Device for maintaining a strap of a safety belt in an adjustable position

• US 4,867,477 A
• Filed: 05/25/1988
• Issued: 09/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ECIA - Equipements et Composants Pour L'Industrie Automobile
• Original Assignee: ECIA - Equipements et Composants Pour L'Industrie Automobile
• Inventors: Escaravage, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tyson, Karin
• Application Number:
  US07/198,348
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/808, 248/297.3, 248/499, 297/468, 297/483, 292/152, 292/150, 403/329, 403/325
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/201 with the belt anchor connected to a slider movable in a vehicle-mounted track for passive restraint systems B60R22/06

Abstract

The device comprises a body (10), a lock (20) and a strap holder (30) and is adapted to be fixed to a structure (50). The body comprising a support (11) and a base (12) which is provided with a slot (13) receiving the keeper (21) of the lock. This keeper, which is normally biased by a spring (23) into the engaging position in which it traps the catch 22 of the lock, is movable to a disengaging position in which the catch, which is connected to the strap holder, can be shifted between various positions. Application in the chest part of a safety belt strap for an automobile.

Claims

1. A device for maintaining a strap of a safety belt in an adjustable position, for fixing to a structure and comprising a body, a lock and a strap holder, the body including an anchoring support and a base provided with a slot, the lock comprising a keeper retained in said slot and movable between a disengaging position and an engaging position, a catch on the strap holder and movable relative to the body and said keeper in a direction parallel to said slot in such manner as to be capable of being placed in either one of at least two distinct positions along said slot when the keeper is in said disengaging position so that it is immobilized in one of said positions by the keeper when the keeper is in said engaging position, and a spring for normally biasing the keeper toward said engaging position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the body is in the form of a stirrup comprising a bar and substantially parallel branches extending from the bar and each terminating in a flange constituting the anchoring support, said bar constituting said base.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein one of the flanges is for engagement in a corresponding opening of said structure and the other of the flanges is provided with an aperture for placing in correspondence with a corresponding aperture in said structure for receiving a fixing means.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the keeper has the shape of a ring in which is provided a cavity on an inner side of which cavity are provided at least two notches for receiving, as desired, the catch and an orifice between the notches for mounting the spring.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the orifice has such dimensions as to permit the passage of the catch upon assembly.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein the spring is in the form of a strip having in the vicinity of the middle part of the strip an opening which is cooperative with the orifice of the bar for receiving retaining means and so shaped that a side of the strip bears against the bar and an opposite side is for bearing against said structure.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the catch is in the form of a cross-bar connected to the strap holder.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the strap holder is provided with a strap passage oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the slot.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the passage acts as a strap return means for a chest part of a safety belt strap.

10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the strap holder is provided with an opening which is substantially perpendicular to the slot, and said opening is located between the catch and the passage of the strap holder.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the keeper comprises bearing surfaces which are cooperative with said body for determining the position of the keeper in said engaging position thereof.

12. A device according to claim 4, wherein the notches have edges which are so profiled as to enable the strap holder to be inclined at least in one direction at a given angle α

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