Safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus

• US 4,544,112 A
• Filed: 03/09/1984
• Issued: 10/01/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: American Safety Equipment Corporation of Michigan
• Inventors: Ziv, Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US06/579,983
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 242/107.2, 242/107.4 R-107.4 E, 280/801, 280/803, 280/806-808, 297/468-480, 188/65.1, 188/67, 24/136 R, 24/236 SW, 24/263 SB
• US Class Current: 242/381.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/185 with stopping means for acting directly upon the belt in an emergency, e.g. by clamping or friction B60R22/195 takes precedence; combined with the retractor B60R22/42

Abstract

A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus has clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means and an inertia responsive means for operating the clamping means independently of webbing movement to a webbing clamp position in response to changes in vehicle inertia, the clamping means including a wedge shaped clamp member having a high strength, resilient and high coefficient of friction material provided for engaging the webbing portions to be clamped, biasing means for normally biasing the wedge member toward a webbing clamping position, releasable retaining means for normally holding the wedge member against movement under its bias and tripping means operated in response to changes in vehicle inertia for releasing the retaining means to allow wedge movement under its bias to the webbing clamping position. The vehicle inertia activated clamping means may be employed as the sole restraint apparatus of a safety belt or in combination with an emergency locking retractor to provide a dual locking system.

Claims

1. A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus comprising:

clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means, said clamping means including a wedge shaped clamp member moveably disposed between a vertical aubtment surface and an inclined surface spaced from said vertical abutment surface with said webbing passing between said clamp member and said vertical abutment surface;

support means for underlying said clamp member and normally supporting it in a webbing disengaging position;

biasing means connected to said support means for normally biasing said support means underlying said clamp member to move vertically and drive said wedge shaped clamp member against said inclined surface to cause it to clamp said webbing against said abutment surface in a webbing clamping position;

releasable retaining means connected to said support means and normally holding said support means against the bias of said biasing means with said clamp member in said webbing disengaging position; and

inertia responsive means for operating said releasable retaining means independently of webbing movement to release said support means in response to vehicle acceleration or deceleration, of more than a predetermined amount in any generally horizontal direction whereby the bias of said biasing means is allowed to bias said support means vertically to drive said wedge shaped clamp member vertically against said inclined surface to clamp said webbing against said abutment surface and thereby prevent said further relative movement of said webbing relative said locking apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 used in combination with an emergency locking safety belt webbing retractor having a retractor associated vehicle inertia sensing locking means for locking the retractor spool against webbing unwinding in response to a predetermined level of vehicle acceleration or deceleration and wherein said apparatus inertia responsive means is operative in response to a relatively higher level of vehicle acceleration, or deceleration than that of said retractor associated vehicle inertia sensing locking means.

3. A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus comprising:

clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means, said clamping means including a clamp member and support means underlying said clamp member to support and move said clamp member to clamp on said webbing;

inertia responsive means for operating said support means independently of webbing movement to move said clamp member to a webbing clamping position wherein said webbing is clamped against said further relative movement, solely in response to vehicle acceleration, or deceleration, of more than a predetermined amount without dependence upon strap movement to place said clamping means in said clamping position;

biasing means for normally biasing said support means to move said clamp member toward said webbing clamping position when said support means and clamp memer are in a nonclamping position;

releasable retaining means for normally holding said support means in said nonclamping position against movement toward said webbing clamp position; and

said inertia responsive means includes tripping means for operating said releasable retaining means to a release position without having to overcome the bias of said biasing means whereby said support means is moved by said biasing means to move said clamp member to said webbing clamping position without having to overcome the bias of said biasing means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

said support means for said wedge shaped clamp member includes a pivotally mounted support bar underlying said wedge shaped clamp member and

said biasing means comprises a spring operably connected to said support bar.

5. A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus comprising:

clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means, said clamping means including a wedge shaped clamp member and means for mounting said clamp member for movement from a webbing disengaging position to a webbing clamping position, said means for mounting said wedge shaped clamp member including a pivotally mounted support bar underlying said wedge shaped member; and

inertia responsive means for operating said clamping means independently of webbing movement to a webbing clamping position wherein said webbing is clamped against said further relative movement, solely in response to vehicle acceleration, or deceleration, of more than a predetermined amount without dependence upon strap movement to place said clamping means in said clamping position, said inertia responsive means including biasing means for normally biasing said wedge shaped clamp member toward said webbing clamping position, said biasing means including a spring operably connected to said support bar;

releasable retaining means for normally holding said wedge shaped member against movement toward said webbing clamping position; and

vehicle inertia activated tripping means for operating said releasable retaining means to a release position whereby said wedge shaped member is moved by said biasing means to said webbing clamping position, wherein said releasable retaining means comprises an over center linkage operably connected between said vehicle inertia activated tripping means and said support bar whereby said linkage normally holds said bar against the bias of said spring and is released by action thereon of said vehicle inertia activated tripping means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said vehicle inertia activated tripping means comprises a inertia sensing mass and associated means for engaging said over center linkage means whereby movement of said mass operates said linkage means to a release position.

7. A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus comprising:

clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means, said clamping means including a wedge shaped clamp member and means for mounting said clamp member for movement from a webbing disengaging position to a webbing clamping position, said means for mounting said wedge shaped member including a support member underlying said wedge shaped member; and

inertia responsive means for operating said clamping means independently of webbing movement to a webbing clamping position wherein said webbing is clamped against said further relative movement, solely in response to vehicle acceleration or deceleration, of more than a predetermined amount without dependence upon strap movement to place said clamping means in said clamping position, said inertia responsive means including biasing means for normally biasing said wedge shaped clamp member toward said webbing clamping position, said biasing means including a spring operably connected to said support member;

releasable retaining means for normally holding said wedge shaped member against movement toward said webbing clamping position; and

vehicle inertia activated tripping means for operating said releasable retaining means to a release position whereby said wedge shaped member is moved by said biasing means to said webbing clamping position, wherein said releasable retaining means comprises linkage means operably connected between said vehicle inertia activated tripping means and said support member whereby said linkage normally holds said support member against the bias of said spring and is released by action thereon of said vehicle inertia activated tripping means.

8. A safety belt webbing emergency locking apparatus comprising:

clamping means for selectively clamping safety belt webbing against further movement relative to the clamping means, said clamping means including a stationary webbing abutment surface and a clamp member for clamping against webbing run between said member and said surface;

support means for said clamp member in a webbing disengaging position and for moving it to a webbing engaging and clamping position;

biasing means connected to said support means for normally biasing said support means to move said clamp member to said webbing engaging and clamping position;

releasable retaining means for normally holding said support means in said webbing disengaging position for said clamp member and being releasable without acting against said biasing means to provide an easy release of said support means;

vehicle inertia responsive tripping means for operating said releasable retaining means to release said support means to allow said support means to move said clamp member under the bias of said biasing means to said webbing engaging and clamping position without said tripping means having to overcome the bias of said biasing means on said support means.