Apparatus for adjusting the height of the fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder belt of a safety belt system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder strap of a safety belt system, said apparatus including means for adapting the vertical position of said fixing or guide fitting to the sitting position of the person which is to wear the safety belt;
- the improvement comprising;
a sensing apparatus associated with said fitting for sensing said shoulder strap in terms of at least one parameter of its operative connection to the person which is strapped, and for triggering a reaction, from said adapting means, to the situation ascertained;
said sensing apparatus having a sensing arm for sensing the direction of travel which said shoulder strap takes between said fitting and the person;
said sensing arm having a first end connected to said fitting, and a second free end which is connected to said shoulder strap;
said sensing apparatus having an angle measuring device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm relative to a reference line, and a servo element as said means for adapting the vertical position of said fitting; and
said servo element being activated to move said fitting until a given angular position of said sensing arm relative to said reference line is obtained, the angle measured by said device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm being converted into an electrical impulse which activates said servo element to move said fitting continuously adjusting shoulder belt location.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder belt of a safety belt system, particularly in motor vehicles. The apparatus has a mechanism for automatically adjusting the vertical position of the fitting to the sitting position of the person who is to be strapped in, and there is the problem that a strict correlation between the setting of the seat in question and the vertical position of the associated fixing or guide fitting cannot take account of every combination of physical proportions and sitting positions to produce an optimum belt angle at which the belt meets the shoulder of the wearer. One reason for this is that even the associated columns or uprights of cars vary in their positions. In order to solve the problem of providing an apparatus of this kind which makes it possible to determine the optimum path of the shoulder belt independently of any given seat positions, there is proposed according to the invention an apparatus for sensing the belt in terms of at least one parameter of its effective connection to the wearer, and for initiating a reaction to the situation found. The apparatus may be constructed to sense the direction of travel of the belt, or to sense and measure the force with which the belt rests on the body of the occupant.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder strap of a safety belt system, said apparatus including means for adapting the vertical position of said fixing or guide fitting to the sitting position of the person which is to wear the safety belt;
- the improvement comprising;
a sensing apparatus associated with said fitting for sensing said shoulder strap in terms of at least one parameter of its operative connection to the person which is strapped, and for triggering a reaction, from said adapting means, to the situation ascertained; said sensing apparatus having a sensing arm for sensing the direction of travel which said shoulder strap takes between said fitting and the person; said sensing arm having a first end connected to said fitting, and a second free end which is connected to said shoulder strap; said sensing apparatus having an angle measuring device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm relative to a reference line, and a servo element as said means for adapting the vertical position of said fitting; and said servo element being activated to move said fitting until a given angular position of said sensing arm relative to said reference line is obtained, the angle measured by said device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm being converted into an electrical impulse which activates said servo element to move said fitting continuously adjusting shoulder belt location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- the improvement comprising;
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6. An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder strap of a safety belt system, said apparatus including means for adapting the vertical position of said fixing or guide fitting to the sitting position of the person who is to wear the safety belt;
- the improvement comprising;
a sensing apparatus associated with said fitting for sensing said shoulder strap in terms of at least one parameter of its operative connection to the person who is strapped, and for triggering a reaction, from said adapting means, to the situation ascertained; said sensing apparatus being an apparatus for sensing the direction of travel which said shoulder strap takes between said fitting and the person; said sensing apparatus being a sensing arm having a first end connected to said fitting, and a second free end which is connected to said shoulder strap; and
which includes an angle measuring device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm relative to a reference line; andan apparatus for measuring the force with which said sensing arm is moved counter to the force of a spring from a basic position into the associated angular position.
- the improvement comprising;
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7. An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder strap of a safety belt system, said apparatus including means for adapting the vertical position of said fixing or guide fitting to the sitting position of the person which is to wear the safety belt;
- the improvement comprising;
a sensing apparatus associated with said fitting for sensing said shoulder strap in terms of at least one parameter of its operative connection to the person which is strapped, and for triggering a reaction, from said adapting means, to the situation ascertained; and said sensing apparatus being an apparatus for sensing and measuring the force with which said shoulder strap rests on the body of the person. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- the improvement comprising;
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19. An apparatus for adjusting the height of the upper fixing or guide fitting for the shoulder strap of a safety belt system, said apparatus including means for adapting the vertical position of said fixing or guide fitting to the sitting position of the person who is to wear the safety belt;
- the improvement comprising;
a sensing apparatus associated with said fitting for sensing said shoulder strap in terms of at least one parameter of its operative connection to the person which is strapped, and for triggering a reaction, from said adapting means, to the situation ascertained; said sensing apparatus being an apparatus for sensing the direction of travel which said shoulder strap takes between said fitting and the person; said sensing apparatus being a sensing arm having a first end connected to said fitting, and a second free end which is connected to said shoulder strap; and
which includes an angle measuring device for determining the angular position of said sensing arm relative to a reference line; anda ring gear which is provided on the pivot axis of said sensing arm, and which meshes with a toothed rack which acts on a sensor. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- the improvement comprising;
Specification