Seatbelt buckle assembly and motor vehicle comprising such a seatbelt buckle assembly

Abstract

A seat belt buckle arrangement for a row of seats in a motor vehicle, comprising at least two seat belt buckles (2) each comprising a buckle part (3) and a fastening component (4) connected thereto, and a common rail (5) on which the fastening components (4) are attached in different positions, wherein the rail (5) has a groove (6) open at least on one side and undercut on both sides, into which the fastening components (4) are inserted with a form-compatible section (9) and on which the fastening components (4) can be fastened in any positions by means of respective fastening elements (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a seat belt buckle arrangement for a row of seats in a motor vehicle, comprising at least two seat belt buckles, each comprising a buckle part and a fastening component connected thereto, and a common rail on which the fastening components are attached in different positions by means of respective fastening elements.

[0002] Larger vehicles typically have a rear bench seat with multiple seating areas or separate rear seats. Each seating area or separate rear seat has its own corresponding seat belt assembly so that the seated person can fasten their seat belt. Each seat belt assembly includes a buckle, which is fixed to the vehicle body and into which the actual belt engages with a tongue.

[0003] Since different vehicle types, even from the same manufacturer, differ in terms of body structure and geometry, the individual seatbelt buckles have so far been developed separately with regard to their body-side mounting, as the interfaces vary from type to type. This is complex and cumbersome in terms of assembly.

[0004] To simplify assembly, a seatbelt buckle arrangement of the type mentioned above is known from EP 1 122 135 B1, which has a rail to which at least two seatbelt buckles can be attached. The rail has several openings that define positions where the seatbelt buckles can be fixed to the rail. The system described therein provides two double buckles, each of which can be attached in two defined positions. While this system allows for simplified assembly, it does not permit flexible positioning of the individual seatbelt buckles.

[0005] From DE 37 15 538 A1, a seat belt system with a plurality of anchoring components is known, wherein one or more of the anchoring components have a guide and an anchoring sliding block movable along the guide. Furthermore, a device for selectively positioning the anchoring sliding block along the guide is provided, so that the anchoring sliding block can be positioned with respect to the position of the vehicle seat and the size of the occupant to be restrained.

[0006] Furthermore, WO 2008 / 027 832 A2 discloses a configurable restraint system for a vehicle seat, comprising a first restraint belt connected to a first engagement element, a second restraint belt connected to a second engagement element, and a third engagement element configured to be movable between a first and a second position relative to the vehicle seat. The first position relative to the vehicle seat can be arranged such that the first engagement element can be detachably connected to the third engagement element to restrain a first occupant of the vehicle seat via the first restraint belt. The second position relative to the vehicle seat can be arranged such that the second engagement element can alternatively be detachably connected to the third engagement element to restrain the first occupant of the vehicle seat via the second restraint belt.

[0007] The invention addresses the problem of providing an improved seatbelt buckle arrangement.

[0008] To solve the problem, a belt buckle arrangement of the type according to the invention provides that the rail has a groove that is open at least on one longitudinal side and undercut on both sides, into which the fastening components are inserted with a shape-compatible section and on which the fastening components can be attached in any position.

[0009] In the belt buckle arrangement according to the invention, the at least two belt buckles are also arranged on a rail. However, the rail has a longitudinal groove with undercuts on both sides, into which the fastening components of the belt buckles engage. For this purpose, the fastening sections each have a shape-compatible portion so that they can be inserted into the groove but cannot be removed perpendicular to the groove. The belt buckles can be moved freely along the groove and thus positioned as desired, making it possible to fasten them in any position along the rail via the respective fastening element. This allows for completely flexible positioning of the individual belt buckles and thus adaptation to the vehicle body's existing conditions and fastening structures.It is also possible to prefabricate this seatbelt buckle assembly, meaning the individual buckles can be inserted into the groove and positioned on the rail side, so that the entire assembly only needs to be attached to the vehicle body by fastening the rail. Furthermore, the individual buckles are standardized with regard to their mounting sections, as they only need to be adapted to the cross-section of the rail's groove with respect to the shape-compatible section. This groove cross-section can also be standardized, resulting in an extremely simple modular system.

[0010] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the fastening components are each clamped in the groove by means of the fastening element. The fastening element, which is preferably a fastening screw, can, for example, be screwed onto the bottom of the groove so that it presses the form-compatible section engaging in the groove against the groove walls that undercut the groove. It is also conceivable that the section engaging in the groove is a movable plate held by the fastening element or the screw, with the screw passing through the groove. When the screw is tightened, the plate is clamped against the groove walls on one side, while the other part of the fastening section is clamped against the groove flanks or rail on the outer side of the groove. Thus, various clamping options are conceivable.

[0011] Furthermore, each fastening component may be designed to have a fastening section to be attached to the rail and a connecting section pivotally arranged on the fastening section, to which the buckle part is connected. The fastening component is thus designed in two parts: the fastening section, which serves for direct fixing and connection to the rail, and the connecting section, which is pivotally connected to the fastening section, for example via a connecting bolt, and to which the buckle part is connected. This pivotable mounting allows for easy adjustment of the buckle's tilt angle relative to the fastening section and thus also to the rail, so that, regardless of the tilt angle at which the rail is fixed to the vehicle body, the buckle can always be positioned correctly.

[0012] The seatbelt buckle itself is preferably connected to the mounting component, in particular the described connecting section, by a cable, i.e., the seatbelt buckle is spaced apart from the connecting section by the length of the cable. This is advantageous because the rail sometimes has to be installed lower than where the respective seatbelt buckle can be positioned, which is generally located in the plane of the seat surface. This cable connection bridges this gap, while simultaneously providing sufficient flexibility regarding the positioning of the seatbelt buckle. The cable is preferably a wire or steel cable.

[0013] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the length of the cable is variable. Thus, the distance between the lock component and the mounting component or connecting section can be adjusted by changing the cable length. For this purpose, the cable can be attached to the mounting component or connecting section in different positions; alternatively, the attachment positions on the lock component can also be varied.

[0014] The rail has at least two seatbelt buckles, each of which is a separate buckle, allowing it to be positioned independently. This is sufficient if only two seats are provided. However, a typical rear bench seat in a vehicle usually has three seats, so it is more practical to have two buckle components on one mounting bracket. This is because the buckle components of two adjacent seats are usually positioned directly next to each other, allowing such a double buckle to be secured to the rail using a common mounting bracket, while the third buckle is attached separately.

[0015] In addition to the seatbelt buckle arrangement itself, the finding also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one seatbelt buckle arrangement of the type described above.

[0016] The vehicle preferably has a rear seat, adjacent to which the rail is attached to the body.

[0017] Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawing. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of the belt buckle arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 2 an enlarged partial view of the seatbelt buckle arrangement Fig. 1. Showing the attachment of a fastening section to the rail, Fig. 3 the arrangement from Fig. 2. [The text abruptly shifts to a different topic:] [The text abruptly shifts again ... Fig. 4 a partial view of the seatbelt buckle arrangement Fig. 1 to illustrate the variability of the distance between the lock section and the fastening section.

[0018] Fig. Figure 1 shows a belt buckle assembly 1 according to the invention, which in the installation position is arranged adjacent to a rear seat row of a motor vehicle and is screwed to the body. In the example shown, it comprises three belt buckles 2, each comprising a buckle part 3 and a fastening component 4 connected thereto, wherein in the example shown, two buckle parts 3 are arranged on the fastening component 4 shown on the right. A common rail 5 is also provided, to which all belt buckles 2 are attached, i.e., fixed via the fastening components 4, and the rail 5 is to be mounted on the body.

[0019] The fastening of the seatbelt buckles is in Fig. Figure 2 shows in detail. The rail 5 has a longitudinal groove 6 extending along its entire length, open at both ends, which is undercut on both sides by two groove walls 7, giving it a T-shaped cross-section. The fastening component 4 has a fastening section 8, which in turn has a plate-shaped section 9 that is inserted into the groove 6 and positioned below the groove walls 7. The plate-shaped section 9 is penetrated by a fastening element in the form of a fastening screw 10, which protrudes from the groove 6 between the groove walls 7 and passes through an opening in the fastening section 8.When the fastening screw 10 is tightened, the plate-shaped section 9 is clamped from the inside against the groove walls 7, while the part of the fastening section 8 lying outside the groove 6 is clamped from the outside against the groove walls 7, resulting in an extremely stable clamping fixation, by which the belt buckles 2 are attached to the rail 5.

[0020] Each of the fastening component 4 can be positioned and fixed at any longitudinal position of the groove 6, so that the belt buckles 2 can therefore be installed in any longitudinal position on the rail 5.

[0021] Fig. Figure 2 further shows that, in the example shown, the double lock on the mounting component has a connecting section 11 in addition to the mounting section 8. Each connecting section 11 is pivotably mounted on the mounting section 8 via a bolt 12. A cable 13 is attached to or guided on each connecting section 11, with each cable 13 having a U-shaped cable holder 14 by which it is secured to the connecting section 11, which has several bent retaining arms 15 for this purpose. The corresponding lock parts 3 are attached to the cables 13, as shown. Fig. 1 clearly shows.

[0022] The pivot bearing of the connecting section 11 allows the orientation of the connecting section 11, and consequently also of the cable 13 extending from it and ultimately also of the lock part 3, to be varied, since the rail 5 may need to be mounted at a greater or lesser angle depending on the vehicle type and its mounting level. The pivotable bearing compensates for any potential tilt angle.

[0023] Fig. Figure 3 shows the arrangement of Fig. 2, where the arrows P1 additionally show that the fastening component 4 can be positioned and clamped in any longitudinal position along the groove 6.

[0024] Fig.Figure 4 finally shows the possibility, as indicated by arrow P2, of varying the length of the cable 13 extending between the connecting section 11 and the lock part 3. This means that the distance between the lock part 3 and the mounting section 8, or the mounting component 4, can be changed. This is also advantageous because, depending on the positioning of the rail 5 on the body and the thickness of the upholstery of the rear seat cushion, the lock parts 3 must be mounted at different heights. The adjustability of the cable 13's length allows for this adaptation.

Claims

[1] Belt buckle assembly (1) for a row of seats of a motor vehicle, comprising at least two belt buckles (2) each comprising a buckle part (3) and a fastening component (4) connected thereto, and a common rail (5) to which the fastening components (4) are attached in different positions, characterized by , that the rail (5) has a groove (6) open at least on one longitudinal side and undercut on both sides, into which the fastening components (4) are inserted with a shape-compatible section (9) and on which the fastening components (4) can be fastened in any position by means of respective fastening elements (10). [2] Seatbelt buckle arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the fastening components (4) are each clamped in the groove (6) by means of the fastening element (10). [3] Seatbelt buckle assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the fastening components (4) are attached to the rail (5) via respective fastening elements (10) in the form of fastening screws. [4] Belt buckle arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that each fastening component (4) has a fastening section (8) to be attached to the rail (5) and a connecting section (11) pivotably arranged on the fastening section (8), with which the lock part (3) is connected. [5] Belt buckle arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the lock part (3) is connected to the fastening part (4) via a rope (13). [6] Belt buckle assembly (1) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the length of the rope (13) is variable. [7] Belt buckle arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that two lock parts (3) are attached to a fastening component (4). [8] Motor vehicle comprising at least one seat belt buckle assembly (1) according to any of the preceding claims. [9] Motor vehicle according to claim 8, characterized by that it has a rear seat adjacent to which the rail (5) is attached to the body.

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