Device for height adjustment of a reversing mount for the shoulder belt

• US 4,453,741 A
• Filed: 08/10/1981
• Issued: 06/12/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BMW AG (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Hipp, Karl H., Detsch, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner, Jr., Bruce H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carroll, John A.
• Application Number:
  US06/291,478
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/802, 280/808, 297/410, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider

Abstract

A device is disclosed for adjusting the height of a reversing mount of a shoulder belt of a restraining system disposed on a vehicle body in the vicinity of the shoulder of a passenger. The device comprises a slide guide fixedly associated with the vehicle body for receiving an adjusting element, an adjusting element positioned on the slide guide and supporting a reversing mount. The adjusting element supports an elastically supported latch. The latch automatically engages latching positions provided on the slide guide and is automatically brought out of the latching positions by deflecting ramps provided on the slide guide when the adjusting element is adjusted upward. The device further includes an actuating mechanism for adjusting the height of the adjusting element upward and downward. The actuating mechanism comprises a drive and a slide which is connected with the drive and is movably guided on the adjusting element relative to the latch. The slide includes a first driver which engages the adjusting element during an upward adjustment and a second driver having a surface in the form of an inclined plane which engages the latch when making a downward adjustment to disengage the latch from the latching positions by relative movement of the slide and adjusting element.

Claims

1. A device for selectively adjusting a reversing mount for a shoulder belt of a restraining system disposed on a vehicle body upward and downward in the vicinity of the shoulder of a passenger, said device comprising a slide guide having discrete latching positions and deflecting ramp means fixedly associated with the vehicle body for receiving an adjusting element, an adjusting element associated with said slide guide and supporting the reversing mount, said adjusting element includes an elastically supported latch means for automatically engaging the latching positions provided on the slide guide and adapted to be automatically brought out of the latching positions by the deflecting ramp means provided on said slide guide when the adjusting element is adjusted upward, and actuating means including a drive means and a slide which is connected with the drive means and is movably guided on said adjusting element relative to the latch means for selectively adjusting the adjusting means upward and downward, said slide including a first driver which engages the adjusting element during an upward adjustment and a second driver having a surface in the form of an inclined plane which engages the latch means when making a downward adjustment to disengage the latch means from the latching positions by relative movement of the slide and adjusting element.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the drive means is connected with said slide by a drive coupling.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said drive coupling is a Scotch-yoke drive coupling, and wherein said drive means includes a manually operable rotating knob, said drive coupling including a crank non-rotatably connected with said knob and engaging said slide.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of said adjusting element has a U-shaped cross section with guide slots for the latch being located opposite one another in the legs of the U-shaped section.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting element is provided with at least one pin which is received in sliding engagement in an elongated hole formed in said slide, one end of said elongated hole serving as said first driver to engage said pin of the adjusting element during an upward adjustment.

6. A device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein said slide is provided with at least one loop which serves as said second driver to engage the latch when making a downward adjustment.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said second driver includes two loops formed in lateral areas of said slide, each of said loops having a surface in the form of an inclined plane which engage said latch means when making a downward adjustment.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said side is held in a neutral position by a spring which is pretensioned and located between said slide and said adjusting element.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a motor for adjusting the slide upward or downward.