Seat belt position adjusting arrangement for a vehicle seat

• US 6,669,302 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Warner, Robert J. Jr., Eastman, Alan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/850,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 297/483, 297/250.1, 280/801.1, 280/801.2
• US Class Current: 297/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2803 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/207 Horizontally or transversally adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A seat belt position adjusting arrangement for a seat having a backrest has a mounting bracket adapted to fixedly secured to an upper portion of the backrest, and a belt receiving member which is adapted to threadedly receive a shoulder belt of a vehicle seat belt. The belt receiving member is operatively connected to the mounting bracket, selectively slidable along the mounting bracket and locatable in a selected position on the mounting bracket.

Claims

1. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement for a seat having a backrest, comprising:

a mounting bracket adapted to be fixedly secured to an upper portion of the backrest; and

a belt receiving member adapted to threadedly receive a shoulder belt, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket, selectively slidable along the mounting bracket, and locatable in a selected position on the mounting bracket,

wherein the mounting bracket has a guide slot, and the belt receiving member has a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the shaft being adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the belt receiving member is formed with first and second elongate belt slots through which the shoulder belt can be passed, the first belt slot being narrower than the second belt slot, each of the first and second belt slots having an opening via which the shoulder belt can be introduced into the belt slots.

2. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in the guide slot in a selected one of a predetermined plurality of spaced positions.

3. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein the locating mechanism comprises a series of spaced detents which project into the guide slot.

4. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in the guide slot in one of a first position and a second position spaced from the first position.

5. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement for a seat having a backrest, comprising:

a mounting bracket adapted to be fixedly secured to an upper portion of the backrest, the mounting bracket having a guide slot;

a belt receiving member adapted to threadedly receive a shoulder belt, the belt receiving member having a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket, selectively slidable along the mounting bracket, and locatable in a selected position on the mounting bracket; and

a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in the guide slot in a selected one of a predetermined plurality of spaced positions,

wherein the shaft is adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and adapted to be slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the locating mechanism comprises at least one pair of opposed detents projecting into the guide slot, and the shaft can be locked into place on either side of the pair of detents.

6. A seat belt position adjusting arrangement for a seat having a backrest, comprising:

a mounting bracket adapted to be fixedly secured to an upper portion of the backrest, the mounting bracket having a guide slot;

a belt receiving member adapted to threadedly receive a shoulder belt, the belt receiving member having a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket, selectively slidable along the mounting bracket, and locatable in a selected position on the mounting bracket; and

a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in the guide slot in one of a first position and a second position spaced from the first position,

wherein the shaft is adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the locating mechanism comprises a pair of opposed detents projecting into the guide slot.

7. A child'"'"'s seat for use in a vehicle having at least one shoulder seat belt, comprising:

a seat portion and a backrest; and

a seat belt position adjusting arrangement provided on an upper portion of the backrest, the seat belt position adjusting arrangement comprising;

a mounting bracket fixedly secured to the backrest, the mounting bracket having a guide slot;

a belt receiving member which is adapted to threadedly receive the shoulder seat belt, the belt receiving member having a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket so as to be selectively slidable therealong; and

a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in a selected position in the guide slot,

wherein the shaft is adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the locating mechanism comprises at least one pair of opposed detents projecting into the guide slot to engage the shaft and resist movement of the shaft therepast until a predetermined amount of force is applied in a direction in which the belt receiving member slides along the mounting bracket.

8. A child'"'"'s seat as set forth in claim 7, wherein the at least one pair of opposed detents comprises a plurality of pairs of opposed detents, and the pairs of opposed detents sequentially resist movement of the shaft therepast until a predetermined amount of force is applied in a direction in which the belt receiving member slides along the mounting bracket.

9. A seat belt positioning arrangement for a seat having a backrest, comprising:

a mounting bracket adapted to be fixedly secured to an upper portion of the backrest; and

a belt receiving member adapted to threadedly receive a shoulder belt, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket, selectively slidable along the mounting bracket, and locatable in a selected position on the mounting bracket,

wherein the mounting bracket has a guide slot, and the belt receiving member has a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the shaft being adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the shaft is configured to have a cross section which limits the amount of rotation of the shaft relative to the slot.

10. A child'"'"'s seat for use in a vehicle having at least one shoulder seat belt, comprising:

a seat portion and a backrest; and

a seat belt position adjusting arrangement provided on an upper portion of the backrest, the seat belt position adjusting arrangement comprising;

a mounting bracket fixedly secured to the backrest; and

a belt receiving member which is adapted to threadedly receive the shoulder seat belt, the belt receiving member being operatively connected to the mounting bracket so as to be selectively slidable therealong,

wherein the mounting bracket has a guide slot, and the belt receiving member has a shaft which passes through the guide slot, the shaft being adapted to be rotatable through a predetermined angle with respect to the guide slot and slidable along the guide slot, and

wherein the shaft is configured to have a cross section which limits the amount of rotation of the shaft relative to the slot.

11. A child'"'"'s seat as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a locating mechanism for locating and holding the shaft in a selected position in the guide slot.