GB2147795A - Safety belt guide member - Google Patents

Abstract

A guide member for a vehicle safety belt comprises a metal part having an upper portion 12 containing a hole for receiving a bolt or stud 16 for securing the guide member to the body of the vehicle and a lower portion 10 containing a slot for receiving a strap of the safety belt, together with a plastic cover 18 arranged to be a snap-fit on the upper part 12 so as to cover the end of such securing bolt or stud 16. The cover 18 has an extension including a web 22 which projects through the slot and engages with the edge thereof further from the hole, the surface of said web nearer to the hole having a curvature in the direction extending through the slot which is of greater radius than the thickness of the metal part 10 in the vicinity of the slot. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety belt guide member This invention relates to a guide member for a vehicle safety belt of the type which is adapted to be secured to a part of the body of a motor vehicle above the shoulder of the user and comprises a metal part having an upper portion containing a hole for receiving a bolt or stud for securing the guide member to the body of the vehicle and a lower portion containing a slot for receiving a strap of the safety belt, together with a plastic cover arranged to be a snap-fit on the upper part so as to cover the end of such securing bolt or stud.

It has been found that a substantial part of the energy required to draw the strap of a safety belt through a guide member of the foregoing type, for example when the belt is being retracted by an inertia reel, is absorbed in bending the belt to a relatively small radius as it passes through the slot of the guide member. The present invention is concerned with the provision of means for enlarging this radius.

According to the invention, the plastic cover of a guide member of the type described above has an extension including a web which projects through the slot and engages with the edge thereof further from the hole, the surface of said web nearer to the hole having a curvature in the direction extending through the slot which is of greater radius than the thickness of the metal part in the vicinity of the slot.

Preferably the extension also has a second web located nearer to the hole than the first mentioned web and extending through the slot in the metal part so as to define a slot for the strap of maximum width less than twice the thickness of the strap. The ends of the slot defined by the two webs may have inclined portions, as described in Patent Specification WO-A8100213.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of the metal part of a guide member in accordance with the invention, prior to installation of the plastic cover; Figure 2 is an elevation, similar to Figure 1 but after the plastic cover has been fitted; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Figure 3 but showing the cover in the course of installation.

Referring first to Figure 1, the metal part of the guide member comprises an elongated wire loop 10 having straight end portions bent towards each other so that the ends thereof are close together. A sheet metal member 12 is folded around the end portions of the wire loop to form a sleeve 14 in which the latter are enclosed. The ends of the sheet metal member 12 are then spot welded together to form a fastening lug having a hole therein for a fixing bolt 16.

Turning now to Figures 2 and 3, a plastics cover 18 has a main body with a formation 20 which is a snap-fit round the top and side edges of the sheet metal member 12 and covers the head of the bolt 16.

In accordance with the invention, the plastics cover 18 has an extension comprising first and second webs 22 and 24 which project through the slot formed by the wire loop 10. The central region of the web 22 is of part hollow cylindrical cross-section, and has its concave lower surface resting on the bottom part of the wire loop 10. The upper web 24 is spaced apart from the lower web 20 so as to define a slot 26 which is narrower than twice the thickness of the strap of the safety belt with which it is to be used.

The ends 28 and 30 of the slot 26 are upturned, as shown in Figure 2. This reduces the possibility of the safety belt strap becoming twisted.

As can best be seen from Figure 3, the radius of the outer surface of the first web 22 is substantially greater than the diameter of the wire loop 10 and thus provides a large radius surface round which the strap of the safety belt is bent.

Turning to Figure 4, when the cover 18 is to be fitted to the metal part of the guide member, it is first positioned so that the web 22 embraces the bottom part of the wire loop 10 as shown in Figure 4. Next the cover 18 is pivoted about the bottom part of the wire loop 10 until the formation 20 snaps over the edge of the sheet portion 12.

1. A guide member for a vehicle safety belt comprising a metal part having an upper portion containing a hole for receiving a bolt or stud for securing the guide member to the body of the vehicle and a lower portion containing a slot for receiving a strap of the safety belt, together with a plastic cover arranged to be a snap-fit on the upper part so as to cover the end of such securing bolt or stud and having an extension including a web which projects through the slot and engages with the edge thereoffurtherfrom the hole, the surface of said web nearer to the hole having a curvature in the direction extending through the slot which is of greater radius than the thickness of the metal part in the vicinity of the slot.

2. A guide member according to claim 1, wherein the extension has a second web located nearer to the hole than the first mentioned web and extending through the slot in the metal part so as to define a slot for the strap of maximum width less than twice the thickness of the strap.

3. A guide member for a vehicle safety belt, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Safety belt guide member This invention relates to a guide member for a vehicle safety belt of the type which is adapted to be secured to a part of the body of a motor vehicle above the shoulder of the user and comprises a metal part having an upper portion containing a hole for receiving a bolt or stud for securing the guide member to the body of the vehicle and a lower portion containing a slot for receiving a strap of the safety belt, together with a plastic cover arranged to be a snap-fit on the upper part so as to cover the end of such securing bolt or stud. It has been found that a substantial part of the energy required to draw the strap of a safety belt through a guide member of the foregoing type, for example when the belt is being retracted by an inertia reel, is absorbed in bending the belt to a relatively small radius as it passes through the slot of the guide member. The present invention is concerned with the provision of means for enlarging this radius. According to the invention, the plastic cover of a guide member of the type described above has an extension including a web which projects through the slot and engages with the edge thereof further from the hole, the surface of said web nearer to the hole having a curvature in the direction extending through the slot which is of greater radius than the thickness of the metal part in the vicinity of the slot. Preferably the extension also has a second web located nearer to the hole than the first mentioned web and extending through the slot in the metal part so as to define a slot for the strap of maximum width less than twice the thickness of the strap. The ends of the slot defined by the two webs may have inclined portions, as described in Patent Specification WO-A8100213. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of the metal part of a guide member in accordance with the invention, prior to installation of the plastic cover; Figure 2 is an elevation, similar to Figure 1 but after the plastic cover has been fitted; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to Figure 3 but showing the cover in the course of installation. Referring first to Figure 1, the metal part of the guide member comprises an elongated wire loop 10 having straight end portions bent towards each other so that the ends thereof are close together. A sheet metal member 12 is folded around the end portions of the wire loop to form a sleeve 14 in which the latter are enclosed. The ends of the sheet metal member 12 are then spot welded together to form a fastening lug having a hole therein for a fixing bolt 16. Turning now to Figures 2 and 3, a plastics cover 18 has a main body with a formation 20 which is a snap-fit round the top and side edges of the sheet metal member 12 and covers the head of the bolt 16. In accordance with the invention, the plastics cover 18 has an extension comprising first and second webs 22 and 24 which project through the slot formed by the wire loop 10. The central region of the web 22 is of part hollow cylindrical cross-section, and has its concave lower surface resting on the bottom part of the wire loop 10. The upper web 24 is spaced apart from the lower web 20 so as to define a slot 26 which is narrower than twice the thickness of the strap of the safety belt with which it is to be used. The ends 28 and 30 of the slot 26 are upturned, as shown in Figure 2. This reduces the possibility of the safety belt strap becoming twisted. As can best be seen from Figure 3, the radius of the outer surface of the first web 22 is substantially greater than the diameter of the wire loop 10 and thus provides a large radius surface round which the strap of the safety belt is bent. Turning to Figure 4, when the cover 18 is to be fitted to the metal part of the guide member, it is first positioned so that the web 22 embraces the bottom part of the wire loop 10 as shown in Figure 4. Next the cover 18 is pivoted about the bottom part of the wire loop 10 until the formation 20 snaps over the edge of the sheet portion 12. CLAIMS

1. A guide member for a vehicle safety belt comprising a metal part having an upper portion containing a hole for receiving a bolt or stud for securing the guide member to the body of the vehicle and a lower portion containing a slot for receiving a strap of the safety belt, together with a plastic cover arranged to be a snap-fit on the upper part so as to cover the end of such securing bolt or stud and having an extension including a web which projects through the slot and engages with the edge thereoffurtherfrom the hole, the surface of said web nearer to the hole having a curvature in the direction extending through the slot which is of greater radius than the thickness of the metal part in the vicinity of the slot.

2. A guide member according to claim 1, wherein the extension has a second web located nearer to the hole than the first mentioned web and extending through the slot in the metal part so as to define a slot for the strap of maximum width less than twice the thickness of the strap.

3. A guide member for a vehicle safety belt, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.