Energy absorbing device for use with vehicular seat belt
First Claim
1. An energy absorbing device for use with a seat belt of a vehicle, comprising a housing adapted to be secured to the vehicle and defining an interior space and a narrow passage extending between said interior space and the outer surface of said housing, an elongated rod-like strip of a metal including an outer end portion extending from said housing and adapted to be connected to the seat belt, a coiled portion adjacent to the other end of said strip and having a plurality of axially arranged turns disposed in said interior space and an intermediate portion interconnecting said coiled portion and said outer end portion and extending from said interior space outwardly through said narrow passage, strip bending and guiding means disposed between said interior space and said narrow passage, the arrangement being such that normally said intermediate portion of said metal strip extends in engagement with said strip bending and guiding means and, when a tension of a magnitude greater than a predetermined level is exerted to the outer end of said metal strip, successive parts of the coiled portion of said wire are bent over and drawn along said strip bending and guiding means, and means for preventing the axis of said coiled portion of said wire from being displaced when the tension is applied to the wire.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An energy absorbing device for use with a vehicular seat belt includes a housing adapted to be secured to the vehicle and defines a circular interior space and a narrow passage extending between the interior space and the outer surface of the housing. An elongated rod-like strip of a metal has a coiled end portion having a plurality of turns disposed in the circular space. An intermediate portion of the metal strip extends from the interior space outwardly through the narrow passage and terminates in the other end which is adapted to be connected to the seat belt. The junction between the circular space and the narrow passage is shaped to bend successive portions of the metal strip and guide them into the narrow passage when a tension of a magnitude greater than the bending stress of the metal strip is applied to the outer end of the strip during a collision.
56 Citations
7 Claims
- 1. An energy absorbing device for use with a seat belt of a vehicle, comprising a housing adapted to be secured to the vehicle and defining an interior space and a narrow passage extending between said interior space and the outer surface of said housing, an elongated rod-like strip of a metal including an outer end portion extending from said housing and adapted to be connected to the seat belt, a coiled portion adjacent to the other end of said strip and having a plurality of axially arranged turns disposed in said interior space and an intermediate portion interconnecting said coiled portion and said outer end portion and extending from said interior space outwardly through said narrow passage, strip bending and guiding means disposed between said interior space and said narrow passage, the arrangement being such that normally said intermediate portion of said metal strip extends in engagement with said strip bending and guiding means and, when a tension of a magnitude greater than a predetermined level is exerted to the outer end of said metal strip, successive parts of the coiled portion of said wire are bent over and drawn along said strip bending and guiding means, and means for preventing the axis of said coiled portion of said wire from being displaced when the tension is applied to the wire.
Specification