Retention mechanism for a safety-belt band of manually adjustable position

• US 4,871,192 A
• Filed: 10/07/1988
• Issued: 10/03/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1987
• 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: Henriot, Michel, Escaravage, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERRITER, KARIN L
• Application Number:
  US07/254,644
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 280/808, 280/801, 248/297.3, 297/468, 297/483, 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 mechanism intended to be fastened to a structure (10) is composed of a body (20), a guide (30), a spring (40) and a band support (50).

The guide is equipped with cells (312) with stays (313) where a reinforcement (53) of the support (50) can rest. In order to shift the support, the reinforcement is freed from a cell counter to the force of the spring and is made to slide along the base of the rear of the latter.

The invention is used for motor-vehicle safety belts.

Claims

1. Retention mechanism for a safety-belt band of manually adjustable position, adapted to be fastened to a part of a vehicle structure (10) and consisting of:

a body (20) with a base (21) and mounts (22) for anchoring the base to the structure (10);

a band support (50) having a reinforcement (53) which partial defines an aperture (55) and which is movably connected to the body to adjust the position of the safety belt band;

wherein the base (21) and the anchoring mounts (22) of the body (20) are arranged so as to form a recess (211) of the rear of the base, the body further including a guide (30) in line with the recess (211) and equipped with at least two cells (312), with each of which a stay (313) is associated; and

at least one spring (40) generating a force in line with each cell (312) and in the direction of the latter;

wherein the the band support (50) is movably connected to the body (20) in such a way that its aperture (55) has the base (21) and the guide (30) passing through it, and in such a way that the reinforcement (53) can engage into a cell (312) and rest against a stay (313) or travel in the recess (212), the force generated by the spring (50) normally pushing the reinforcement (53) into a cell (312).

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guide (30) comprises an element in the form of a bar (31) terminating in stanchions (32) and is seated in the recess (211) and of which the face opposite the base (21) is provided with a clearance (311) and carries the cells (312) with their stays (313) in order to receive the reinforcement (53) of the band support (50).

3. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the body (20) possesses lateral flanks (23) between the mounts (22), and the guide (30) consists of clearances (311) made in the flanks (23) and of notches (231) made in the latter in order to form the cells (312).

4. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the notches (231) are edged with lugs (232) bent to form the stays (313).

5. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the stays (313) are curved to allow the transverse tilting of the band support (50) in at least one direction in relation to the body (20).

6. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the spring (40) has a web (41) with two blades (42) acting in line with the cells (312) and with two wings (411) for fastening to the guide (30).

7. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement (53) comprises a rod (531) with multiple elbows.

8. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the body (20) has the shape of a stirrup where each anchoring mount (22) has a branch (221) perpendicular to the base and terminating in a rim (222).

9. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the band support (50) includes a passage (54) which a band can pass through freely and in which the latter can travel.