Shoulder adjuster

• US 5,149,136 A
• Filed: 08/13/1991
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Tetsuya, Kosugi, Noriyuki, Nanbu, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/744,693
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/808, 280/802, 297/468, 297/473, 297/483, 297/486
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/202 the slider comprising spring-actuated locking means B60R22/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider

Abstract

Disclosed is a shoulder adjuster comprising: a guide rail fitted so that the longitudinal direction is set as a vertical directions to a vehicle and provided with a plurality of notches formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction; and a slide member slidable in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and having engaging parts engaging with the notches and a shoulder anchor fitting part. The guide rail consists of a synthetic resin guide rail and a metal guide rail so that the slide member engages with the synthetic resin guide rail during an emergency, and during a non-emergency the synthetic resin guide rail is deformed to make the slide member engage with the metal guide rail.

Claims

1. A shoulder adjuster comprising:

a guide rail fitted so that the longitudinal direction is set as a vertical direction to a vehicle and provided with a plurality of notches formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction; and

a slide member slidable in the longitudinal direction of said guide rail and having engaging parts engaging with said notches and a shoulder anchor fitting part, characterized by said guide rail being consisted of a synthetic resin guide rail and a metal guide rail so that said slide member engages with said synthetic resin guide rail during a non-emergency, and during an emergency said synthetic resin guide rail is deformed to make said slide member engage with said metal guide rail.

2. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 1, wherein said synthetic resin guide rail is disposed in rear of said metal guide rail, said guide rails are formed with slots extending in their longitudinal directions, and said anchor fitting part is disposed to pass through said slots.

3. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 2, wherein a slide surface of said slide member with respect to said synthetic resin guide rail is composed of a synthetic resin.

4. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 2, wherein said metal guide rail has a flange side edges of which are folded in a rear direction of said guide rail, said flange is formed with notches to thereby provide pawls at constant pitches, protrusions are provided at edge portions along said slot of said synthetic resin guide rail at said pitches in the rear direction of said guide rail, and said metal pawls are concealed behind said protrusions when viewed from side surface in a state where said guide rails are joined.

5. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 2, wherein said notches of said synthetic resin guide rail have cut-in edge parts, said lower cut-in edge parts in up-and-down directions are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of said guide rail, and said upper cut-in edge parts in the up-and-down directions are obliquely orthogonal to the longitudinal direction thereof to expand apertures of said notches, and wherein said slide member includes said anchor fitting part possible of advancement and retreatment in the engaging direction and an elastic member for biasing said anchor fitting part in the engaging direction, and said engaging parts are integral with said anchor fitting part and biased by said elastic member in the engaging direction.

6. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 2, wherein said notches of said synthetic resin guide rail have cut-in edge parts, said lower cut-in edge parts in the up-and-down direction are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of said guide rail, and said upper cut-in edge parts in the up-and-down direction are obliquely orthogonal to the longitudinal direction thereof to expand apertures of said notches, and wherein said slide member includes engaging parts so provided on said anchor fitting part as to be advanceable and retreatable in the engaging direction and also an elastic member for biasing said engaging parts in the engaging direction, and said engaging parts are provided separately from said anchor fitting part and biased by said elastic member in the engaging direction.

7. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 2, wherein said notches of said synthetic resin guide rail have cut-in edge parts, said lower cut-in edge parts in up-and-down directions are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of said guide rail, and said upper cut-in edge parts in the up-and-down directions are obliquely orthogonal to the longitudinal direction thereof to expand apertures of said notches, and wherein said slide member include:

a pressure receiving member, having an inclined pressure receiving surface inclined upwards in the up-and-down directions with respect to the engaging direction of said engaging parts, for pressing said engaging parts in such a direction as to release from said notches during a shift in the engaging direction, an elastic member;

an elastic member for biasing said engaging parts in the engaging direction; and

an operator having an inclined pressurizing surface slide-contacting said inclined pressure receiving surface and advanceable and retreatable in the up-and-down directions.

8. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 4, wherein said slide member includes:

a U-shaped metal slider for embracing said guide rail from underside, a synthetic resin slider interposed between said metal slider and said synthetic resin guide rail;

apertures formed in such positions as to coincide with said sliders;

a nut serving as an anchor fitting part passing through said apertures and penetrating said metal guide rail from the surface thereof up to the rear surface of said metal slider;

synthetic resin engaging parts, provided on said synthetic resin slider, for engaging with protrusions of said synthetic resin guide rail; and

engagement holes, so formed in said metal slider as to extend in a slide direction thereof, into which pawls of said metal guide rails inserted, said synthetic resin engaging parts impinging on said synthetic resin protrusions in a normal state, said metal pawls impinge directly on said engagement holes of said metal slider in the event of emergency such as a vehicle collision.

9. The shoulder adjuster as set forth in claim 4, wherein said slide member includes:

a slider having flanges, formed at its side edges, for embracing said metal guide rail and said synthetic resin guide rail from the surface thereof;

slits so formed in said flanges as to extend from the surface of said guide rail to the underside thereof;

a nut serving as an anchor fitting part provided on the surface of said slider;

a metal lock plate having a pair of arms passing through said slits and extending up to the underside of said synthetic resin guide rail; and

synthetic resin caps put on the top ends of said arms, said caps impinging on said synthetic resin protrusions in a normal state, said arms impinging directly on said metal pawls in the event of emergency such as a collision.