Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-06-26
Mar, Michael (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S801100, C280S806000, C024S197000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250684
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting seat belt webbing in a vehicle, and particularly relates to an apparatus including both a D-ring and a roller for the webbing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A vehicle seat belt system may include a D-ring for supporting the seat belt webbing at a location beside the shoulder of a seated vehicle occupant. The webbing in such a system typically extends upward from a seat belt retractor to the D-ring, through the D-ring, and downward from the D-ring to an anchor beside the seat. The webbing moves longitudinally through the D-ring when the occupant extracts the webbing from the retractor, and also when the webbing is being retracted by the retractor. In some cases, the D-ring is equipped with a webbing roller for facilitating longitudinal movement of the webbing through the D-ring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the presence invention, an apparatus comprises a webbing roller, a brake structure, and a support structure. The roller includes a spool and a pair of axially opposite spindle structures centered on an axis of rotation. A rotatable outer surface of the spool is configured to engage seat belt webbing. The support structure is configured to support the roller in an ordinary operating position in which the outer surface of the spool is spaced radially from a braking surface on the brake structure. The support structure is further configured to support the roller for movement under the influence of tension in the seat belt webbing. Such movement of the roller includes uniform movement radially from the ordinary operating position to a restrained position in which the outer surface of the spool engages the braking surface on the brake structure.
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Gleason Michael P.
Maloney Barry J.
Mar Michael
Phan Hau
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
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