Safety belt anchorages

• US 3,964,798 A
• Filed: 02/07/1975
• Issued: 06/22/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Britax Limited
• Original Assignee: Britax Limited
• Inventors: Burleigh, David William
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Church, Gene A.
• Application Number:
  US05/548,031
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 308/1 R, 308/1 A, 308/3 R, 280/150 SB, 105/464, 105/475, 105/478, 105/482, 105/502, 248/40 B, 248/242, 248/243, 248/423
• US Class Current: 384/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/201 with the belt anchor connected to a slider movable in a vehicle-mounted track for passive restraint systems B60R22/06

Abstract

An anchorage member for adjusting the position of a safety belt with regard to body shape and seat position. The anchorage member is attached to a door pillar or alongside a seat and comprises a slide member for selectively engaging a series of abutments. The slide member is biased into engagement with the abutments and may be locked in position.

Claims

1. An anchorage member for a safety belt, said anchorage member comprising an elongated load bearing support having a series of abutment means along its length, a slide member mounted on said support for anchoring a safety belt, said slide member being manually movable for selective engagement with said abutment means, and biasing means serving to maintain the slide member in engagement with the selected abutment means, said elongated load bearing support being formed with a slot with zones of increased width at at least two spaced locations along its length, said slide member having a width greater than the width of said slot, and said slide member being manually movable along said slot for selective engagement with said zones of increased width, said zones of increased width being in the form of notches spaced along one side of said slot;

and said biasing means being spring means biasing the slide member towards the notched side of the slot.

2. An anchorage member according to claim 1 in which a stem attached to said base projects through the slot and is provided for said selective engagement with said notches.

3. An anchorage member according to claim 2 in which said base is dimensioned such that, when the stem engages one of the notches, the peripheral edge of said base engages a portion of said elongated load bearing support.

4. An anchorage member according to claim 3 in which the elongated load bearing support comprises longitudinal edges or wall portions which define an elongate recess, which recess is coextensive with said slot, the biasing means including a leaf spring extending along one of said edges or wall portions, said base being located between the leaf spring and the other one of said edges or wall portions.

5. An anchorage member according to claim 1 in which the longitudinal dimension of each notch is inclined with respect to the longitudinal dimension of said slot.

6. An anchorage member for a safety belt, said anchorage member comprising an elongated load bearing support having a series of abutment means along its length, a slide member mounted on said support for anchoring a safety belt, said slide member manually movable for selective engagement with said abutment means, and biasing means serving to maintain the slide member in engagement with the selected abutment means, said elongated load bearing support being formed with a slot with zones of increased width at at least two spaced locations along its length, said slide member having a base on a reverse side of said support, said base of said slide member having a width greater than the width of said slot, and said slide member being manually movable along said slot for selective engagement with said zones of increased width, said zones of increased width comprising pairs of opposed cut-outs, said cut-outs being of like profile and dimension, a member extending from said base for providing belt anchorage, said base being engaged with said support surrounding said opposed cut-outs, said member being a stem which extends from a projecting shoulder on said base, said shoulder being dimensioned and shaped to fit each pair of opposed cut-outs but not into said slot per se, spring means for biasing said slide member to maintain it in position with said shoulder received in an opposed pair of said cut-outs, and a locking bar extending along the length of said elongated load bearing support for movement between a first position wherein said base can be moved against the resistance of said spring means to enable said selective positioning of said slide member and a second position wherein said locking bar prevents said movement of said base:

7. An anchorage member according to claim 6 in which the elongated load bearing support inludes edges or wall portions defining an elongated recess, one of said edges or wall portions locating means fixed to said bar for causing said bar to move between said first and second positions.

8. An anchorage member for a safety belt, said anchorage member comprising an elongated load bearing support, said support being formed with a slot with notches spaced along one longitudinal side thereof;

a slide member mounted on said support for anchoring a safety belt, said slide member having a base on a reverse side of said support, said base having a width greater than the width of said slot and said slide member being manually movable along said slot for selective engagement with said notches; and

biasing means urging said slide member transversely of said slot towards said notched side of said slot.

9. An anchorage member according to claim 8 in which said slide member includes a stem attached to said base projects through said slot and is provided for selective engagement with said notches.

10. An anchorage member according to claim 9 in which said base is dimensioned such that, when said stem is engaged in one of said notches, the peripheral edge of said base engages a portion of said elongated load bearing support.

11. An anchorage member according to claim 10 in which said elongated load bearing support includes longitudinal wall portions which define an elongated recess, said recess being coextensive with said slot;

said biasing means including a leaf spring extending along one of said wall portions, said base being located between said leaf spring and the other one of said wall portions.

12. An anchorage member according to claim 11 in which each of said notches is elongate, the longitudinal dimension of each of said notches being inclined with respect to the longitudinal dimension of said slot.

13. An anchorage member for a safety belt, said anchorage member comprising an elongated load bearing support, said support being formed with a slot with pairs of opposed cut-outs along its length, said cut-outs being of like profile and dimension;

a slide member mounted on said support for anchoring a safety belt, said slide member having a base on a reverse side of said support, said base having a shoulder dimensioned and shaped to fit respective pairs of said opposed cut-outs but not to fit into said slot per se, a stem extending from said shoulder for providing belt anchorage; and

biasing means urging said slide member to a position in which said shoulder is maintained in an opposed pair of said cut-outs.

14. An anchorage member according to claim 13 including a locking bar which extends along the length of said elongated load bearing support and is adapted for movement between a first position wherein said base can be moved against said biasing means to enable selective positioning of said slide member, and a second position wherein said locking bar prevents said movement of said base.

15. An anchorage member according to claim 14 in which said elongated load bearing support includes edges or wall portions defining an elongated recess, one of said edges or wall portions locating means fixed to said bar for causing said bar to move between said first and second positions.