Motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts

• US 4,892,331 A
• Filed: 02/01/1988
• Issued: 01/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weiler Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Weiler Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Wollner, Barbro, Wollner, deceased, Erik, Ennerdal, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERRITER, KARIN L
• Application Number:
  US07/151,114
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 280/808, 280/801, 280/802, 248/225.2, 411/84, 411/85, 411/400, 411/401, 411/409, 411/435, 411/395, 411/403, 403/404, 403/405.1, 297/468, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/208 by automatic or remote control means
• 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

A motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts comprises an elongate bar (10) having a substantially U-shaped cross-section; a threaded spindle (14) rotatably mounted in the bar; a motor (18) for driving the spindle; and a carrier (19) for the pillar loop (20) adapted to be moved in the bar by the rotation of the spindle. The bar is adapted to be attached to the car body at the seat for which the seat belt is intended by means of a first and a second screw means. The screw means are positioned close to the different ends of the bar and have a threaded portion and a main portion. The first screw means (23) has a main portion which is designed to be brought into engagement with the bar (10), when the threaded portion has been screwed into the car body. The main portion is provided with a recess through which a driving shaft (17) between the motor (18) and the spindle (14) can pass freely. Due to the design of the screw means the driving shaft between the motor and the spindle does not prevent the fastening of the bar at the motor end.

Claims

1. Motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts, comprising;

an elongate bar having a substantially U-shaped cross-section;

a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in the bar;

a motor positioned adjacent a first end of said bar and connected to a first end of said spindle for driving the spindle;

a carrier for the pillar loop adapted to be moved along the bar by the rotation of the spindle, and

first screw means for attaching said first end of said bar to said vehicle body and second screw for attaching a second end of said bar to the vehicle body, wherein

the first screw means has a main portion configured for engagement with the bar between said motor and a second end of said spindle, and configured for positioning between the sidewalls of said bar, said main portion provided with a recess for unobstructed accommodation of said spindle.

2. Height adjuster according to claim 1, wherein the main portion of the first screw means includes a hook and the bar includes at least one slot for engagement with the hook.

10. Method for mounting a height adjuster according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

securing said first screw means to said vehicle body,

engaging said bar with said main portion of said first screw means, and

securing said second end of said bar to said vehicle body with said second screw means.

3. Motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts, comprising;

an elongate bar having a substantially U-shaped cross-section;

a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in the bar;

a motor positioned adjacent a first end of said bar and connected to a first end of said spindle for driving the spindle;

a carrier for the pillar loop adapted to be moved along the bar by the rotation of the spindle, and

first screw means for attaching said first end of said bar to said vehicle body and second screw means for attaching a second end of said bar to the vehicle body, wherein

the first screw means has a main portion configured for engagement with the bar between said motor and a second end of said spindle, said main portion provided with a recess for unobstructed accommodation of said spindle, wherein

the main portion of the first screw means includes a hook and

said bar includes at least two slots for engagement with said hook, and

each side wall of the bar is provided with one of said slots.

4. Height adjuster according to claim 3, wherein the slots in the side walls are substantially L-shaped and run from the edges of the side walls, the inner portions of the slots running in the longitudinal direction of the bar.

5. Height adjuster according to claim 3, wherein the hook has two arms projecting from the threaded portion, and in that the arms at their free ends each are provided with a flange, the flanges being configured for engagement with the bar.

6. Height adjuster according to claim 5, wherein the flanges project substantially perpendicularly from the arms in opposite directions from each other and are positioned in the same plane.

7. Height adjuster according to claim 6, wherein each flange includes a notch in the edge facing the threaded portion, the notches configured for accommodation of the side walls of the slot edges of the U-shaped bar.

8. Height adjuster according to claim 7, wherein each flange has an outer end provided with a projecting portion at the edge turned away from the threaded portion, so that the flanges have a width which is larger than the width of the slots of the side walls.

9. Motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts, comprising;

an elongate bar having a substantially U-shaped cross-section;

a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in the bar;

a motor positioned adjacent a first end of said bar and connected to a first end of said spindle for driving the spindle;

a carrier for the pillar loop adapted to be moved along the bar by the rotation of the spindle,

first screw means for attaching said first end of said bar to said vehicle body, and

second screw means for attaching a second end of said bar to the vehicle body, configured for insertion through a hole in the bar and to be screwed into the vehicle body, and

a U shaped clamp means for positioning between said second screw means and said bar with the side walls of said clamp perpendicular to the sidewalls and the back wall of said bar, and one side wall of said clamp acting as a bearing for a second end of said spindle, wherein

the first screw means has a main portion configured for engagement with the bar between said motor and a second end of said spindle, said main portion provided with a recess for unobstructed accommodation of said spindle.