Chairs and seats – Body or occupant restraint or confinement – Safety belt or harness; e.g. – lap belt or shoulder harness
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-03-13
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Body or occupant restraint or confinement
Safety belt or harness; e.g., lap belt or shoulder harness
C297S480000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199954
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a belt tensioner for a vehicular seat belt, with a linear drive formed of a piston and a cylinder tube, and with a belt engaging part connected to the piston by a deflected traction element, as well as a belt tensioner with a tensioner drive and a belt engaging part being connected to the tensioner drive and the belt webbing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Belt tensioners are known in a wealth of variants, a distinction being made between rotary tensioners, usually arranged on a belt retractor, and linear tensioners inserted in the action line of the belt webbing. Linear tensioners are of a simple construction, but are often difficult to accommodate in the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a belt tensioner which can be more easily integrated in existing vehicle concepts. In accordance with the invention this is achieved in that the belt engaging part is shiftingly guided in a guide fitting to be affixed flatly located to the vehicle body and in that the cylinder tube is affixed on or alongside the guide fitting. According to the invention, this is also achieved by a belt tensioner with a tensioner drive and a belt engaging part being connected to the tensioner drive and the belt webbing, wherein a guide element is provided for progressively folding said belt webbing.
Due to the flat shape of the belt tensioner the latter can be affixed e.g. directly to the floor of a vehicle body, the necessary deflection of the belt webbing then being effected preferably by a belt webbing deflector element formed on the guide fitting.
In a first embodiment distinguished by a low profile, the belt engaging part is configured as a flat strap shiftingly received in a correspondingly flat guide passage of the guide fitting.
In a second embodiment distinguished by a short length, one end of the belt webbing is affixed to the guide fitting; the belt engaging part, in forming a loop, engages the belt webbing between the end of the belt webbing and a deflection part of the belt webbing.
By progressively folding the belt webbing with a guide element, the required space for accommodation of the folded belt webbing is reduced compared to a non-folded belt webbing. It is therefore possible to provide a more compact belt tensioner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5676397 (1997-10-01), Bauer
patent: 5788025 (1998-08-01), Nishide et al.
patent: 6036274 (2000-03-01), Kohlndorfer et al.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Tarrolli, Sundheim, Covell, Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Occupany Restraint Systems GmbH & Co., KG
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