GB2271269A - Seat belt - Google Patents

Abstract

A lap and diagonal seat belt assembly is provided for use with a seat 12 which can hinge forward. The assembly comprises a first portion 11 which restrains the seat against forward hinging, both ends of the first portion being securable to the vehicle body at 21, 37. A second portion 14 is secured to the first portion at one end 46 and is securable to the vehicle body to provide part of the conventional lap and diagonal belt. Various parts of the assembly have means for adjusting the effective length of the belts and the securing at 37 can be made releasable via fitting 35. <IMAGE>

Description

SEAT BELT When seat belts are fitted to rear seats in cars, it is usual to provide lap and diagonal belts for the offside seat and the nearside seat and only a lap belt for the centre seat, because although the car body can provide secure fixing points for the top end of the diagonal belt in the first two seats, it is difficult to provide a similar secure fixing point for the centre seat. This is a particular problem in cars whose rear seat folds forward to allow access to the rear of the car since any fixing of the top end of the belt to the seat will not provide a sufficiently secure support. It is not sufficient to rely on the catches which secure the rear seat in its upright position.

According to the present invention there is provided a lap and diagonal seat belt assembly for a vehicle body comprising a first portion having means for securing its ends to the vehicle body for restraining the seat back against forward movement and a second portion secured to the first portion and for securing to the vehicle body forming part of a lap and diagonal belt for the seat user.

It is preferred to form the first portion in two parts with a connecting piece therebetween, and to secure the second portion to the connecting piece. Adjustment of the effective length of a part enables the assembly to fit different locations. The connecting piece is preferably formed with slots to allow a belt to slide therethrough; a belt looped through such a slot can have its effective length changed by changing the length of the loop.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the rear seat of a vehicle showing a seat belt for the centre portion of the seat, and Figure 2 is a plan of the connecting piece of the belt of Figure 1.

The belt assembly shown in the figures has two belt components. The first component 11 restrains the back portion 12 of the seat against forward movement when the vehicle is suddenly decelerated and also supports a fixing plate 13 adjacent the top of the back portion 12.

The second component 14 is a conventional static lap and diagonal belt.

The first component 11 runs from a first fixing point 21 located below the back portion 12 on one side of the centre portion of the seat to a second fixing point at anchor plate 37 at the rear. The component 11 includes belts 26 and 28 and intermediate plate 13. Belt 26 passes from the fixing point 21, between the back portion 12 and the seat portion 22 of the seat and up the front of the back portion 12 to the support plate 13. At the fixing point 21, a bracket 23 having a slot for receiving belts is secured by a bolt and locking washer 25 to a threaded hole 24 in the vehicle' body.

The lower end of belt 26 is looped through the slot in the bracket 23, the loop being closed by stitching. The upper end of the belt 26 passes through an adjuster buckle 27 whose centre pin is connected by a fixed length belt 29 to plate 13. The free end of belt 26 is pulled or relaxed relative to the buckle 27 to adjust the distance between the fixing point 21 and the plate 13. The distance is preferably adjusted to bring the support plate 13 to a position just to the rear of the top of the back portion 12. As shown in greater detail in Figure 2, the fixing plate 13 is rectangular and is formed with two parallel equal length slots 31, 32 and a central aperture 33. The upper loop of the belt 29 passes through the first slot 31.The second belt 28 forming part of the first component 11 has an upper loop passing through the second slot 32 of the plate 13 and which upper loop is secured by stitching. The lower end of second belt 28 passes through an adjuster buckle 38 whose centre pin is connected by a fixed length belt 40 to a bracket 34 having a spring clip attachment 35 for fixing to an eye bolt 36 screwed into stress anchor plate 37 secured to the vehicle body. The free end of the belt 28 is pulled or relaxed relative to the buckle 38 to adjust the distance between the fixing point at anchor plate 37 and the plate 13. The attachment 35 makes the assembly easily releasable if it is desired to fold the seat forward and yet provides a firm hold when the vehicle is in use.

The conventional static lap and diagonal belt 14 has its main belt 41 secured by a fixed length belt 39 to the clip 23 at the same fixing point 21 as the first component 11. The belt 39 is fixed between the centre pin of a seat belt adjuster buckle 42 and the bracket 23 and the lower end of the main belt 41 passes through the buckle 42 to form an open-ended loop, the free end of the loop being tidied by a tidy clip 43. The free end of the belt 41 is pulled or relaxed relative to the buckle 42 to adjust its effective length to suit the size of the passenger using the seat. The belt in use extends across the lap of the passenger to pass freely through a slot 44 in buckle clip 45 and then passes diagonally across the chest of the passenger to its top end where it is secured to a bracket 46 by a stitched loop.In the conventional environment for a static seat belt the bracket 46 is normally bolted to the car body for example at the top of the door pillar but in this case it is bolted to the central aperture in the plate 13, using a bolt 47, shouldered swivel spacer 48, seat belt hanger clip 49 for receiving the clip 45 when not in use, and a lock nut 51.

The lap and diagonal belt has its subsidiary belt 52 of fixed length extending from the main buckle 53, into which the clip 45 fits,between the back portion 12 and the seat portion 22, to a bracket 54 secured by a bolt 55 and locking washer 56 to a threaded fixing hole 57 on the floor on the other side of the central portion of the seat from point 21.

It is noted the assembly is not fixed to the seat back.

The plate 13 is located adjacent its top portion, but is not connected thereto. Forward movement of the seat back is prevented by the limited length of the first component 11 and the location of the fixing point 21 adjacent the rear of the seat.

Claims (6)

1. A lap and diagonal seat belt assembly for a vehicle body comprising a first portion having means for securing its ends to the vehicle body for restraining the seat back against forward movement and a second portion secured to the first portion and for securing to the vehicle body forming part of a lap and diagonal belt for the seat user.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second portion is secured to the first portion in the region arranged to pass over the top of the seat back.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first portion is formed in two parts with a connecting piece therebetween, and the second portion is secured to the connecting piece.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein an or each part comprises a fixed length belt connected to a buckle and a portion with a free end passing through said buckle.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 comprising releasable means for securing the rear end of the first portion to the vehicle body.

6. A lap and diagonal seat belt assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.