Load-bearing seat belt retractor and seat structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a load-bearing seat belt retractor (10) for a seat structure (40) of a vehicle seat, the seat belt retractor (10) having two housing halves (20, 30) between which the functional modules (11, 12, 13, 15, 19) of the seat belt retractor (10) are arranged. One functional module (12) is a belt reel (12) with a winding axis (A). The two housing halves (20, 30) form two mutually parallel receiving sections (29) in the seat belt retractor (10), which are oriented perpendicularly to the winding axis (A). Two seat bars (41) can be inserted into the receiving sections (29). The two housing halves (20, 30) are in contact with each other at least two contact lines (1, 2) above and below the functional modules (11, 12, 13, 15, 19) relative to the insertion direction (B) of the receiving sections (29). The lower contact line (2) is split open on both sides along the winding axis (A) so that respective intermediate spaces (3, 4) are formed which open towards the receiving section (29).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a load-bearing seat belt retractor for a seating structure of a vehicle seat having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and to a corresponding seating structure having the features of the preamble of claim 10.

[0002] Vehicle seats with integrated safety belt systems are known, for example for use as front seats in convertibles, with at least the seat belt retractor of the safety belt system fastened in the seat back of the vehicle. In this case, due to the lack of load-bearing B-pillars and for reasons of access to the rear seats or distance from the rear vehicle structure, the seat belt retractor is preferably integrated in the seat back of the vehicle, and therefore must also be designed to absorb the pulling forces acting in the event of restraint. The seat belt retractor itself is identical in basic structure to a standard seat belt retractor, with only various additional assemblies provided specifically for installation in the seat back, such as a self-aligning inertial sensor.

[0003] In the basic design of a vehicle seat, the vehicle seat has a seat structure consisting of several load-bearing structural parts, which are used to fasten the vehicle seat to the vehicle structure, the seat structure is equipped with springs and cushioning to improve seating comfort, and the seat structure is also used to fasten further components such as various seat adjustment mechanisms with associated electric motors, as well as further components such as heating devices, sensors, displays, and headrests.

[0004] In modern vehicles with autonomous driving systems, there is an increasing demand for greater adjustability of the vehicle seat in various orientations and positions so that vehicle occupants can use the freedom provided by autonomous driving, for example, for more meaningful communication with other occupants, for longer and more intensive rest periods, or even for work, and can orient the vehicle seat accordingly. As a result, the safety belt device, and in particular the seat belt retractor, no longer needs to be fastened to the vehicle structure as before, but instead to the vehicle seat, as is already the case, for example, with the front seats of convertibles.

[0005] A load-bearing structural part for a vehicle seat in which a seat belt retractor is arranged is known, for example, from DE 10 2018 213 279 A1.

[0006] Against this background, the present invention is based on the problem of specifying an improved dimensionally stable and crash-resistant seat belt retractor for a seat structure.

[0007] To solve this problem, a load-bearing seat belt retractor is proposed having the features of claim 1. Further advantageous developments of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description.

[0008] According to the basic concept of the present invention, a load-bearing seat belt retractor for a seat structure of a vehicle seat is proposed according to claim 1. The seat belt retractor has two housing halves between which a functional module of the seat belt retractor is arranged, the functional module being a belt reel with a winding axis. The two housing halves form two parallel receiving compartments in the seat belt retractor, oriented perpendicular to the winding axis, into which two seat bars can be inserted. The two housing halves are in contact with each other at at least two contact lines above and below the functional module relative to the insertion direction of the receiving compartments, and the lower contact line is divided on both sides along the winding axis so as to form respective intermediate spaces open toward the receiving compartments.

[0009] In this context, load-bearing means that the seat belt retractor, in addition to introducing forces from the safety belt into the seat structure, can also absorb and transfer loads from the seat structure itself, and is therefore suitable as a load-bearing structural component of the upper seat structure.

[0010] The functional module of the seat belt retractor is in particular a belt reel with a safety belt, which can be wound onto the belt reel to form a belt winding. A further functional module is in particular a blocking device.

[0011] The functional module may further be a reversible seat belt pretensioner, an irreversible seat belt pretensioner, a force limiting device, a sensor device, or even a control device.Furthermore, the functional module may be an electric motor that may be provided for various functions in the seat belt retractor.

[0012] The functional module of the seat belt retractor, which is arranged between the two housing halves, is preferably arranged in series with the belt reel, axially or coaxially. This results in a space-saving design in a narrow, elongated installation space, which means that the seat belt retractor can be easily arranged in the backrest of a vehicle seat. With respect to the extension of the belt reel's rotation axis, the functional module is arranged behind or in front of the belt reel. Other functional modules adjacent to the belt reel can be arranged in series with the belt reel's rotation axis, so that they protrude slightly beyond the outer belt wrap, if necessary, continuing and further extending the elongated design of the seat belt retractor.

[0013] The two housing halves of the seat belt retractor preferably extend across the entire width of the seat belt retractor and are each capable of at least partially enclosing in a receiving portion two seat bars which form on either side the lateral seat structures of the backrest of the vehicle seat.

[0014] The proposed separation of the two sides, which in each case creates an intermediate space, allows for optimized and uniform force introduction or guidance. The two housing halves are designed to surround the seat bar in the area of ​​the receiving section. The housing halves come together in the middle and then meet at the lower contact line. Therefore, high stiffness of the load-bearing seat belt retractor can be achieved at a low weight.

[0015] The open gap is also advantageous in the case of arrangement, for example in the case of a possible blockage of the pretensioner wheel, for diverting excess pressure downwards onto the seat cushion from the pyrotechnic seat belt pretensioner and from the occupant on the seat and from the occupant of a possible seat row behind it. Furthermore, an access opening to the functional module of the seat belt retractor arranged in the housing is formed in a simple manner.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the intermediate spaces are adjacent to and merge into the receptacles, respectively, so that in addition to weight savings due to advantageous force paths, favorable manufacturability can be achieved.

[0017] According to a further development, it is proposed that the two housing halves contact their inner housing side surfaces at a lower contact line, which can thus form a wide contact surface parallel to the winding axis, i.e. the width of the contact line corresponds at least in part to a multiple of the material thickness of the two housing halves.

[0018] Furthermore, it is proposed that the free end of the pyrotechnic pretensioner tube be guided through one of the open intermediate spaces. This allows for easy connection of a spark plug after the seat belt retractor is attached to the seat structure. Furthermore, this allows for a longer design of the pyrotechnic pretensioner tube, since it is systematically limited by the seat width, compared to a guide parallel to the winding axis. Furthermore, if the pretensioner and the pressure relief valve provided therein are blocked, excess pressure from the pretensioner tube can be released from the seat belt retractor into the vehicle seat.

[0019] According to a further development, it is proposed that a cable for controlling at least one of the functional modules is led through one of the open intermediate spaces, for example, the cable may have a connector which can be connected, for example, in the area of ​​the backrest.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the upper contact line is covered by a headrest holder, which is preferably connected to both housing halves and holds the seat belt retractor together with the two housing halves and the functional module, and by fastening it can provide additional contact force of the housing halves at the contact line.

[0021] According to a further development, it is proposed that the headrest holder engages with the housing part having at least one lug, which allows a pre-assembly or joining process with a form-fit connection to be achieved, thereby enabling a very lightweight and cost-effective connection.

[0022] It is further proposed that the headrest holder be screwed onto one of the two housing halves. For example, it is advantageous if the headrest holder is screwed onto only one headrest half and connected to the other housing part via a form-fit connection. Thus, the connection of the two housing halves can be achieved quickly and easily.

[0023] According to a further development, it is proposed that the two housing halves are symmetrical in their basic shape, and thus the two housing halves may be identical in different manufacturing steps in the sheet metal manufacturing process or may differ in terms of stamping or beading.

[0024] The housing halves are preferably made from sheet metal, which allows for cost-effective manufacture with high strength.

[0025] According to the basic concept of the present invention, a seat structure is proposed according to claim 10, which has two seat bars aligned parallel to each other, and a load-bearing seat belt retractor according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is attached to the seat bars and fastened to the seat bars.

[0026] The corresponding seat structure can be designed to be particularly light and dimensionally stable due to the integration of the seat belt retractor.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, two seat bars extending parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other can be inserted into the seat belt retractor along the insertion axis and screwed onto the seat belt retractor. The two housing parts of the seat belt retractor preferably extend across the entire width of the seat belt retractor. The housing parts can at least partially surround the two seat bars that form side seat structures of the vehicle seat back on both sides. The two housing parts preferably form two receiving sections of the seat belt retractor into which the two seat bars can be inserted.

[0028] The present invention will be described below using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a load-bearing seat belt retractor of a seating structure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a load-bearing seat belt retractor with a seat bar. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of a load-bearing seat belt retractor with seat bar of a seat structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a further view from below of the load-bearing seat belt retractor with seat bar. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a load-bearing seat belt retractor 10 in a front view. The seat belt retractor 10 has multiple functional modules 11, 12, 13, 15, and 19 arranged one behind the other in a stacked arrangement. This allows for a narrow installation space that can be integrated into the upper part of a vehicle seat back. The functional modules 11, 12, 13, 15, and 19 are, for example, a belt reel 12 for a safety belt (not shown) provided with a drive spring 11. The belt reel 12 has a winding axis A around which the safety belt can be wound to form a belt winding. Furthermore, a pretensioner drive wheel 13 is provided, by means of which pyrotechnic belt tensioning can be achieved. A force limiting device (LLA) is arranged adjacent to the associated switching device 15. A profile head with a blocking claw is provided axially adjacent to a frame with teeth for blocking the blocking claw. Furthermore, a transmission, in particular a planetary transmission, can be provided, for example axially, on which a motor 19, in particular an electric motor, is provided.The functional modules 11, 12, 13, 15, 19 are largely hidden in the figure by a housing.

[0031] The housing of the seat belt retractor 10 basically consists of two housing halves 20, 30. In Figure 1, the seat belt retractor 10 can be inserted into the seat bar 41 from above according to an insertion direction B perpendicular to the winding axis A, or the seat bar of the seat structure 40 can be inserted into the receiving section 29 of the seat belt retractor 10 from below.

[0032] The housing halves 20, 30 are connected by a form-fit connection at the upper contact line 1 by means of a plug-in connection between a tongue 35 and a corresponding slot 36 in the other housing half 20, 30.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows the seat belt retractor 10 from below, showing the lower contact line 2 between the two housing halves 20, 30. The lower contact line 2 opens on both sides toward the ends of the seat belt retractor 10 along the winding axis A. This results in two open intermediate spaces 3, 4, which gradually widen from the lower contact line 2 until they merge into the receiving section 29. In the view of FIG. 2, the seat bar 41 is inserted into the receiving section 29 in an insertion direction B. The seat belt retractor 10 is screwed to the seat bar 41 by means of corresponding through-holes. The seat belt retractor 10 can thus form a load-bearing element of the seat structure 40. Furthermore, a C-shaped fastener 33 is arranged between the inner housing surfaces of the two housing halves 20, 30 and the seat bar 41 and is screwed thereto. The seat bars 41 in this case fill the receiving areas 29, but the open intermediate spaces 3, 4 remain even with one seat bar 41 inserted in each case. The transition from the lower contact line 2 to the receiving areas 29 can be continuous through the open intermediate spaces 3, 4, which reduces mechanical stress peaks and improves strength.

[0034] At the lower contact line 2, the two housing halves 20, 30 are in contact with their respective housing inner surfaces or corresponding parts of the housing inner surfaces, thereby forming a dimensionally stable composite body. The housing halves 20, 30 complement each other in the region of the contact line 2 to form a circumferentially closed contour on which the functional modules 11, 12, 13, 15, 19 can be fully supported.

[0035] 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the seat belt retractor 10 from the rear side, which corresponds to a view of the rear side of the seat back when installed in a vehicle seat. In this advantageous embodiment, a headrest holder 6 connects the two housing halves 20, 30 and straddles the upper contact line 1. The headrest holder 6 has two lugs 7 that are inserted into the housing half 30. As can be seen in FIG. 3, a further part of the headrest holder 6 surrounds the rear side of the rear housing half 20 and is screwed to this housing half 20 by means of screws 8.

[0036] 4 shows another view of the seat belt retractor 10 from below. Here, it can be clearly seen that the pretensioner tube 5 of the pyrotechnic seat belt pretensioner extends with its free end through the open intermediate space 3 located between the lower contact line 2 and the receiving portion 29. The pretensioner tube 5 can therefore be designed to be longer than would be possible with a linear arrangement. Furthermore, an ignition plug can be simply connected to the free end of the pretensioner tube 5.

[0037] In addition to or instead of the headrest holder 6, further functional connections can be provided by further attachments. For example, in the case of a seat belt retractor 10 arranged in the front seat, further attachments for rear seat entertainment or screen suspension brackets can be provided. Attachments for airbag module attachments and further airbag components such as a gas generator, catch strap pretensioner, etc. In the case of a seat belt retractor 10 arranged for a rear seat, for example, a fastener for fastening to the seat back can also be provided.

Claims

1. A load-bearing seat belt retractor (10) for a seating structure (40) of a vehicle seat, comprising: The seat belt retractor (10) has two housing halves (20, 30), and functional modules (11, 12, 13, 15, 19) of the seat belt retractor (10) are arranged between the housing halves (20, 30), One functional module (12) is a belt reel (12) having a winding axis (A), the two housing halves (20, 30) form in the seat belt retractor (10) two parallel receiving sections (29) oriented perpendicular to the winding axis (A), into which two seat bars (41) can be inserted, the two housing halves (20, 30) are in contact with each other at at least two contact lines (1, 2) above and below the functional module (11, 12, 13, 15, 19) relative to the insertion direction (B) of the receiving part (29); The seat belt retractor, wherein the lower contact line (2) is divided along the winding axis (A) so as to open on both sides, so that respective intermediate spaces (3, 4) opening toward the storage portion (29) are formed.

2. 2. A seat belt retractor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate spaces (3, 4) are adjacent to the receiving portion (29) and merge into the receiving portion (29), respectively.

3. 3. A seat belt retractor (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two housing halves (20, 30) are in contact with their housing inner surfaces at the lower contact line (2).

4. 4. A seat belt retractor (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the free end of a pyrotechnic pretensioner tube (5) is led through one of the open intermediate spaces (3, 4).

5. 5. The seat belt retractor (10) according to claim 1, wherein a cable for controlling at least one of the functional modules (11, 12, 13, 15, 19) is guided through one of the open intermediate spaces (3, 4).

6. A seat belt retractor (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper contact line (1) is covered by a headrest holder (6).

7. 7. A seat belt retractor (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the headrest holder (6) engages in a housing half (30) having at least one lug (7).

8. 8. A seat belt retractor (10) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the headrest holder (6) is screwed onto one of the two housing halves (20, 30).

9. A seat belt retractor (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the two housing halves (20, 30) are symmetrical in their basic shape.

10. A seat structure (40) having two seat bars (41) aligned parallel to each other, characterized in that a load-bearing seat belt retractor (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is attached to and fastened to the seat bars (41).

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