SAFETY BELT INCLUDING PLATE-TYPE LOAD LIMITER

• US 20190241153A1
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Published: 08/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: CHOI, Kum-Lim, Lee, Hyung-Moo, Suh, Eun-Suk, Lee, In-Ju, Kwon, Jong-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/286 using deformation of material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/289 Energy-absorption curves
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/12 using plastic deformation of members F16F9/30 takes precedence; yieldable means for mounting bumpers on vehicles B60R19/26; yieldable or collapsible steering columns B62D1/192

Abstract

A load limiter may include a load limiter body to which a downward pulling force and an upward pulling force are applied together in opposite directions, wherein the load limiter absorbs energy by deformation to limit the downward pulling force in a multi-stage manner and simultaneously absorbs energy by deformation to limit the upward pulling force in a multi-stage manner.

Claims

1. A load limiter comprising:

a load limiter body to which a downward pulling force and an upward pulling force are applied together in opposite directions, wherein the load limiter absorbs energy by deformation to limit the downward pulling force in a multi-stage manner and absorbs energy by deformation to limit the upward pulling force in a multi-stage manner.

2. The load limiter of claim 1, wherein the load limiter body includes:

a webbing body coupled with a webbing rod under the downward pulling force;

a shoulder strap body coupled with a shoulder strap rod under the upward pulling force; and

a connecting body integrating the webbing body with the shoulder strap body.

3. The load limiter of claim 2, wherein each of the webbing body and the shoulder strap body is provided with a rod support portion, and each of the coupling of the webbing body to the webbing rod and the coupling of the shoulder strap body to the shoulder strap rod is made by the rod support portion.

4. The load limiter of claim 3, wherein the rod support portion includes:

a rod holder to perform a first load limit; and

a load braker to perform a second load limit,

wherein the first load limit and the second load limit allow the forces to be limited in the multi-stage manner.

5. The load limiter of claim 4, wherein the load braker has an end-to-end distance less than an end-to-end distance of the rod holder.

6. The load limiter of claim 4, wherein the rod holder is connected to the load braker by a load limit protrusion, and the load limit protrusion is formed between the load braker and the rod holder and has an end-to-end distance which is half of the rod holder.

7. The load limiter of claim 4, wherein the rod holder is in a circular shape, and the load braker is in a rectilinear shape.

8. The load limiter of claim 6, wherein the load limit protrusion has a divergence structure which is expanded from the rod holder to the load braker.

9. The load limiter of claim 3,

wherein each of the webbing body and the shoulder strap body is provided with a rod seating portion, and

wherein the rod seating portion is connected to an end portion of the rod support portion.

10. The load limiter of claim 9, wherein the rod seating portion has a rod groove recessed therein.

11. The load limiter of claim 10,

wherein the rod groove of the webbing body has an end-to-end distance greater than a rod diameter of the webbing rod, and

wherein the rod groove of the shoulder strap body has an end-to-end distance greater than a rod diameter of the shoulder strap rod.

12. The load limiter of claim 2, wherein the connecting body has a triangular shape and is connected from the webbing body to the shoulder strap body.

13. The load limiter of claim 1, wherein the load limiter body has a plate shape by press working.

14. The load limiter of claim 1, wherein the load limiter body includes an upper plate and a lower plate, and the upper and lower plates have a same shape and are integrated by overlapping with each other.

15. The load limiter of claim 14, wherein the upper and lower plates are fixed and integrated by a fixing member in a state in which the upper and lower plates overlap with each other.

16. A safety belt comprising:

a webbing;

a shoulder strap including a first shoulder strap and a second shoulder strap; and

a load limiter engaged to the webbing and the shoulder strap and configured to absorb energy by deformation to limit a downward pulling force applied by a webbing rod connected to the webbing in a multi-stage manner, to absorb energy by deformation to limit an upward pulling force applied by a first shoulder strap rod connected to the first shoulder strap in a multi-stage manner, and to absorb energy by deformation to limit an upward pulling force applied by a second shoulder strap rod connected to the second shoulder strap in a multi-stage manner.

17. The safety belt of claim 16, wherein the load limiter includes:

a load limiter body to limit the forces in the multi-stage manner,

wherein the load limiter body includes;

a webbing body having a webbing space in which the webbing rod coupled with the webbing is disposed;

a first shoulder strap body having a first shoulder strap space in which the first shoulder strap rod coupled with the first shoulder strap is disposed; and

a second shoulder strap body having a second shoulder strap space in which the second shoulder strap rod coupled with the second shoulder strap is disposed.

18. The safety belt of claim 17,

wherein a first rod support portion and a second rod support portion are formed to face each other in each of the webbing space and the first and second shoulder strap spaces, the first and second rod support portions configured for being deformed,

wherein each of the first and second rod support portions includes:

a rod holder to perform a first load limit; and

a load braker to perform a second load limit,

wherein the rod holder is connected to the load braker by a load limit protrusion, and

wherein the load limit protrusion is formed between the load braker and the rod holder and is in a shape of a tapered channel.

19. The safety belt of claim 17, wherein the first and second shoulder strap bodies are inclined to the webbing body in opposite directions thereof.

20. The safety belt of claim 19, wherein the webbing body is integrated with a connecting body connecting the first shoulder strap body to the second shoulder strap body, and the connecting body expands a predetermined area of the webbing body to reinforce durability of an integration of the webbing body and first and second shoulder strap bodies.