Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2001-10-16
Chilcot, Richard (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S808000, C296S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302442
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment structure of a seat belt system for a rear seat, and particularly to an attachment structure of a three-point seat belt system for a center seat of a three occupant rear seat in a vehicle such as a station wagon.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in a vehicle, for the purpose of improving the safety of a passenger, there is a tendency to adopt a three-point seat belt system for a rear seat as well.
In a station wagon in which a rear seat is made of a three occupant seat, at both the right and left seat portions of the rear seat, the structure of a seat belt system can be easily made a three-point type by fixing a seat belt retractor to a C-pillar. However, at the center seat portion of the rear seat, a two-point seat belt system has been generally adopted, because it is difficult to secure a fixing place for a seat belt retractor.
In a rear seat of such a station wagon, for the purpose of providing a three-point seat belt system at the center seat as well, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 63-130448, it is conceivable that a seat belt retractor for the center seat portion is provided at the lower surface of the roof center portion in the vehicle compartment.
However, in order to provide the seat belt retractor at the lower surface of the roof center portion in the vehicle compartment as set forth above, it is necessary to reinforce the roof, which causes an increase in vehicle weight and an increase in manufacturing cost.
In addition, there has been hitherto proposed a technique for making a seat belt system for the center seat portion a three-point type by reinforcing the back of the rear seat and its peripheral member, and by fixing a seat belt retractor to the inside of the thus reinforced back of the rear seat. However, reinforcing the back of the rear seat and its peripheral member causes an increase in vehicle weight and an increase in manufacturing cost similarly to the foregoing technique.
On the other hand, when a seat belt retractor is fixed to a floor of a luggage room behind the rear seat to make a seat belt system of the center of the rear seat a three-point type, it not only becomes difficult to draw out a belt when using the seat belt, but also there is a fear that the usefulness of the luggage room will be deteriorated while the seat belt system is used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above. It is an object of the invention to provide an attachment structure of a seat belt system for a rear seat in which a seat belt retractor can be attached without increasing a vehicle weight and a manufacturing cost and also lowering the use feeling of the seat belt system.
The above-mentioned object can be achieved by an attachment structure of a seat belt system for a rear seat of a vehicle, the attachment structure comprising:
a longitudinal member provided at a side of a roof and extending in a rear-and-front direction;
a lateral member provided at the roof and extending in a width direction of the vehicle, the lateral member being coupled to the longitudinal member at a coupled portion; and
a pillar member for supporting the roof in the vicinity of the coupling portion;
wherein a seat belt retractor for the rear seat is provided in the vicinity of the coupling portion.
In the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is preferable that it further comprises:
a bracket provided in the vicinity of the coupling portion and extended between the longitudinal member and the lateral member, in which the seat belt retractor is fixed to the bracket.
In addition, in the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is advantageous that the longitudinal member and the lateral member are constructed to have a predetermined thickness under the roof, the bracket is provided under the longitudinal member and the lateral member, and the seat belt retractor is fixed at an upper surface of the bracket.
Further, in the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is advantageous that the longitudinal member is a side rail of the roof.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is advantageous that the lateral member is a rear rail of the roof.
Moreover, in the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is advantageous that the lateral member is a rear rail of the roof, the vehicle is a station wagon, the rear rail includes a reinforcing member for attachment of a hinge for supporting a rear hatch to be freely opened and closed, and one end of the bracket is coupled to the reinforcing member for attachment of the hinge.
Still furthermore, in the above-mentioned attachment structure, it is advantageous that the lateral member is a rear rail of the roof, the vehicle includes a roof rail on an upper portion of the roof, the rear rail includes a reinforcing member for attachment of the roof rail, and the other end of the bracket is coupled to the side rail in the vicinity of the reinforcing member for attachment of the roof rail.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3542425 (1970-11-01), Pringle
patent: 3963273 (1976-06-01), Nagazumi
patent: 4568107 (1986-02-01), Biviano
patent: 4645234 (1987-02-01), Koide
patent: 4775181 (1988-10-01), Shoda
patent: 4784407 (1988-11-01), Verellen et al.
patent: 4915413 (1990-04-01), Meyer
patent: 5106121 (1992-04-01), Boone
patent: 5253896 (1993-10-01), Verbeski
patent: 5590907 (1997-01-01), McQueen, II et al.
patent: 5795014 (1998-08-01), Balgaard
patent: 6065776 (2000-05-01), Toyota et al.
patent: 63-130448 (1988-02-01), None
Chilcot Richard
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Jasmin Lynda
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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