Seat belt assembly and method for producing the through anchor

• US 6,467,850 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NSK Autoliv Co., Ltd. (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NSK Autoliv Co., Ltd. (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yukio, Kawai, Osamu, Takimizu, Yuichi, Saito, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Kazuo, Matsuki, Masuo, Ono, Katsuyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/570,603
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 297/464, 297/483, 297/463.1, 297/468, 280/808, 280/801.1, 241/64, 294/29, 29/3, 294/08, 294/58, 294/60
• US Class Current: 297/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling

Abstract

In a through anchor (10), a webbing sliding contact surface (15) is formed by bending in a curved fashion a lower edge of an opening (14) formed in a metal insert (11) toward a side. The through anchor (10) is covered over portions of the metal insert (11) other than the webbing sliding contact surface (15) with a coating resin (13). Accordingly, it is possible to provide a seat belt assembly that can continue to provide good sliding contact between a webbing guide and webbing, with simple construction.

Claims

1. A seat belt assembly comprising:

a webbing for restraining a body of an occupant in a seat, and

a webbing guide for guiding a movement of said webbing in its longitudinal direction,

wherein said webbing guide includes

a metal insert having an opening through which said webbing passes,

an insert molded resin portion integrally provided with said metal insert, and

a metal material portion secured relative to at least one of said metal insert and said insert molded resin portion, said metal material portion having a portion across said opening, said metal material portion having a sliding metal surface with which said webbing is brought in slide contact.

2. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said insert molded resin portion has at least one engaging groove portion formed in its outer surface, and said metal material portion has at least one engaged portion which is engaged with said engaging groove portion.

3. The seat belt assembly according to claim 2, wherein said metal material portion comprises

an arc-shaped portion on which said sliding metal surface is formed, and

a fitting portion adapted to be fitted on or adjacent to said lower edge portion of said opening.

4. The seat belt assembly according to claim 3, wherein said metal material portion comprises a metal plate, said arc-shaped portion is formed on an intermediate portion of said metal plate, and said fitting portion is formed on each of both end portions of said metal plate.

5. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said metal material portion comprises a metal sheet which is mounted on at least part of the perimeter of said insert molded resin portion.

6. The seat belt assembly according to claim 5, wherein an raised portion is formed on the lower edge portion of said metal insert so as to brought in abutment with said metal sheet.

7. The seat belt assembly according to claim 5, wherein said metal sheet has an arc-shaped portion on which said sliding metal surface is formed, and fitting portions adapted to be fitted to each other, and

wherein said arc-shaped portion is formed on an intermediate portion of said metal sheet, and said fitting portion is formed on each of both end portions of said metal sheet.

8. The seat belt assembly according to claim 7, further comprising:

a cover attachable to said metal sheet for covering said fitting portions which are formed on each of both end portions of said metal sheet.

9. The seat belt assembly according to claim 5, wherein said metal sheet is made of a shape memory alloy which matches a configuration of said insert molded resin portion.

10. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said sliding metal surface is formed by plating said insert metal.

11. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said insert metal is made of a stainless steel.

12. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said metal material portion comprises a metal plate having an arc shaped portion on which said sliding metal surface is formed, said arc-shaped portion is formed on an intermediate portion of said metal plate, and said metal plate has a fitting portion that is formed on each of both end portions of said metal plate.

13. The seat belt assembly according to claim 1, wherein said insert mold resin portion has a pair of engaging groove portions formed in its outer surface, and said metal material portion has a pair of engaged portions which are respectively engaged with said pair of engaging groove portions.

14. The seat belt assembly according to claim 13, wherein a projection for preventing said metal material portion from disengaging from said insert molded resin portion is formed in the inner surface of each of said pair of engaging groove portions.

15. The seat belt assembly according to claim 13, wherein said webbing guide further includes fixtures for preventing disengagement of said metal material portion from said molded resin portion, the fixtures being pressed fitted into said respective engaging groove portions.

16. A method for producing a through anchor having a webbing sliding contact surface constituted by a metal surface, comprising the steps of:

coating a periphery of a webbing pass-through opening formed in a metal insert with a coating resin so as to form a coating resin portion integrally formed with said metal insert;

forming a pair of fitting grooves in an external surface of said coating resin portion;

thereafter inserting a metal plate in said webbing pass-through opening along a direction in which a webbing is allowed to pass through said opening;

causing said metal plate to fit to an external surface configuration at a portion of said coating resin portion which is located on the periphery of a lower edge portion of said webbing pass-through opening; and

fitting edge portions of said metal plate in the webbing pass-through direction into said respective fitting grooves so as to secure said metal plate to the external surface of said coating resin portion.