Belt guiding element for child safety system

• US 7,387,315 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Boll, Ruediger, Nett, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Drew J.
• Application Number:
  US11/730,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.1, 280/808, 297/468, 297/483, 297/486, 297/482, 297/250.1, 241/63.R, 245/982
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/024 Adaptations for use by small passengers, e.g. children B60R22/20 takes precedence; using belt anti-slip devices B60R22/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/023 the closing member pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the hook
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/024 and having means biasing the closing member about the pivot

Abstract

A belt guiding element for a child safety system, in particular for a child seat, can provide a high safety level and particularly highly comfortable use when the safety belt is inserted into the element and when the belt is removed therefrom. The belt guiding element comprises a slot for receiving a safety belt, on the vehicle side, in particular a three-point belt, and a locking element capable of being open or closed. The locking element enables, in an open position, for the safety belt to be inserted into the slot or the safety belt previously inserted into the slot, to be removed. In a closed position the locking element enables, the insertion or removal of the safety belt to be prevented. The locking element includes a lock lever which can pivot about a pin spaced apart from the slot.

Claims

1. A belt-guiding element for a child-safety system, comprising:

an accommodating slot for accommodating a vehicle-mounted safety belt; and

a locking element with an open position and a closed position, the locking element comprising a pivotable locking lever which can be pivoted about a pivot pin spaced apart from the accommodating slot,

wherein the safety belt can be inserted into the accommodating slot or an inserted safety belt can be removed from the accommodating slot when the locking element is in the open position,

wherein the safety belt is prevented from being inserted or removed when the locking element is in the closed position, and

wherein at least a portion of the accommodating slot runs in a circular path along a circumference of a virtual circle, and the pivot pin of the locking lever forms a center point of the virtual circle.

2. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during open or closed positioning of the locking lever, an end of the locking lever which is directed toward the accommodating slot forms a section of a locking-lever circular path with at least a portion running concentrically in relation to the accommodating slot.

3. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, connected to an end of the locking lever which is directed toward the accommodating slot is a positioning member, of which the outer contour corresponds to a section of the circular path over which the locking lever passes as it pivots, and which, in the closed end position of the locking lever, restrains the safety belt in the accommodating slot.

4. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a housing, the housing of the belt-guiding element includes a positioning member accommodating opening for accommodating the positioning member, and at least a portion of the positioning member is inserted into the positioning member accommodating opening in the open position of the locking lever.

5. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a covering element arranged on the locking lever to prevent parts of a body from being inserted between the locking lever and a housing that retains the pivot pin of the locking lever.

6. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing includes a covering element accommodating opening for accommodating the covering element, and at least a portion of the covering element, in the open position of the locking lever, is inserted into the covering element accommodating opening.

7. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a positioning member and a covering element that are integrally connected to the locking lever.

8. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a positioning member and a covering element that are separated from one another by a separating slot.

9. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 8, wherein the separating slot is dimensioned so as to prevent parts of a body from being inserted into the separating slot.

10. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking lever is arranged such that, in the open state, the locking lever releases at least a fifth of the accommodating slot.

11. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, wherein an end of the locking lever is provided with a latching element which interacts with a latching device of a housing that retains the pivot pin, the latching device being configured such that the latching device latches the locking lever in a closed end position and releases the locking lever only when a predetermined minimum deflecting force has been exceeded.

12. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing of the belt-guiding element, the housing, as seen in plan view, is in the form of a circle segment, and a segment-angle size of the circle segment corresponds at least to twice the pivoting angle of the locking lever.

13. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing that includes a rounded sliding surface.

14. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opening of the accommodating slot is oriented upward.

15. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing that includes a hook region.

16. The belt-guiding element as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hook region is formed in a hook-like manner such that the safety belt is held in position even in an event of an accident.

17. A belt-guiding element for a child-safety system, comprising:

an accommodating slot for accommodating a vehicle-mounted safety belt; and

a locking element with an open position and a closed position, the locking element comprising a pivotable locking lever which can be pivoted about a pivot pin spaced apart from the accommodating slot,

wherein the safety belt can be inserted into the accommodating slot or an inserted safety belt can be removed from the accommodating slot when the locking element is in the open position,

wherein the safety belt is prevented from being inserted or removed when the locking element is in the closed position, and

wherein at least a portion of the accommodating slot runs in the form of a circular path, and the pivot pin of the locking lever forms a center point of the circular path of the accommodating slot,

wherein, in at least one pivoting position, the locking lever is positioned perpendicularly in relation to an imaginary tangent which is formed over a course of the accommodating slot, at that location of the accommodating slot which is located closest to the end of the locking lever.

18. A belt-guiding element for a child-safety system, comprising:

an accommodating slot for accommodating a vehicle-mounted safety belt; and

a locking element with an open position and a closed position, the locking element comprising a pivotable locking lever which can be pivoted about a pivot pin spaced apart from the accommodating slot,

wherein the safety belt can be inserted into the accommodating slot or an inserted safety belt can be removed from the accommodating slot when the locking element is in the open position,

wherein the safety belt is prevented from being inserted or removed when the locking element is in the closed position, and

wherein at least a portion of the accommodating slot runs in the form of a circular path, and the pivot pin of the locking lever forms a center point of the circular path of the accommodating slot,

wherein the locking lever is pivoted inward to an open position.

19. A child seat, comprising:

a belt-guiding element, the belt guiding element includes;

an accommodating slot for accommodating a vehicle-mounted safety belt; and

a locking element with an open position and a closed position, the locking element comprising a pivotable locking lever which can be pivoted about a pivot pin spaced apart from the accommodating slot,

wherein the safety belt can be inserted into the accommodating slot or an inserted safety belt can be removed from the accommodating slot when the locking element is in the open position,

wherein the safety belt is prevented from being inserted or removed when the locking element is in the closed position, and

wherein at least a portion of the accommodating slot runs in a circular path along a circumference of a virtual circle, and the pivot pin of the locking lever forms a center point of the virtual circle.

20. The child seat as claimed in claim 19, wherein the belt-guiding element is fastened on the child seat.

21. The child seat as claimed in claim 20, wherein the belt-guiding element is arranged at a shoulder height of a child who is to be secured in the child seat.

22. The child seat as claimed in claim 19, wherein a position of the belt-guiding element on the child seat is height-adjustable.

23. The child seat as claimed in claim 19, wherein the belt-guiding element is fastened on the child seat such that the opening of the accommodating slot of the belt-guiding element is oriented upward.

24. The child seat as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a housing including a hook region arranged laterally or transversely in relation to a direction of travel.