Seat belt tensioning device
First Claim
1. A seat belt tensioning device for a vehicle comprising:
- a cylinder having a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder so as to move in only one direction, said piston having a cavity and a passage which is narrow relative to said cavity and which extends from said cavity in the direction opposite to said one direction, to an opening in said cylinder,a member deformable by a predetermined tension force, said member having two ends and being disposed in said cavity, one end of said member being retained by said piston and the other end extending at least into said narrow passage for connection to a seat belt,piston operating means for moving said piston in said one direction at an urgent time, andreturn stop means operative after said piston has been moved in said one direction by said operating means for then preventing said piston from moving in said opposite direction for allowing exertion in said opposite direction on said other end of said deformable member of at least said predetermined force to deform said member and move its said other end a substantial distance in said other direction.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A seat belt tensioning device which restrains the passenger and absorbs his kinetic energy at an urgent time such as upon an impact of a vehicle. A piston is slidably disposed within a cylinder so as to move in only one direction. Return stop means prevents the piston from moving in an opposite direction. A metallic deformable member is disposed within a cavity of the piston, one end of the member being fixed to the piston, the other end thereof being connected to a seat belt. Piston operating means moves the piston within the cylinder at an urgent time and tensions the seat belt to restrain the passenger. When the tension force applied to the seat belt exceeds the deforming stress value of the metallic deformable member, the member is plastically deformed and the seat belt is drawn out of the cylinder to absorb the kinetic energy of the passenger.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A seat belt tensioning device for a vehicle comprising:
-
a cylinder having a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder so as to move in only one direction, said piston having a cavity and a passage which is narrow relative to said cavity and which extends from said cavity in the direction opposite to said one direction, to an opening in said cylinder, a member deformable by a predetermined tension force, said member having two ends and being disposed in said cavity, one end of said member being retained by said piston and the other end extending at least into said narrow passage for connection to a seat belt, piston operating means for moving said piston in said one direction at an urgent time, and return stop means operative after said piston has been moved in said one direction by said operating means for then preventing said piston from moving in said opposite direction for allowing exertion in said opposite direction on said other end of said deformable member of at least said predetermined force to deform said member and move its said other end a substantial distance in said other direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In a vehicle seat belt tensioning device, the improvement comprising:
-
actuable means for tensioning a seat belt, when actuated, by pulling the seat belt in a given direction, said actuable means including a cylinder having a piston movable in only said given direction and means for forcibly moving said piston in said given direction for tightening said belt upon vehicle impact, and energy absorbing means for allowing the seat belt to move a sufficient distance in the opposite direction to absorb kinetic energy applied to the seat belt as a result of a vehicle impact, said energy absorbing means including deformable means connectable to said seat belt and movable as a unit with said piston in said given direction and having a predetermined deformation stress value which, when exceeded by a seat belt force pulling in said opposite direction in response to said applied kinetic energy, causes the deformable means to deform and thereby move relative to said piston in said opposite direction to allow seat belt movement in said opposite direction to absorb said kinetic energy. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
11. A seat belt tensioning device comprising:
-
a cylinder having a piston movable in only one direction for tightening a seat belt in an emergency, means for forcibly moving said piston in said one direction to cause said emergency tightening, and deformable means connectable to said seat belt and having a predetermined deforming stress value and movable as a unit in said one direction with said piston, said deformable means being extendable in an opposite direction a substantial distance upon deformation by a force exceeding said deforming stress value.
-
Specification