Adjustable seat belt anchorage

• US 4,508,363 A
• Filed: 02/10/1983
• Issued: 04/02/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1982
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: ASE (US) Incorporated (ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ASE (US) Incorporated (ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Temple, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US06/465,610
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/804, 280/808, 297/468, 297/473, 297/483, 297/486
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/202 the slider comprising spring-actuated locking means B60R22/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider

Abstract

An adjustable seat belt anchorage, particularly for the upper end of the shoulder belt of a vehicle seat belt system, comprises a channel-shaped track along which a carriage having a loop or other means for attachment of a seat belt is slidable. The track has a series of notches which are engageable by a protruding rib on the carriage. For adjustment, the carriage is rockable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement to release the rib from engagement with the notches. A torsion spring acting between the carriage and the track biasses the rib and notches into engagement and the engagement is enhanced by the tension in the belt during use.

Claims

1. Anchorage means for a belt of a seat belt system, said anchorage means comprising:

carriage means having support means for said belt,

track means for guiding said carriage means for movement therealong,

locking means for locking said carriage means against said movement along said track means,

3. The anchorage means of claim 1, wherein said support means, said first locking means, and the axis about which the carriage means is rockable are so located on said carriage means that tension in said belt tends to urge said first locking element into locking engagement with an adjacent one of said second locking elements.

5. The anchorage means of claim 3, wherein said track means further comprises a rear wall portion spaced from said front wall portion, said carriage means being captive between said front and rear wall portions.

7. The anchorage means of claim 5, wherein said resilient biassing means comprise a spring acting between said carriage means and said rear wall of said track means.

2. said locking means comprising a first locking element on said carriage means and a series of second locking elements spaced along said track means,

said carriage means being rockable between a first position in which said first locking element is in engagement with a selected second locking position to lock said carriage means at a selected position on said track means and against said movement along said track means from said selected position and a second position in which said first locking element is released from said second locking element to permit said movement of said carriage means along said track means to a different selected position on said track means, and

resilient biassing means biassing said carriage means into said first position.

4. The anchorage means of claim 2, wherein said track means has a front wall portion with a longitudinal slot therein through which slot said support means of said carriage means protrudes, said front wall slot having aligned notches in its opposite edges constituting a series of pairs of said second locking elements and said carriage means having corresponding protruding formations for engaging said notches and constituting a pair of said first locking elements.

6. The anchorage means of claim 4, wherein said carriage means has a first generally-planar portion, a second generally-planar portion extending in a second plane parallel to said first plane and displaced from said first plane in a direction laterally of said direction of movement of said carriage, and transitional portion between said first and second portions, said axis about which said carriage means is rockable extending through said transitional portion.

8. The anchorage means of claim 6, wherein said support means and said first locking element are on said first portion of said carriage means and said spring comprises a torsion spring having first and second arm portions engaged with the rear of said first portion and an intermediate portion engaged with said rear wall of said track means.

10. The anchorage means of claim 8, wherein said spring comprises a torsion spring having first and second arm portions engaged with the rear of said carriage and an intermediate portion engaged with said rear wall portion of said track means.

9. Anchorage means for a belt of a seat belt system, said anchorage means comprising:

carriage means having support means for said belt,

track means for guiding said carriage means for movement therealong, said track means having a front wall portion with a longitudinal slot therein, through which slot said support means of said carriage means protrudes, and a rear wall portion spaced from said front wall portion, said carriage means being captive between said front and rear wall portions,

locking means for locking said carriage means against movement along said track means and comprising a series of pairs of notches in said front wall portion, said pairs of notches being spaced apart along said track means and the notches of each said pair being formed in respective edges of said slot and being aligned with each other transversely thereof, and corresponding protruding formations on said carriage,

said carriage means being rockable between a first position, in which said corresponding protuding formations are in engagement with respective notches of a selected pair of said notches at a selected position on said track means and said carriage is locked against movement along said track means from said selected position, and a second position, in which said corresponding protruding formations are released from said pair of notches to permit said movement of said carriage means along said track means to a different selected position on said track means, and

resilient biassing means comprising a spring acting between said carriage means and said rear wall portion of said track means,

said support means, said corresponding protruding formations and the axis about which said carriage means is rockable being so located on said carriage means that tension in said belt tends to urge said corresponding protruding formations into locking engagement with a corresponding pair of said notches.

11. Anchorage means for a belt of a seat belt system, said anchorage means comprising:

carriage means having support means for said belt,

track means for guiding said carriage means for movement therealong, said track means having a front wall portion with a longitudinal slot therein, through which slot said support means of said carriage means protrudes, and a rear wall portion spaced from said front wall portion,

said carriage means being captive between said front and rear wall portions and having a first generally-planar portion, a second generally-planar portion extending in a second plane parallel to said first plane and displaced from said first plane in a direction laterally of said direction of movement of said carriage, and a transitional portion between said first and second portions, said support means being on said first generally-planar portion,

locking means for locking said carriage means against movement along said track means and comprising a series of pairs of notches in said front wall portion, said pairs of notches being spaced apart along said track means and the notches of each said pair being formed in respective edges of said slot and being aligned with each other transversely thereof, and corresponding protruding formations on said carriage means,

said carriage means being rockable about an axis extending through said transitional portion and said rocking movement between a first position, in which said corresponding protruding formations are in engagement with respective notches of a selected pair of said notches at a selected position on said track means and said carriage is locked against movement along said track means from said selected position, and a second position in which said corresponding protruding formations are released from said pair of notches to permit said movement of said carriage means along said track means to a different selected position on said track means, and

resilient biassing means comprising a torsion spring acting between said carriage means and said rear wall portion of said track means, said torsion spring having first and second arm portions engaged with the rear of said first portion of said carriage means and an intermediate portion engaged with said rear wall portion of said track means;

said support means, said corresponding protruding formations and the said axis being so located on said carriage means that tension in said belt tends to urge said corresponding protruding formations into locking engagement with a corresponding pair of said notches.