WO2009122104A2

WO2009122104A2 - Locking/unlocking device for a safety belt bolt

Info

Publication number: WO2009122104A2
Application number: PCT/FR2009/050460
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paulo Francisco; Dominique Cabrie
Original assignee: Renault S.A.S
Priority date: 2008-03-27
Filing date: 2009-03-19
Publication date: 2009-10-08
Also published as: FR2929212A1; WO2009122104A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking/unlocking device (10) for a bolt (3) on a safety belt (1) for an automotive vehicle, with the device including: a housing (14), a means of locking the bolt, a means of unlocking (11) the bolt, and a means of connecting to the vehicle (15). According to the invention, the device also includes essentially: at least one lateral and/or frontal opening (13) enabling the bolt (3) to pass towards and/or from the locked position.

Description

DEVICE FOR LOCKING / UNLOCKING A SECURITY BELT PEN.

The present invention relates to the locking / unlocking systems of a seat belt of a motor vehicle.

Such systems conventionally comprise a safety belt, said belt comprising a strap equipped with a bolt, and a device for locking / unlocking the bolt, generally called buckle or striker.

More specifically, the invention relates to a device for locking / unlocking a safety belt bolt for a motor vehicle, the device comprising: a housing, means for locking the bolt, means for unlocking the bolt, and means connection to the vehicle.

Such a device is known to those skilled in the art. However, particularly in the case of three-point locking / unlocking systems, the optimization of the restraint in the event of sudden shock or deceleration leads to positioning the buckles in places of the vehicle sometimes difficult to reach for the user once. sitting on the seat, for example according to his physiognomy or his style of dress.

Indeed, the loop can then be hidden by the user himself and locking / unlocking must be blind, which imposes postures sometimes uncomfortable or difficult, especially for some people with reduced mobility. There are certain belt locking / unlocking devices to improve the guidance of the bolt leading to locking, by a bolt shaped revolution, for example cylindrical, conical or frustoconical. But this type of bolt involves a heavier bolt and bigger.

The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a solution that can be adapted to existing bolts, fitted to most motor vehicles.

With this objective in view, the device according to the invention, furthermore in accordance with the preamble cited above, is essentially characterized that it further comprises: at least one lateral and / or frontal opening allowing the bolt to pass to and / or from its locking position.

In one embodiment, the lateral and / or front opening is disposed in the housing, that is to say integrated therewith.

In one embodiment, the device according to the invention further comprises means for guiding the bolt, connected to the lateral opening.

Advantageously, the means for guiding the bolt are configured to constrain the movement of the bolt, when it cooperates with said guide means, along a path imposed by said guide means.

With this feature, the movement of the bolt is constrained, preferably in a single degree of freedom. In one embodiment, the guide means comprise a lower bearing surface and / or an upper bearing surface.

In one embodiment, the lower bearing surface comprises a groove serving as a bearing surface (s) for the bolt.

In one embodiment, the upper support surface comprises upper lips serving as surface (s) support for the bolt. In another embodiment, the guide means comprise resilient means configured to disappear locally at the passage of the bolt.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle seat comprising the device according to the invention and a motor vehicle comprising the device according to the invention.

Thanks to the invention, a bolt can be brought to the locking / unlocking means from an outside area to said means, thus easier to access and thus facilitating locking / unlocking.

Advantageously, the device according to the invention can be made from current loops, without requiring heavy modifications.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example and with reference to the appended figures in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the device according to the invention, FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the device according to the invention, with guiding means, FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the device according to the invention, for holding the bolt, FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate two modes. embodiment of the device according to the invention, for bearing surfaces, and - Figures 5A and 5B illustrate two embodiments of the device according to the invention, to limit the introduction of impurities.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a system for locking / unlocking a seat belt of a motor vehicle conventionally comprises a safety belt 1, said belt comprising a strap 2 equipped with a bolt 3, and a locking device. / Unlocking the bolt.

The bolt 3 conventionally comprises first connecting means 4 to the strap 2, and second connecting means 5 configured to cooperate with the locking / unlocking means of said locking / unlocking device 10. Typically, the fastening means 5 can have a shape having two flat faces parallel to each other, as shown in Figure 1, or as mentioned above, a form of revolution. For convenience of language, we speak indifferently of the bolt 3 or its attachment means 5.

A locking / unlocking device 10 of the bolt conventionally comprises locking means

(not shown) disposed within a housing 14 (or casing), unlocking means 11, in this case a button, and connecting means 15 to the vehicle.

The connecting means 15 ensure a maintenance of said device 10 relative to a fixed element of the vehicle, for example the seat or the floor. In this case, the connecting element is secured to the device 10 by means of fixing means, for example screws, axle, cable, sheet metal tab, etc.

A conventional locking / unlocking device also comprises an upper opening 12, located in the upper part or face of the casing 14, and allowing the bolt to pass to and / or from its locking position.

The locking / unlocking device 10 according to the invention comprises at least one lateral and / or front end opening allowing the bolt to pass to and / or from its locking position.

By lateral opening is meant that when the locking / unlocking device 10 is positioned in the vehicle, the lateral face of said device comprising said lateral opening is substantially parallel to the lateral faces of the vehicle.

By front opening, it is meant that when the locking / unlocking device 10 is positioned in the vehicle, the front end face of said device comprising said front front opening is substantially parallel to the front faces of the vehicle, and positioned towards the front of the -this.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the device according to the invention comprising a front opening, in this case for a seat located on the left side of a vehicle, the front opening allowing a lateral entry / exit of the bolt in the locking / unlocking device 10.

The lateral / front faces of the device may have substantially flat or rounded shapes or even of revolution.

The locking / unlocking device 10 according to the invention may further comprise an upper opening 12 allowing the bolt to pass to and / or from its locking position. Advantageously, the device according to the invention further comprises guide means 20 of the bolt, connected to the lateral and / or front opening 13, for guiding the supply of the bolt 3 into the casing 14. Preferably, the means 20 are integrally connected to the housing 14, and in this case to the side opening and / or front 13 (Figure 2).

In one embodiment not shown, the guide means 20 comprise a flare integral with the lateral and / or frontal opening 13.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the guiding means 20 comprise a recessed rail, that is to say one of which has a U-shaped cross-section, making it possible to guide the bolt to the lateral opening and or frontal 13 of the casing 14, in this case in a substantially horizontal direction, the locking of the latch then taking place in a conventional manner, that is to say in a substantially vertical direction, or in a substantially horizontal direction, and preferably in the extension of the guide means 20. In these embodiments, the bolt 3 can freely be moved along the guide rail, but also transversely thereto, in a substantially vertical plane, the bolt not being held in the guide means 20.

With this configuration, a user can use the entire length of the guide means 20 to introduce or remove the bolt 3.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 3, the means for guiding the bolt 20 are configured to constrain the movement of the bolt 3: when it interacts with said guide means 20, in this case when the bolt 3 is introduced. in the rail 20, the bolt 3 can be moved freely only along the guide rail, that is to say along a path imposed by said guide means 20, in this case by the shape of said guide means 20.

For this purpose, the guide means 20 may comprise means for holding the bolt 3. Advantageously, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the means for holding the bolt 3 comprise a female part, in this case an abutment 21 integrated in the rail 20. cooperating with a male portion 31 of the bolt, so that the bolt 3 is held in the guide means 20 and can not be moved transversely, perpendicularly, to the rail 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the cross section of the guide means 20 matches the shape of the cross section of the bolt 3. With this configuration, the guide means 20 leave only one degree of freedom to the movement of the bolt 3. This can only be moved in a direction imposed by the guide means 20.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4A, the guiding means 20 comprise a lower bearing surface, in this case a groove 22, said groove 22 serving as surface (s) for supporting the bolt 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, with a U-shaped rail 20, the groove 22 corresponds to the bottom of the U and serves as a bearing surface, in this case substantially horizontal, to the bolt 3; this makes it possible to limit the movement in a substantially vertical direction of the bolt 3, the groove 22 serving in this case as a stop.

Alternatively, the bearing surface may be a specific surface housed at a predetermined height in the groove 22. This characteristic may allow for example to manufacture a single rail that can be used for a plurality of lengths of attachment means 5 of the bolt 3 .

The bolt 3 is held transversely by bearing surfaces 23 corresponding for example to the legs of the U, folds thereof, or other transverse holding means cooperating with the rail 20.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4B, the guiding means 20 comprise an upper bearing surface 23, in this case upper lips, said upper lips 23 serving as bearing surface (s) for the bolt 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, with a U-shaped rail 20, the upper bearing surfaces 23 each correspond to a branch of the U.

The bolt 3 can abut against the upper bearing surface or surfaces 23 by the first means link 4 to the strap 2, or by the second connecting means 5 configured to cooperate with the locking / unlocking means.

In one embodiment, the guide means 20 comprise elastic means configured to disappear locally at the passage of the bolt.

Preferably, the elastic means are positioned in an upper part of the guide means 20. Thanks to this characteristic, in the case of a U-shaped rail 20 or other guide means provided with a bottom, it is possible to limit the introduction of impurities at the bottom of said guide means 20.

As illustrated, the elastic means may comprise one or two brushes 41, arranged in this case vis-à-vis (Figure 5A) or lips 42 (Figure 5B), arranged in this case vis-à-vis with recovery.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle seat comprising the device according to the invention, whether the seat is individual or not (bench seat) or contiguous to another seat.

Preferably, the device according to the invention is integrated in the seat of the vehicle seat.

The invention also relates to any combination of at least two of the previously described embodiments.

Claims

1. Device for locking / unlocking (10) a bolt (3) of a safety belt (1) for a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a housing (14),

locking means of the bolt,

- Unlocking means (11) of the bolt, and

means for connecting the vehicle (15), characterized in that it further comprises:

- At least one lateral opening and / or front (13) allowing the passage of the bolt (3) to and / or from its locking position.

2. Device according to claim 1, further comprising guide means (20) of the bolt, connected to the lateral opening and / or front (13).

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the guide means of the bolt (20) are configured to constrain the movement of the bolt (3), when it cooperates with said guide means, in a path imposed by said means of guiding (20).

4. Device according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the guide means (20) comprise a lower bearing surface and / or an upper bearing surface.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the lower bearing surface comprises a groove (22) serving as surface (s) bearing the bolt.

6. Device according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the upper bearing surface comprises upper lips (23) serving as surface (s) bearing the bolt.

7. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the guide means (20) comprise resilient means (41, 42) configured to fade locally to the passage of the bolt.

Motor vehicle seat comprising the device according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. Motor vehicle comprising the device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or comprising the seat according to claim 8.