GB2241150A - "improvements in or relating to a safety belt system" - Google Patents
"improvements in or relating to a safety belt system" Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2241150A GB2241150A GB9004153A GB9004153A GB2241150A GB 2241150 A GB2241150 A GB 2241150A GB 9004153 A GB9004153 A GB 9004153A GB 9004153 A GB9004153 A GB 9004153A GB 2241150 A GB2241150 A GB 2241150A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- seat
- safety belt
- locking station
- carriage
- arrangement according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/18—Anchoring devices
- B60R22/20—Anchoring devices adjustable in position, e.g. in height
- B60R22/206—Adjustable stop members for restraint systems comprising belt anchor vehicle mounted tracks, e.g. for passive seat belts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/04—Passive restraint systems, i.e. systems both applied and removed automatically, e.g. by movement of the vehicle door
- B60R22/06—Passive restraint systems, i.e. systems both applied and removed automatically, e.g. by movement of the vehicle door having the belt or harness connected to a member slidable in a vehicle-mounted track
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)
Abstract
In a safely belt arrangement in a motor vehicle, one end of safety belt is connected to a carriage 7 which is movable along a rail 8 provided adjacent the door seal of the vehicle. The carriage can move between a position in which an element on the carriage engages a locking station 9. The carriage is then locked into the locking station 9 and can withstand forces that may be applied from the safety belt under accident conditions. The locking station itself is adapted to move so that the locking station occupies a substantially predetermined position relative to the seat, regardless of the adjustment of the seat. Thus the safety belt always has a predetermined "geometry" relative to a person sitting in the seat when the safety belt is in the operative condition. <IMAGE>
Description
Improvements in or relating to a safety belt system.
THIS INVENTION relates to a safety belt system, or more particularly relates to a safety belt system for use in a motor car.
The invention relates specifically to a safety belt of the type that is known as a "passive" safety belt system in which the safety belt arrangement incorporates a motor, and the arrangement is such that when a person sits in the motor car the safety belt is automatically positioned on that person in order to retain the person in position.
It has been proposed previously to provide such passive safety belt systems, and reference may be made to European Patent Publication EP-0224363-A. This
European specification relates specifically to a "passive" safety belt system intended for use in a "convertible" car which, consequently, does not have a ear post. In the arrangement disclosed in this specification a safety belt retractor is provided which is located substantially centrally of the car behind the seat, and the safety belt passes through a guide mounted on the seat, and located at a position adjacent the shoulder of the person sitting on the seat which is furthest from the door of the car.The belt then travels downwar;1! to a carrlaC which is mounted for sliding movement along a rail. The rail is mounted in position on or adjacent the door sill of the vehicle and extends horizontally, being aligned with the axis of the vehicle. A motor is provided to drive the carriage forwardly and backwardly along the rail. A locking station is provided which is mounted securely on the rail, the carriage engaging the locking station when the safety belt is in the fully operative position. Thus any force applied to the safety belt by the occupant of the seat when an accident arises is transferred from the belt to the carriage and from the carriage to the locking station.Thus the arrangement is able to withstand any forces that might be applied to it in an efficient manner.
One disadvantage of the arrangement disclosed in
European Publication EP-022fl363 is that the locking station is fixed in position, whereas the seat may be adjustable forwardly and backwardly. It is common to provide a vehicle seat with such a degree of adjustment, in order to enable the seat to be positioned comfortably for people with short legs and also for people with long legs.
The disadvantage that arises is that the locking station is fixed in position, whereas the seat is movably mounted in position, which means that, depending upon the precise positional adjustment of the seat, the safety belt, when applied to the person sitting in the seat, may have an incorrect geometry.
It has now been appreciated that a safety belt, if it is to operate in an optimum manner under accident conditions, must be correctly positioned upon the person who is wearing the safety belt. In particular, the strap must pass, in a correct orientation, across the hips of the person wearing the safety belt, or else the person can be injured or can even slip fro the safety belt. For the safety belt to be positioned correctly across the hips of the person, the ends of the safety belt must occupy pre-determined positions relative to the person sitting on the seat, rather than a fixed predetermined position relative to the chassis of the motor vehicle.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved safety belt arrangement in which the disadvantage outlined above is not experienced.
According to this invention there is provided a safety belt arrangement for a motor vehicle, said safety belt arrangement comprising a safety belt adapted to extend across a person sitting in a seat in the motor vehicle, one end of the safety belt being connected to a carriage which is movable along a rail provided in the vehicle, that end of the safety belt being movable to a position in which means on the carriage engage a locking station, the locking station being adapted to retain the means on the carriage and also being adapted to withstand forces that may be applied to the carriage from the safety belt under accident conditions, the locking station being adapted to move so that the locking station occupies a substantially pre-determined position relative to the seat.
Preferably the locking station moves in response to forward and backward adjustment of the position of the seat.
Conveniently the locking station is mounted on the seat.
Alternatively the locking station is mounted to be moved in response to movement of the seat, but by a distance different to the distance of movement of the seat, by means of an appropriate mechanical or other linkage.
In one such embodiment the locking station is mounted on the rail.
Alternatively, the locking station is moved in dependence upon the weight of a person sitting on the seat.
Preferably the locking station is mechanically equivalent to a conventional buckle, the means on the carriage comprising a protruding element adapted to be inserted into and received by the locking station.
Conveniently the carriage is adapted to be dislocated from the rail when a significant force is applied to the safety belt.
Preferably the locking station is pivotally mounted in position.
Advantageously the rail is connected to the body of the motor vehicle and extends parallel to the seat, between the seat and the adjacent side of the motor vehicle.
Preferably the rail is incorporated in the door sill of the vehicle.
Alternatively the rail is incorporated in the door of the vehicle.
Preferably guide means are provided for guiding the belt from the reel, the guide means being located at a posit ^- at or aAacent the centre of the motor vehicle, to guide the belt over the shoulder of a person sitting on the seat in the motor vehicle, the belt passing to a retractor reel.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective schematic view of a motor vehicle provided with a safety belt system in accordance with the invention.
It is to be appreciated that the drawing accompanying the present Application is very similar to
Figure 1 of the drawings present in EP-0224363.
The drawing schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1, which is provided with a safety belt arrangement 2 in accordance with the invention on one seat of the vehicle. Only one seat belt arrangement 2 is illustrated for the sake of clarity of illustration.
The seat belt arrangement includes a retractor reel 3 of any convenient design, which is illustrated mounted on the floor of the motor vehicle to the rear of the front seat 4. The retractor reel 3 may be mounted at any convenient position either on the floor of the vehicle, or even on the back of the seat 4. The safety belt 5 from the retractor reel 3 is fed through a guide 6. The guide 6 is located at a position which is on the side of the seat 4 closest to the centre of the car, as opposed to being on the side of the seat 4 which is closest to the door or side wall of the car. The guide 6 is at an elevated position so that the seat belt 5 emerging through the guide 6 may easily pass over the shoulder of a person sitting on the seat 4. The guide is actually mounted on the seat 4, and thus moves with the seat when the position of the seat is adjusted.
The free end of the belt 5 is connected to a movable carriage 7 which is adpated to slide along a guide rail or track 8 which is mounted in position between the seat 4 and the side of the car that incorporates the door (not shown) through which the person who will occupy the seat 4 enters the car. The rail 8 may be mounted on the door sill under the door, or may be incorporated in the door sill. The rail has a forward terminal portion that is upwardly inclined. As indicated in the drawing the carriage 7 may move along the rail 8 from an initial forward position to occupy more rearward positions 7a, etc. and a locking station 9 is provided releasably to retain the carriage in position. The locking station 9 is mounted on the side of the seat 4.A motor arrangement 10 is provided which imparts movement to a control tape or the like extending through the track 8 causing the carriage to move between the various positions illustrated.
Whilst features of the design of the carriage, the track and the locking station of the presently described embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail, the general operation of the safety belt arrangement will now be described.
When a person enters the motor car illustrated in the drawing, the carriage 7 will be in its forwardmost position, with the safety belt 5 extending from the carriage to the guide 6. The person may thus easily enter the car sliding under the belt, and sitting on the seat 4. The safety belt system may be actuated by many different sensor arrangements. For example a sensor may be incorporated in the seat 4 to determine when a person is sitting on the seat, and a sensor may also be provided to sense when the door is closed. When the door is closed and a person is sitting on the seat the safety belt system may be actuated. Alternatively the safety belt system may be actuated when the ignition key is turned in the motor vehicle.
Regardless of the sensor arrangement used to initiate operation of the seat belt arrangement, when the seat belt arrangement is actuated the motor 10 will serve to move the carriage along the rail 8 through the position 7a and into position at the locking station 9.
As the carriage moves in this way the safety belt is caused to lie across the chest of the person sitting in the seat 4.
When the carriage 7 eventually reaches the position in which carriage is locked in position in the locking station 9, the motor is switched off.
Any excess belt will be withdrawn into the retractor reel 3, and thus the belt will have an appropriate initial tension. The person sitting in the motor vehicle may, under normal circumstances, move forwardly withdrawing a short extra length of belt 5 from the reel 3, but in an accident situation, when the motor vehicle will be accelerating or decelerating rapidly, the reel 3 will lock in position, thus preventing further belt 5 from being paid out.
When the person in the motor vehicle wishes to leave the motor vehicle, in response to an appropriate sensor arrangement, which may respond to the ignition being switched off, or which may respond to the door being opened, the motor 10 will again be activated, causing the carriage to be disengaged from the locking station 9 and subsequently causing the carriage to be returned to its initial forwardmost position. The occupant of the car may then readily climb out of the car.
If it is thought that the length of the belt 5 extending between the guide 6 and the carriage 7 when the carriage 7 is in its forwardmost position will hinder the person getting into or out of the car, additional means may be provided to retain the belt in a convenient position. For example a hook or the like may be provided in the region of the dashboard of the vehicle, and the driver may at appropriate times hook part of the belt into the hook so that the belt is not in the way, thus facilitating entry and exit from the vehicle. Alternatively a supplementary length of belt may be provided emerging from an appropriately located retractor reel adapted to apply a force to the belt 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow 11, thus again serving to facilitate entry to and exit from the vehicle.
It is to be noted that the locking station 9 is, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, mounted on the side of the squab of the seat 4.
It is envisaged that the locking station 9 will comprise an element which, mechanically, is virtually identical with a conventional motor car safety belt buckle. The carriage 7 is provided with a protruding tongue 12 adapted to be inserted into and be received by the element constituting the locking station 9. The projection 12 forms part of a plate 13, the plate 13 defining a further aperture 14, to which the end of the safety belt 5 is connected.
The element 9 is preferably pivotably mounted in position, to pivot about a horizontal axis.
It is to be appreciated that as the seat a is move; forwarAl:. and rearwardly, so the locking situation 9 is also moved forwardly and rearwardly, and thus the locking station will always have a pre-determined position relative to the squab of the seat 4. Thus the safety belt, as it traverses the person sitting in the seat 4, will also have a pre-determined orientation relative to that person. Thus, it can be ensured that when the belt is worn it is in the correct position, and thus has the correct geometry.
Should an accident arise, while a person is wearing the safety belt, a significant force will be applied to the safety belt. It is envisaged that this force will probably be sufficient to cause the carriage 7 to become dislocated from the rail 8. Should this event arise the element 9 will pivot about the horizontal pivoting axis thereof until the longitudinal axis of the element 9 will be aligned with the force applied thereto by the belt. It is to be appreciated that a conventional buckle (to which the element 9 equates) is best able to withstand an applied force when that force is applied in a direction which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the buckle. Tbe same applies to the element 9.
Whilst, in the described embodiment of the invention, the locking station 9 is secured directly to the seat of the motor vehicle, it is to be appreciated that in the modified embodiment of the invention the locking station 9 may be mounted for movement in response to movement of the seat, the movement effected by the buckle not being the same as the movement effected by the seat. Thus there may be some mechanical inter-linking between the seat and the locking station 9, so that the locking station 9 can effect the appropriate movement. The reason for this is that if the seat is in a forwardmost position it is most likely that the person sitting on the seat has short legs, and is probably thus of a slight build. On the other hand, if the seat is in the rearmost position, it is most likely that the person sitting on the seat has long legs and is of a stouter build.The position of the locking station 9 may need to be adjusted, for absolute perfection, to have different positions for people with slight build and people with a stout build. In an alternative embodiment the seat may have sensors responsive to the weight of the person sitting on the seat, and the locking station 9 may then be moved to a position, relative to the seat, dependent on the weight of the person sitting on the seat.
It is to be appreciated that in the illustrated embodiment the central part of the rail 8 must extend substantially parallel with the direction of movement of the seat, at least over the region that the seat can be adjusted so that, regardless of the adjustment position of the seat, the tongue 12 will always smoothly enter the locking station 9, regardless of the position of the seat.
It is to be appreciated that when an accident has occurred, it may be necessary to disengage the safety belt from the person wearing the safety belt in order to remove the person wearing the safety belt from the car.
Should such a situation arise a press button provided on the locking station 9 may be activated enabling the tongue 12 to be disengaged from the locking station.
The carriage 7 may then be moved along the rail 8. If the carriage 7 does not move along the rail 8 an applied force to the carriage may dislocate the carriage 7 from the rail 8.
It is preferred that the rail 2 is fixed to the side of the vehicle, for example being incorporated in the interior of the door ill of the vehicle or, alter- natively, being mounted on the floor of the vehicle.
However, the rail may have alternate positions.
Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a particular example of a safety belt system which consists of a single diagonal strap, it is to be appreciated that the invention may be utilised with safety belts which include not only a diagonal strap but also a lap strap. If such a lap strap is utilised a special lifting equipment may be necessary to lift the lap portion of the strap away from the squab of the seat when the carriage is in the forwardmost position, to provide easy access to the seat.
Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a safety belt system incorporated in a convertible car which does not have a B post, it is to be appreciated that alternative embodiments of the invention may be mounted in conventional saloon cars or estate cars, which do have a B post, and in such a case various rails may be provided along which the carriage can move. In such a case an arrangement such as that disclosed in GB-2221379 may be utilised, with a rail extending above the door opening and a further rail extending across the door. Of course, the rail extending across the door would have a horizontal portion to lie adjacent the seat, so that the carriage moving along the rail portion in the door could engage a locking station provided on or adjacent the seat.
Claims (15)
1. A safety belt arrangement for a motor vehicle, said safety belt arrangement comprising a safety belt adapted to extend across a person sitting in a seat in the motor vehicle, one end of the safety belt being connected to a carriage which is movable along a rail provided in the vehicle, that end of the safety belt being movable to a position in which means on the carriage engage a locking station, the locking station being adapted to retain the means on the carriage and also being adapted to withstand forces that may be applied to the carriage from the safety belt under accident conditions, the locking station being adapted to move so that the locking station occupies a substantially pre-determined position relative to the seat.
2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the locking station moves in response to forward and backward adjustment of the position of the seat.
3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the locking station is mounted on the seat.
4. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the locking station is mounted to be moved in response to movement of the seat, but by a distance different to the distance of movement of the seat, by means of an appropriate mechanical or other linkage.
5. An arrangement according to Claim 4 wherein the locking station is mounted on the rail.
6. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the locking station is moved in dependence u?on the weight of a person sitting on the seat.
7. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the locking station is mechanically equivalent to a conventional buckle, the means on the carriage comprising a protruding element adapted to be inserted into and received by the locking station.
8. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the carriage is adapted to be dislocated from the rail when a significant force is applied to the safety belt.
9. An arrangement according to Claim 8 wherein the locking station is pivotally mounted in position.
10. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the rail is connected to the body of the motor vehicle and extends parallel to the seat, between the seat and the adjacent side of the motor vehicle.
11. An arrangement according to Claim 10 wherein the rail is incorporated in the door sill of the vehicle.
12. An arrangement according to Claim 10 wherein the rail is incorporated in the door of the vehicle.
13. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein guide means are provided for guiding the belt from the reel, the guide means being located at a position at or adjacent the centre of the motor vehicle, to guide the belt over the shoulder of a person sitting on the seat in the motor vehicle, the belt passing to a retractor reel.
14. A safety belt arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.
15. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9004153A GB2241150A (en) | 1990-02-23 | 1990-02-23 | "improvements in or relating to a safety belt system" |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9004153A GB2241150A (en) | 1990-02-23 | 1990-02-23 | "improvements in or relating to a safety belt system" |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9004153D0 GB9004153D0 (en) | 1990-04-18 |
| GB2241150A true GB2241150A (en) | 1991-08-28 |
Family
ID=10671535
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9004153A Withdrawn GB2241150A (en) | 1990-02-23 | 1990-02-23 | "improvements in or relating to a safety belt system" |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2241150A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2929212A1 (en) * | 2008-03-27 | 2009-10-02 | Renault Sas | DEVICE FOR LOCKING / UNLOCKING A SECURITY BELT PEN |
-
1990
- 1990-02-23 GB GB9004153A patent/GB2241150A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2929212A1 (en) * | 2008-03-27 | 2009-10-02 | Renault Sas | DEVICE FOR LOCKING / UNLOCKING A SECURITY BELT PEN |
| WO2009122104A2 (en) * | 2008-03-27 | 2009-10-08 | Renault S.A.S | Locking/unlocking device for a safety belt bolt |
| WO2009122104A3 (en) * | 2008-03-27 | 2009-12-23 | Renault S.A.S | Locking/unlocking device for a safety belt bolt |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9004153D0 (en) | 1990-04-18 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |