Web adjuster and coupling

• US 20030030311A1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Wiseman, Michael A., Dingman, Guy R., Woodard, Gregory L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,820,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2887 Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2893 coupled to the seat sub-frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/30 Coupling devices other than buckles, including length-adjusting fittings or anti-slip devices adaptations of manual three-point seat belt systems for use by small passengers using other means than belt anti-slip devices B60R22/024; buckles A44B11/00; releasable fastenings in general F16B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4019 Sliding part or wedge

Abstract

A web adjuster for varying a length of a web. The web adjuster has a gripping bar having a pair of ears mounted near each of its ends, a frame including a web stop, and one or more springs to normally urge the bar toward the web stop and against the web. The adjuster may include a coupling device, such as another web or a snap hook, to operatively anchor the coupling device.

Claims

1. A seat belt device comprising:

a bar with a longitudinal axis and a front face, said bar further including a pair of ears mounted near the opposite ends of said bar and extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said bar;

a web extending at least partially around said bar;

a frame with a pair of channels with the ears of said bar slidably mounted in said channels, said frame also including a web stop extending parallel to said bar; and

means for urging the front face of said bar against said web and toward said web stop.

2. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the bar has a frontal plane and a serrated surface, said serrated surface including a plurality of longitudinal grooves that reside in planes that are substantially parallel to the frontal plane of said bar.

3. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein said bar further includes a longitudinal notch to confront and hold the web against said web stop.

4. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein said bar further includes a longitudinal notch and the notch is beveled to confront and hold the web against said web stop.

5. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein said urging means includes a helical spring positioned in each channel of said frame, and acting between the frame and the ear received in the channel.

6. The seat belt device of claim 1, further including a button operatively attached to said bar, whereby operation of said button pushes said bar away from its normal position to allow said web to move around said bar.

7. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said bar is substantially elliptical.

8. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said bar is substantially round.

9. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said bar is substantially rectangular.

10. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the bar further includes one or more protrusions configured to facilitate gripping of the web.

11. The seat belt device of claim 10, wherein said one or more protrusions includes a substantially V-shaped protrusion.

12. The seat belt device of claim 10, wherein said one or more protrusions includes a plurality of substantially parallel protrusions.

13. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the bar further includes a top face and a bottom face, said top and bottom faces each provided with one or more protrusions, wherein the protrusions on said bottom face are substantially V-shaped, and wherein said protrusions on said top face include a plurality of substantially parallel protrusions.

14. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the device further includes a coupling device coupled to the frame.

15. The seat belt device of claim 14, wherein the coupling device comprises a length of web.

16. The seat belt device of claim 14, wherein the coupling device comprises a snap hook.

17. The seat belt device of claim 6, wherein the bar, the ears and the button are formed in a monolithic structure.

18. A web adjuster for use with a web, the adjuster comprising:

a frame including a web stop;

a gripping assembly configured to provide a gripping portion having a longitudinal axis and a gripping surface substantially parallel to the web stop; and

one or more biasing members acting between said frame and said gripping assembly;

wherein said one or more biasing members urge the gripping surface toward the web stop.

19. The web adjuster of claim 18, wherein the cross-section of said gripping portion is substantially elliptical.

20. The web adjuster of claim 18, wherein the cross-section of said gripping portion is substantially round.

21. The web adjuster of claim 18, wherein the cross-section of said gripping portion is substantially rectangular.

22. The web adjuster of claim 18, wherein the gripping portion further includes one or more protrusions configured to facilitate gripping of the web.

23. The web adjuster of claim 22, wherein said one or more protrusions includes a substantially V-shaped protrusion.

24. The web adjuster of claim 22, wherein said one or more protrusions includes a plurality of substantially parallel protrusions.

25. The web adjuster of claim 22, wherein the gripping portion further includes a top face and a bottom face, said top and bottom faces provided with said one or more protrusions, wherein the protrusions on said bottom face are substantially V-shaped, and wherein said protrusions on said top face include a plurality of substantially parallel protrusions.

26. The web adjuster of claim 18 wherein the gripping portion further includes a longitudinal notch to mate against the web stop to pinch a web therebetween.

27. The web adjuster of claim 26, wherein the longitudinal notch is beveled to mate against the web stop.

28. The web adjuster of claim 18, wherein the one or more biasing members comprise a pair of springs.

29. The web adjuster of claim 28, wherein the web passes between said gripping surface and said web stop, and said urging of the gripping surface toward the web stop limits the movement of the web relative to said gripping portion and said web stop.

30. The web adjuster of claim 29, wherein said gripping assembly further includes a pair of spaced apart ears carried by said gripping portion and extending generally transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, wherein said springs are mounted one each to each of the spaced apart ears.

31. The web adjuster of claim 30, further including a manipulation portion operable to move the gripping portion away from said web stop to allow the web to move relative to the gripping portion upon a force being applied to said manipulation portion.

32. The web adjuster of claim 31, wherein the gripping assembly is a monolithic structure including the gripping portion, the spaced apart ears and the manipulation portion.

33. The web adjuster of claim 30, wherein the frame further includes a pair of spaced apart channels configured to receive therein the pair of spaced apart ears and the springs mounted thereto, said springs and ears movable within the channel.

34. The web adjuster of claim 22, wherein the frame further includes an anchor aperture configured for mounting a coupling device thereto.

35. The web adjuster of claim 34, wherein a length of web is coupled to the anchor aperture.

36. The web adjuster of claim 34, wherein a snaphook is coupled to the anchor aperture.

37. The web adjuster of claim 22, wherein said web stop is provided on a plate coupled to said frame.