GB2261809A

GB2261809A - Buckle support for a seat belt

Info

Publication number: GB2261809A
Application number: GB9125565A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Charles Hull; Stephen Paul Cooper
Original assignee: Jaguar Cars Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 1991-11-30
Filing date: 1991-11-30
Publication date: 1993-06-02
Also published as: GB9125565D0

Abstract

A seat belt has a buckle (12) mounted on a rigid support (11). the rigid support (11) being pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle for movement between an operative position and a retracted position, a resilient spring element (25) engaging a pin (35) on the rigid support (11), to locate the rigid support in its operative and retracted positions. The support (11) may be spring-biassed into one of its positions and may be associated with damping means provided by a surface on the spring element (25) or by separate hydraulic or pneumatic means. The seat swab may be provided with a plastic housing to receive the supports (11) in their retracted position (Fig. 2). <IMAGE>

Description

SEAT BELTS The present invention relates to seat belts and in particular to a storage and presenter mechanism for use on the rear seats of a vehicle.

Hitherto, inertia reels have been used on the rear seat belts of a vehicle, to keep the belts tidy when not in use and to permit the occupant of the seat some degree of freedom when wearing the belt. The buckle of the belt has however been attached to a short length of belt so that it will lie on the seat when not in use. As a result, when the seat belt is worn, the lap portion of the belt is not always supported with respect to the occupant, in the most effective position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a seat belt includes a buckle mounted on a rigid support, the rigid support being pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle for movement between an operative position and a retracted position, and detent means for locating the rigid support in at least one of its operative and retracted positions.

With the above seat belt, the rigid support when in its operative position will present the buckle at an optimum position, so that the lap portion of the belt will be supported appropriately with respect to the occupant of the seat. When not in use, the support may be moved to its retracted position which will preferably be sunk into the back of the seat.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the detent means may be arranged to locate the rigid support in both its operative and retracted positions, the buckle may then be moved manually to the position required.

Alternatively, the rigid support may be biased by a suitable means to one position, so that detent means will only be required to retain the support in the other position.

The rigid support may furthermore be arranged to move automatically from its retracted to its operative position or vice versa in response, for example, to someone sitting on or vacating the seat. This may be achieved by any suitable mechanism, for example electrical or mechanical means responsive to pressure applied to the seat.

Damping means may also be associated with the pivoting and/or detent mechanism to control movement of the" support and buckle attached thereto, from the operational to the retracted position or vice versa.

An embodiment of the invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded isometric view of a buckle stowage/presenter mechanism for a seat belt in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 is an isometric view of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, in assembled form.

The mechanism 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a pair of rigid supports 11, a seat belt buckle 12 of known construction being secured to one end of each support 11. A bracket 15 is adapted to be secured to the vehicle centrally of the rear seat 16 beneath the seat squab 17 adjacent its rear edge, by means of bolt 18. A pin 19 is secured adjacent the front edge of bracket 15 and is adapted to engage in an aperture in the structural panel beneath the seat, to locate the bracket 15.

The rigid supports 11 are pivotally attached to the bracket 15 by means of a bolt 20 and spacer elements 21 and 22, nut 23 securing the bolt 20 in position. A resilient plastic spring element 25 is located on the spacer element 22 between the rigid supports 11. Washers 26 are located between each edge of the spring element 25 and the adjacent support 11, to permit pivoting of the supports 11. Wavy washers 27 which are located between the washers 26 and supports 11 prevent rattling of the supports 11.

The spring element 25 is provided with a transverse recess 30, the base 31 of the recess 30 being convex to provide detent formations 32 and 33 along the opposite side walls defining the recess 30.

Each of the supports 11 has a pin 35 extending transversely therefrom at a position spaced from its pivot axis, so that it resiliently engages in the transverse recess 30 of spring element 25. The detent formation 32 is positioned such that when the pin 35 associated with either of the supports 11 is engaged therein, the support 11 and buckle 12 attached thereto will be located in a retracted position as illustrated by reference numerals llb and 12b of Figure 2. Similarly detent formation 33 is positioned such that when the pin 35 associated with either of the supports 11 is engaged therein, the support 11 and buckle 12 attached thereto will be located in an operative position as illustrated by reference numerals Ila and 12a in Figure 2. The convex base 31 of recess 30 will bias the supports 11 and pins 35 thereon towards the detent formations 32 and 33.

As illustrated in Figure 2, slits 40 are provided in the seat squab 17 to permit movement of the supports 11 between their retracted and operable positions. A plastic housing 41 is furthermore provided in the seat back 42, to house the supports 11 and buckles 12 when in their retracted positions.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, while in the above embodiment two supports 11 are mounted on a single bracket 15, it will be appreciated that the supports 11 may be mounted on separate brackets 15 and may thus be spaced apart. A double and single mechanism may thus be used to provide seat belts for up to three occupants of the rear seat.

In the above embodiment, the supports 11 and buckles 12 attached thereto are moved manually between the operative and retracted positions. In a modification to the above mechanism, springs may be provided to bias the supports 11 to one position, in which case a single detent formation need only be provided on the spring element 25 to retain the supports 11 in the other position. Where the support 11 is biased to one position in this manner, damping means may be provided to control its movement once it has been released from the detent formation.

Such damping means may be provided by suitably contouring the surface of the spring element 25 engaged by pin 35.

Alternatively, separate hydraulic or pneumatic damping means may be provided, a suitable linkage mechanism acting between the support 11 and the damping means.

While the present invention is particularly suitable for the rear seats of vehicles, it may be applied to any seat designed to accommodate two or more persons, provided that there is a suitable anchorage for the bracket.

Claims

1. A seat belt including a buckle mounted on a rigid support, the rigid support being pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle for movement between an operative position and a retracted position, and detent means for location of the rigid support in at least one of its operative or retracted positions.

2. A seat belt as claimed in Claim 1 in which detent means is provided for location of the rigid support in both its operative and retracted positions.

3. A seat belt according to Claim 1 in which the rigid support is biased towards one of its operative or retracted positions.

4. A seat belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which the rigid support is pivotally mounted on a bracket, a resilient plastic spring element being mounted with respect to the pivot axis of the rigid support, the rigid support having a formation which resiliently engages the spring element and engages a detent formation on the spring element when the rigid support is in at least one of its operative or retracted positions.

5. A seat belt according to Claim 4 in which a detent formation is defined by a transverse recess on the spring element, a pin on the rigid support engaging in the recess.

6. A seat belt according to Claim 5 in which the base of the recess is convex.

7. A seat belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which damping means is provided to control movement of the rigid support from its operative position to its retracted position and/or from its retracted position to its operative position.

8. A seat belt according to Claim 7 in which a formation on the rigid support engages a contoured surface of a resilient spring member.

9. A seat belt according to Claim 7 in which the rigid support is linked to separate hydraulic or pneumatic damping means.

10. A seat belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which means is provided for automatically moving the rigid support from its operative position to its retracted position and/or from its retracted position to its operative position.

11. A seat belt according to Claim 10 in which the means for automatically moving the rigid support is operable in response to pressure being applied to and/or removed from the seat.

12. A seat belt according to any one of the preceding claims in which a pair of rigid supports, each having a seat belt buckle mounted on one end thereof, are pivotally mounted on a common support bracket.

13. A seat belt substantially as described herein, with reference to, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.