Installation for increasing the safety of the occupants of an automobile vehicle

• US 3,901,345 A
• Filed: 05/21/1973
• Issued: 08/26/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter Fieni
• Original Assignee: Walter Fieni
• Inventors: Fieni, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US05/362,042
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15SB,15B 180/91
• US Class Current: 280/805
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/32 Fluid shock absorbers , e.g. with coaxial coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/262 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/282 using fluids or vico-elastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/288 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• 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 9/50 Special means providing automatic damping adjustment, i.e. self-adjustment of damping by particular sliding movements of a valve element, other than flexions or displacement of valve discsF16F9/53 takes precedence; Special means providing self-adjustment of spring characteristics

Abstract

An installation for protecting a vehicle occupant maintained on his seat by a restraining belt in the event of an impact, comprising a shock damper on said vehicle and means for varying the damping conditions of the shock damper as a function of a factor representing the tension of said belt.

Claims

1. An installation for protecting a vehicle occupant maintained on his seat by a restraining belt in the event of an impact, comprising a shock damper mounted on said vehicle, said shock damper forming a part of the vehicle structure;

and means for varying the damping conditions of the shock damper as a function of a factor representing the tension of said belt, means contributing to absorption of the impact, said means being immobilized as long as the tension of the restraining belt does not exceed a predetermined value;

a sliding member being connected to and pRojecting from the shock damper;

an anchoring device of the belt for locking said sliding member into position;

said sliding member having a notch therein, an immobilization member engageable in said notch and being formed integral with a yoke anchoring device for the restraining belt and adapted to be separated from the notch upon crushing of an elastic material in said immobilization member.

2. An installation according to claim 1, said sliding member upon release thereof displaced as a result of an impact with crushing of a deformable structure in said shock absorber having a calibrated deformation strength.

3. An installation for protecting a vehicle occupant maintained on his seat by a restraining belt in the event of an impact, comprising a shock damper mounted on said vehicle, said shock damper forming a part of the vehicle structure;

a bumper bar of said vehicle being mounted on said shock damper; and

means for varying the damping conditions of the shock damper as a function of a factor representing the tension of said belt.