Seat belt guide

• US 6,474,691 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Izume, Tomoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Kelly E
• Application Number:
  US09/882,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: B60/R 2.220, 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 280/803, 280/807, 280/808, 297/481, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/207 Horizontally or transversally adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

In a seat belt guide, a hanger for guiding a seat belt by inserting the seat belt through a belt passing opening is inserted into a hanger guiding portion of a main portion to be moved in a front-to-rear direction. When the hanger is slid forwards by a predetermined distance, a rear end of a sliding groove of the hanger engages with a bolt to thereby swing the hanger in a horizontal direction. Since the seat belt is urged by a spring to a side opposite to a direction in which the seat belt is taken out of the belt passing opening when the seat belt is attached to a passenger, even if the passenger of small build wears the seat belt, the seat belt is not wound round the shoulder of the passenger and the seat belt adjusted to a lower attaching height can be attached to a proper position.

Claims

1. A seat belt guide for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle, comprising:

mounting means to be fixed to the vehicle and having a main portion to be mounted to the vehicle, said main portion including an inserting portion having an opening in a front end surface thereof and a hollow portion extending rearward from said opening, and

a movable guide slidably attached to the mounting means for engaging and guiding the seat belt and including a sliding member inserted into the inserting portion to be slid in a front-to-rear direction relative to the mounting means, and a guiding portion disposed at a front end of said sliding member and having an inserting opening for receiving and guiding the seat belt therethrough, said movable guide moving in the front-to-rear direction to change a length of the guiding portion to the front end surface to thereby change a guiding position of the seat belt.

2. A seat belt guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inserting portion comprises a first engaging portion and said sliding member comprises a second engaging portion to be engaged with said first engaging portion at a position where the sliding member is slid forward by a predetermined distance.

3. A seat belt guide as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a supporting shaft mounted in said inserting portion and extending in a generally vertical direction at right angles with a sliding direction of said sliding member;

an engaging portion provided at a rear end of said sliding member to be engaged with said supporting shaft at a position where the sliding member is slid forward by a predetermined distance to thereby allow the sliding member to be swung around the supporting shaft; and

biasing means for urging the sliding member to a side relative to the front-to-rear direction at least in a state that the sliding member is slid forward.

4. A seat belt guide assembly for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle, comprising,

a guide support housing mounted on the vehicle;

an elongated slide member slidably mounted in said housing for sliding movement between an extended position in which one end projects forwardly away from said housing and a retracted position in which said one end is located close to said housing;

a belt engaging guide member mounted on said one end for movement therewith; and

retaining means situated in said housing for engaging and releasably retaining said slide member in said extended and retracted positions so that said belt engaging guide is selectively mounted in a fore-and-aft direction.

5. A seat belt guide assembly defined in claim 4, wherein said retaining means further comprises pivot means permitting limited lateral pivoted movement of said slide member in said extended position.

6. A seat belt guide assembly defined in claim 5, further comprising biasing means normally urging said slide member in one pivoted direction.