GB2320177A

GB2320177A - Slider bar webbing loop

Info

Publication number: GB2320177A
Application number: GB9716364A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Diane Miller; Stephen Hannah; Deborah Batey; John Hodgson; Mike Patterson
Original assignee: AlliedSignal Ltd
Current assignee: Honeywell UK Ltd
Priority date: 1996-08-07
Filing date: 1997-08-01
Publication date: 1998-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-01
Also published as: GB9616603D0; GB9716364D0; GB2320177B

Abstract

The loop comprises a length of webbing with its free end folded back and joined to the webbing at a distance from the fold. To reduce wear at the loop edges, it is narrowed in the region of the fold by folding the longitudinal edges 2 towards the webbing centre and by stitching them together, either directly 4 or via an additional piece (9. Fig. 4), without attaching to the central portion of the webbing. Alternatively the additional piece may have adhesive backing. Other embodiments include: using plastics sleeves (5, 7 Figs. 2a-c) to retain the folded edges; cutting away edge material and stitching, glueing or heat sealing the raw edges or; tightening the weft threads in the fold region.

Description

WEBBING LOOP The present invention relates to a Webbing Loop for the slider bar of a vehicle safety restraint system.

A safety traditional three point safety belt is usually anchored to the floor of the vehicle at the door side of the vehicle occupant. In a two door car in which the front seat must be pivoted forward for entry into the rear, a fixed point hampers entry into the rear passenger compartment since for safety and comfort of the front passenger, the fastened belt must be in a relatively forward position.

Traditionally a slider bar is used mounted to the vehicle floor in the region of the door and the seat belt is attached to the slider bar by a loop of webbing. When the seat belt is parked i.e. when the occupant is not restrained, then the loop tends to move to the rear of the slider bar and attains a position which does not hamper entry of the passenger into the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle. In use the webbing loop slides to the front of the slider bar thus assuming a position of greater comfort and greater safety for the occupant being restrained.

Traditionally the loop is formed by simply folding the webbing laterally and stitching so as to form a loop of the full width of the webbing. Such a wide loop tends to fray and wear at the edges and can become unsafe. A known alternative is to insert a plastic ring in the webbing loop to prevent wear of the webbing itself. The plastic ring which has been used is of a rigid nature. Unfortunately such a plastic ring tends to rattle on the slider bar and this is undesirable for the vehicle occupants comfort.

Another suggestion is to narrow the webbing in the region of the loop by folding the edges into the middle and stitching through the layers to hold them in place in the region of the loop which lies under the slider bar. This is disclosed in EP 415492. However this has the disadvantage that the webbing in this area is substantially weakened by the stitches and also the stitches tend to snag on the slider bar.

According to the present invention there is provided a loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, the loop being formed by folding the longitudinal edges of the webbing to adjoin each other and fastening them together without permanently securing the edges to the centre portion of the webbing.

In one embodiment of the present invention the loop is formed by folding the webbing in half longitudinally so that the two longitudinal edges lie one on top of each other.

The edges are then joined together by an overlocking stitch.

Subsequently a loop is formed by folding the webbing laterally across the narrowed portion now formed and joining the folded webbing across their full widths in an area away from the region of the loop, preferably by lines of stitching.

This particular embodiment has substantial advantages over the prior art since such a webbing loop is extremely simple to manufacture and the loop of webbing is not weakened in the region of the web.

The loop may be secured by a short tube of flexible plastics material through which the webbing passes in the region of the narrowed portion This provides a smooth surface to the slider bar and yet is silent and hard wearing. The flexible plastic tube also provides an element of rigidity to the loop and helps to keep it in a more circular form which improves its slideability on the slider bar.

Alternatively two narrow bands of flexible plastics material may be used and positioned in the region of the loop corresponding to the sides of the slider bar. This secures the loop in a narrowed form but retains the low friction advantages of the webbing in the region of the underside of the slider bar.

A further alternative is to form a tapered loop by cutting the webbing in from the longitudinal edges from spaced points on either side of the loop to points at the apex of the loop so that the loop in a flattened forms a truncated equal lateral triangle. The raw cut edges of the webbing are preferably treated to prevent fraying for example by heat bonding or the like.

A further alternative is to secure the two longitudinal edges of the webbing together by means of an adhesive strip in the region of the loop. Such an adhesive strip is easy and inexpensive to fit and the surface of the strip facing the slider bar can be made of a material having the appropriate low frictional qualities. Again no permanent connection is made between the longitudinal edges of the webbing and the central portion of the webbing in the region of the loop and thus the strength and integrity of the webbing in this region is maintained.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1A and 1B illustrate a first embodiment of the invention in plan view (figure 1A) and side view (figure lB).

Figure 2A to 2C illustrate a second embodiment of the invention in plan view (figure 2A) and in side view (figure 2B). Figure 2C illustrates an alternative of the second embodiment.

Figure 3 illustrates the third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In figure lA the seat belt webbing is shown generally at 1. The longitudinal edges 2 are folded towards the centre 3 and are over-locked together by stitching 4. Thus effectively a hollow tube is created with a space between the stitching 4 and the centre region of the webbing 1A.

This hollow tube is then flattened and the webbing 1 is folded laterally to form a slider bar loop.

In figures 2A, 2B and 2C the longitudinal edges 2 of the webbing 1 are again folded towards each other they are held together by flexible plastic sleeves either formed as narrow bands on either side of the central bands 5 on either side of the central loop portion 6 (as illustrated in figure 2A) or as a wide band 7 enclosing the whole central region 6 (as shown in figure 2C).

Figure 3 shows the webbing when formed to shape by removing areas adjacent the longitudinal edges in the central region 6. This maybe done by cutting along the lines 8 or by pulling the weft threads tighter in the region of the centre of the webbing 6 so as to form the webbing into the shape shown in figure 3. When the webbing is cut, then the raw edges must be fixed preferably by heat treatment although the application of glue or even overlocking stitches would suffice.

In figure t the longitudinal edges 2 of webbing 1 are secured together by a piece of additional material 9. This maybe a piece of material with a self-adhesive backing which will grip a region of the webbing adjacent to each of the longitudinal sides. Alternatively it maybe stitched to each longitudinal side of the webbing. Again there is no permanent securement of the longitudinal edges of the webbing to the central region of the webbing.

This additional material maybe tailored to ensure the optimum frictional qualities of the surface which slides along the slider bar in use.

Claims

1. A loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, the loop comprising a length of webbing having a free end and being folded laterally of the webbing length and the free end being joined to the webbing at a predetermined distance from the fold so as to form the loop and wherein the portion of the loop in the region of the lateral fold has a narrowed width, compared to the rest of the webbing wherein the edges of the webbing in the narrowed region are not permanently secured to the centre portion of the webbing.

2. A loop according to claim 1, wherein the loop is formed by lines of stitching across the width of the webbing in the region at said predetermined distance from the fold.

3. A loop according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the narrowed portion of the loop is made by folding the longitudinal edges of the webbing to adjoin each other and fastening the adjoining edges together by an overlocking stitch without permanently securing the edges to the centre portion of the webbing in the narrowed portion.

4. A loop according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the loop is formed by folding the webbing in half longitudinally so that the two longitudinal edges lie one on top of each other, and joining the edges together by an overlocking stitch.

5. A loop according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the narrowed region is secured by a short tube of flexible plastics material through which the webbing passes in the region of the narrowed portion to provide a smooth surface to the slider bar.

6. A loop according to any one of claims 1 to 2 wherein the narrowed region is secured by two narrow bands of flexible plastics material positioned in the regions of the narrowed portion corresponding to the sides of the slider bar.

7. A loop according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the narrowed portion is made by cutting the webbing in from the longitudinal edges from spaced points on either side of the loop to points at the apex of the loop so that the loop in a flattened forms a truncated equilateral triangle. The raw cut edges of the webbing are preferably treated to prevent fraying, for example by heat bonding or the like.

8. A loop according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the two longitudinal edges of the webbing in the narrowed region are secured together by means of an adhesive strip.

9. A loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure la and Ib or Figure 2a and 2b for Figure 2c, or Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A loop according to claim 8 wherein the surface of the adhesive strip which faces the slider bar is made of a material having low frictional qualities.

10. A loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure la and lb or Figure 2a and 2b for Figure 2c, or Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS

1. A loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, the loop comprising a length of webbing having a free end and being folded laterally of the webbing length and the free end being joined to the webbing at a predetermined distance from the fold so as to form the loop and wherein the portion of the loop in the region of the lateral fold has a narrowed width, compared to the rest of the webbing wherein the edges of the webbing in the narrowed region are not permanently secured to the centre portion of the webbing and wherein the narrowed portion of the loop is made by folding the longitudinal edges of the webbing to adjoin each other and fastening the adjoining edges together by an overlocking stitch without permanently securing the edges to the centre portion of the webbing in the narrowed portion.

3. A loop according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the loop is formed by folding the webbing in half longitudinally so that the two longitudinal edges lie one on top of each other, and joining the edges together by an overlocking stitch.

4. A loop according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the narrowed region is secured by a short tube of flexible plastics material through which the webbing passes in the reckon of -he narrowed portion to provide a soon surface to the slider bar.

5. A loop of webbing for use on a slider bar in a vehicle safety restraint system, the loop comprising a length of webbing having a free end and being folded laterally of the webbing length and the free end being joined to the webbing at a predetermined distance from the fold so as to form the loop and wherein the portion of the loop in the region of the lateral fold has a narrowed width, compared to the rest of the webbing wherein the edges of the webbing in the narrowed region are not permanently secured to the centre portion of the webbing. wherein the narrowed region is secured by two narrow bands of flexible plastics material positioned in the regions of the narrowed portion corresponding to the sides of the slider bar.

6. A loop according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the narrowed portion is made by cutting the webbing in from the longitudinal edges from spaced points on either side of the loop to points at the apex of the loop so that the loop in a flattened forms a truncated equilateral triangle. The raw cut edges of the webbing are preferably treated to prevent fraying, for example by heat bonding or the like.

7. A loop according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the two longitudinal edges of the webbing in the narrowed region are secured together by means of an adhesive strip.

8. A loop according to claim 7 wherein the surface of the adhesive strip which faces the slider bar is made of a material having low frictional clualities.