Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2001-02-06
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C242S381100, C297S470000, C297S471000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183014
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When belts in motor vehicles are worn, there occur, in the event of a crash or in the event of a sudden deceleration, momentary stresses of great force on the belt itself, resulting in the fabric of the seat belt stretching. Cases have even been known in which the belt itself tears, with the result that it is no longer able to carry out the safety function for which it is responsible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a seat belt such that momentary stresses of great force on the seat belt can be absorbed without injury being caused.
This object is achieved by a device for damping the belt tension which occurs in a seat belt in the event of a momentary stress of great force, having at least two reels, rollers or the like which deflect the seat belt from a straight-line extent and at least one of which can yield elastically in a transverse direction of the extent when a preset maximum force is exceeded.
As a result of a development of this type, a device of the type concerned having great safety value is provided. In the event of a normal stress of force, as results, for example when putting the seat belt on, or in the event of normal braking forces, there is no yielding movement of the appropriate deflection reel counter to its elastic support, since the stress does not exceed the preset maximum force. In contrast, in the event of a crash in which naturally a momentary stress of great force on the seat belt is effective, the elastically supported deflection reel is able to yield elastically because the preset maximum force is exceeded, with the result that force peaks which become effective in the seat belt due to deformation are smoothed over. The risk of the seat belt tearing or starting to tear is thus avoided. One or more deflection reels can be provided, depending on requirements, the reels yielding elastically when the preset maximum force is exceeded. The greater the number of these displaceable deflection rollers, the greater is the smoothing over of the force peaks. In detail, the device is provided in such a manner that the seat belt is guided in a wavy manner through at least three deflection reels situated in a row one behind another. Provision is made here for the central deflection reel to be supported by the pretensioned, elastic cushion. In order to achieve cost-effective production of the device, the latter has a housing which is U-shaped in cross section, has screw-on tabs and consists of bent steel plate. The U-limbs are used to mount the corresponding deflection reels. Furthermore, the U-shaped housing entails the advantage of arranging the elastic cushion, which in particular is made of foam, in the U-space, which elastic cushion is covered by a covering plate which bears the movable reel. At the preset maximum force, said covering plate is supported on the elastic cushion which, for its part, is supported on the U-shaped housing. The covering plate is held in the pretensioned position in a simple manner by means of holding tabs which are bent off from the U-limbs. It should furthermore be stressed that the axes of the deflection reels lie in a plane parallel to the U-web of the U-shaped housing. When the device according to the invention is arranged in a motor vehicle it is particularly advantageous to arrange the device on the body, between the belt retractor device and the outlet opening which is situated at shoulder height. In this case, the location may, for example, be on the B- or C-pillar. The device is of relatively low construction and so it is also possible, and favorable, to provide a cover for the device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2947353 (1960-08-01), Wimmersperg
patent: 3371960 (1968-03-01), Bayer et al.
patent: 3400977 (1968-09-01), Jones
patent: 3431019 (1969-03-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 3486791 (1969-12-01), Stoffel et al.
patent: 5487562 (1996-01-01), Hedderly et al.
Ewald Witte GmbH & Co. KG
Farber Martin A.
Ilan Ruth
Mai Lanna
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