Height adjuster of seat belt for vehicle

• US 9,643,566 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.), Samsong Industries Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.), Samsong Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Choong Sik, Bok, Chang Kyu, Jung, Kyoung Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US14/563,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/201 with the belt anchor connected to a slider movable in a vehicle-mounted track for passive restraint systems B60R22/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/202 the slider comprising spring-actuated locking means B60R22/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A height adjuster of a seat belt for a vehicle may include a rail bracket configured to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle body so that rail grooves are formed to be continuously connected and the rail grooves are vertically disposed on the rail bracket, a slider configured to be coupled to the rail bracket and moving along a length direction of the rail bracket and having left and right surfaces provided with guide grooves so as to be fitted in edge portions of the rail bracket which are provided with the rail grooves, and a locking mechanism configured to be coupled to the slider so as to elastically slidably move and restrict a movement of the slider at a time of contacting the rail groove and release the restriction of the movement of the slider at a time of being separated from the rail groove.

Claims

1. A height adjuster of a seat belt for a vehicle, comprising:

a rail bracket configured to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle body wherein rail grooves are formed to the rail bracket and are vertically disposed on the rail bracket;

a slider configured to be coupled to the rail bracket and moving along a length direction of the rail bracket and having first and second surfaces provided with guide grooves so as to be fitted in edge portions of the rail bracket provided with the rail grooves; and

a locking mechanism configured to be coupled to the slider so as to elastically slidably move and restrict a movement of the slider at a time of contacting the rail grooves and release the restriction of the movement of the slider at a time of being separated from the rail grooves,

wherein the locking mechanism includes;

a pair of locking pins each configured to have a first surface contacting one of the rail grooves while moving along a length direction of one of a pair of base slots of a base part and along a length direction of one of a pair of upper slots of an upper part wherein each of the base slots and the upper slots are formed in the slider in a width direction of the rail bracket;

a locking pin spring mounted to be elastically supported to a second surface of the locking pins while being fixed to the slider and configured to apply an elastic force to the locking pins to contact the rail grooves continuously;

a locking lever mounted to contact a third surface of the locking pins while penetrating through the slider and configured to apply an external force to the locking pins so that an interval between the pair of locking pins is narrowed when the locking lever moves in the length direction of the rail bracket in which the locking lever approaches the locking pins; and

a lever spring configured to have a first end supported to the slider and a second end supported to the locking lever and apply an elastic force to the locking lever so that the locking lever moves in the length direction of the rail bracket in which the locking lever is far away from the locking pins,

wherein when a height of the seat belt is adjusted in a downward direction of the vehicle, the slider is configured to be moved in the downward direction along the rail grooves in a state that the locking lever is manipulated and the lever spring is compressed, and

wherein when the height of the seat belt is adjusted in an upward direction of the vehicle, the slider is configured to be moved in the upward direction along the rail grooves in a state that the locking lever is not manipulated.

2. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rail bracket includes:

a bottom portion fixedly mounted on the vehicle body; and

a pair of flange parts on both sides of the bottom portion, formed to be bent in a C-letter shape from the bottom portion,

wherein the pair of flange parts are fitted in the guide grooves of the slider while surfaces facing each other of the flange parts are spaced apart, and

wherein the rail grooves are vertically connected continuously along edges facing each other of the flange parts.

3. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 2, wherein each of the rail grooves is provided with a vertical extending part, a horizontal locking part, and an inclined part which are formed to be continuously connected from a lower end of each of the flange parts to an upper end thereof.

4. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 2, wherein the slider includes the base part and the upper part configured to be overlappingly coupled with a front surface of the base part,

the guide grooves are formed on both sides of the upper part, and

the locking mechanism is disposed in a space between the base part and the upper part.

5. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 4, wherein the base part is penetrately provided with the pair of base slots which are spaced apart from each other, and is provided with a base protrusion to which a middle anchor fitted with the seat belt is coupled.

6. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 5, wherein the upper part is penetrately provided with the pair of upper slots spaced apart from each other,

a first portion on the upper slots in the length direction of the rail bracket is provided with a protrusion coupling hole in which the base protrusion is fitted,

a second portion on the upper slots in the length direction of the rail bracket is provided with a lever operating hole,

a spring mounting hole is disposed between the pair of upper slots while being formed between the upper slots and the protrusion coupling hole, and

the upper slots are disposed above the base slots when the base part is coupled with the upper part.

7. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 6, wherein

the pair of locking pins is configured to have both ends fitted in the base slots and the upper slots and move in the width direction of the rail bracket;

the locking pin spring is mounted to be elastically supported to the second surface of the locking pins while being fixed to the upper part;

the locking lever is mounted to contact the third surface of the locking pins while penetrating through the lever operating hole and configured to move along the lever operating hole; and

the lever spring is configured to have a first end supported to the upper part and a second end supported to the locking lever.

8. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 7, wherein the locking pin spring includes:

a middle portion configured to be fitted in the spring mounting hole; and

support parts of both ends configured to elastically support the second surface of the locking pins so that the interval between the locking pins is widened.

9. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 7, wherein the locking lever includes:

a lever part configured to be movably mounted in the length direction of the rail bracket in which the lever part approaches the locking pins along the lever operating hole while penetrating through the lever operating hole; and

a pair of lever rod parts, formed to be widened to both sides, each of the pair of lever rod parts mounted to contact the third surface of a respective one of the locking pins in the width direction of the rail bracket and apply the external force to the locking pins so that the interval between the pair of locking pins is narrowed when the lever part moves in the width direction of the rail bracket in which the lever part approaches the locking pins.

10. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 7, wherein each of the locking pins includes:

a small diameter part of one side configured to move along the base slot while being inserted into the base slot; and

a large diameter part configured to have a larger diameter than the small diameter part while being integrally formed with the small diameter part,

wherein in the large diameter part, a surface of a first end connected to the small diameter part is laid on a surface of the base part so as not to be fitted in the base slot and a second end which is not connected to the small diameter part moves along the upper slot while being inserted into the upper slot.

11. The height adjuster of the seat belt for the vehicle of claim 10, wherein the small diameter part and the large diameter part have a same axis center.