Vertically adjustable motor-vehicle safety-belt mount

• US 4,786,081 A
• Filed: 06/04/1987
• Issued: 11/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gudrun Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Gudrun Schmidt
• Inventors: Schmidt, Gudrun
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferriter, Karin L.
• Application Number:
  US07/058,264
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/808, 297/483, 297/468, 248/297.3, 248/295.1, 248/243
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/202 the slider comprising spring-actuated locking means B60R22/205 takes precedence

Abstract

An adjustable mount for anchoring a safety belt on a vertical surface of a motor vehicle has a vertically elongated guide rail fixed to the surface and having an front face turned away from the surface and a rear face turned toward the surface. This rail is formed with a longitudinally extending throughgoing slot and generally along the full length of the slot with a vertical row of stops at the rear face and having upwardly and downwardly directed stop edges. A slider displaceable along the rail has a rear portion engageable forward with the rear face of the rail and having abutments engageable between the stops with the edges thereof, a front portion engageable rearward with the front face of the rail, and an intermediate connecting portion extending between and unitarily interconnecting the front and rear portions. A guide fixed to the rear portion extends forward therefrom through the slot and is formed with a forwardly open threaded bore into which a bolt is threaded. A spring braced between one of the faces and the slider urges the rear portion forward against the rear face. This rear portion is displaceable rearward on loading of the spring to a position with the abutments clear of the stops and with the slider displaceable longitudinally along the slot. A buckle traversed by the belt is mounted on the slider.

Claims

1. An adjustable mount for anchoring a safety belt on a vertical surface of a motor vehicle, the mount comprising:

a vertically elongated guide rail adapted to be fixed to the surface and with a front face turned away from the surface and a rear face turned toward the surface, the rail being formed with a longitudinally extending throughgoing slot and generally along the full length of the slot with a vertical row of stops at the rear face and having upwardly and downwardly directed stop edges;

a slider displaceable along the rail and having

a rear portion engageable forward with the rear face of the rail and having abutments engageable between the stops with the edges thereof,

a front portion engageable rearward with the front face of the rail,

a connecting portion extending between and unitarily interconnecting the front and rear portions;

a guide fixed to the rear portion, extending forward therefrom through the slot, and formed with a forwardly open threaded bore;

a bolt threaded into the bore;

a spring braced between one of the faces and the slider for urging the rear portion forward against the rear face, the rear portion being displaceable rearward on loading of the spring to a position with the abutments clear of the stops and with the slider displaceable longitudinally along the slot; and

a buckle traversed by the belt and mounted on the slider.

2. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the front portion of the slider is below the rear portion thereof.

3. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the slot is of a predetermined transverse clear width and the slider is of a generally uniform thickness that is much smaller than the slot width, the intermediate portion extending through the slot and the front portion being wider than the slot.

4. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the guide is an internally threaded sleeve fixed to the rear portion.

5. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the stops are teeth projecting rearward from the rear face.

6. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the stops are holes opening at the rear face.

7. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1, further comprising

a spacer on the bolt, the spring being braced between the spacer and the front face, the buckle being swivelably mounted on the spacer.

8. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1, further comprising

a support spaced rearward from the slider and engaged forward around the rail, the spring being braced between the support and the slider.

9. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 8 wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

10. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 8 wherein the slider has a rearwardly open recess and the support has a coupling element projecting forward from the support into the recess, whereby the element couples the support to the slider for joint longitudinal movement.

11. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the rear portion has a forwardly bent tab projecting into the slot.

12. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1, further comprising

a guide member directly juxtaposed with the front face of the rail, traversed by the guide, and engaging backward around longitudinal edges of the rail, the spring being braced between the guide member and the slider.

13. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 12 wherein the spring is a leaf spring having one end hooked in the rear portion, an opposite end hooked in the front portion, and an intermediate portion bearing backward on the guide member.

14. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 1 wherein the rail is formed by a hollow beam element of the motor-vehicle frame, the beam being formed longitudinally offset from the slot with a service aperture capable of passing the slider.

15. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 14 wherein the beam is formed at a longitudinal end of the slot with a transverse widening through which the front portion can pass.

16. The adjustable safety-belt mount defined in claim 14, further comprising

a reinforcing plate formed with the slot and lying against an inner surface of the beam.