Safety belt system for a motor vehicle

• US 7,963,562 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• 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: Wendt, Mario, Vidolov, Kliment
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US12/458,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 280/806, 280/808
• US Class Current: 280/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1855 the means being sensitive to belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/28 incorporating energy-absorbing devices belt anchors provided with energy-absorbing means for protecting the occupants in case of physical contact therewith B60R21/055; belt retractors comprising energy-absorbing means B60R22/341, B60R22/4676
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/51 including receiving member having cavity and mating member having insertable projection guided to interlock thereby
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45241 Slot and tab or tongue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4736 Buckle connected

Abstract

A safety belt system for a motor vehicle is provided. The safety belt system comprising a safety belt, a shoulder portion of the safety belt, a buckle element, a mobile region of the buckle element, which under the action of forces caused by a crash is mobile from an initial position in which the safety belt may slide along the buckle element into a final position, in which the safety belt is fixed to the buckle element. The safety belt cooperating with the mobile region, such that the mobile region is movable by a force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, from its initial position into its final position. The fixing of the safety belt on the buckle element is carried out by the mobile region itself.

Claims

1. A safety belt system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a safety belt extending in a direction of extension of the belt,

a shoulder portion of the safety belt for bearing against an upper body of a person strapped-in according to requirements by means of the safety belt,

a buckle element which subdivides the safety belt into the shoulder portion and a further belt portion, the buckle element deflecting the safety belt in the direction of extension of the belt such that the two portions extend away in different spatial directions from the buckle element,

a mobile region of the buckle element, which under the action of forces caused by a crash is mobile from an initial position in which the safety belt may slide along the buckle element into a final position, in which the safety belt is fixed to the buckle element, the mobile region being designed and provided to fix the safety belt before reaching the final position on the buckle element, and

the safety belt cooperating with the mobile region, such that the mobile region is movable by a force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, from its initial position into its final position and in that by the movement of the mobile region into the final position the shoulder portion is relieved such that the resulting force acting on the shoulder portion is limited,

wherein the fixing of the safety belt on the buckle element is carried out by the mobile region itself, and

wherein the mobile region is connected to a part of the buckle element via at least one deformation element when the mobile region has moved out of its initial position.

2. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile region is configured to press against the buckle element in its final position, interposing the safety belt, in order to fix the safety belt to the buckle element.

3. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein that the mobile region is configured in one piece.

4. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein for fixing the safety belt to the buckle element the mobile region exerts a force on the safety belt in a direction which faces the final position of the mobile region.

5. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein by the movement of the mobile region into the final position only the shoulder portion is relieved, in order to limit the force introduced into the shoulder portion.

6. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile region is configured to bear in the initial position with a bearing region against the shoulder portion such that the force introduced into the one shoulder portion for moving the mobile region may be transmitted thereto.

7. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile region is configured to displace the bearing region when moving into the final position at least partially counter to the direction of extension of the belt of the shoulder portion such that the shoulder portion bearing against the bearing region is relieved.

8. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bearing region may be coupled to the mobile region, which is movable to and fro between a first and a second position, such that the bearing region, by the action of a force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, is moved from the first position into the second position before the mobile region is moved by said force into its final position.

9. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buckle element has at least one through-opening for guiding the safety belt and in particular for deflecting the safety belt, the safety belt being able to pass through the at least one through-opening in the initial position of the mobile region in the direction of extension of the belt.

10. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the locking region is formed by an edge region of the buckle element defining the through-opening.

11. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buckle element has a locking region.

12. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the safety belt is secured in the final position of the mobile region at the locking region.

13. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mobile region is configured to secure the safety belt when moving into the final position at the locking region.

14. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mobile region and/or the locking region cooperate with the safety belt, such that the safety belt secured to the locking region carries out a relative movement counter to the direction of extension of the belt, if a force acting on the safety belt counter to the direction of extension of the belt exceeds a predeterminable force level.

15. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement of the mobile region from the initial position into the final position consists of a deformation of the mobile region.

16. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile region is configured to be deformable such that it may be deformed by a force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, in a reproducible manner from the initial position into the final position.

17. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the deformation is a plastic deformation.

18. The safety belt system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one deformation element is configured to be deformed in a reproducible manner by the action of a predeterminable force acting on the shoulder portion which tensions the shoulder portion in the direction of extension of the belt, so that the mobile region is moved from the initial position into the final position.