Automotive seat belt system

Abstract

To provide a seat belt device having two independent seat belt retractors that can be easily and inexpensively attached to a vehicle. [Solution] The automobile seat belt device includes a lap belt (3) having one end retractable by a first seat belt retractor, a shoulder belt (2) having one end retractable by a second seat belt retractor, and a seat belt buckle that can be fixed to the vehicle. The lap belt (3) and shoulder belt (2) are assigned seat belt tongues (1) that can be removably locked to the seat belt buckle, and the lap belt (3) and shoulder belt (2) are formed by different portions of a belt strap (100), and the seat belt tongue (1) is fixed to the belt strap (100) and divides the belt strap (100) into a portion forming the shoulder belt (2) and a portion forming the lap belt (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat belt device having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] From the prior art, a vehicle seat belt device having a three-point shape is well-known. This three-point shape has two seat belt retractors fixed to the vehicle, and the lap belt and shoulder belt can be wound up to these seat belt retractors independently of each other at their ends. Further, a seat belt buckle fixed to the vehicle is provided, and the free ends of the lap belt and shoulder belt can be locked into this seat belt buckle by a common seat belt tongue. To realize the three-point shape, the lap belt and shoulder belt are passed to the occupant from the same side, while the seat belt buckle to which the ends of the lap belt and shoulder belt can be locked using the seat belt tongue is fixed to the other side of the occupant. For this purpose, the seat belt retractor can be fixed to the vehicle structure or vehicle seat on the same side of the occupant, while the seat belt buckle is fixed to the other side of the occupant.

[0003] Such a seat belt device is described in German Patent Application Publication No. 19915275. In this case, one dedicated seat belt retractor is arranged on each of the lap belt and shoulder belt. At this time, the belt ends of the lap belt and shoulder belt are passed through a common seat belt tongue, and this seat belt tongue can be fixed to the seat belt buckle for wearing the seat belt. The structure of this seat belt device is such that when installing on the installation line by the vehicle manufacturer, the two seat belt parts are connected to the seat belt tongue by connecting the lap belt or shoulder belt.

[0004] The present invention is based on the problem of creating a seat belt device having two independent seat belt retractors that can be simply and low-cost installed in a vehicle.

[0005] This problem is solved by a seat belt system having the features of claim 1. Preferred developments of the present invention are shown in the dependent claims, drawings and the description thereof.

[0006] According to the basic concept of the present invention, it is proposed that the lap belt and shoulder belt of a seat belt device are formed by different parts of a single belt strap, the seat belt tongue being fixed to the belt strap, and the belt strap being divided into a part that forms the shoulder belt and a part that forms the lap belt.

[0007] The advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that the installation of a seat belt system with two seat belt retractors does not require any additional installation steps other than fixing the seat belt retractors and seat belt buckles to the vehicle seat or vehicle structure, and the lap belt portion and shoulder belt portion are connected to a common seat belt tongue. This is because the belt strap is formed by a single belt strap, and the lap belt, which does not change in length, and the shoulder belt, which does not change in length, are formed by dividing the belt strap with a seat belt tongue fixed to the belt strap. Therefore, the installation of the seat belt system only requires fixing the two seat belt retractors and seat belt buckles to the vehicle seat or vehicle structure, and the seat belt system can then be used without any further installation steps.

[0008] Furthermore, it is proposed that the seat belt tongue has a tongue base body with a through-opening, the tongue base body having a guide web on one side of the through-opening and a block tongue on the other side of the through-opening, in which case the belt strap extends through the through-opening, and the guide web and block tongue are positioned on different sides of the seat belt strap. With the proposed solution, when a tensile force is applied to the belt strap, the seat belt tongue is directly exposed to that tensile force, and by not having a fixed connection point between the seat belt tongue and the belt strap, it is prevented, or at least the load is reduced, from being placed on the fixed part of the seat belt tongue itself in the event of an accident.

[0009] In this case, the seat belt tongue is preferably secured by a guide web to the side of the belt strap opposite the seat belt buckle when the seat belt tongue is in the locked position. Thus, the attachment point of the seat belt tongue is located in the area of ​​the belt strap between the end of the lap belt and the end of the shoulder belt, which extend at an acute angle from the seat belt tongue. This eliminates the possibility of the attachment point of the seat belt tongue being subjected to tensile force when restrained, thereby reducing the probability of mechanical damage to the attachment point when loaded.

[0010] Furthermore, it is proposed that the seat belt tongue has a guide web, and that the seat belt tongue is secured by being fixed to a belt loop sewn to one side of the belt strap using the guide web. The seat belt tongue is secured to the guide web and the belt loop sewn to one side of the belt strap by this guide web, allowing the seat belt tongue to perform slight rotational movements relative to the belt strap even while fixed. These rotational movements are necessary for adjusting the seat belt tongue when locking it to the seat belt buckle. In this case, the belt loop itself forms an independent fixing component fixed to the belt strap, and the belt strap itself does not need to be modified otherwise. The belt strap only needs to have a flat outer surface to which the belt loop can be sewn at the point where the lap belt and shoulder belt separate.

[0011] Furthermore, in this case, the belt loop is formed by a belt strap portion folded over itself, and it is proposed that the folded portion is sewn to the belt strap with the first seam, resulting in a three-layer overlap. With the proposed embodiment of the belt loop and the sewing of the belt strap portion at the folded portion, the belt loop can be sewn to the belt strap with a single seam, thereby reducing manufacturing work and the associated manufacturing costs.

[0012] Furthermore, in this case, it is proposed that the tip of the folded portion of the belt loop extends beyond the three-layer overlap and is sewn to the belt strap with a second seam, creating a two-layer overlap. The tip extending beyond the three-layer overlap and its stitching further improve the fastening strength of the belt loop. In addition, the edge of the three-layer overlap extending across the belt strap is covered in a uniform wavy pattern by the tip extending above it, resulting in a significantly lower height of the edge of the remaining two-layer overlap. This reduces the mechanical load on the edge itself even when the belt strap slides on clothing or seat surfaces, and the sliding of the edge reduces wear on these surfaces.

[0013] Alternatively, it is proposed that the belt loop be formed by a belt strap portion having a projection at one end that is narrower than the belt strap portion and a notch at the other end that is equal to or wider than the projection, where the belt strap portion with the projection is folded into the notch while forming the belt loop and is sewn with at least one seam, which connects the projection and the edge portion of the belt strap portion defining the notch to the belt strap. With the proposed embodiment of the belt loop, the folded portion sinks into the intentionally formed recess, so the belt loop itself is a single layer even in the sewing area and becomes a double layer when sewn to the belt strap. As a result, the belt strap portion in the side edge area of ​​the notch and the folded area of ​​the projection are sewn to the belt strap independently and unrelated to each other, so that weakening of the seam does not necessarily cause weakening of the fixing strength of the belt loop in other parts. Furthermore, this makes the belt strap thinner in the sewing area of ​​the belt loop.

[0014] Furthermore, it is proposed that the through-opening on the side opposite the guide web is defined by two edges that extend outward from each other in a conical shape. These conical edges widen the through-opening in a direction perpendicular to the belt strap in its longitudinal direction, thereby allowing the seat belt tongue to perform a slight pivoting motion in the direction of the belt strap and in the opposite direction.

[0015] In this case, the block tongue preferably has one locking opening for engaging with the locking component of the seat belt buckle, and since this locking opening and the through opening are adjacent to each other, the through opening and the locking opening form a common opening.

[0016] In this case, the conical edges of the through-openings that extend from each other preferably transition to the edges of the locking opening, thereby enabling the geometric shapes of the through-openings and locking openings to be achieved with edges that are as uniform as possible and with a width that is as constant as possible.

[0017] Furthermore, it is proposed that the seat belt tongue be fixed to the belt strap with an angle adjustment of 5 to 20 degrees in the longitudinal direction of the belt strap. This angle adjustment of the seat belt tongue can reduce, at least slightly, the angle adjustment of the seat belt tongue relative to the belt strap when locked to the seat belt buckle, and the resulting wrinkle formation in the belt strap. In addition, this allows the seat belt tongue to be positioned in an ergonomically easy-to-grip location in the parked position before fastening the seat belt.

[0018] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the belt strap of a seat belt device according to the present invention, which includes an angle-adjustable seat belt tongue, a lumbar belt, and a shoulder belt. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a straight belt strap with a seat belt tongue attached, viewed from three different perspectives. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a seat belt strap with a seat belt tongue attached, where the seat belt tongue and belt strap are tilted at an angle in various positions. [Figure 4] This is a side view of a belt strap with a belt loop according to the first alternative design. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a belt strap with a belt loop. [Figure 6] This is a side view of a belt strap with a belt loop, according to the second alternative design. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a belt strap with a belt loop. [Figure 8] This is a diagram of the belt strap portion for forming a belt loop according to the second alternative design. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of a belt strap with a seat belt tongue and the belt loop shown in Figure 6.

[0020] Figures 1 and 2 show parts of an automotive seat belt device according to the present invention from various viewpoints. This seat belt device has a single belt strap 100, which is divided into a shoulder belt 2 and a waist belt 3 by a seat belt tongue 1 fixed thereto. The ends of the shoulder belt 2 and the waist belt 3 can each be wound onto independent seat belt retractors (not shown). Furthermore, a seat belt buckle (not shown) is also provided, and the seat belt tongue 1 can be locked into this seat belt buckle when the belt strap 100 is worn.

[0021] To achieve the three-point configuration of the seatbelt device, the seatbelt retractor is fixed to the vehicle seat or the vehicle structure on one side of the occupant, and the seatbelt buckle is fixed to the vehicle seat or the vehicle structure on the other side of the occupant. If the seatbelt retractor is not fixed directly next to the occupant, these retractors can also be fixed at a distance, and the shoulder belt 2 and / or the lap belt 3 can be redirected by one or more guiding devices and guided to the occupant's shoulder and / or lap after the redirection.

[0022] The seatbelt tongue 1 has a tongue base body 30 with a through-opening 8 through which the belt strap 100 extends. Further, the tongue base body 30 of the seatbelt tongue 1 has a guide web 6 defining the through-opening 8 on one side and a block tongue 5 arranged on the other side of the through-opening 8, and the seatbelt tongue 1 is positionally adjusted on the belt strap 100 such that the guide web 6 is arranged on the surface of the belt strap 100 facing the occupant side in the locked state of the seatbelt tongue, while the block tongue 5 is arranged on the surface of the belt strap 100 assigned to the seatbelt buckle in the locked state of the seatbelt tongue. Of course, the tongue base body of the seatbelt tongue 1 can also include additional cover parts, outer coatings, surface treatments, or additional mounting parts such as sensors.

[0023] Thereby, in the position where the seatbelt tongue 1 is locked to the seatbelt buckle, the belt strap 100 is arranged such that the shoulder belt 2 and the lap belt 3 intersect at an acute angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to the seatbelt tongue 1 as seen by the occupant. At this time, the guide web 6 is arranged at an acute angle, and the edge of the guide web 6 forming the through-opening 8 forms the redirection of the belt strap 100, while the seatbelt tongue 1 is locked to the seatbelt buckle by the block tongue 5.

[0024] The seat belt tongue 1 is fixed to the belt strap 100 with high tensile strength and rotatably via the guide web 6. For this purpose, on the surface facing the occupant side, i.e., the surface on which the guide web 6 is arranged, there is provided a belt loop 4 sewn to the belt strap 100, and the guide web 6 of the seat belt tongue 1 extends through this belt loop 4.

[0025] When restraining an occupant, the occupant is held by the shoulder belt 2 and the waist belt 3 of the belt strap 100, and the tensile force applied at this time is transmitted to the seat belt buckle via the block tongue 5 and further to the vehicle structure or the vehicle seat firmly fixed to the vehicle. At this time, the belt loop 4 is arranged in the acute angle between the waist belt 3 and the shoulder belt 2 and is covered by the belt strap 100 on the seat belt buckle side, so that the belt loop 4 itself and the fixing part of the belt loop 4 to the belt strap 100 described below are not loaded or the load is minimized as much as possible during restraint.

[0026] The through-opening 8 has a straight edge on the side of the guide web 4, and this edge is preferably adjusted to be perpendicular to the insertion direction of the seat belt tongue 1 into the seat belt buckle. Further, the seat belt tongue 1 has a block tongue 5 arranged on the other side of the through-opening 8, and this block tongue 5 has a lock opening 7 in the form of a rectangular opening, and its longitudinal extension is arranged parallel to the insertion direction of the seat belt tongue 1 into the seat belt buckle and thus perpendicular to the straight edge of the guide web 6 defining the through-opening 8.

[0027] The through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1 is expanded into an enlarged opening by edge portions 24 and 25 that extend from each other on the side facing the lock opening 7 and away from the guide web 6, and which extend conically outward with respect to the through-opening 8. This enlarged opening allows for slight pivoting motion of the seat belt tongue 1 in the direction of the belt strap 100 and in the opposite direction, as can be seen in Figure 3. The conically approaching edge portions 24 and 25 then transition into the edge portions of the block tongue 5, defining the lock opening 7.

[0028] As a result, the through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1 and the locking opening 7 of the block tongue 5 form a common or unique opening in the seat belt tongue 1, which has a surrounding edge, and this edge forms a guide web 6 on one side by a straight edge.

[0029] Figures 4 and 5 show a belt strap 100 with a belt loop 4 according to the first embodiment in a side view and a perspective view, respectively. The belt loop 4 is formed by a belt strap portion 23 folded over itself and has a through-opening 9, within which a seat belt tongue 1, additionally assumed in Figures 4 and 5, is secured by a guide web 6. The belt strap portion 23 is formed by a single-phase belt member, which may be the same fabric as the belt strap 100 forming, for example, the shoulder belt 2 and the waist belt 3. The belt strap portion 23 has a base layer 10, and the upper layer 11 of the belt strap portion 23 is folded over the base layer 10, forming an opening 9, so that the upper layer 11, the base layer 10, and the belt strap 100 form a three-layer overlap 14, where the belt loop 4 is secured to the belt strap 100 by a first seam 12. In this case, the upper layer 11 is of course passed through the through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1 to secure the seat belt tongue 1, so the guide web 6 of the seat belt tongue 1 comes into the opening 9 of the belt loop 4. The belt strap portion 23 further has a tip portion 16 that extends beyond the three-layer overlap portion 14, which then forms a two-layer overlap portion 15 with the belt strap 100, in which the belt loop 4 is additionally sewn by a second seam 13. This tip portion 16 covers the edge side of the base layer 10 on the belt strap 100 to create a uniform surface and additionally secures the belt loop 4 to the belt strap 100 by the second seam 13.

[0030] Figures 6 to 9 show a second alternative for the belt loop 4, and Figure 8 shows the belt strap portion 23 of the belt loop 4 before it is attached to the belt strap 10. The belt strap portion 23 has a tongue-shaped projection 17 on one side and a notch 18 on the other side that fits into the belt strap portion 23. This notch 18 is defined on both sides by the edges 19 and 20 of one belt strap portion 23, respectively. The belt strap portion 23 has a width in the longitudinal direction that is equal to or slightly greater than the width of the protruding portion 17.

[0031] To secure the belt loop 4 to the position of the belt strap 100 as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the belt strap portion 23 is placed on top of the belt strap 100. Next, the belt strap portion 23 folds its projection 17 over itself so that the projection 17 is inside the notch 18, thereby forming the opening 9 of the belt loop. At this time, the belt strap portion 23 is positioned so that the guide web 6 of the seat belt tongue 1 is inside the opening 9 of the belt loop 4, as shown in Figure 9, since the projection 17 passes through the through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1. Next, the projection 17 and the edge portions 19 and 20 are sewn to the belt strap 100 by two seams 21 and 22 to form a double-layered overlapping portion. The seat belt tongue 1 is secured to the belt strap 100 by a narrower, thinner projection 17, which is not a disadvantage because, with the proposed arrangement of the seat belt tongue 1, the actual force when the occupant is restrained is transmitted directly from the belt strap 100 to the seat belt tongue 1 via the guide web 6. However, the proposed embodiment of the belt loop 4 has the advantage that, since the belt loop 4 is sewn only at the double-layered overlapping portion with the belt strap 100, the belt strap 100 is only thickened by the single thickness of the belt strap portion 23 in the sewing area of ​​the belt loop 4.

[0032] The belt strap 100 is implemented as a single, integrated belt strap 100 and extends through the through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1, so that the seat belt tongue 1 has guide webs 6 and block tongues 5 positioned on different sides of the belt strap 100. Furthermore, the folded portion of the belt strap section 23, which forms the belt loop 4, also extends through the through-opening 8 and is sewn to the belt strap 100 directly and via the base layer 10 of the belt strap section 23 for the first time in the overlapping region.

[0033] First, the seat belt tongue 1 is secured by passing the belt strap 100 through the through-opening 8 of the seat belt tongue 1. Next, the belt strap portion 23 is placed on top of the belt strap 100, and the folded portion is passed through the through-opening 8. To secure the seat belt tongue 1 to the belt strap 100, the free end of the portion passed through the through-opening 8 is sewn to the belt strap 100 or the base layer 10. Alternatively, the seat belt tongue 1 can be temporarily secured by first passing the belt strap portion 23 through it, folding it, and sewing the belt loop 4 to it, then passing the belt strap 100 through the through-opening together with the belt loop 4, and finally securing the belt loop 4 to the belt strap 100 by sewing it to the belt strap 100.

[0034] The seat belt tongue 1 can preferably be fixed to the belt strap 100 at an angle of 5 to 20 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the belt strap 100, thereby allowing the seat belt tongue to be easily gripped and improving the belt shape of the belt strap 100 at the mounting position of the seat belt device. This can be achieved, for example, by arranging the belt loop 4 on the belt strap 100 at an oblique angle, by adjusting the guide web 6 obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the belt strap 100, or by forming the belt loop 4 in a correspondingly oblique shape.

[0035] The belt strap 100 is formed as a single belt strap 100, with each free end being retractable onto one seat belt retractor. To install the belt strap 100, first connect one end to the belt shaft of the first seat belt retractor. Next, secure the seat belt tongue 1 by passing it through the belt strap 100 and then fastening it to the belt strap 100. Finally, connect the remaining free end of the belt strap 100 to the belt shaft of the second seat belt retractor.

Claims

1. A car seat belt device, - A waist belt (3) with one end retractable onto a first seat belt retractor, - A shoulder belt (2) with one end retractable onto a second seat belt retractor, - A seat belt buckle that can be securely fastened to the vehicle and Equipped with, - The lumbar belt (3) and the shoulder belt (2) are each assigned a common seat belt tongue (1) that can be detachably locked to the seat belt buckle. In a seat belt system, - The waist belt (3) and the shoulder belt (2) are formed by different parts of a single belt strap (100), - The seat belt tongue (1) is fixed to the belt strap (100), and the belt strap (100) is divided into the portion that forms the shoulder belt (2) and the portion that forms the waist belt (3), - The seat belt tongue (1) has a guide web (6), and is secured using the guide web (6) within a belt loop (4) sewn to one side of the belt strap (100). - The belt loop (4) is formed by a belt strap portion (23) that is folded over itself, and the portion that is folded over itself is sewn to the belt strap by a first seam (12) to form a three-layer overlapping portion (14), - The tip (16) of the folded portion of the belt loop (4) extends beyond the three-layer overlapping portion (14), and at the tip (16) is sewn to the belt strap by the second seam (13), forming a two-layer overlapping portion (15). A seat belt device characterized by the following features.

2. - The seat belt tongue (1) has a tongue base body (30) having a through opening (8), - The seat belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongue base body (30) has a guide web (6) on one side of the through opening (8) and a block tongue (5) on the other side of the through opening (8), the belt strap (100) extends through the through opening (8), and the guide web (6) and the block tongue (5) are arranged on different faces of the belt strap (100).

3. - The seat belt device according to claim 2, characterized in that the seat belt tongue (1) is fixed by the guide web (6) to the side of the belt strap (100) opposite to the seat belt buckle when the seat belt tongue (1) is in the locked position.

4. - The seat belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that the belt loop (4) is formed by a belt strap portion (23) having a projection (17) that protrudes from one end and is narrower than the belt strap portion (23), and a notch (18) provided at the other end that is the same width as or wider than the projection (17), the belt strap portion (23) having the projection (17) is folded into the notch (18) while forming the belt loop (4), and is sewn in place by at least one seam (21, 22), the seam connecting the projection (17) and the edge portions (19, 20) of the belt strap portion (23) that define the notch (18) to the belt strap (100).

5. - The seat belt device according to claim 2, characterized in that the through opening (8) on the side facing the guide web (6) is defined by two edges (24, 25) that extend outward from each other in a conical shape.

6. - The block tongue (5) has a locking opening (7) for engaging with the locking component of the seat belt buckle. - The locking opening (7) and the through opening (8) are continuous with each other. The seat belt device according to feature 2.

7. - The seat belt device according to claim 6, characterized in that the conical edges (24, 25) of the through opening (8) extend toward the edge of the lock opening (7).

8. - The seat belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that the seat belt tongue (1) is fixed to the belt strap (100) with an angle adjustment of 5 to 20 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the belt strap (100).

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