GB2171892A

GB2171892A - Safety belt presenter

Info

Publication number: GB2171892A
Application number: GB08605203A
Authority: GB
Inventors: D J M Barker
Original assignee: Britax PMG Ltd
Current assignee: Britax PMG Ltd
Priority date: 1985-03-08
Filing date: 1986-03-03
Publication date: 1986-09-10
Also published as: GB2171892B; GB8506079D0

Abstract

A presenter for a vehicle safety belt 16 is arranged to position part of the stowed belt at a location where it can conveniently be grasped by a potential user. The presenter comprises an arm 30 having a hook formation 36 on one end adapted to engage round the belt 16. The arm 30 is mounted on the vehicle body 24 for limited linear and pivotal movement. Drive means is arranged to effect linear movement of the arm 30 from a stowed position to an intermediate position in which the hook formation 36 engages with the safety belt 16, and then to effect pivotal movement of the arm 30 to a deployed position in which the hook formation 36 holds the belt 16 in an accessible position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety belt presenter This invention relates to a presenter for a vehicle safety belt arranged to position part of the stowed belt at a location where it can conveniently be grasped by a potential user.

It is not always feasible to provide anchorages for a safety belt at locations on a vehicle body which are most convenient in relation to the seat with which the safety belt is to be used. Frequently, the stowed position of the belt is such that a potential seat occupant finds considerable difficulty in reaching the belt in order to pull it around his body prior to fastening it. This is particularly so in the case of twodoor motor cars where the B-posts are some distance behind the seat backs of the front seats. It is, of course, necessary for the access to the rear seats of such vehicles to be reasonably clear when the front seat is folded forwards. It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt presenter which is suitable for use in these circumstances.

According to the invention, a safety belt presenter comprises an arm having a hook formation on one end adapted to engage round a safety belt strap, the arm being mounted on the vehicle body for limited linear and pivotal movement,togetherwith drive means for effecting linear movement of the arm from a stowed position to an intermediate position in which the hook formation engages with a strap of the safety belt and then effecting pivotal movement of the arm to a deployed position in which the hook formation holds the safety belt strap in an accessible position.

Preferably the arm is mounted on a pivot pin which projects through a longitudinally extending slot in the arm. The drive means may comprise a rack and pinion, the rack being pivotally coupled to the arm at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot and the pinion being mounted on an axle at a location which is fixed relative to the pivot pin.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of the interior of a motor car fitted with a safety belt presenter in accordance with the invention, with the presenter in the stowed position; Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but with the presenter in the deployed position; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the moving parts of the belt presenter shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the stowed position; and Figure 4 is a side view of the parts shown in Figure 3 in the deployed position.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a two-door motor car has a front seat 10 located adjacent to a door 12. A safety belt for occupant of the seat 10 has a buckle 14 secured to the floor of the vehicle inboard of the seat 10, together with a safety belt 16 extending from a bottom anchorage 18 on the door sill 20, through a shoulder anchorage 22 on the B-post 24 and thence to an inertia reel (not shown) which is enclosed by the interior trim 26 behind the door 12. The safety belt 16 carries a tongue 28 for engagement with the buckle 14.

As can be seen from Figure 1, when the safety belt 16 is in its stowed position, the tongue 28 is substantially behind the back rest of the seat 10 and would therefore be very inconvenient for a seat occupant to grasp.

In accordance with the invention, a belt presenter arm 30 is accommodated behind the trim 26 and proJects through an opening 32 inboard of the opening 34 for the safety belt. Referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the arm 30 has a forwardly facing hook formation 36 on its upper end and an elongate slot 38 parallel to its longitudinal axis. A pivot pin 40 projects through the slot 38 and is secured to the Bpost 24 behind the trim 26. A rack 42, which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in the B-post 24, is connected to the bottom of the arm 30 by a pivot pin 44 at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot 38. The rack 42 is movable vertically by means of an electric motor (not shown) which is coupled to drive pinion 46.The electric motor has a control circuit operated by three sensors; a buckle sensor to detect whether the tongue is in the buckle 14, a seat sensor to detect whether the seat 10 is occupied and a door sensor to detect the instant at which the door 12 closes.

The manner of operation is as follows. Starting from the stowed condition illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, if, at the instant when the door sensor detects that the door 12 closes, the other two sensors indicated that the seat 10 is occupied and the tongue 28 is not engaged in the buckle 14, the motor is energised to cause the pinion 46 to drive the rack 42 upwardly. This pushes the presenter arm 30 up and out through the slot 32 until the bottom of the slot 38 abuts the pin 40. Further upward movement of the rack 42 causes the presenter arm 30 to pivot about the pin 40 with the result that the hook formation 36 engages with the belt 16 above the tongue 28, moving it forwards to the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.When the sensor in the buckle 14 indicates that the tongue 28 has been inserted, the motor is reversed to retract the presenter arm back to the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The presenter arm 30 is also retracted if, at any time when it is deployed, the seat sensor ceases to indicate that the seat 10 is occupied.

1. A safety belt presenter comprising an arm having a hook formation on one end adapted to engage round a safety belt strap, the arm being mounted on the vehicle body for limited linear and pivotal movement, together with drive means for effecting linear movement of the arm from a stowed position to an intermediate position in which the hopk formation engages with a strap of the safety belt and then effecting pivotal movement of the arm to a deployed position in which the hook formation holds the safety belt strap in an accessible position.

2. A safety belt presenter according to claim 1, wherein the arm is mounted on a pivot pin which projects through a longitudinally extending slot in the arm.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Safety belt presenter This invention relates to a presenter for a vehicle safety belt arranged to position part of the stowed belt at a location where it can conveniently be grasped by a potential user. It is not always feasible to provide anchorages for a safety belt at locations on a vehicle body which are most convenient in relation to the seat with which the safety belt is to be used. Frequently, the stowed position of the belt is such that a potential seat occupant finds considerable difficulty in reaching the belt in order to pull it around his body prior to fastening it. This is particularly so in the case of twodoor motor cars where the B-posts are some distance behind the seat backs of the front seats. It is, of course, necessary for the access to the rear seats of such vehicles to be reasonably clear when the front seat is folded forwards. It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt presenter which is suitable for use in these circumstances. According to the invention, a safety belt presenter comprises an arm having a hook formation on one end adapted to engage round a safety belt strap, the arm being mounted on the vehicle body for limited linear and pivotal movement,togetherwith drive means for effecting linear movement of the arm from a stowed position to an intermediate position in which the hook formation engages with a strap of the safety belt and then effecting pivotal movement of the arm to a deployed position in which the hook formation holds the safety belt strap in an accessible position. Preferably the arm is mounted on a pivot pin which projects through a longitudinally extending slot in the arm. The drive means may comprise a rack and pinion, the rack being pivotally coupled to the arm at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot and the pinion being mounted on an axle at a location which is fixed relative to the pivot pin. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of the interior of a motor car fitted with a safety belt presenter in accordance with the invention, with the presenter in the stowed position; Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but with the presenter in the deployed position; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the moving parts of the belt presenter shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the stowed position; and Figure 4 is a side view of the parts shown in Figure 3 in the deployed position. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a two-door motor car has a front seat 10 located adjacent to a door 12. A safety belt for occupant of the seat 10 has a buckle 14 secured to the floor of the vehicle inboard of the seat 10, together with a safety belt 16 extending from a bottom anchorage 18 on the door sill 20, through a shoulder anchorage 22 on the B-post 24 and thence to an inertia reel (not shown) which is enclosed by the interior trim 26 behind the door 12. The safety belt 16 carries a tongue 28 for engagement with the buckle 14. As can be seen from Figure 1, when the safety belt 16 is in its stowed position, the tongue 28 is substantially behind the back rest of the seat 10 and would therefore be very inconvenient for a seat occupant to grasp. In accordance with the invention, a belt presenter arm 30 is accommodated behind the trim 26 and proJects through an opening 32 inboard of the opening 34 for the safety belt. Referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the arm 30 has a forwardly facing hook formation 36 on its upper end and an elongate slot 38 parallel to its longitudinal axis. A pivot pin 40 projects through the slot 38 and is secured to the Bpost 24 behind the trim 26. A rack 42, which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in the B-post 24, is connected to the bottom of the arm 30 by a pivot pin 44 at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot 38. The rack 42 is movable vertically by means of an electric motor (not shown) which is coupled to drive pinion 46.The electric motor has a control circuit operated by three sensors; a buckle sensor to detect whether the tongue is in the buckle 14, a seat sensor to detect whether the seat 10 is occupied and a door sensor to detect the instant at which the door 12 closes. The manner of operation is as follows. Starting from the stowed condition illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, if, at the instant when the door sensor detects that the door 12 closes, the other two sensors indicated that the seat 10 is occupied and the tongue 28 is not engaged in the buckle 14, the motor is energised to cause the pinion 46 to drive the rack 42 upwardly. This pushes the presenter arm 30 up and out through the slot 32 until the bottom of the slot 38 abuts the pin 40. Further upward movement of the rack 42 causes the presenter arm 30 to pivot about the pin 40 with the result that the hook formation 36 engages with the belt 16 above the tongue 28, moving it forwards to the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.When the sensor in the buckle 14 indicates that the tongue 28 has been inserted, the motor is reversed to retract the presenter arm back to the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The presenter arm 30 is also retracted if, at any time when it is deployed, the seat sensor ceases to indicate that the seat 10 is occupied. CLAIMS

3. A safety belt presenter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive means comprises a rack and pinion, the rack being pivotally coupled to the arm at a location offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot and the pinion being mounted on an axle at a location which is fixed relative to the pivot pin.

4. A safety belt presenter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.