Double seatbelt anchor bracket

• US 7,651,134 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Rosso, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich; George D.
• Application Number:
  US11/375,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20070216148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.1, 297/482, 297/468, 296/68.1, 248/505, 248/506, 248/499, 248/500
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/22 secured to the vehicle floor

Abstract

An apparatus (12) includes a primary housing (20) constructed from sheet metal by stamping, a primary inflation fluid source (100), a secondary housing (70) constructed from sheet metal by stamping, and a secondary inflation fluid source (200). The primary inflation fluid source (100) is located in the primary housing (20) and is actuatable to effect a primary flow of inflation fluid out of the primary housing to inflate the inflatable device (14). The secondary housing (70) is disposed within the primary housing (20). The secondary inflation fluid source (200) is located in the secondary housing (70) and is actuatable to affect a secondary flow of inflation fluid to supplement the primary flow of inflation fluid. The secondary housing (70) has a first portion (77) that moves at least partially out of engagement with a second portion (74) of the secondary housing (70) when the secondary inflation fluid source is actuated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for helping to protect occupants seated next to each other in seating of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a first seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a first portion of the seating;

a second seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a second portion of the seating, the second seating portion being positioned adjacent the first seating portion; and

an anchor bracket for securing the first and second seatbelts in the vehicle, the anchor bracket comprising a first aperture for receiving the first seatbelt, a second aperture for receiving the second seatbelt, and a third aperture for receiving a fastener for securing the anchor bracket to the vehicle, the first, second, and third apertures being aligned along a longitudinal centerline of the anchor bracket,

the first aperture helping to define a first seatbelt beam of the anchor bracket, the first seatbelt having a portion that extends around the first seatbelt beam to secure the first seatbelt to the anchor bracket,

the second aperture helping to define a second seatbelt beam of the anchor bracket, the second seatbelt having a portion that extends around the second seatbelt beam to secure the second seatbelt to the anchor bracket,

the anchor bracket including a first surface and a second surface, the first, second, and third apertures extending through the first and second surfaces, the first aperture being positioned between the second aperture and the third aperture.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second seatbelts comprises:

a tongue assembly;

a length of seatbelt webbing to which the tongue assembly is secured;

a buckle for receiving a tongue member of the tongue assembly; and

a tether member to which the buckle is secured;

one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the first seatbelt extending through the first aperture and being secured to the anchor bracket, one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the second seatbelt extending through the second aperture and being secured to the anchor bracket.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein the one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the first seatbelt includes the tether member of the first seatbelt and the one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the second seatbelt includes the tether member of the second seatbelt, the first aperture helping to define a portion of the anchor bracket that secures the tether member associated with the buckle of the first seatbelt to the vehicle, and the second aperture helping to define a portion of the anchor bracket that secures the tether member associated with the buckle of the second seatbelt to the vehicle.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein the one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the first seatbelt includes the seatbelt webbing of the first seatbelt and the one of the seatbelt webbing and the tether member of the second seatbelt includes the tether member of the second seatbelt, the first aperture helping to define a portion of the anchor bracket that secures the seatbelt webbing associated with the tongue assembly of the first seatbelt to the vehicle, and the second aperture helping to define a portion of the anchor bracket that secures the tether member associated with the buckle of the second seatbelt to the vehicle.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the second seatbelt beam has an arched configuration.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the anchor bracket includes a base portion and a flange portion that extends at an angle to the base portion, the first and second apertures extending through the flange portion.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6, wherein the third aperture extends through the base portion.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 6, wherein the angle between the base portion and flange portion is selected such that the flange portion extends along a load plane of the first and second seatbelts.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third apertures are centered on the longitudinal centerline of the anchor bracket.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal centerline extends along a contour of the anchor bracket and intersects each of the first, second, and third apertures only once.

11. An apparatus for helping to protect occupants seated next to each other in seating of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising;

a first seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a first portion of the seating;

a second seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a second portion of the seating, the second seating portion being positioned adjacent the first seating portion; and

an anchor bracket for securing the first and second seatbelts in the vehicle, the anchor bracket comprising a first aperture for receiving the first seatbelt, a second aperture for receiving the second seatbelt, and a third aperture for receiving a fastener for securing the anchor bracket to the vehicle, the first, second, and third apertures being aligned along a longitudinal centerline of the anchor bracket

wherein the second aperture of the anchor bracket has an area larger than an area of the first aperture of the anchor bracket, the second aperture being configured to receive both the first and second seatbelts, the first aperture being configured to receive the first seatbelt only.

12. An apparatus for helping to protect occupants seated next to each other in seating of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a first seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a first portion of the seating;

a second seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a second portion of the seating, the second seating portion being positioned adjacent the first seating portion; and

a one-piece anchor bracket for securing the first and second seatbelts in the vehicle, the anchor bracket comprising a first aperture for receiving the first seatbelt, a second aperture for receiving the second seatbelt, and a third aperture for receiving a fastener for securing the anchor bracket to the vehicle, the first, second, and third apertures being aligned along a longitudinal centerline of the anchor bracket,

wherein the bracket includes a flange portion having a surface defining a plane, the first aperture and the second aperture extending through the surface defining the plane.

13. An apparatus for helping to protect occupants seated next to each other in seating of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a first seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a first portion of the seating;

a second seatbelt for helping to protect an occupant seated in a second portion of the seating, the second seating portion being positioned adjacent the first seating portion; and

an anchor bracket for securing the first and second seatbelts in the vehicle, the anchor bracket comprising a first aperture for receiving the first seatbelt, a second aperture for receiving the second seatbelt, and a third aperture for receiving a fastener for securing the anchor bracket to the vehicle, the first, second, and third apertures being aligned along a longitudinal centerline of the anchor bracket, wherein the bracket includes a flange portion having a surface defining a plane, the first aperture and the second aperture extending through the surface defining the plane.