Seat belt connector assembly

• US 7,148,809 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuboki, Naobumi, Enomoto, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/054,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 297/482, 297/483, 297/473, 297/468, 297/464, 297/485, 297/486, 280/808, 280/801.2, 280/801.1, 280/806, 296/65.03, 296/64, 296/63, 296/65.01, 116/208, 116/212, 116/203, 340/686.1, 340/457.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/265 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2803 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4841 for sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4086 Looped strap
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor

Abstract

A seat belt connector assembly is provided with a seat belt anchor adapted to be coupled to a passenger seat and a cover for accommodating an upper part of the seat belt anchor. The seat belt anchor and the cover, which are relatively movable, are each formed with a seat-belt insertion hole permitting a seat belt to pass therethrough, and are formed with a mark and a through hole, respectively. When the desired relative position permitting the desired tension force to be applied to the seat belt is established between the seat belt anchor and the cover, the mark is made visible through the through hole.

Claims

1. A seat belt connector assembly, comprising:

a seat belt anchor adapted to be coupled to a passenger seat, said seat belt anchor having a seat-belt insertion hole permitting a seat belt to pass therethrough;

a cover for accommodating at least part of said seat belt anchor so that said seat belt anchor and said cover are relatively movable, said cover having a seat-belt insertion hole which is permitted to be aligned with the seat-belt insertion hole of said seat belt anchor and which permits the seat belt to pass therethrough; and

relative-position indicating means for indicating a relative position between said seat belt anchor and said cover, the relative position varying with a change in a tension force applied to the seat belt, wherein said relative-position indicating means indicates the relative position in accordance with an electrical change between electrodes individually formed in opposed faces of said seat belt anchor and said cover.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical change comprises a change in capacitance between the electrodes.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical change comprises a change in resistance between the electrodes.

4. A seat belt connector assembly, comprising:

a seat belt anchor adapted to be coupled to a passenger seat, said seat belt anchor having a seat-belt insertion hole permitting a seat belt to pass therethrough;

a cover for accommodating at least part of said seat belt anchor so that said seat belt anchor and said cover are relatively movable, said cover having a seat-belt insertion hole which is permitted to be aligned with the seat-belt insertion hole of said seat belt anchor and which permits the seat belt to pass therethrough; and

an indicator configured to show a relative position between said seat belt anchor and said cover, the relative position varying with a change in a tension force applied to the seat belt, wherein said indicator showing the relative position in accordance with an electrical change between electrodes individually formed in opposed faces of said seat belt anchor and said cover.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the electrical change comprises a change in capacitance between the electrodes.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the electrical change comprises a change in resistance between the electrodes.