Height-adjustment device for a motor-vehicle safety belt

• US 4,560,204 A
• Filed: 11/17/1983
• Issued: 12/24/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoflug BHBH of Industriestrasse 10 2084 Rellingen 2
• Original Assignee: Autoflug Gmbh (Autoflug Gruppe GmbH)
• Inventors: Zeumer, Monika, Straszewski, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US06/552,508
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 297/483, 297/468, 297/481, 280/808
• US Class Current: 297/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider

Abstract

A device for adjusting the height of the upper mounting or guide fitting of a motor-vehicle safety belt. The device includes a guide rail having arresting openings arranged above one another on both sides, and a slide which is movable in the guide rail, carries the mounting or guide fitting, and has locking elements which are displaceable transversely to the direction of movement of the slide, against spring pressure, from a locking position into an unlocked position via at least one push button. Problems to be overcome, on the one hand, include being able to carry out convenient and safe adjustment by hand and, on the other hand, preventing automatic adjustment as a result of uncontrollable external influences. To make the adjustment device easy to operate, shock-proof, and at the same time also practicable for smaller motor vehicles, there is located on the push button a guide member which has at least one inclined guide into which an extension of the associated locking element engages; the length and path direction of the inclined guide are such that the associated locking element is displaced from one extreme position to the other when the locking element traverses the inclined guide via the extension. The extensions of the locking elements, and the associated inclined guides, are preferably made to engage positively.

Claims

1. A device for adjusting the height of the upper mounting or guide fitting of the safety belt of a motor vehicle;

said device comprising;

a guide rail having two sides on which are successively arranged, one above the other, arresting openings;

a slide which is movable in said guide rail and carries said guide fitting;

locking elements adapted to engage in said arresting openings, said locking elements being displaceable transversely to the direction of movement of said slide, against spring pressure, from one extreme position, a locked position, into a second extreme position, an unlocked position, and vice versa;

at least one of said locking elements being provided with a first extension;

at least one push button for effecting said displacement of said locking elements; and

a guide member which is operatively connected with said at least one push button, and is provided with at least one inclined guide into which said at least one first extension of said locking elements engages;

the length and path direction of said at least one inclined guide being such that the associated locking element is displaced from one of said extreme positions to the other when said first extension thereof traverses said inclined guide so that on the one hand unlocking movement of said locking elements is avoided in the direction of forces effective during a side impact encountered by the vehicle and on the other hand there is made possible that a push button movement is converted into a locking movement arranged at right angles thereto via said inclined guide.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which said first extensions of said locking elements, and the associated inclined guides, are adapted to engage positively.

3. A device for adjusting the height of the upper mounting or guide fitting of the safety belt of a motor vehicle;

said device comprising;

a guide rail having two sides on which are successively arranged, one above the other, arresting openings;

a slide which is movable in said guide rail and carries said guide fitting;

locking elements adapted to engage in said arresting openings, said locking elements being displaceable transversely to the direction of movement of said slide, against spring pressure, from one extreme position, a locked position, into a second extreme position, an unlocked position, and vice versa;

at least one of said locking elements being provided with a first extension;

at least one push button for effecting said displacement of said locking elements; and

a guide member which is operatively connected with said at least one push button, and is provided with at least one inclined guide into which said at least one first extension of said locking elements engages;

the length and path direction of said at least one inclined guide being such that the associated locking element is displaced from one of said extreme positions to the other when said first extension thereof traverses said inclined guide;

said first extensions of said locking elements, and the associated inclined guides, being adapted to engage positively;

each of said locking elements, together with its first extension, being L-shaped.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said guide rail has a C-shaped cross-section, and in which said first extensions of said locking elements project from said guide rail and then engage into said inclined guides of said guide member.

5. A device according to claim 4, which includes a compression spring which is disposed between said slide and said guide member, and is effective in the direction of displacement of said slide.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which said guide member is provided with a second extension which is shaped in the manner of a slide, and is guided above said slide, in the same manner as the latter, so as to move by sliding in said guide rail.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which said compression spring is disposed between said slide and said second extension of said guide member.

8. A device for adjusting the height of the upper mounting or guide fitting of the safety belt of a motor vehicle;

said device comprising;

a guide rail having two sides on which are successively arranged, one above the other, arresting openings;

a slide which is movable in said guide rail and carries said guide fitting;

locking elements adapted to engage in said arresting openings, said locking elements being displaceable transversely to the direction of movement of said slide, against spring pressure, from one extreme position, a locked position, into a second extreme position, an unlocked position, and vice versa;

at least one of said locking elements being provided with a first extension;

at least one push button for effecting said displacement of said locking elements; and

a guide member which is operatively connected with said at least one push button, and is provided with at least one inclined guide into which said at least one first extension of said locking elements engages;

the length and path direction of said at least one inclined guide being such that the associated locking element is displaced from one of said extreme positions to the other when said first extension thereof traverses said inclined guide;

said slide including a bolt on that side of said locking elements remote from said guide member, said guide fitting being pivotably attached to said bolt;

said at least one push button projects in the form of a z over said bolt; and

which includes an additional member for said push button, said additional member being mounted to said bolt in such a way that an interacting finger pressure can be exerted from two sides.

9. A device according to claim 8, in which said push button and said additional member are associated with one another by means of at least one straight-line guide.

10. A device according to claim 9, which includes a screw bolt for mounting said guide rail to a part which is fixed to said motor vehicle;

and in which said arresting openings of said guide rail are positioned in such a way that in a middle normal position of said guide fitting, i.e. of said slide, the longitudinal axis of said bolt of said slide is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said screw bolt of said guide rail.

11. A device according to claim 10, in which said guide rail is provided with hook-shaped extensions on both sides of said screw bolt for engaging said part which is fixed to said vehicle.

12. A device according to claim 8, which includes sheet-like extensions which are attached to said Z-shaped push button and are large enough to cover said guide rail in any position of said slide.

13. A device according to claim 12, in which said sheet-like extensions have two longitudinal edges;

in which covering means are provided for said device, said covering means having guide grooves at said two longitudinal edges of said sheet-like extensions;

said covering means also being provided with an opening corresponding in size at least to the greatest range of movement of said push button, with the latter projecting through said opening.

14. A device according to claim 13, in which said sheet-like extensions cover a space within which said guide fitting is located;

and in which one of said sheet-like extensions, in the vicinity of said guide fitting, is provided with a slot which is intended for said safety belt, and from which the latter enters the passenger space of said vehicle.

15. A device according to claim 8, in which said guide member includes a transverse groove, and in which said Z-shaped push button includes a leg which is directed toward said guide rail and positively engages said transverse groove of said guide member.

16. A device according to claim 15, in which said Z-shaped push button includes a leg which is intended for finger engagement, said last-mentioned leg being provided with an angled extension which extends over said additional member and forms a cavity into which the latter can enter when said device is actuated.