Pivoting Belt Presenter With Folding Finger For Narrow Pillar
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Solution Overview
Problem
In four-door and five-door vehicles, the narrower B-pillar space poses a challenge for implementing a belt presenter that is both unobtrusive and does not impede safety systems, unlike in two-door vehicles where linear displacing mechanisms can be used.
Innovation Solution
A belt presenter with an arm pivoted to the vehicle pillar that can adopt a feeding position and a parking position, featuring a finger that unfolds perpendicularly to seize the seat belt strap, allowing for compact design and integration with the height adjuster, ensuring minimal visual disturbance and safety system clearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a linear displacing mechanism is used in two-door vehicles, then the belt presenter can be positioned at the B-pillar with sufficient space, but this mechanism cannot be employed in four-door or five-door vehicles due to narrower B-pillar space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic pivoting mechanism instead of a linear displacing mechanism. The arm pivots about a pivot point on the B-pillar, allowing the belt presenter to adapt to narrower spaces in four-door and five-door vehicles while maintaining functionality. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by enabling the same mechanism type to work across different vehicle configurations.
2Volume of moving object
If the belt presenter is positioned at the B-pillar in four-door or five-door vehicles, then space is better utilized, but the device becomes visually disturbing and may impede safety systems
Solution Approach 1:
The belt presenter is segmented into a main arm and a separate finger component. The finger can be folded against the arm when not in use, reducing the overall profile and minimizing visual disturbance and interference with safety systems like airbags. This segmentation allows the device to maintain compact form while preserving full functionality when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the finger protrudes into the vehicle interior to seize the strap, then belt feeding function is achieved, but space requirement increases and visual disturbance occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The finger is designed as a movable component that pivots relative to the arm. It dynamically extends into the vehicle interior only when needed to seize and feed the belt strap, then retracts and folds against the arm during normal operation. This dynamic behavior enables the finger to provide full belt feeding functionality while minimizing space occupation and visual disturbance during non-operational states.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt presenter for a seat belt system of a vehicle includes an arm (22) which is pivotal in a state mounted on the vehicle, wherein the arm (22) can adopt a feeding position (A) and a parking position (P). The arm (22) includes a finger (44) for seizing the strap (20) when the arm moves into the feeding position (A), and the finger (44) is pivoted at the arm (22) so that it can adopt a folded position in which it is located substantially in parallel to the arm (22) and an unfolded position in which the finger (44) is orientated substantially perpendicularly to a pivoting plane of the arm (22).