. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, further comprising:

a lever cooperatively operated with the angle, wherein when the lever is moved, movement of the support member between the storage position and the projection position and movement of the support member in the vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position are continuously performed.

24. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 15, further comprising:

a slide nut cooperatively operated with the angle;

a screw shaft to which the slide nut is engaged, the screw shaft being arranged in correspondence with the guide plate;

a motor which rotates the screw shaft; and

a controller which controls and drives the motor;

wherein when the motor is driven, movement of the support member between the storage position and the projection position and movement of the support member in the vertical direction of the seat back at the storage position are continuously performed.

25. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 24, wherein a spaced distance between the actuation guide portion of the guide plate and the screw shaft changes along an axial direction of the screw shaft, the auxiliary mechanism further comprising:

a joint which couples a basal portion of the angle and the slide nut so as to absorb changes in the spaced distance between the basal portion of the angle and the slide nut in accordance with vertical movement of the slide nut.

26. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 24, wherein the controller moves the support portion to the projection position when determining that the passenger is seated on the vehicle seat and a door is closed based on a detection result of a seating detection unit, which detects whether or not the passenger is seated on the vehicle seat, and a detection result of a door opening and closing detection unit, which detects whether or not the door of the vehicle is closed.

27. The auxiliary mechanism according to claim 24, wherein the controller moves the support portion to the storage position when determining that the passenger has fastened the seat belt apparatus based on a detection result of a seat belt fastening detection unit, which detects whether or not the passenger has fastened the seat belt apparatus.