Safety belt restraining system for vehicle occupants

• US 4,846,498 A
• Filed: 03/23/1988
• Issued: 07/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Inventors: Fohl, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/171,944
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/804, 280/808, 280/802, 297/468, 297/469, 297/483, 297/484
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/208 by automatic or remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/205 the slider comprising emergency actuated locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4604 characterised by arrangements in vehicle or relative to seat belt

Abstract

In the safety belt restraining system a tightening means is combined with a height adjuster for the upper deflection fitting of the shoulder belt. By offsetting of the pivot axis of the detent lever of the height adjuster in the forward direction with respect to the engagement point of the deflection fitting, on activation of the tightening means a turning moment is generated at the detent lever by which said lever is pivoted into engagement with the next available detent opening of the height adjuster.

Claims

1. Safety belt restraining system for vehicle occupants wherein:

(a) a safety belt retractor with automatic blocking means comprises a tightening means for tightening the belt webbing in an accident situation;

(b) a safety belt has a shoulder web section extending upwardly to a deflection fitting and web section extending downwardly from said deflection fitting to said retractor;

(c) a height adjuster is provided for said deflection fitting, said height adjuster comprising

a substantially vertically extending rail which is secured to a vehicle body portion and has a row of spaced-apart detent openings,

a slide adjustable in the rail, and a detent lever which is pivotally mounted on the slide and whereon the deflection fitting is mounted at a mounting location, said detent lever having a detent nose which is selectively movable into one of the detent openings against a spring bias tending to maintain said detent nose out of engagement with the detent openings;

(d) said pivotally mounted detent lever having a pivot axis which is offset in the direction of normal forward vehicle travel and upwardly with respect to said mounting location of the deflection fitting.

2. Safety belt restraining system according to claim 1, wherein an adjusting means engaging the slide is provided for the height adjustment of the deflection fitting.

3. Safety belt restraining system according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting means comprises a cable mechanism with a pulling cable which has one of its ends secured to the slide and its other end to an actuator drive.

4. Safety belt restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said pivot axis is offset with respect to the mounting location of the deflection fitting in the vehicle forward travel direction by an amount which is about 7 to 15 mm, preferably about 10 mm.

5. Safety belt restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said pivot axis is offset upwardly with respect to the mounting location of the deflection fitting by an amount of about 20 mm.

6. A safety belt restraining system for a vehicle occupant comprising:

a safety belt retractor with automatic belt locking means and tightening means for tightening said belt in an accident situation;

a safety belt having a shoulder web section extending upwardly to a deflection fitting and a web section extending downwardly from said deflection fitting to said retractor; and

a height adjuster for said deflection fitting, said height adjuster comprising

a substantially vertically extending rail secured to a vehicle body portion and having a row of spaced-apart detent openings;

a slide adjustable in said rail;

a detent lever pivotally mounted on said slide, said deflection fitting being mounted on said detent lever at a mounting location, said detent lever having a detent nose which is selectively movable into one of said detent openings against a spring bias tending to maintain said detent nose out of engagement with said detent openings, said pivotally mounted detent lever having a pivot axis which is offset in the direction of normal forward vehicle travel and upwardly with respect to said mounting location of said deflection fitting;

adjusting means engaging said slide for adjusting the height of said deflection fitting, said adjusting means comprising a cable mechanism including a pulling cable having one end secured to said slide and another end secured to an actuator drive, said pulling cable extending about a guide roller disposed at the upper end of said rail, and a compensating spring biasing said slide downwardly oppositely to the pulling direction of said pulling cable.

7. A safety belt restraining system for a vehicle occupant comprising:

a safety belt retractor with automatic belt locking means and tightening means for tightening said belt in an accident situation;

a safety belt having a shoulder web section extending upwardly to a deflection fitting and a web section extending downwardly from said deflection fitting to said retractor; and

a height adjuster for said deflector fitting, said height adjuster comprising

a substantially vertically extending rail secured to a vehicle body portion and having a row of spaced-apart detent openings;

a slide adjustable in said rail;

a detent lever pivotally mounted on said slide, said deflection fitting being mounted on said detent lever at a mounting location, said detent lever having a detent nose which is selectively movable into one of said detent openings against a spring bias tending to maintain said detent nose out of engagement with said detent openings, said pivotally mounted detent lever having a pivot axis which is offset in the direction of normal forward vehicle travel and upwardly with respect to said mounting location of said deflection fitting;

adjusting means engaging said slide for adjusting the height of said deflection fitting, said adjusting means comprising a cable mechanism including a pulling cable having one end secured to said slide and another end secured to an actuator drive, said actuator drive being derived from a longitudinal adjusting means of a vehicle seat associated with the restraining system.

8. A safety belt restraining system according to claim 7 wherein said pulling cable extends about a guide roller rotatably mounted on the vehicle body.

9. A safety belt restraining system according to claim 7 wherein said pulling cable is secured via a tension spring to the longitudinally adjustable vehicle seat.

10. A safety belt restraining system for a vehicle occupant comprising:

a safety belt retractor with automatic belt locking means and tightening means for tightening said belt in an accident situation;

a deflection fitting;

a safety belt having a shoulder web section for extending upwardly to said deflection fitting and a web section for extending downwardly from said deflection fitting to said retractor; and

a height adjuster for said deflection fitting, said height adjuster comprising

a rail for mounting to a vehicle body portion in a vertically extending orientation and having a row of spaced-apart detent openings;

a slide adjustable in said rail; and

a detent lever pivotally mounted on said slide, said detent lever having a detent nose, a spring biasing said detent lever and said detent nose out of engagement with said detent openings, said detent nose being selectively movable into one of said detent openings against the spring bias tending to maintain said detent nose out of engagement with said detent openings, said deflection fitting being mounted at a mounting location on said detent lever;

said pivotally mounted detent lever having a pivot axis to be offset in the direction of normal forward vehicle travel and upwardly relative to said mounting location of said deflection fitting;

said tightening means acting at said mounting location to effect tightening of said belt and pivoting of said detent lever about said pivot axis to bring said detent nose into engagement with one of said detent openings.