Seat belt webbing guide
First Claim
1. A seat belt web guide, comprising:
- (a) load bearing flexible wire loop means having upper and lower loop portions wherein said loop means is shaped to define a loop opening large enough to receive seat belt webbing, wherein said loop means is adapted to be secured to a load supporting area of the vehicle structure;
(b) guide means for maintaining only the lower portion of said flexible wire loop means substantially straight for supporting and guiding said seat belt webbing passing through the loop means, said guide means comprising a tube element surrounding said lower loop portion for supporting seat belt webbing passing partially around the guide means and through the loop means;
(c) fastening means adapted to be secured to a vehicle structure for securing said loop means to the vehicle structure, said upper loop portion extending around said fastening means;
(d) a housing structure containing said loop means, including a recessed portion defined by two end flanges, said flanges being formed with apertures for mounting said tube element therebetween; and
(e) roller means surrounding said tube element for rollably supporting said seat belt webbing.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A seat belt webbing guide (100) for directing seat belt webbing material (120) from a retractor to a shoulder belt (130) includes a one-piece cover and housing (10) in which a lightweight load bearing wire loop (60) is disposed in a substantially triangular shaped configuration. The bottom portion of the wire loop is maintained straight by a tubular element (75) and an idler roller (80) surrounding the tubular element (75) enables the webbing material to extend partially around the roller (80) through the loop opening with a low friction rolling engagement. The roller (80) is mounted in a recessed area (86) of the housing (10) between two upright end flanges (90) which laterally retain the webbing. The ends (62, 64) of the wire loop (60) opposite the roller (80) are introduced from opposite directions into a length of wall tubing (70) and arranged to overlap each other. When the tubing (70) is swedged, the tubing walls are deformed against the wire ends ( 62, 64) resulting in high frictional engagement between the ends (62, 64) and the tubing (70). The wall tubing (70) extends around a support collar (12) formed in the housing (10) for mounting on a load bearing area of the vehicle.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A seat belt web guide, comprising:
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(a) load bearing flexible wire loop means having upper and lower loop portions wherein said loop means is shaped to define a loop opening large enough to receive seat belt webbing, wherein said loop means is adapted to be secured to a load supporting area of the vehicle structure; (b) guide means for maintaining only the lower portion of said flexible wire loop means substantially straight for supporting and guiding said seat belt webbing passing through the loop means, said guide means comprising a tube element surrounding said lower loop portion for supporting seat belt webbing passing partially around the guide means and through the loop means; (c) fastening means adapted to be secured to a vehicle structure for securing said loop means to the vehicle structure, said upper loop portion extending around said fastening means; (d) a housing structure containing said loop means, including a recessed portion defined by two end flanges, said flanges being formed with apertures for mounting said tube element therebetween; and (e) roller means surrounding said tube element for rollably supporting said seat belt webbing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11)
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8. A load bearing shoulder seat belt web guide for supporting belt webbing at shoulder height to a load supporting member within a vehicle to resist impulsive forces developed during collisions and prevent sudden concomitant forward movement of a restrained occupant, comprising (a) housing structure, load supporting wire loop means having terminal ends, said loop means positioned within said housing structure in substantially triangular shaped configuration, wherein the upper portion of said loop means includes a heavy wall tubing swedged around said terminal ends introduced into the tubing from opposite directions and arranged to overlap each other so that the ends are frictionally secured to each other and to the tube, said swedged tube extending around supporting means projecting outwardly from the housing, fastening means engaging said supporting means and adapted to secure the housing and said loop means to the vehicle structure;
- said housing further comprising a recessed portion below said supporting means defined by two end flanges, roller means surrounding the lower portion of loop means and rotatably mounted to said flanges, said roller means rollably engaging said belt webbing.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
Specification