GB2245478A

GB2245478A - Slip anchor for seat belt

Info

Publication number: GB2245478A
Application number: GB9110640A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Noriyuki Kosugi
Original assignee: Takata Corp
Current assignee: Takata Corp
Priority date: 1990-05-16
Filing date: 1991-05-15
Publication date: 1992-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-15
Also published as: ES2043498A2; GB2245478B; ITMI911340A1; CA2042800A1; GB9110640D0; JP2832067B2; DE4115897C2; AU7642491A; ES2043498R; ES2043498B1; JPH0424147A; ITMI910418V0; DE4115897A1; FR2662125B1; ITMI911340A0; ITMI910418U1; FR2662125A1; AU643785B2

Description

SLIP ANCHOR FOR SEAT BELT This invention rellates to a slip anchor for a

seat belt, which is movably supported on a pillar or the like of a car body and slidably guides the webbing of the seat belt JLn a longitudinal direction.

A seat belt unit to be provided on a seat of a vehic-le such as an automobile restrains the occupant of the vehicle by means of the seat belt in an emergency such C0114 _S4 h as a vehicle on and protects t..,e occupant from injury due to impact against the car body.

Such a seat belt is furnished with a slip anchor, which is supported on a pillar or the like of a car body and slidably guides the webbing of the seat belt in a longitudinal direction. This slip anchor locates the seat belt at the correct position to restrain the wearer.

If the webbing becomes twisted, the webbing is not only incorrectly adaDted to the occupant, but smooth movement of the webbing is also hindered. Therefore, when webbing is guided by a slip anchor, the webbing must not be twisted.

In the past, a slip anchor with means for preventing the twisting of webbing has been know as, f or example, the one disclosed in the Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication No. 52-148622. As shown in Fig. 2 (a), the slip anchor disclosed in this publication is provided with a main unit 1, comprising a mount 2 and a guide unit 3.

1 The main unit 1 is movably mounted on a car body by ade quate fixing means such as a bolt, which is inserted into a mounting hole 4 of,"he mount 2. The guide unit 3 is furnished with a guide hole 5, into which the webbing 6 of the seat belt is passed. The gap "all for the webbina 6 in the direction of its thickness formed by the guide hole 5 is set to such a size that the webbing 6 is not pulled in a twisted state.

Sl Thus in the case of the ip anchor f or seat belt as described above, the webbing 6 is not guided in a twisted state and it smoothly slides in the guide hole 5 at all times.

In such a slip anchor, it is desirable that the webbing 6 slides naturally and smoothly in a lateral direction when it is pulled. For this reason, the slip anchor referred to is furnished with escaDe Dortions Sa on both ends of the guide hole 5. In this case, the escape -he portion 5a is formed J_n a curve on the mount 2 so that t gap "b" is formed to the same size as the gap "all of the guide hole 5. Via this escape portion 5a, the webbing 6 can be smoothly displaced when it is pulled.

However, because the gap "b" of the escape portion Sa in this slip anchor is of the same size as the above gap "all, the lateral portion 6a of the webbing is brought into contact with the end Sal of the escape portion Sa when the 4 webbing 6 is moved, and the surface of the lateral portion 6a of the webbing 6 may thus be damaged. To avoid contact between the lateral portion 6a of the webbing 6 and the end Sal of the escape portion Sa, it has been proposed to form the escape portion 5b wider as shown in Fig. 2 (b). In such a slip anchor, the escape portion 5b is big and there is no end with which the lateral portion 6a. of the webbing is brought into contact.

However, because the escape portJ on 5b is big in tl.-.e slip anchor shown in F,Lg. 2 (b), the webbing 6 may become twisted in some cases as shown in Fig. 3. Accordingly, it is not possible to form the escape portion 5b unconditionally.

The object of the present invention is to provide a slip anchor for a sea- belt, in which the webbing is not twisted and the fraying of the lateral portion of the webbing can be reduced.

To attain the above object, the slip anchor for a seat belt according to the present invention is movably mounted on a car body, is provided with a guide hole for slidably guiding the webbing of the seat belt in a longitudinal direct Lon, and it is so shaped that at least one end of said guide hole is furnished with an escape portion, a projection being formed on the connecting section between this escape portion and said guide hole The projection may be a protuberance formed on 3 main unit, and it is desirable that the ga-o of said connect-,na section is set to such size by this protuberance that it is smaller than twice the thickness of the webbing and larger than the thickness of the webbing.

In the slip anchor according to the present invention the webbing is guided by the projection and the inversion of the webbing is prevented. Also, because the escape portion is formed relatively large, there is no end to be contacted by the lateral portion of the webbing, and the fraying of the webbing can be reduced as well as avoiding twisting of the webbing.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 (a) and (b) are elevations of embodiments of slip anchor for a seat belt according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a conventional slip anchor for a seat belt; and Fig. 3 is a drawing to show the behaviour of the webbing of the seat belt in the conventional type of slip anchor.

As shown in Fig. 1 (a), the slip anchor is furnished with a guide hole 5, into which the webbing 6 is inserted as in the conventional product. The gap "all is bigger 4 1 than the thickness 'It" of the webbing 6 but it is smaller than twice the thickness 'It" of the webbing 6. An escape portion 5b is provided on both ends of this guide hole 5, -her, and the escape portions 5b are relatively large. Furt in the main unit 1, a pair of protuberances 7 are f ormed on the connecting section between the guide hole 5 and the escape portions 5b. By means of this protuberance, the gap IIcII of the connecting section between the guide hole 5 and the escape portions 5b is kept smaller than twice the thickness 'It" of the webbing 6 and larger than the thickness 'It" of the webbing.

Even when the escape portion 5b is large, the inversion and folding back of the webbing 6 entering the escape portion 5b can be prevented by the protuberance 7. Because the escape portion 5b is large, there is no part, which is brought into contact with the lateral edge of the webbing, and this contributes to the prevention of f raying of the edge.

in the above embodiment, the escape portions 5b and the protuberances 7 are furnished on both ends of the guide hole 5, whereas the escape portion 5b and protuberance 7 may be provided on either one of the ends.

Fig. 1 (b) shows another embodiment of this invention. The same components as in the above embodiment are referred by the same symbols, and a detailed description will not therefore be repeated.

As shown in Fig. 1 (b), the protuberance 7 is curved upwards. This makes it possible to elongate the gap "cl' of the connecting sec tion between the guide hole 5 and the escape portion 5b and to prevent more reliably the inversion and folding back of the webbina 6 which enters the escape portion 5b.

As it is evident from the above description, it is possible by means this invention prevent the inversion of the webbing reliably because a Drotuberance is furnished on the connecti n cT section between the escape portion and the guide hole and the webbing is guided correctly by the protuberance. As a result, the escape portion can be f ormed relatively large, and the portion to contact the edge of the webbing can be eliminated. Further, the f raying of the edge of the webbing can be reduced, and the twist'ng of the webbing by inversion can be eliminated.

6 1

Claims

CLAIMS (1) T slip anchor for a seat belt, adapted to be mounted movably on

a car body and having a guide hole for guiding webbing of a seat belt slidably in a longitudinal direction, said guide hole having an escape portion furnished at least on one end thereof and being so shaped that a proj- ection is provided on a connecting section between this escape portion and the remainder of said guide hole.

- according to Claim 1, (2) A slip anchor for a seat belt wherein said projection is a protuberance formed on the main unit. (3) A slip anchor f or seat belt according to Claim 2, wherein the gap of said connecting section is smaller than twice t:he thickness of webbing to be inserted therein and larger than the thickness of said webbing. (4) A slip anchor substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

7 Published 1991 at The Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road. Newport. Gwent NP9 IRH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch, Unit 6, Nine Mile Point, Cwmfehnfach, Cross Keys, Newport. NP I 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray. Kent.