GB2320471A

GB2320471A - Seat belt retractor attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2320471A
Application number: GB9724059A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nobuo Toyoda; Taroh Harada
Original assignee: Suzuki Motor Corp
Current assignee: Suzuki Motor Corp
Priority date: 1996-12-18
Filing date: 1997-11-17
Publication date: 1998-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-17
Also published as: GB2320471B; GB9724059D0; DE19752191A1; JP3503378B2; DE19752191C2; JPH10175508A

Abstract

A seat belt retractor attachment comprises a bolt passing through cooperating bolt holes 8, 13 on an attaching plate 7 of the the retractor 2 and a bracket 3 and also temporary fixings in the form of cooperating projections 12a, 12b and elongate holes 9a, 9b. The holes are formed on the attaching plate and inclined towards one another and may converge towards the centre of the bolt hole, which is lower than the elongate holes. The bracket has the projections formed thereon and may be spot welded to the vehicle structure at 17. An extension 15 may be provided on the bracket to prevent tipping of the retractor while it is held by the temporary fixings. The temporary fixings hold the bolt holes in an aligned position during assembly of the vehicle.

Description

1

DESCRIPTION

STRUCTURE FOR ATTACHING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR 2320471 The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a seat belt retractor.

A seat belt retractor for taking up a seat belt is usually attached to the car body (e.g., a center pillar) of a four-wheel vehicle via a retractor attaching bracket. Referring to Fig. 7 of the accmpanying drawings, there is shown a conventional retractor. attaching bracket denoted by a numeral 20. The retractor attaching bracket 20 includes a flat plate main body section 21 formed to have a proper shape by punching one steel plate and a pair of catch-like sections 22a and 22b integrally formed to be protruded in both left and right locations at the upper end of this flat plate main body section 21. A welding nut 23 is connected to the back surface of the upper side of the flat plate main body section 21.

The lower side of the retractor attaching bracket 20 is fixed to the car body of the four-wheel vehicle beforehand by welding or the like. The seat belt retractor (not shown in FIG. 7) is attached to this bracket 20. For attaching the seat belt retractor, the seat belt retractor is positioned by locking the retractor in the catch-like sections 22a and 22b -2of the retractor attaching bracket 20 which is fixed to the car body beforehand. Then, the retractor is fastened by bolts to the bracket 20 by using a welding nut 23.

According to the above-described conventional structure for attaching the seat belt retractor, for attaching the seat belt retractor, the retractor can be positioned with respect to the retractor attaching bracket 20. However, temporary fixing (temporary holding) cannot be performed for the seat belt retractor during assembling. Thus, inconveniences are inherent in the conventional structure. For example, assembling work must frequently be performed all over again. This inconvenience occurs for the following reason. For attaching the seat belt retractor, first the retractor is placed and positioned in the retractor attaching bracket 20 by holding an impact wrench with a right hand, setting bolts held by a left hand in the socket section of the impact wrench and then moving the seat belt retractor to a specified position with the left hand. Then, in this condition, the seat belt retractor is fastened by the bolts to the retractor attaching bracket 20. In the middle of this attaching work, however, the bolts may be removed and fall from the socket of the impact wrench.

The present invention seeks to solve the inconveniences inherent in the conventional structure for .1 is 1 attaching the seat belt retractor, one of which was described above as an example. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for attaching a seat belt retractor, which includes not only a function for positioning the seat belt retractor with respect to a retractor attaching bracket but also a function for temporarily fixing the seat belt retractor to the retractor attaching bracket.

In order to achieve the above-described objective, according to the present invention, there is provided a structure for attaching a seat belt retractor, which includes a first bolt inserting hole provided in the seat belt retractor and a second bolt inserting hole provided in a retractor attaching bracket connected to the car body of an automobile. The seat belt retractor is attached to the car body of the automobile via the retractor attaching bracket by joining the seat belt retractor to the retractor attaching bracket so as to make the first bolt inserting hole coincide with the second bolt inserting hole. Then, the seat belt retractor is fastened and firmly fixed to the retractor attaching bracket by inserting bolts into the first and second bolt inserting holes. A pair of elongate holes are formed in the seat belt retractor. These elongate holes are inclined in upper and lower directions so as to approach each other in the lower direction and extended toward the first bolt inserting hole. A pair of crank-shaped catch-like sections -4 are formed in the retractor attaching bracket. The seat belt retractor is hung on the retractor attaching bracket and temporarily fixed thereto by introducing the pair of elongate holes over the pair of catch-like sections in intersecting conditions, the pair of catch-like sections having been formed in the retractor attaching bracket connected to the car body of the.automobile.

According to the present invention, the center lines of the pair of elongate holes in longitudinal directions are set to intersect each other at the center of the first bolt inserting hole of the seat belt retractor. The pair of elongate holes of the seat belt retractor are locked in the pair of catch-like sections of the retractor attaching bracket substantially in orthogonally crossing conditions.

Advantageously, a projecting section is provided in a. central area between the pair of catch-like sections of the retractor attaching bracket. This projecting section is formed so as to protrude upwards further than the upper ends of the pair of the catch-like sections. When the seat belt retractor is hung on the retractor attaching bracket, a portion between the pair of elongate holes of the seat belt retractor is disposed and held between the pair of catch-like sections and the projecting section. In this way, the inclination of the seat belt retractor to the retractor attaching bracket is prevented.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way ef example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a four-wheel vehicle having a seat belt retractor attaching structure of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a main section expanded perspective view showing a seat belt retractor attached to a center pillar of the four-wheel vehicle; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a retractor attaching bracket used for attaching the seat belt retractor to the center pillar; FIG. 4 is an expanded perspective view showing a catch like section provided in the retractor attaching bracket; FIG. 5(a) is a front view showing initial states of locking elongate holes of the seat belt retractor in the catch like sections of the retractor attaching bracket; FIG. 5(b) is a front view showing a state of temporarily fixing the seat belt retractor to the retractor attaching bracket; FIG. 6 is a section view taken along a line X-X of FIG.

2; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional retractor attaching bracket.

In this section, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings is -61 to 6.

FIG. 1 illustrates a four-wheel vehicle 1 having a seat belt retractor attaching structure of the present invention. A seal belt retractor 2 shown in FIG. 2 and a retractor attaching bracket 3 shown in FIG. 3 are attached to the lower section of the center pillar 4 of the four-wheel vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat belt retractor 2 includes a retractor main body section 6 for taking up a seat belt 5 and an attaching plate section 7 integrally attached to the retractor main body section 6. A first bolt inserting hole 8 and a pair of elongate holes (engaging holes or slots) 9a and 9b are provided in the specified spots of the attaching plate section 7. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in the depending portion 7a of the attaching plate section 7 extending downward from the retractor main body section 6, the first bolt inserting hole 8 is formed to be circular approximately in the center spot of its width direction. The pair of elongate holes 9a and 9b are formed to be KOBAN- shaped (old Japanese coin having an elliptical shape) at locations above the bolt inserting hole 8 and symmetrical to a center line L passing the center 0 of the bolt inserting hole 8.

The pair of elongate holes 9a and 9b will be described in more detail As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the pair of elongate holes 9a and 9b are formed to be KOBAN-shaped. These elongate holes 9a and 9b are respectively inclined and extended along -7straight lines S, and S2 which pass through the center 0 of the bolt inserting hole 8 and make equal angles e at left and right sides of the center line L. In other words, the KOBANshaped elongate holes 9a and 9b inclined in upper and lower directions and extended toward the first bolt inserting hole 8 in the lower direction (i.e., the pair of elongate holes respectively extended along the two straight lines S, and S2 which make a V shape, the center 0 of the first bolt inserting hole 8 being an apex of the V shape) are formed in the depending portion 7a of the attaching plate section 7 of the seat belt retractor 2. Accordingly, the center lines S, and S2 in the longitudinal directions of the pair of elongate holes 9a and 9b are set to intersect each other in the center 0 of the first bolt inserting hole 8 of the seat belt retractor 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the retractor attaching bracket 3 includes a flat plate-like main body section 11 and a pair of crank-shaped catch-like (pawl-like) sections (engaging sections) 12a and 12b integrally formed to be bent in left and right locationsof the upper end of the flat platelike main body section 11. Specifically, the retractor attaching bracket 3 is constructed in such a manner that the flat plate-like main body section 11 and the pair of crank-shaped catch-like sections 12a and 12b (portion indicated by a chain line in FIG. 4) existing on the same plane are formed by -8punching one steel flat plate to have the required shape and then the portions (portion indicated by a code A in FIG. 4) of the pair of catchlike sections 12a and 12b joined to the flat plate-like main body section 11 are bent in the same direction. A second bolt inserting hole 13 is provided in the upper side lla of the flat plate-like main body section 11. A fixing'. nut 14 is welded and connected to a position corresponding to the second bolt inserting hole 13 in the back surface of the upper side lla of the flat plate-like main body section 11.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b comprise crank-shaped pieces bent toward the surface side (front side of the paper surface in FIG. 3) of the flat plate-like main body section 11. These catch-like sections 12a and 12b are provided so as to be protrude upward from both sides of the upper end of the flat plate-like main body section 11. More particularly, the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b are formed to be moved away from each other toward the upper side (tip). In the portions A of the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b joined to the flat plate-like main body section 11, the pair of crank-shaped catch-like sections 12a and 12b are bent toward the surface side (side opposite the attaching surface of the welding nut 14) of the flat plate-like main body section 11.

The flat plate-like main body section 11 further includes a circular-arc projecting section 15. This projecting section 15 is integrally provided at an upper end center spot between the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b so as to be extended and protruded upward substantially in the same plane as the flat plate-like main body section 11. The height H, of the projecting section 15 from the upper end of the flat plate-like main body section 11 is set higher than heights H2 of the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b from the upper end of the flat plate-like main body section 11 (see FIG. 6). The projecting section 15 is set to such a height, as described later, in order to prevent the seat belt retractor 2 from inclining and falling backward (direction indicated by an arrow M, in FIG. 6) during assembling of the retractor 2 in the retractor attaching bracket 3.

Next, a procedure for attaching the seat belt retractor 2 to the center pillar 4 via the retractor attaching bracket 3 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the retractor attaching bracket 3 is disposed in a position corresponding to the opening section 16 of a pillar inner panel 4a, which constitutes the inner surface of the center pillar 4. The lower side llb of the flat plate-like main body section 11 of the bracket 3 is attached to the lower edge spot of the opening section 16 of the pillar inner panel 4a by spot welding 17. For attaching the seat belt retractor 2, an operator holds the seat belt retractor 2 and moves the same substantially in a horizontal direction. In this way, the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b of the retractor attaching bracket 3 attached to the car body side as described above are interpolated into the pair of elongate holes ga and 9b of the seat belt retractor 2 as shown in FIG. 5(a). In this case, the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9a and 9b are disposed such as to intersect each other substantially orthogonally in the intermediate locations of the longitudinal directions of the elongate holes9a and 9b. In this condition, small gaps are formed between the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9aand 9b so as to allow some play. The center 0 of the first bolt inserting hole 8 of the seat belt retractor 2 and the center P of the second bolt inserting hole 13 of the retractor attaching bracket 3 never coincide with each other. The first bolt inserting hole 8 is disposed at a position relatively higher than the second bolt inserting hole 13.

Then, the seat belt retractor 2 is moved toward the retractor attaching bracket 3 and pushed in along the crankshaped catch- like sections 12a and 12b. Subsequently, by an engaging action (guiding action) between the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9a and 9b, the seat belt retractor 2 is moved downward by gravity while being guided along a specified moving route. Following the downward 1 movement of the seat belt retractor 2, gaps between the upper side slopes a (see FIG. 4) of the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9a and 9b are gradually reduced. When play between the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9a and 9b is completely eliminated, the upper peripheral surfaces p of the elongate holes 9a and 9b are brought into contact with the upper side slopes a and the seat belt retractor 2 is prevented from being moved further downward.

Accordingly, the seat belt retractor 2 is hung on the catch like sections 12a and 12b of the retractor attaching bracket 3 and temporarily fixed. Then, the centers 0 and P of the first and second bolt inserting holes 8 and 13 are made to coincide with each other (see FIG. 5(b)).

After the seat belt retractor 2 has been hung on the retractor attaching bracket 3, as shown in FIG. 6, a portion between the pairof elongate holes 9a and 9b of the seat belt retractor 2 is disposed and held between the pair of catch like sections 12a and 12b, and the projecting section 15.

Accordingly, the seat belt retractor 2 is held in a falling prevented state. Specifically, falling forward of the seat belt retractor 2 (direction of an arrow M. in FIG. 6) from the retractor attaching bracket 3 is prevented by the catch like sections 12a and 12b. Also, falling backward of the seat belt retractor 2 (direction of an arrow M, in FIG. 6) is prevented by the projecting section 15.

1 Then, in such a condition, the hand is released from the seat belt retractor 2 and bolt fastening work to the retractor attaching bracket 3 is performed. In this case, since the seat belt retractor 2 is temporarily fixed, as described above, by the engaging action between the catchlike sections 12a and 12b and the elongate holes 9a and 9b and the holding action between the catch-like sections 12a and 12b and the projecting section 15 and held in the retractor attaching bracket 3 in the falling prevented and assembled states, even if the hand is released from the seat belt reactor 2, its falling or inclination is prevented and its assembled state is maintained. Accordingly, the operator can freely use both hands. For example, the operator holds the impact wrench by the right hand and the bolt by the left hand and then fits the bolt in the socket section of the impact wrench. While keeping this fitted state by both hands, the operator can perform bolt fastening work (also, work for attaching the seat belt retractor 2).

According to the above-described attaching structure, for attaching the seat belt retractor 2, since the seat belt retractor 2 can be temporarily fixed without the occurrence of its falling, attaching work can be facilitated and smoothly and reliably performed without any problems of bolt falling or the like. Accordingly, work efficiency can be greatly improved. Since a temporary fixing step and a bolt - 13 fastening step can be separated from each other, balance can be easily kept between these steps. Accordingly, work arrangement can be improved. Moreover, according to the constitution of the embodiment, by engaging the pair of elongate holes 9a and 9b with the pair of catch-like sections 12a and 12b for temporary fixing, positioning of the seat belt retractor 2 can be easily and accurately performed as in the conventional. case.

One embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical teachings of the invention. For example, according to the described embodiment the elongate holes 9a and 9b are engaged with the catch-like sections 12a and 12b in orthogonally crossing conditions. However, these sections may be engaged with each other in crossing conditions other than in orthogonally crossing conditions. Also, according to the described embodiment, the circular-arc projecting section 15 is provided in the retractor attaching bracket 3. However, a projecting section 15 formed in a proper shape other than a circular-arc shape may be provided in the flat plate-like main body section 11.

As apparent from the foregoing, the present invention is effective in the following respects.

The invention provides the function of hanging and is -14temporarily fixing the seat belt retractor in the retractor attaching bracket by locking the pair of elongate holes of the seat belt retractor in the pair of crank-shaped catch-like sections of the retractor attaching bracket connected to the car body of the automobile. Accordingly, for attaching the seat belt retractor, by temporarily fixing the seat belt retractor in the retractor attaching bracket, the operator can perform bolt fastening work by both hands (e.g., the operator holds the impact wrench by the right hand, fits the bolts in the socket section of the impact wrench by the left hand and then performs bolt fastening work) easily and quickly without any inconveniences such as bolt falling or the like. As a result, attaching work efficiency can be improved.

Since work can be divided into a step for temporarily fixing the seat belt retractor and a bolt fastening step for attaching the same, good work balance can be kept between these steps. Accordingly, work arrangement can be facilitated.

Furthermore, in addition to the function provided for performing temporary fixing, an engaging action is performed between each of the pair of the catch-like sections and each of the pair of the elongate holes. Accordingly, positioning of the seat belt retractor in the retractor attaching bracket can be performed as in the conventional case.

Claims

1. A seat belt retractor attaching structure for attaching a seat belt retractor to a car body of an automobile via a retractor attaching bracket by joining said seat belt retractor to said retractor attaching bracket in a manner that a first bolt inserting hole provided in said sea belt retractor coincides with a second bolt inserting hole provided in said retractor attaching bracket connected to said car body of said automobile, by inserting bolts into said first and second bolt inserting holes, and by fastening and fixing said seat belt retractor to said retractor attaching bracket, said seat belt attaching structure comprising: a pair of elongate holes formed in said seat belt retractor, said pair of elongate holes being inclined in upper and lower directions and extended toward said first bolt inserting hole so as to approach each other gradually in said lower direction; and a pair of crank-shaped, catch-like sections formed in said retractor attaching bracket, wherein said seat belt retractor can be hung temporarily fixed in said retractor attaching bracket by locking said pair of elongate holes of said seat belt retractor in said pair of catch-like sections of said retractor attaching bracket connected to said car body of said automobile in crossing -16conditions.

2. A seat belt reactor attaching structure according to claim 1, wherein center lines of longitudinal directions of said pair of elongate holes intersect each other in a center of said first bolt inserting hole of said seat belt retractor and said pair of elongate holes of said seat belt retractor are locked in said pair of catch-like sections of said retractor attaching bracket substantially in orthogonally crossing conditions.

3. A seat belt retractor attaching structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projecting section provided in a center area between said pair of catchlike sections of said retractor attaching bracket, said projecting section being protruded upward more than upper ends of said pair of catch- like sections, wherein said seat belt retractor is hung on said retractor attaching bracket, a portion between said pair of long holes of said seat belt retractor is disposed and held between said catch-like sections and said projecting section so that.:., inclining and falling of said seat belt retractor from said retractor attaching bracket are prevented.

4. A seat belt retractor attaching structure according to claim 2, further comprising:

a projecting section provided in a center area between said pair of catchlike sections of said retractor attaching bracket, said projecting section being protruded upward more than upper ends of said pair of catch-like sections, wherein said seat belt retractor is hung on said retractor attaching bracket, a portion between said pair of elongate holes of said seat belt retractor is disposed and held between said catch-like sections and said projecting section so that inclining and falling of said seat belt retractor from said retractor attaching bracket are prevented.

5. A seat belt retractor attaching structure for attaching a seat belt retractor to a car body of an automobile, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.