Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-03
2003-09-23
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C024S579110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06623037
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat belt configuration having individual belt retractors for the shoulder belt and the lap belt.
Seat belt configurations of this type are for example used for so-called integral seats in motor vehicles produced by American vehicle manufacturers. In the case of seats of this type, the belt retractor which is assigned to the shoulder belt may be fixed on a side of the seat backrest and the belt retractor which is assigned to the lap belt is fixed on the actual seat. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,915,413 and 3,583,764 disclose seat belt configuration of this type.
Seat belt configurations having a common belt lock and individual belt retractors for the shoulder belt and the lap belt have advantages with respect to their operation and use due to the individual belt retractors. A disadvantage of such seat belt configurations is however, that the installation of the belt retractors turns out to be rather difficult in particular because of the fact that the common belt lock is assigned to both, the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The difficulties during the installation are primarily caused by the fact that the belts have to be passed through slots provided in trim parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a seat belt configuration which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known seat belt configurations of this general type and which avoids installation difficulties or assembly difficulties without impairing the functioning of the seat belt configuration and without requiring additional space.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a seat belt configuration, including:
a shoulder belt;
a lap belt;
a belt lock provided jointly for the shoulder belt and the lap belt and configured to be connected to the shoulder belt and to the lap belt;
a first belt retractor assigned to the shoulder belt;
a second belt retractor assigned to the lap belt, the first belt retractor and the second belt retractor being connected via the shoulder belt and the lap belt;
a release mechanism, assigned to the shoulder belt and/or the lap belt, for deliberately separating the first belt retractor from the second belt retractor;
the release mechanism including holding elements for securing respective belt ends of the shoulder belt and the lap belt, respective belt ends of two sections of the shoulder belt or respective belt ends of two sections of the lap belt;
each of the holding elements being a web-shaped element or a bolt-shaped element; and
at least one of the holding elements having a retaining structure associated therewith, and the at least one of the holding elements being releasable when the retaining structure is inactivated.
In other words, a seat-belt configuration according to the invention includes a shoulder belt, a lap belt, a belt lock common to both belts, individual belt retractors for both belts, and a device assigned to at least one of the belts for the intentional separation of the connection between both belt retractors connected via the belts, wherein the device includes separate web-like or bolt-like elements which are disposed parallel to one another and are intended for securing in each case one belt end or in each case one end of two belt lengths produced by dividing one of the belts, and wherein at least one of these elements can be released after inactivating a retaining structure.
The object of the invention is thus achieved in an elegant and simple manner by the fact that the coupling between the two belt retractors via the belts is separated by a release mechanism assigned at least to one of the two belts. In particular, the passing of the belts through the slots assigned to them in trim parts is thus not impeded by the belt retractors, since the defined devices can be kept relatively flat, so that they can easily be passed through the slots.
The seat belt configuration according to the invention allows to reliably and safely secure a device for separating a connection or a release mechanism at loop-shaped ends of both belts or at loop-shaped ends of two belt lengths produced by dividing one of the belts.
It is noted that within the context of the invention use can also be made of a seat belt system whose belt retractor which is assigned to the shoulder belt is mounted on a pillar of the vehicle, for example on a B-pillar. It is further noted that a belt retractor within the context of the invention includes automatic belt-retracting and belt-tensioning devices.
According to another feature of the invention, the belt lock includes a belt-side component. The holding elements are provided at the belt-side component of the belt lock.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the holding element with the retaining structure is configured as a threaded bolt.
According to a further feature of the invention, the belt-side component of the belt lock is a plug-in tongue or latch plate.
According to yet a further feature of the invention, the holding elements are disposed one behind another on the plug-in tongue.
According to another feature of the invention, the seat belt configuration includes a coupling device for providing a separable connection between the ends of the two sections of the shoulder belt or the lap belt. The holding elements of the release mechanism are disposed at the coupling device.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the coupling device includes two coupling parts. These two coupling parts are separable from one another for providing the separable connection and each of the two coupling parts is connected to a respective one of the ends of the two sections of the shoulder belt or the lap belt.
According to another feature of the invention, the retaining structure is configured to be destroyed when being inactivated.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the retaining structure is a flange, a crimp, or a bead.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a seat belt configuration having individual belt retractors for the shoulder belt and the lap belt, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Möker Carsten
Ritters Ernst-Wilhelm
Beck Manfred
Dickson Paul N.
Dunn David R.
Volkswagen AG
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