Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Utility Patent
1999-05-27
2001-01-02
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
Utility Patent
active
06168196
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inflatable belt device for protecting an occupant in an automobile during a collision, and a tongue used in the device. More particularly, the invention relates to an inflatable belt device, and the tongue used in that device, in which gas is supplied from a buckle into the inflatable belt via a tongue.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inflatable belt device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H5-85301, which is shown in FIG.
6
(
a
). This inflatable belt device
1
includes a shoulder belt
2
extending diagonally from the right side to the left side of an occupant; a lap belt
3
extending from the right side to the left side of the occupant; a buckle
4
fixed to, for example, a vehicle floor; a tongue
5
for inserting into and engaging the buckle
4
during seat belt usage; 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 other end of the inflatable belt is connected to a tongue
5
. The webbing
2
a
is slidably hung by the intermediate guide
6
. The other end of the webbing
2
a
is connected to a seat belt retractor
7
with an emergency locking mechanism (ELR) and is fixed to the vehicle body. The webbing
2
a
is arranged such that it is wound and unwound by the seat belt retractor
7
. The inflatable belt
2
b
is positioned such that it contacts the occupant.
The lap belt
3
includes a webbing, which is the same as a typical conventional seat belt, of which, one end is connected to a lap belt anchor
5
a
of the tongue
5
and the other end is connected to the seat belt retractor (ELR)
8
, which is fixed to the vehicle body. A gas generator
9
is connected to the buckle
4
, which is mounted to a vehicle body member by inserting a bolt through a bolt hole
4
a
provided at the base of the buckle
4
. The gas generator
9
acts during emergency situations, such as a vehicle collision, and generates high pressure gas. The tongue
5
and the buckle
4
are provided with passages so that gas flows from the gas generator
9
to the inflatable belt
2
b.
As shown in FIG.
6
(
b
), the inflatable belt
2
b
of the shoulder belt
2
includes a belt body
2
c,
which is folded into an envelope-like shape, and a cover
2
d.
The belt body
2
c
is folded and covered by the cover
2
d.
Both ends of the cover
2
d
are then connected by stitching
2
e
so that the inflatable belt
2
b
is normally kept in a band-like configuration. The stitching
2
e
of the cover
2
d
is easily torn by a force resulting from shoulder belt expansion caused by the gas generator
9
being actuated. The inflatable belt is thus deployed as shown by a two-dot chain line.
With this known inflatable seat belt device, when the vehicle collides while the device is being used (i.e., the tongue
5
is engaged with the buckle
4
), a tensile force is transmitted from the lap belt
3
to the tongue
5
, which causes the buckle
4
to pivot toward the front of the vehicle about hole
4
a,
which acts as the pivoting center. If the angle of the pivoting is too great, then the connection between the tongue
5
and the inflatable belt
2
b
will be inflected or bent, thus choking the gas flow from the tongue
5
into the inflatable belt
2
b
(similar to what occurs when a water hose is bent or inflected). In order to overcome this choking effect, a gas generator
9
with a high gas pressure is required.
The difficulties suggested in the preceding are not intended to be exhaustive but rather are among many tending to reduce the effectiveness of known inflatable seat belt devices. Other noteworthy problems may exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that such methods and apparatuses appearing in the past will admit to worthwhile improvement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a tongue for an inflatable belt device and an inflatable belt device which will obviate or minimize difficulties of the type previously described.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide a tongue and an inflatable belt device in which gas flows extremely smoothly from the tongue into the inflatable belt.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tongue and an inflatable belt device in which a gas generator generates only a relatively low gas pressure.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a tongue and an inflatable belt device in which the bending or inflecting of the connection between the tongue and the inflatable belt device is greatly reduced or eliminated.
A preferred embodiment of the inventive tongue, which is intended to accomplish at least some of the foregoing objects, includes a tongue body having a rear end connected to the inflatable belt and having a front end adapted for engaging a buckle; a passage fluidly connecting the front portion with the rear portion of the tongue body and for introducing a fluid into the inflatable belt; and a lap belt anchor pivotally attached to the tongue body.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5385367 (1995-01-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5465999 (1995-11-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5466033 (1995-11-01), Tanaka et al.
Foley & Lardner
Rice Kenneth R.
Takata Corporation
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