Device for adjustably fastening a belt fitting to an automobile body

• US 4,398,749 A
• Filed: 03/02/1981
• Issued: 08/16/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Martz, Josef, Hipp, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carroll, John A.
• Application Number:
  US06/239,513
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/802, 280/808, 297/410, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/203 the locking means being movably mounted on the slider

Abstract

A device for adjustably fastening a fitting to an automobile body for a belt of a safety belt system for motor vehicle passengers is disclosed. The device has a fitting that can be slidably adjusted manually, with an adjusting component that carries the fitting and is located in a guide that is attached to the automobile body. The adjusting component in belt stressing direction is locked with a locking mechanism that engages automatically and has locking surfaces that are located essentially vertically to the sliding direction. A mechanism is also provided in the device for the automatic release of the locking effect when the adjusting component is adjusted in the direction opposite the belt stressing direction whereby the belt fitting can be adjusted simply and comfortably.

Claims

1. A mechanism for adjusting a fitting for the belt of a motor vehicle seat belt system with said fitting being fastened to the motor vehicle body, the fitting being vertically adjusted manually, comprising a guide, fastened to the vehicle body, for an adjusting member with an anchorage means for the fitting and a pressure-activated lock bolt which, by means of spring tension, engages automatically into tooth gaps, serving as stop points, of a locking tooth construction disposed at the guide, with said locking tooth construction having locking surfaces aligned substantially vertically to the sliding direction of the adjusting member in belt stress direction, characterized in that

the lock bolt is disposed separately and movably at the anchorage means of the fitting,

that the locking tooth construction has deflector slopes by means of which the lock bolt is automatically removed from the respective stop point when the adjusting member is adjusted in the opposite direction,

and that a push-button is provided for operating the lock bolt.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said guide has two toothed strips that are arranged at a parallel distance, the toothed gaps of said strips providing said locking points within which said lock bolt engages, said lock bolt being elastically supported at said adjusting component and located transversely to the two strips, and wherein the toothing of the two strips has a saw-toothed profile.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said guide is a rail that is essentially U-shaped in its cross-section, with approximately C-shaped inwardly directed end areas of the legs, said two toothed strips being formed by the free end sections of the respective C-profiles.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that said adjusting member has a sliding head that is U-shaped in its profile, which, with the free ends of its legs engages in the C-profiles of the guide and also, in both legs, has guide slits for the lock bolt which are in alignment with tooth gaps or locking points of the strips that are opposite each other.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the sliding head carries a support that is approximately hat-shaped in its cross-section with a welding nut being located at the bar of the support for a holding-down bolt of the belt fitting, said support also having a perforation located at one of the legs thereof for the swivel-engagement of said push-button.

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that said push-button is a plastic push-button and includes an approximately T-shaped metal element with extensions that project over the push-button, one of the extensions extending as a tongue to engage in a swiveling manner the perforation at the support and the other extensions forming the lock.

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjusting member has a sliding head which carries a support that is approximately hat-shaped in its cross-section with a welding nut being located at the bar of the support for a holding-down bolt of the belt fitting, said support also having a perforation located at one of the legs thereof for the swivel-engagement of said push-button.

8. A device for adjustably fastening a fitting to an automobile body for a belt of a safety belt system for motor vehicle passengers, said device comprising a fitting that can be slidably adjusted manually, with an adjusting component that carries the fitting and is located in a guide that is attached to the automobile body, wherein the adjusting component in belt stressing direction is locked by means of a locking mechanism that engages automatically by means of a spring and has locking surfaces that are located essentially vertically to the sliding direction, characterized in that means are provided for the automatic release of the locking effect when the adjusting component is adjusted in the direction opposite the belt stressing direction,

a push-button located at the device for releasing the locking effect in belt stressing direction,

wherein said locking mechanism has a lock that automatically engages in locking points provided at the device, and wherein said means for the automatic release of the locking effect includes at least one of the lock and the locking points having on the side toward the direction opposite the belt stressing direction a sloped surface that forces the lock out of the respective locking point when the adjusting component is adjusted in the adjusting direction opposite the belt stressing direction,

wherein said guide has two toothed strips that are arranged at a parallel distance, the toothed gaps of said strips providing said locking points within which said lock engages, said lock being elastically supported at said adjusting component and located transversely to the two strips, and wherein the toothing of the two strips has a saw-toothed profile, and

wherein said guide is a rail that is essentially U-shaped in its cross-section, with approximately C-shaped inwardly directed end areas of the legs, said two toothed strips being formed by the free end sections of the respective C-profiles.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that said adjusting component has a sliding head that is U-shaped in its profile, which, with the free ends of its legs engages in the C-profiles of the guide and also, in both legs, has guide slits for the locks which are in alignment with tooth gaps or locking points of the strips that are opposite each other.

10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that the sliding head carries a support that is approximately hat-shaped in its cross-section with a welding nut being located at the bar of the support for a holding-down bolt of the belt fitting, said support also having a perforation located at one of the legs thereof for the swivel-engagement of said push-button.

11. A device according to claim 10, characterized in that said push-button is a plastic push-button and includes an approximately T-shaped metal element with extensions that project over the push-button, one of the extensions extending as a tongue to engage in a swiveling manner the perforation at the support and the other extensions forming the lock.

12. A device for adjustably fastening a fitting to an automobile body for a belt of a safety belt system for motor vehicle passengers, said device comprising a fitting that can be slidably adjusted manually, with an adjusting component that carries the fitting and is located in a guide that is attached to the automobile body, wherein the adjusting component in belt stressing direction is locked by means of a locking mechanism that engages automatically by means of a spring and has locking surfaces that are located essentially vertically to the sliding direction, means for automatically releasing of the locking effect when the adjusting component is adjusted in the direction opposite the belt stressing direction,

a push-button located at the device for releasing the locking effect in belt stressing direction, and

characterized in that said adjusting component has a sliding head which carries a support that is approximately hat-shaped in its cross-section with a welding nut being located at the bar of the support for a holding-down bolt of the belt fitting, said support also having a perforation located at one of the legs thereof for the swivel-engagement of said push-button.

13. A device according to claim 12, characterized in that said push-button is a plastic push-button and includes an approximately T-shaped metal element with extensions that project over the push-button, one of the extensions extending as a tongue to engage in a swiveling manner the perforation at the support and the other extensions forming the lock.

14. A device for adjustably fastening a fitting to an automobile body for a belt of a safety belt system for motor vehicle passengers, said device comprising a fitting that can be slidably adjusted manually, with an adjusting component that carries the fitting and is located in a guide that is attached to the automobile body, wherein the adjusting component in belt stressing direction is locked by means of a locking mechanism that engages automatically by means of a spring and has locking surfaces that are located essentially vertically to the sliding direction, characterized in that means are provided for the automatic release of the locking effect when the adjusting component is adjusted in the direction opposite the belt stressing direction,

wherein said locking mechanism has a lock that automatically engages in locking points provided at the device and wherein said means for the automatic release of the locking effect includes at least one of the lock and the locking points having on the side toward the direction opposite the belt stressing direction a sloped surface that forces the lock out of the respective locking point when the adjusting component is adjusted in the direction opposite the belt stressing direction,

wherein said guide has two toothed strips that are arranged at a parallel distance, the tooth gaps of said strips providing said locking points within which said lock engages, said lock being elastically supported at said adjusting component and located transversely to the two strips, and wherein the toothing of the two strips has a saw-toothed profile, and

wherein said guide is a rail that is essentially U-shaped in its cross-section, with approximately C-shaped inwardly directed end areas of the legs, said two toothed strips being formed by the free end sections of the respective C-profiles.

15. A device according to claim 14, characterized in that said adjusting component has a sliding head that is U-shaped in its profile, which, with the free ends of its legs engages in the C-profiles of the guide and also, in both legs, has guide slits for the lock which are in alignment with tooth gaps or locking points of the strips that are opposite each other.