SEATBELT ANCHOR

• US 20190106080A1
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Published: 04/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jaradi, Dean M., Faruque, Mohammad Omar, Farooq, S.M. Iskander
• Granted Patent: US 10,399,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/286 using deformation of material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/28 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

Abstract

A seatbelt assembly includes a monolithic anchor having a first plate, a second plate spaced from the first plate, and a spring connecting the first plate to the second plate. The first plate has a webbing mount. The second plate has a vehicle mount.

Claims

1. A seatbelt assembly comprising:

a monolithic anchor having a first plate, a second plate spaced from the first plate, and at least one spring connecting the first plate to the second plate;

the first plate having a webbing mount;

the second plate having a vehicle mount; and

a sleeve defining a chamber extending from the first plate to the second plate and fully surrounding the spring, the second plate completely disposed within the chamber.

2. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is a coil spring.

3. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the monolithic anchor is metal.

5. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an open end and a closed end opposite the open end, the first plate extending from the sleeve at the open end.

6. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is completely disposed within the chamber.

7. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is plastic.

8. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle mount is a first hole, and the sleeve defines a second hole axially aligned with the first hole.

9. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is designed to deform upon application of a threshold amount of force, the threshold amount of force based on a standard crash test dummy.

10. The seatbelt assembly of claim 9, wherein the standard crash test dummy is a Hybrid III 50th percentile male dummy.

11. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the monolithic anchor is 3-D printed.

12. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the monolithic anchor has a longitudinal axis, and the first plate, the second plate, and the spring are aligned along the longitudinal axis, and the spring is less stiff than the first plate and the second plate along the longitudinal axis.

13. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is less stiff than the first plate and the second plate under tension.

14. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the monolithic anchor has a lateral axis, and wherein the at least one spring includes a plurality of springs spaced from each other along the lateral axis and connecting the first plate to the second plate.

15. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, further comprising a webbing secured to the first plate.

16. The seatbelt assembly of claim 15, wherein the webbing mount is a slot, and the webbing is disposed within the slot.

17. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the spring are formed of a same type of material.

18. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the monolithic anchor is made of stainless steel.

19. The seatbelt assembly of claim 1, wherein the first plate has a first thickness, the second plate has a second thickness, and the spring has a third thickness that is equal to or less than the first thickness and the second thickness.

4. (canceled)

20. (canceled)