Automatic releasing seat belt

• US 4,162,715 A
• Filed: 10/26/1977
• Issued: 07/31/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: COULOMBE, GEORGE J., 289 TENBY ST., COQUITLAM, B. C., CANADA V3K 3X7
• Original Assignee: COULOMBE, GEORGE J., 289 TENBY ST., COQUITLAM, B. C., CANADA V3K 3X7
• Inventors: Coulombe, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael
• Application Number:
  US05/845,485
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 180/82 C, 180/103 R, 180/103 A, 297/385, 24/230 R, 24/230 A, 24/230 AT, 244/122 B, 200/61.51, 280/744
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/321 using electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45461 Interlocking portion actuated or released responsive to preselected condition [e.g., heat, pressure]

Abstract

An automatic releasing seat belt utilizes a plate attached to a flexible belt portion of a seat belt. The plate is provided with a rectangular opening. A housing is attached to the other seat belt component having a compartment therein which is accessible by having a slot on one side and an opening on another side adjacent to the side of the slot. The plate is inserted in the slot such that the opening in the plate is disposed adjacent to the opening in the housing. Within the housing there is a camming plate utilizing a spring to bias upwardly and outwardly towards the opening in the housing a camming edge thereof. The camming edge engages one side of the opening in the plate. Thus, when the plate is inserted into the slot, the camming plate locks the plate into a given position. A flexible cable is disposed having one end engaged within the cavity of the housing and has a cam rod attached to the end of the inner cable portion thereof. When the inner cable is retracted, the cam rod is pulled toward the camming edge of the cam plate so as to dispose it downwardly, releasing the cam plate edge from the plate thereby disengaging same. The cam rod is activated by a solenoid coil, which in turn is sensitive to a plurality of sensors disposed about the interior portion of a motor vehicle, such sensors being responsive to an impact. Upon impact, the sensors operate a timer which disposes the solenoid into an activated condition releasing all of the belt mechanisms electrically coupled to it.

Claims

1. An automatic releasing seat belt comprising a pair of belts, one end of one of said pair of belts secured to a tongue-like plate, one end of the other of said pair of belts secured to a housing, means to manually releasably secure said tongue-like plate to said housing, said means to manually releasably secure includes said housing having a cavity, said housing having a slot, said slot communicating with the exterior of said housing and said cavity, said housing having an opening, said opening being disposed adjacent said slot, a camming plate, said camming plate being disposed within said cavity, one end of said camming plate being pivotably engaged within said cavity, said tongue-like plate having an opening, said opening in said tongue-like plate being disposed adjacent said opening in said housing when said tongue-like plate is disposed passing through said slot, the other end of said camming plate being disposed in touching engagement with a portion of the marginal edges of said opening in said tongue-like plate, a spring, said spring urging said other end of said camming plate in said touching engagement, whereby the application of manually applied force to said camming plate causes said other end thereof to be disengaged from said portion of said marginal edges of said opening of said tongue-like plate releasing said tongue-like plate from said housing, means to release said tongue-like plate from engagement with said housing upon the occurrence of an impact on a sensor, said means to release said tongue-like plate includes a flexible cable, said flexible cable having an inner cable and a sheath, said inner cable slidably engaged within said sheath, a rod, said rod fixedly secured to one end of said inner cable, said rod being disposed within said cavity, said housing having another opening, a portion of said inner cable adjacent said one end thereof disposed passing through said another opening, one end of said sheath adjacent said one end of said inner cable disposed fixedly secured to said another opening, a solenoid, said solenoid having a plunger therein, the other end of said inner cable fixedly secured to said plunger, said solenoid having a housing, the other end of said sheath fixedly secured to said housing of said solenoid, a helical spring, said helical spring urging said plunger outwardly from said solenoid, whereby energizing said solenoid causes said plunger to be urged away from said other end of said sheath and whereby said rod is displaced slidably along a lateral surface of said camming plate causing said other end of said camming plate to be disengaged from said portion of said marginal edges of said opening in said tongue-like plate, means to variably adjust the sensitivity of said sensor responsive to said impact, a timer, means to operate said timer upon said impact, whereby said timer delays said release from engagement of said tongue-like plate to said housing a period of time after the occurrence of said impact.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said sensors being coupled to said timer.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a wire-like spring, one end of said wire-like spring being disposed in touching engagement with said housing, the other end of said wire-like spring being disposed in touching engagement with said tongue-like plate when said tongue-like plate is secured within said housing, whereby said wire-like spring biases said tongue-like plate in a direction whereby said opening in said tongue-like plate is urged towards said slot of said housing.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a sensor housing, a sensor rod, one end of said sensor rod pivotably secured within said housing, means to electrically insulate said sensor rod from said sensor housing, said sensor housing having an opening therein, the other end of said sensor rod passing through said opening in said sensor housing, a weight, means to slidably affix said weight to said sensor rod along a portion thereof extending outwardly from said sensor housing, means to resiliently position said sensor rod intermediate the marginal edges defining said opening in said sensor housing.