Web guide and emergency locking assembly

• US 4,786,079 A
• Filed: 11/26/1986
• Issued: 11/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: American Safety Corporation
• Inventors: Wyder, Manfred, Hollowell, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/934,953
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 280/808, 280/801, 280/804, 280/803, 280/807, 242/107.2
• US Class Current: 280/808
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1855 the means being sensitive to belt tension

Abstract

A vehicle seat belt utilizing a web guide and emergency locking assembly comprising a mounting frame for mounting the web guide and emergency locking assembly to an interior surface of the vehicle having a front bearing surface of non-chafing material, a retainer guide affixed to the web guide mounting bracket and further comprising a plurality of reaction springs mounted upon a plurality of dimples separated by a stopping means on its top surface, a wedge block slidably mounted upon the retainer guide and pivotly interconnected with the mounting frame having a front bearing surface of non-chafing material, a wedge block actuator resting upon the plurality of reaction springs and enclosing the wedge block, and a camming surface on each interior surface of each side member of the actuator complementary to each pin affixed to each side surface of the wedge block wherein the interaction between the wedge block and the camming surfaces contained on the actuator moves the wedge block towards the mounting frame to lock the seat belt webbing.

Claims

1. A seat belt system for use in vehicles having a seat, said system having a seat belt retractor means mounted adjacent to the seat to maintain the belt in a coiled form when not in use and in an unslackened form during use, a web guide and emergency locking means mounted at the upper area of the B-pillar of an automobile for normally guiding a chest belt above the shoulder of an occupant from the retractor to a floor anchor and for preventing movement of the chest belt such that the occupant will be restrained in an approximately upright position during an emergency stopping condition and a buckling means for fastening the chest belt to the anchor, wherein said web guide and emergency locking means comprises:

a mounting frame having a front bearing face against which the chest belt may be clamped;

a wedge block and means for mounting it to said frame for clamping the chest belt against said face when the belt is entrained between said block and said face and said block is moved into engagement with said belt; and

a wedge block actuator means for moving said wedge block into engagement with said belt, said actuator means including a light weight one piece molded shell having a belt entraining means for entraining said belt thereover, a block camming means for camming said block into engagement with said belt on a downward pull of said belt entrained thereover and biasing means in contact with said shell normally biasing said shell in an upward position wherein said block is not cammed into engagement with said belt.

2. The seat belt system of claim 1 wherein said wedge block actuator entraining means further comprises a curved non-chafing surface on a top guiding surface for said belt to travel over from the retractor.

3. The seat belt system of claim 2 wherein a lower surface of the actuator guiding surface further comprises a complementary surface for the biasing means to bias said shell in an upward position and a plurality of guiding channels for the movement of the actuator on the wedge block and means.

4. The seat belt system of claim 1 wherein the wedge block and means for mounting it comprises a retainer guide affixed to the mounting frame for enabling the wedge block to be slidably mounted thereon.

5. The seat belt system of claim 4 wherein the means for biasing said wedge block actuator comprises at least one spring reaction surface which interacts with at least one spring affixed to the top surface of the retainer guide.

6. The seat belt system of claim 1 wherein the web mounting frame further comprises a front bearing surface of non-chafing material.

7. The seat belt system of claim 4 wherein the wedge block further comprises:

a front surface containing a groove for a tab guide for slidably mounting upon said retainer guide;

a bearing surface of non-chafing material affixed to the front surface of the wedge block; and

a pin affixed to each side surface in a position complementary to a camming slot on each interior surface of each side member of the wedge actuator.

8. The seat belt system of claim 7 wherein the movable wedge block further comprises a back surface inclined at an acute angle to a bottom surface and complementary to a lateral surface on said retainer guide such that movement of the wedge block actuator results in a corresponding movement between the wedge block and the mounting frame.

9. The seat belt system of claim 4 wherein the retainer guide further comprises:

a tab affixed to a bottom surface directed in approximately an upward vertical orientation for the slidable movement of the wedge block;

a guide means affixed to a top surface for limiting the movement of the wedge block actuator during activation by the chest belt;

a means for biasing the wedge actuator to enable the chest belt to move in an unrestrained manner during non-emergency stopping situations; and

said top surface and bottom surface being joined by a lateral surface inclined at a complementary angle to that of the wedge block back surface.

10. The seat belt system of claim 9 wherein the means for biasing the wedge block actuator comprises at least one dimple to hold a corresponding number of reaction springs upon the top surface.

11. An improved seat belt utilizing a web guide and emergency locking means comprising:

a mounting frame for mounting the web guide and emergency locking means to an interior surface of the vehicle having a front bearing surface of non-chafing material;

a retainer guide affixed to the web guide mounting means and further comprising at least one reaction spring mounted upon a corresponding number of dimples and a stopping means on its top surface;

a wedge block slidably mounted upon the retainer guide and pivotly interconnected with said mounting frame having a front bearing surface of non-chafing material; and

a wedge block actuator resting upon at least one reaction spring and enclosing the wedge block, and a camming surface on each interior surface of each side member of said actuator complementary to each pin affixed to each side surface of the wedge block wherein the interaction between said wedge block and the camming surfaces contained on said actuator moves the wedge block toward the mounting frame to lock the seat belt webbing in an emergency stopping condition.

12. A seat belt system having a seat belt retractor means mounted adjacent to the seat to maintain the belt in a coiled form when not in use and in an unslackened form during use, a web guide and emergency locking means mounted at the upper area of the B-pillar of an automobile for normally guiding a chest belt above the shoulder of an occupant from the retractor to a floor anchor and for preventing movement in the chest belt such that the occupant will be restrained in an approximately upright position during an emergency stopping condition, a buckling means for fastening the chest belt to the anchor whereby said web guide and emergency locking means comprises:

a mounting frame for mounting the web guide and emergency locking means to an interior surface of the vehicle having a front bearing surface of non-chafing material;

a retainer guide affixed to the web guide mounting means and further comprising a plurality of reaction springs mounted upon a plurality of dimples separated by a stopping means on its top surface;

a wedge block slidably mounted upon the retainer guide and pivotly interconnected with said web guide mounting means having a front bearing surface of nonchafing material; and

a wedge block actuator resting upon said plurality of reactions springs and enclosing the wedge block and a camming surface on each interior surface of each side member of said actuator complementary to each pin affixed to each side surface of the wedge block wherein the interaction with said wedge block and the camming surface contained on said actuator moves the wedge block toward the mounting frame to lock the seat belt webbing in an emergency stopping condition.