Self-sensing clamping device for a safetybelt system
First Claim
1. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprisinga movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member, andsensor means having an inertia mass and being actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol element that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol element associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol element engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt, said sensor means including means actuatable in response to the occurrence of belt acceleration forces.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-sensing belt clamping device (10), for a safetybelt system is characterized especially by the fact that a car-sensitive locking body (48) and a belt-sensitive inertial system (90) are associated via a precontrol lever (44) directly with a rocking lever (38) and clamping member (26) and therefore can take effect without any substantial delay on the desired clamping of the belt, without having to apply a large initiating force by means of the sensor. Such a clamping device according to the invention can be independently arranged at any desired point between the door threshold and the deflector fitting in the B column. It can therefore be combined advantageously with a winder to form a winding clamp or with a deflector to form a deflection clamp.
17 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising
a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member, and sensor means having an inertia mass and being actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol element that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol element associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol element engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt, said sensor means including means actuatable in response to the occurrence of belt acceleration forces.
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2. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising
a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member, sensor means actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol element that is moveable responsive to sensor movement, the movement of said precontrol element associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol element engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt, said sensor including means actuatable in response to the occurrence of acceleration and deceleration forces and belt acceleration forces, and a rocking lever mounted for pivoting movement about a first end thereof, the clamping member being connected to a second end of said rocking lever, the clamping member having a clamping surface, said clamping surface being spaced adjacent said belt when said precontrol element is in said idle position, it being further provided that said clamping member is hingedly connected to the second end of said rocking lever, said precontrol element being rotatably mounted on said clamping member, said precontrol element rotating when moving from idle to occurrence positions there of into engagement with said belt, said rocking lever having a stop thereon, said clamping member engaging said stop when said precontrol element is in occurrence position, said belt in extraction travel thereof exerting force on said precontrol element in its occurrence position which force in turn is transmitted through said clamping member to said rocking lever to cause pivoting of said rocking lever to move the clamping member towards and into contact with said belt.
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22. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising
a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member, and sensor means actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol element that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol element associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by yieldably retracting from a belt engaging position to release constraint on the belt so it can move into contact with the clamping member draw-off movement of the belt while in contact with the clamping member moving the clamping member to clamping position against a counter-pressure surface with the belt therebetween.
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25. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising
a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member, and sensor means having an inertia mass and being actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol element that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol element associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol element engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt, said sensor means including means actuatable in response to the occurrence of belt acceleration forces; a rocking lever mounted for pivoting movement about a first end thereof, the clamping member being connected to a second end of said rocking lever, the clamping member having a clamping surface, said clamping surface being spaced adjacent said belt when said precontrol element is in idle position, said clamping member being hingedly connected to one end of said rocking lever, said precontrol element being rotatably mounted on said clamping member, said precontrol element rotating when moving from idle to occurrence positions thereof into engagement with said belt, said rocking lever having a stop thereon, said clamping member engaging said stop when said precontrol element is in occurrence position, said belt in extraction travel thereof exerting force on said precontrol element in its occurrence position which force in turn is transmitted through said clamping member to said rocking lever to cause pivoting of said rocking lever to move the clamping member towards and into contact with said belt.
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26. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means and upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising:
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a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member; sensor means having an inertia mass and being actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol lever that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol lever associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol lever engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt; and a rocking lever mounted for pivoting movement about a first end thereof, the clamping member being hingedly connected to a second end of said rocking lever, the clamping member having a clamping surface, said clamping surface being spaced adjacent said belt when said precontrol lever is in idle position, said precontrol lever being pivoted at a first end thereof on a common mounting with said rocking lever.
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27. A self-sensing clamping device for clamping a vehicle safety belt to limit belt extension draw off from a belt winder means and upon the occurrence of predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces and without reliance on any sensor initiated locking of the winder means, said device comprising:
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a movably-mounted clamping member, the belt normally being constrained in non-contacting relation with the clamping member; and sensor means having an inertia mass and being actuatable responsive to said predetermined acceleration and deceleration forces for movement between normally idle and occurrence positions, said sensor means being coupled with a belt engageable precontrol lever that is moveable responsive to sensor means movement, the movement of said precontrol lever associated with sensor means movement to occurrence position operating to effect contact of said belt with said clamping member by the precontrol lever engaging the belt and thereby transmitting force to the clamping member to move it into contact with the belt, said precontrol lever having a first end which is rotatably mounted to said clamping member, said precontrol lever rotating when moving from idle to occurrence positions thereof into engagement with said belt. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification