DE8812886U1 - Device for flexible fastening of a seat belt buckle - Google Patents

Description

The present innovation concerns a less bulky, flexible device for fastening heavily loaded components, such as a seat belt buckle, to a fixed component in a motor vehicle.

In motor vehicles, particularly in the rear seat of so-called station wagons, where the seats can be folded down, there is a need for flexible installation or fastening of seat belt buckles. In the case of seat belts, metal or synthetic fibre bands, single wire ropes with a shrunk-on end piece and so-called shrunk double wire ropes are used.

The above-mentioned means of securing seat belt buckles all have the disadvantage that, after being subjected to forces which have displaced the buckle from its correct position, they are no longer able to spring back elastically and thus return the buckle to its original and correct position. The circumstances mentioned usually arise in connection with folding up and down seats and the like. A disadvantage, particularly with wire ropes as fastening means, is that the installations become rather elongated and bulky for design reasons, such as shrunken end pieces, and then easily get in the way, especially when the seats in the car change position. When using the seat belt buckle, it must be pulled out by hand and held in a certain position. To avoid such handling, rubber bands or some form of hook mechanism are often used to secure the buckle to the back of the seat, for example. Different types of spring mechanisms are also used to return the buckle to its correct position if it has been bent out of place. If the seat belt buckle is secured by straps or the like, the strap may have a fibre-based, plastic or rubber sock/sleeve to cause the buckle to spring back.

The creation of a device for fastening safety belt fasteners, where the above-mentioned disadvantages are eliminated, was one of the purposes of this innovation. More precisely, the aim was to create a device that can absorb large forces and at the same time is as little bulky as possible, i.e. has a short bend length, and has such elastic properties that, regardless of the action of elastic forces that bend the fastener, it returns the fastener to a predetermined position when the said action ceases.

The above-mentioned purpose has been achieved according to the present innovation with a fastening device which is essentially characterized in that it is constructed from four components, namely a closure disc which is fitted through a groove onto a bracket of a fastening arm, the latter having ears which are fitted through a groove onto a washer, the rear countersunk portion of the latter resting with its upper surface on a flat portion of the fastening arm, and that the washer further engages with the bottom portion of a rubber bellows, which rubber bellows has a recess in its top portion through which the closure disc projects with an upper hole.

The innovation is described in more detail below using drawings, where

Figure 1 shows the different components that make up the

fastening device is constructed, and Figure 2 shows the fully assembled fastening device.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention for the flexible fastening of a safety belt buckle, by means of which the safety belt buckle can be fastened to a fixed structure in a motor vehicle, aircraft or the like.

The device has a device fastening part 1 with a plate-shaped fastening section Id in which a hole is formed for fastening the device. The fastening section Id is followed by an arched, tapering bracket la, at the other end of which ear-shaped projections Ib, Ic are formed on both sides.

A base plate 2 has a flat fastening section 2b with a central fastening opening and a raised section with a slot-like groove opening 2a, with a holding section pointing diagonally downwards adjoining the raised section.

An elongated closure plate 3 has a slot-like groove opening 3a and a closure fastening hole 3b. The ends of the closure plate 3 are rounded.

A rubber element 4 is provided as the fourth component of the device. The rubber element 4 has a base section for fastening by means of the base plate 2 and a comparatively smaller ceiling section with a central recess 4a through which the closure plate 3 with its closure fastening hole 3b protrudes, as shown in Fig. 2* The base section and the ceiling section of the rubber element (4) are connected to one another by lateral sloping wall sections. Viewed on such a lateral wall section, the rubber element 4 has a trapezoidal structure. Between the lateral walls and the rectangular base section and the rectangular ceiling section, the rubber element 4 is hollow. Viewed in the other lateral direction, a trapezoidal shape is also obtained.

'"i

- 4 Structure.

In Fig. 2, the four components of the device are shown in their assembled state. The raised section of the base plate 2 encompasses the bottom section of the element 4, whereby the end of the arcuate bracket 1a is guided through the groove opening 2a in such a way that the projections 1b and 1c engage below the raised section in the area of the side walls of the groove opening 2a. The fastening section 1d of the device fastening arm 1 rests on the flat section 2b of the base plate 2, whereby the fastening holes in the fastening section 1d and in the section 2b are aligned with one another.

The arched bracket la runs in the hollow section of the rubber element 4 to below the upper section of the base plate 2. The bracket la passes through the groove opening 3a of the closure plate 3 and holds it together with the recess 4a in the ceiling section of the rubber element so firmly that a flexible fastening of a safety belt fastener to the fastener fastening hole 3b is made possible.

Claims (13)

REINHARD""· "SKUHRA '-'WISE PATENT ATTORNEYS · EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS FtaHanl · Skuhm · VWm · LeopoWstraBe 51 · D-8000 Manchen DR. ERNST STURM (lesi-aeo» DR. HORST REINHARD DIPU-INa UDO SKUHRA RBNHARD WBSE LEOPOLOSTRASSE 51 D-8000 MUNICH 40 PHONE : 089/334078 IHLEX : 5212 839 feard FAX: 089/340147901 + 111) TELEGRAM: ISARPATÜNT IrZefchen/yourref. UraerZefchen/ourref. P 3229 RW/mg Mum/daughter October 13, 1988 Applicant: Lloyd's Industri A/S Boxing 1601 Fredrikstad Norway Device for flexible fastening of a seat belt buckle Claim for protection Device for the flexible fastening of a safety belt buckle, in particular to a fixed part of a vehicle, characterized by a device fastening arm (1) with a fastening section (Id) to which a bracket (la) is connected, on the other end of which ear-shaped projections (Ib, Ic) are formed -2- a closure plate (3) with a groove opening (3a) and a closure fastening hole (3b), wherein the bracket (la) of the device fastening arm (1) is guided through the groove opening (3a), a base plate (2) with a groove opening (2a) through which the bracket (la) with the lugs (1b, 1c) is guided, and a rubber element (4) with a base section for fastening by means of the base plate (2) and with a ceiling section with a recess (4a) through which the closure plate (3) with its closure fastening hole (3b) protrudes.