Deflector with spring element

Abstract

To provide an improved deflector for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A deflector 1 that guides a seat belt in a vehicle includes: at least one metal body 2 attachable to a vehicle and provided with a fixation opening 3 and a belt slot; and at least one plastic fitting component connected to the metal body. The metal body includes an attachment portion 6. An engagement portion 7 corresponding to the attachment portion is formed in the fitting component. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged with the attachment portion therein. The attachment portion includes an attachment inner surface 8 to be opposed to the engagement portion. The engagement portion includes an engagement surface to be opposed to the attachment portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0001] The present invention relates to a deflector for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle, which has at least one metal body with a fixing opening and a belt slot that can be attached to the vehicle, and at least one plastic fitting part connected to the metal body, wherein the metal body has an attachment part, and an engagement part corresponding to the attachment part is formed on the fitting part, and this engagement part is adapted to engage into the attachment part, the attachment part has an inner attachment part surface facing the engagement part, and the engagement part has an engagement surface facing the attachment part.

[0002] Typically, such vehicle deflectors are used to guide seat belts that are held in place in at least three locations in the vehicle. The seat belt is positioned around the body of a vehicle occupant so that the body is restrained by the seat belt against the vehicle during braking or other vehicle movement. The seat belt is then primarily tensioned and held in place by the deflectors, allowing the seat belt to restrain the body in multiple different locations when engaged.

[0003] A typical deflector is installed in a vehicle and provides a belt guide slot to guide the seat belt. This belt guide slot completely surrounds the seat belt, or at least prevents it from slipping out. The seat belt moves along the belt guide slot, for example, when the occupant dons it or brakes, creating friction with the deflector, particularly at the belt slot. To provide sufficient restraint force, the deflector must not break under the expected force. For this reason, a metal body is often used, which has at least one fixed opening for mounting to the vehicle and also provides the belt slot. For weight reduction and aesthetic reasons, deflectors often have a plastic mating part (English: adapter) connected to the metal body. For manufacturing reasons, metal bodies are manufactured to higher tolerances than plastic mating parts. As a result, metal parts are not always manufactured precisely, which can lead to imperfections during installation and can cause noise between the mating part and the metal body during deflector operation.

[0004] A deflector having the aforementioned characteristics is known, for example, from German Patent No. 102004050154B3. The engaging portion of the mating part engages in the belt slot of the metal body, thereby forming a positive connection between the metal body and the mating part. The deflector is fixed to the vehicle by a fastening opening. To prevent noise caused by the deflector hitting the vehicle, the mating part has at least one molded spring arm on its back side facing the vehicle, and the spring arm is supported by the vehicle so that vibrations generated during operation do not cause noise.

[0005] However, deflectors made of two parts—a metal body and a mating part—have the disadvantage that noise can be generated between the mating part and the metal body when the seat belt slides through the belt guide slot or when the vehicle vibrates during operation. This noise can be generated particularly in areas where a positive connection is made, such as by the engagement of the metal body. Furthermore, when manufacturing the mating part and the metal body, it is often impossible to create a tight-fitting mating surface for manufacturing reasons. In this case, the metal body, which is primarily a metal stamping, is often bent, rolled, or further stamped during other processes. Most metal bodies have a relatively large tolerance range during manufacturing. Therefore, the mating part and the metal body often abut unfavorably in the area where a positive connection should be made, resulting in noise, particularly between the two components.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks described in relation to the prior art and to provide an improved deflector for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle.

[0007] This problem is solved by a deflector with the features set forth in the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the deflector are set forth in the dependent claims and in the description, the individual features of which can be combined with one another in a technically meaningful way.

[0008] This object is achieved in particular by a deflector having the characteristics mentioned at the beginning, in which the engagement part has at least one spring element which contacts the inner surface of the attachment part.

[0009] When the deflector is mounted to a vehicle, it is secured to the vehicle by fastening means that can be attached to the fastening opening of the metal body. Furthermore, a seat belt can be placed in the belt slot, thereby retaining the seat belt therein. Before mounting, the engaging portion of the mating part engages in the mounting portion of the metal body, thereby forming a positive connection between the two parts to form the deflector. The mounting portion of the metal body further has an inner surface of the mounting part that is shaped to match the contour of the engaging portion of the mating part. Thus, the engaging surface of the engaging portion is positioned within the mounting part and can contact the inner surface of the mounting part. Preferably, the engaging surface is at least partially, and most preferably completely, in contact with the inner surface of the mounting part. In this way, a positive connection is established between the metal body and the mating part. Further connections can then be formed between the metal body and the mating part, particularly by fastening the deflector to the vehicle.

[0010] According to the present invention, the engagement portion has at least one spring element in contact with the inner surface of the attachment portion. Preferably, the at least one spring element is tensioned and pressed against the inner surface of the attachment portion. As a result, the at least one spring element applies a preload from the mating part to the metal body in the area of ​​the attachment portion. In this way, for example, manufacturing surface irregularities in the area of ​​the inner surface of the attachment portion can be compensated for by the at least one spring element. Even if there is play between the metal body and the mating part, the at least one spring element is in contact with the inner surface of the attachment portion. As a result, the spring element contributes to compensating for manufacturing tolerances of the metal body.

[0011] Furthermore, the contact of at least one spring element with the inner surface of the attachment portion also prevents uncontrolled movement between the metal body and the mating part. Therefore, contact between the inner surface of the attachment portion and the engagement surface is particularly prevented by the at least one spring element. Furthermore, the at least one spring element advantageously prevents malfunctions in the attachment area when attached to the deflector. If relative movement occurs between the two components of the deflector due to vibrations during driving or the seat belt sliding through the belt slot in the attachment area, the at least one contacting spring element additionally prevents or damps any vibrations that may occur. The at least one spring element can also prevent noise in other contact areas between the metal body and the mating part.

[0012] The deflector is a two-part component, in particular formed by a metal body and a mating part. The metal body is preferably a metal stamping. Such a metal stamping can advantageously be manufactured at low cost and can advantageously absorb a large portion of the forces occurring in the load case without showing any signs of failure.

[0013] The mating part is preferably a one-piece plastic part. Furthermore, the mating part has a mating portion, particularly formed as a protrusion, which is adapted to fit into a mounting portion formed on the metal body. The mating part is preferably configured in other areas to correspond to the metal stamping. Furthermore, additional connections, such as clip hooks, are provided to secure the mating part to the metal stamping, so that the deflector is a separate, pre-assembled component.

[0014] In this case, the fitting part may have a lower part and an upper part, and the upper part may have a belt guide part formed in the belt slot part of the metal body, thereby guiding the seat belt through the fitting part. In particular, the fitting part may be formed to imitate a part or the entire area of ​​the belt slot. The lower part of the fitting part is preferably connected to the upper part by two connecting arms, thereby connecting the lower part and the upper part, and forming the fitting part as an integrated plastic part. The lower part of the fitting part particularly has an engagement protrusion.

[0015] Furthermore, the fitting part has a further cover contour, by means of which the metallic body can be hidden when the deflector is mounted on the vehicle, and when the deflector is mounted on the vehicle, the upper part is preferably at least partly recessed in the fastening opening of the metallic body, and the fastening means for mounting the deflector on the vehicle can preferably pass through the fitting part and be in contact with the fitting part.

[0016] The at least one spring element contacting the inner surface of the mounting portion may be, for example, a resilient portion of the engagement portion, which is spaced apart from or protrudes from the engagement portion or the engagement surface, particularly when the deflector is not installed. The spring element is preferably made of the same material as the mating part. Particularly preferably, the at least one spring element is also made of plastic and has a certain degree of elasticity. Furthermore, the at least one spring element may be formed, attached, or disposed on the engagement portion, so that when the deflector is pre-installed, the spring element presses against the mating part. In this way, the at least one spring element can prevent noise in the deflector, compensate for manufacturing defects, and avoid problems during installation, particularly with the connection between the metal body and the mating part.

[0017] In one embodiment, at least one spring element provides a spring force acting on the inner surface of the attachment portion. This spring force depends, inter alia, on the deflection of the at least one spring element and the material properties of the mating part. When in contact with the inner surface of the attachment portion, the at least one spring element is preferably in its elastic range. Advantageously, a desired preload can be set depending on the spring force, thereby significantly preventing noise. Preferably, when the at least one spring element is deflected away from the inner surface of the attachment portion, the spring force is increased, thereby preventing the inner surface of the attachment portion from unintentionally contacting the engagement surface. When the deflector causes an opening movement between the metal body and the mating part in the attachment area, the deflection of the at least one spring element toward the inner surface of the attachment portion advantageously prevents an unintentional loss of the preload.

[0018] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the at least one spring element is formed integrally with the mating part. The at least one spring element may be formed, for example, by a protrusion on the mating part itself. In this case, the at least one spring element is flexible and protrudes from the mating part when the deflector is not attached. Advantageously, additional mounting or manufacturing steps can be omitted when manufacturing the mating part or when attaching the deflector. Furthermore, the position of the at least one spring element can be advantageously pre-set in the engagement part.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mating part has at least two spring elements staggered along the belt slot, so that the mating part can apply spring force to the inner surface of the mounting part at at least two staggered locations. The belt slot, which is particularly elongated to accommodate the seat belt, is preferably aligned parallel to the mounting part of the mating part, which is also elongated. A mating part with at least two spring elements advantageously prevents unilateral loading or relative movement between the mating part and the metal body. Furthermore, noise prevention is further improved in the mounting area, and locally limited manufacturing defects are compensated for by at least two spring elements, allowing for a wider tolerance range overall. The staggered arrangement of at least two spring elements prevents noise and advantageously allows manufacturing defects to be compensated for evenly in various regions of the mounting part of the metal body.

[0020] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the engagement surface has at least one opening, and at least one spring element is at least partially disposed in the opening. Preferably, the engagement surface has one opening for each spring element. By disposing the at least one spring element in the at least one opening, the at least one spring element advantageously does not protrude when contacting the engagement surface with the inner surface of the mounting part, and the area of ​​contact with the inner surface of the mounting part and the engagement surface can be aligned flush in the opening area. In this way, the inner surface of the mounting part can advantageously contact the engagement surface, and at the same time, the spring force acting on the inner surface of the mounting part is provided by the at least one spring element.

[0021] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, at least one spring element can expand toward the inner surface of the mounting portion and contract toward the at least one opening. The at least one spring element in contact with the inner surface of the mounting portion is preferably movable within the opening. In this manner, the at least one spring element can particularly effectively prevent noise or compensate for irregularities on the inner surface of the mounting portion due to manufacturing defects. For example, if two or more spring elements are each arranged in one opening, contact between the inner surface of the mounting portion and the engagement surface in different regions can cause one spring element to contract, while another spring element can expand in another region, causing the engagement surface to protrude, preventing the engagement surface from contacting the inner surface of the mounting portion. Thus, the at least one expandable spring element can ensure flexible and advantageous contact between the at least one spring element and the inner surface of the mounting portion of the metal body.

[0022] In another advantageous embodiment, the metal body surface that does not face the inner surface of the mounting portion forms a belt support surface that bounds the belt slot. In this way, the seat belt can be guided by a particularly stable metal body. Furthermore, at least one spring element, particularly arranged on the surface facing the belt support surface, advantageously prevents the seat belt from being guided near a source of noise caused by the seat belt sliding in the belt slot. Vibrations caused by sliding can therefore be damped particularly efficiently and effectively by the at least one spring element.

[0023] In another advantageous development, the engagement surface defines at least two engagement projections, which are configured to conform to the contour of the inner surface of the attachment part, so that the at least two engagement projections contact the inner surface of the attachment part. The at least two engagement projections are preferably distributed evenly over the engagement surface, particularly evenly. The at least two engagement projections are preferably not located directly in the region of the at least one spring element, but are positioned offset along the belt slot. In this way, lateral displacement of the metal body relative to the mating part can be advantageously prevented, and the at least one spring element rests laterally against one of the at least two protruding engagement projections. Furthermore, the inner surface of the attachment part can preferably be adjacent to the at least two engagement projections. The at least two engagement projections advantageously allow the metal body to contact the mating part in the region of the attachment part. Furthermore, in the region of the at least two engaging protrusions, the inner surface of the mounting portion contacts the engaging protrusions that connect the engaging surfaces, so that the at least two engaging protrusions can maximize the contraction of the at least one spring element toward the engaging portion. To install the deflector, the at least one spring element can be contracted toward the engaging portion via the protruding engaging protrusions. Similarly, if the at least one spring element is disposed in an opening, the at least one spring element can also be contracted into the opening via the opening for installation. Thus, the at least two engaging protrusions can advantageously define a contact area between the metal body and the mating part in the region of the mounting portion.

[0024] In another embodiment, the attachment portion is formed by a rolling portion extending in the direction of the belt slot. Preferably, the metal body is a metal stamping, so that the attachment portion can be advantageously formed by bending or rolling a portion of the metal stamping. The engaging portion of the mating part is shaped to fit the rolling portion extending in the direction of the belt slot. In this way, a rotational lock of the metal body relative to the mating part can be advantageously provided. Furthermore, a form-lock is advantageously possible by the rolling portion. Additionally, the belt support surface can advantageously be formed by a surface of the rolling portion that is not facing the inner surface of the attachment portion.

[0025] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the maximum extension of the deflection of the at least one spring element is provided by the engagement surface and / or the engagement protrusion. In the mounted state of the deflector, the inner surface of the mounting portion is preferably at least partially in contact with the engagement surface or one or more of the at least two engagement protrusions forming the engagement surface. In the event of relative movement between the engagement surface and the inner surface of the mounting portion, it is desirable for the at least one spring element to contact the inner surface of the mounting portion to continue applying additional tension between the metal body and the mating part. The maximum extension of the deflection of the spring element in the direction of the engagement surface and the maximum effective spring force of the at least one spring element can be advantageously set by the embodiment of the engagement protrusion or the engagement surface.

[0026] The present invention and the technical surrounding environment will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows the metallic body of a deflector according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows the mating parts of a deflector according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a deflector according to the invention assembled from a metal body according to FIG. 1 and mating parts according to FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a deflector according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mating component according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a deflector according to the present invention shown in cross section in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows the mating components according to the present invention shown in cross section in FIG.

[0028] The deflector 1 shown in the figure includes a metal body 2 with a fixed opening 3 and a belt slot 4, and a mating part 5 connected to the metal body 2. To this end, the metal body 2, formed as a metal stamping, has a mounting part 6 with an inner mounting surface 8. The mounting part 6 is formed by a rolling part 15. The engaging part 7 of the mating part 5 has an engaging surface 9, which is formed to correspond to the mounting part 6 and the inner mounting surface 8, so that the engaging part 7 can be placed in the mounting part 6 and the mating part 5 can be connected to the metal body 2. Two openings 11 are formed in the engaging surface 9, and two spring elements 10, which are integrally formed with the mating part 5, are disposed in the openings. The spring elements 10 contact the inner mounting surface 8. A belt support surface 13 is formed on the side of the rolling part 15 opposite the inner mounting surface 8 by a surface 12 of the metal body 2. Furthermore, the engagement surface 9 has five engagement protrusions 14, which are similarly formed to correspond to the mounting portion 6, so that the five engagement protrusions 14 come into contact with the mounting portion inner surface 8. The metal body 2 further has a clip protrusion 23 above the fixing opening 3.

[0029] The fitting part 5 is formed by an upper part 18 and a lower part 19. The upper part 18 is cut out to correspond to the fastening opening 3 in the metal body 2, allowing the fastening means to pass through the fitting part 5. The upper part 18 also has a belt portion 20 that engages in the belt slot 4 in the metal body 2. The upper part 18 of the fitting part 5 is connected to the lower part 19 by connecting arms 17, two of which are located on the lateral sides of the fastening part of the fastening opening 3, and have a corresponding shape. The lower part 19 has an engaging part 7 with a spring arm 10 and an engaging protrusion 14. A cover contour 21 is further formed on the fitting part 5 from the lower part 19 to the outside of the side. The fitting part 5 also has a clip hook 16 that engages with the rear side of the clip protrusion 23 on the metal body 2 when the deflector 1 is installed. The fitting part 5 also has three support elements 24 on its rear side and three additional clip hooks 22 that face toward the fastening opening 3.

[0030] The fitting part 5 is fixed to the metal body 2 by a clip hook 16 that engages with the rear side of a clip protrusion 23 of the metal body 2 above the fastening opening 3. Three additional clip hooks 22 of the fitting part 5 engage with the rear side of the metal body 2 in the area of ​​the fastening opening 3. The three additional clip hooks 22 support themselves so as to brace themselves laterally from the inside against the fastening opening 3 of the metal body 2 and engage with the rear side of the metal body 2 at offset positions on the circumference. The additional clip hooks 22 are evenly spaced around the circumference of the fastening opening 3. Three support elements 24 of the fitting part 5 arranged on the rear side brace themselves against the vehicle part and, in addition to the fixing means that can be attached in the fastening opening 3, preload the deflector 1 against the vehicle part. In this way, it is possible to prevent the deflector 1 from accidentally hitting the vehicle. In this case, the three support elements 24 are arranged offset relative to the further clip hooks 22 and are evenly divided around the circumference of the fixing opening 3, which advantageously results in an even connection or support of the deflector 2.

[0031] The metal body 2 shown in Fig. 1 together with the mating part 5 shown in Fig. 2 form the deflector 1 shown in Fig. 3. The metal body 2 and the mating part 5 then come into contact with each other in multiple areas, as can be seen from the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 6 according to Fig. 4. The mating part 5 engages in the belt slot 4 by means of the belt portion 20. Furthermore, the mating part 5 engages in the metal body 2 in the area of ​​the fastening opening 3, and three further clip hooks 22 of the mating part 5 engage in the fastening openings 3 of the metal body 2. An additional connection by the clip hooks 16 of the clip protrusions 23 additionally joins the mating part 5 and the metal body 2.

[0032] The metal body 2 and the mating part 5 are also connected to the deflector 1 by the engagement of the engagement portion 7 with the mounting portion 6. The engagement surface 9 has five protruding engagement projections 14, which contact the inner mounting surface 8 of the mounting portion 6 of the metal body 2. The mounting portion 6 is formed by a rolling portion 15 of the metal body. Advantageously, the metal body 2, which is formed as a metal press, may be bent or rolled during production, so that the inner mounting surface 8 of the mounting portion 6 is curved inward. Furthermore, a surface 12 of the metal body 2 facing the inner mounting surface 8 provides a belt support surface 13 in the area of ​​the belt slot 4. At the same time, the surface 12 or the belt support surface 13 bounds the belt slot 4 in one direction. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 6, at the front side, the belt portion 20 of the mating part 5 also engages in the belt slot 4 of the metal body 2 in the area of ​​the belt support surface 13, so that the seat belt can advantageously slide along the mating part 5 and avoid abrasion on the sharp edges of the belt slot 4.

[0033] Two spring elements protruding from the engagement surface 9 or from the engagement projections 14 are arranged in respective openings 11, as shown in FIG. 7. When the fitting part 5 is connected to the metal body 2 of the deflector 1, the spring elements 10 press against the inner mounting surface 8 of the attachment part 6, advantageously compensating for irregularities or misalignments of the rolling parts 15 of the metal body 2 and preventing tilting during installation. As can be seen particularly in FIG. 6, the spring elements 10 are in contact with the inner mounting surface 8. The inner mounting surface 8 is in turn in contact with five engagement projections 14 that follow the contour of the inner mounting surface 8. As can be seen particularly in FIG. 6, the spring elements 10 are flush with the engagement projections 14 that partially form the engagement surface 9. In this case, the spring elements 10 of the deflector 1 are maximally compressed inwardly of the engagement part 7, with part of the spring elements 10 being arranged in the corresponding openings 11.

[0034] As a result, even if the mating part 5 hits the metal body 2, the tension of the spring element 10 prevents abnormal noise. Furthermore, the two spring elements 10 arranged staggered from each other can prevent the metal body 2 and the mating part 5 from unintentionally coming into contact with or separating from each other on one side. For example, if the metal body 2 and the mating part 5 separate from each other, causing the mounting portion inner surface 8 to move away from the engagement protrusion 14 on the right side of FIG. 2, the right spring element 10 will stretch and be able to further contact the mounting portion inner surface 8, thereby continuing to provide tension. The same applies when the mounting part 6 formed by the rolling portion 15 has an irregularly shaped mounting portion inner surface 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Deflector 2 Metal body 3 Fixed opening 4 Belt Slots 5 Mating parts 6 Mounting part 7 Engagement part 8 Inner surface of mounting part 9 Engagement surface 10 Spring Elements 11 Opening 12 Surface 13 Belt support surface 14 Engagement protrusion 15 Rolling part 16 Clip Hook 17 Connecting arm 18 Upper 19 Lower 20 Belt part 21 Cover Contour 22 More Clip Hooks 23 Clip protrusion 24 Supporting Elements

Claims

1. A deflector (1) for guiding a seat belt in a vehicle, At least one metal body (2) with a fixing opening (3) and a belt slot (4) that can be attached to a vehicle; At least one plastic fitting part (5) connected to the metal body (2), The metal body (2) has a mounting portion (6), and an engagement portion (7) corresponding to the mounting portion (6) is formed on the fitting part (5), so that the engagement portion (7) is engaged in the mounting portion (6); The mounting portion (6) has a mounting portion inner surface (8) facing the engaging portion (7), and the engaging portion (7) has an engaging surface (9) facing the mounting portion (6), The engaging portion (7) has at least one spring element (10) in contact with the inner surface (8) of the mounting portion; The attachment portion (6) is formed by a rolling portion (15) extending in the direction of the belt slot (4), A deflector (1) characterized in that:

2. 2. The deflector (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one said spring element (10) provides a spring force acting on said mounting inner surface (8).

3. 3. The deflector (1) according to at least one of claims 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the spring elements (10) is formed integrally with the mating part (5).

4. The deflector (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fitting part (5) has at least two of the spring elements (10) arranged staggered along the belt slot (4), thereby enabling a spring force to be applied to the mounting portion inner surface (8) at at least two staggered locations.

5. The deflector (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engagement surface (9) has at least one opening (11), and the at least one spring element (10) is at least partially arranged in the opening (11).

6. 6. The deflector (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one spring element (10) is expandable in the direction of the mounting inner surface (8) and compressable in the direction of the at least one opening (11).

7. The deflector (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a surface (12) of the metal body (2) that is not on the mounting portion inner surface (8) side forms a belt support surface (13) that bounds the belt slot (4).

8. A deflector (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the engagement surface (9) forms at least two engagement protrusions (14), and the at least two engagement protrusions (14) are formed to follow the contour of the mounting portion inner surface (8), so that the at least two engagement protrusions (14) are in contact with the mounting portion inner surface (8).

9. 9. The deflector (1) according to claim 8, wherein the maximum extension of at least one said spring element (10) is preset by said engagement surface (9) and / or said engagement projection (14).

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