Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-05-29
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S801100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237946
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for protecting an occupant in a vehicle such as an automobile during a vehicle collision and, more particularly, to combination of an inflatable belt capable of being inflated with gas from a gas generator, and a tongue. The present invention further relates to an inflatable belt device including the combination.
2. Description of Related Art
An inflatable belt device of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H05-85301 and is shown in FIG.
8
. This passenger protective device
1
includes a shoulder belt
2
extending diagonally from the right side to the left side of a passenger, a lap belt
3
extending from the right side to the left side of the passenger, a buckle
4
fixed to, for example, a vehicle floor, a tongue
5
to be inserted into and engaged with the buckle
4
when the passenger wears the belt, and an intermediate guide
6
for guiding the shoulder belt
2
.
The shoulder belt
2
includes a webbing
2
a
, which is the same as a typical conventional seat belt, and an inflatable belt
2
b
connected to an end of the webbing
2
a
. The webbing
2
a
is slidably hung in the intermediate guide
6
. The other end of the webbing
2
a
is connected to a shoulder belt retractor
7
with an emergency locking mechanism (ELR), which is fixed to the vehicle body. The webbing
2
a
is arranged such that it is wound into the shoulder belt retractor
7
.
The inflatable belt
2
b
is positioned so that it contacts the passenger and is connected to the tongue
5
at an end opposite to the end connected to the webbing
2
a
. The lap belt
3
is composed of a webbing, which is the same as a typical conventional seat belt, having one end is connected to the tongue
5
and the other end connected to a lap belt retractor
8
(ELR), which is fixed to the vehicle body. A gas generator
9
is connected to the buckle
4
. The gas generator
9
is actuated in emergency situations, e.g., vehicle collisions, to generate high-pressure gas. The tongue
5
and the buckle
4
are each provided with passages for introducing gas from the gas generator
9
into the inflatable belt
2
b
. When the gas generator
9
is actuated, the gas is introduced into the inflatable belt
2
b
through this passages so that the inflatable belt
2
b
is inflated.
The tongue
5
disclosed in Japanese publication 5-85301, which allows gas to be introduced therethrough, is cylindrical and stumpy. This shape makes the tongue
5
conspicuous especially when the tongue
5
is hung to extend along the center pillar, thereby spoiling the beauty of a vehicle cabin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide an inflatable belt that will obviate or minimize the above difficulties.
It is a specific object of the present invention to provide an inflatable belt device having a flat-shaped tongue.
A preferred embodiment, which is intended to accomplish at least some of the above objects, includes a tongue having an opening at a rear portion; an inflatable belt connected to the rear portion of the tongue and into which a gas is introduced; and a gas introduction pipe connected to the tongue, wherein a rear end portion of the gas introduction pipe is disposed inside the inflatable belt and a front end portion is disposed outside of the inflatable belt.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description of the preferred embodiments and, in part, will be obvious from the description or through practicing the invention. The objects and advantages may be realized through the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3791670 (1974-02-01), Lucore et al.
patent: 3801156 (1974-04-01), Granig
patent: 3868627 (1975-02-01), Lawwill
patent: 3874694 (1975-04-01), Stephenson
patent: 3877719 (1975-04-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 5346250 (1994-09-01), Kamiyama
patent: 5393091 (1995-02-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5445411 (1995-08-01), Kamiyama et al.
patent: 5466002 (1995-11-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5597178 (1997-01-01), Hardin, Jr.
patent: 5765869 (1998-06-01), Huber
patent: 5788282 (1998-08-01), Lewis
patent: 6019388 (2000-02-01), Okazaki et al.
patent: 6062597 (2000-05-01), Suyama
patent: 6082763 (2000-07-01), Kokeguchi
Bottorff Christopher
Foley & Lardner
Swann J. J.
Takata Corporation
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