Adjustable vehicle seat belt anchorage

• US 4,515,395 A
• Filed: 04/28/1983
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kangol Magnet Limited
• Original Assignee: Kangol Magnet Limited
• Inventors: Patterson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/489,325
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 280/808, 280/801, 297/483, 297/486, 297/487
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/30 Coupling devices other than buckles, including length-adjusting fittings or anti-slip devices adaptations of manual three-point seat belt systems for use by small passengers using other means than belt anti-slip devices B60R22/024; buckles A44B11/00; releasable fastenings in general F16B

Abstract

An adjustable shoulder anchorage for a vehicle seat belt system comprises a length of webbing secured in the vehicle to extend generally upright in the region of the shoulder of the user of the system, and a connector having a running loop for the belt integrally formed therewith or secured thereto and movable to a selected position along the webbing. The webbing extends through a slot in the connector and reverses its direction around fixed and movable transverse bars of the connector between which the webbing is snubbed to securely hold the connector in the selected position.

Claims

1. An adjustable shoulder anchorage device for a vehicle seat belt, comprising:

a flexible elongate member;

means mounting said flexible elongate member to extend generally upright between upper and lower securement means in the region of the shoulder of an occupant of a vehicle seat belt with which said vehicle seat belt system is associated;

connector means having spaced generally parallel bar means engaged with said flexible elongate member whereby said connector means can be retained in a selected position along said flexible elongate member; and

support means for supporting said vehicle seat belt said support means being carried by said connector means,

wherein said bar means comprise first, second and third bars with said second bar between said first and third bar, and wherein said elongate member extends from one of the said securement means past said first bar to said second bar, reverses the direction thereof around said second bar, extends between itself and said first bar, reverses the direction thereof around said first bar, and extends to the other of said securement means between said second and said third bar.

2. The adjustment shoulder anchorage means of claim 1 having means mounting said second bar for movement on said connector means in response to tension in said vehicle seat belt to enhance said engagement between said flexible elongate member and said first and second bars.

3. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 2 wherein said movement of said second bar is such as to snub said flexible elongate member between said first and second bars.

4. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 3 having means on said movable second bar for manual operation thereof to release said snubbing engagement between said flexible elongate member and said first and second bars.

5. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 2 wherein said connector means comprises a channel member having a center wall and opposed side walls, wherein said center wall is apertured to define said first and third bars, and wherein said second bar is slidably guided in slots in said side walls.

6. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 5 wherein said support means is located on a portion of said center wall extending from said first and second bars beyond said third bar.

7. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 6 wherein said support means comprises a slot in said center wall extending parallel to said bars.

8. The adjustable shoulder anchorage device of claim 1 further comprising fastener means detachably connecting said support means to said connector means, and wherein at least one of said mounting means comprises a mounting member and another fastener means securing said mounting member to one of said securement means, the two said fastener means being interchangeable.

9. An adjustable shoulder anchorage means for a vehicle seat belt, comprising:

an elongate flexible member;

first and second end elements at respective ends of said flexible member;

first and second fastener means for securing said end elements respectively to first and second fixed securement means within a vehicle whereby the elongate flexible member extends generally upright between said securement means in the shoulder region of a user of said seat belt system;

a slide member;

means engaging said slide member with said flexible elongate member for movement therealong to a selected position;

third securement means on said slide member;

seat belt carrier means; and

third fastener means securing said seat belt carrier means to said slide member by way of said third securement means, said third fastener means being capable of securing said seat belt carrier means to at least one of said first and second fixed securement means.

10. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 9 further comprising seat belt retractor means storing said seat belt therein and means mounting said retractor in said vehicle, and wherein said seat belt carrier means comprises a running loop and said seat belt extends upwardly from said retractor means through said running loop.

11. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 9 wherein said means mounting said retractor means mounts said retractor at the lower of said first and second securement positions.

12. The adjustable shoulder anchorage means of claim 9 wherein said means mounting said slide member on said flexible elongate member comprise two spaced generally parallel bar means about each of which said flexible elongate member reverses its direction and a third bar means spaced from said two spaced bar means and engaged by said flexible elongate member.