Free-falling tip with full locking
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a safety belt apparatus, the combination comprising:
- a safety belt having a shoulder portion and a lap portion,a seat belt retractor connected to one end of the safety belt and pulling on the belt for rewinding the belt and for pulling a portion of the belt into a generally vertical position when the belt is released for full retraction,a tip assembly slidably mounted on the belt, said tip assembly having an opening through which passes the safety belt,a tongue plate on said tip assembly for connection to a buckle,slide means on the tip assembly shiftable by the tongue plate hanging downwardly and with the belt in the vertical position to allow free sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt,a first set of teeth on said slide means on one side of the opening for biting into and gripping one side of the belt;
a second set of teeth or said tongue plate on an opposite side of the opening for biting into and gripping the other side of the belt;
an engagement means on the slide means for engaging the belt and being forced by the belt to move the slide means to carry the first teeth to bite into and to grip the belt and to force the belt against the second set of teeth to lock the belt against transfer from one portion to the other portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A free-falling, self-locking adjustable tip assembly is provided for a safety belt apparatus, which has a seat belt retractor at one belt end and for rewinding the belt and pulling one belt portion into a generally vertical position at belt release. A tip-assembly engagement means contacts the belt and acts on a slide with a first set of teeth to move the slide to bite and grip the belt, and force the belt against a second set of teeth on a tongue plate for locking the belt against transfer, which tip-assembly tongue plate has an opening for the belt and is connectable to a buckle.
54 Citations
7 Claims
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1. In a safety belt apparatus, the combination comprising:
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a safety belt having a shoulder portion and a lap portion, a seat belt retractor connected to one end of the safety belt and pulling on the belt for rewinding the belt and for pulling a portion of the belt into a generally vertical position when the belt is released for full retraction, a tip assembly slidably mounted on the belt, said tip assembly having an opening through which passes the safety belt, a tongue plate on said tip assembly for connection to a buckle, slide means on the tip assembly shiftable by the tongue plate hanging downwardly and with the belt in the vertical position to allow free sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt, a first set of teeth on said slide means on one side of the opening for biting into and gripping one side of the belt; a second set of teeth or said tongue plate on an opposite side of the opening for biting into and gripping the other side of the belt; an engagement means on the slide means for engaging the belt and being forced by the belt to move the slide means to carry the first teeth to bite into and to grip the belt and to force the belt against the second set of teeth to lock the belt against transfer from one portion to the other portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6)
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5. In a safety belt apparatus, the combination comprising:
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a safety belt having a shoulder portion and a lap portion, a seat belt retractor connected to one end of the safety belt and pulling on the belt for rewinding the belt and for pulling a portion of the belt into a generally vertical position when the belt is released for full retraction, a tip assembly slidably mounted on the belt and having a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, and slide means on the tip assembly shiftable by the tongue plate hanging downwardly and with the belt in the vertical position to allow free sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt, belt engaging mens on the slide means pushing the slide to a belt gripping position by the belt lap portion under tension from the retractor when the tongue plate is connected to the buckle, and releasable gripping means on the slide means and on the tongue plate movable to a gripping position for gripping the belt to hold the belt against slipping therebetween at loads equal to or greater than 1,600 pounds applied to the belt, said releasable gripping means being movable to a release position after having been moved to the gripping position to allow a subsequent free falling of the tip assembly along the belt. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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Specification