Safety Belt End-Fitting Tensioner With Visible Locking Confirmation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing end-fitting tensioners for safety belts are prone to incorrect assembly, which can compromise their functionality.
Innovation Solution
The end-fitting tensioner incorporates a locking element that pivots within the belt shaft and is secured by a securing element, such as a grub screw or screw, which is hidden from view in the unlocking position and becomes accessible only in the locking position, ensuring correct assembly by visually confirming the locking element's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the locking element is made visible or accessible during assembly, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The securing element serves as an intermediary indicator that translates the internal state of the locking element into an externally visible signal. Instead of making the locking element itself visible, the patent introduces a separate securing element that rotates with the locking element and provides visual feedback through its position relative to the belt shaft wall, thereby maintaining simplicity while enabling easy assembly verification
Solution Approach 2:
The securing element creates a visual copy or representation of the locking element's position state. By attaching the securing element to the locking element, its position relative to the belt shaft wall replicates the locking element's angular position, providing indirect visual information about the locking state without exposing the locking element itself
2Ease of operation
If the securing element is always accessible, then the ease of operation improves, but the reliability of preventing incorrect assembly worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The securing element transitions from a hidden state to an accessible state dynamically based on the locking element's position. In the unlocked position, the securing element is covered by the belt shaft wall and inaccessible; in the locked position, it becomes exposed and accessible. This dynamic visibility change ensures that assembly operations can only be performed or verified when the locking element is in the correct position
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the securing element provides visual feedback about the locking element's state. The securing element's visibility and position relative to the belt shaft wall serve as a feedback mechanism that informs the operator whether the locking element is in the unlocked or locked position, preventing incorrect assembly operations
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an end-fitting tensioner (1) for a safety belt (2) comprising a tensioning device (10), a hollow belt shaft (20), which can be driven in the winding direction by the tensioning device (10), and a locking device (30), which can lock within the belt shaft (20) a fitting element (40) attached in a tension-resistant manner to one end (2a) of the safety belt (2), wherein the hollow belt shaft (20) comprises an insertion slot (21), through which the fitting element (40) attached to the safety belt (2) can be inserted radially into the interior of the hollow belt shaft (20), wherein, when the fitting element (40) is inserted into the hollow belt shaft (20), the locking device (30) is triggered, and a movable locking element (31) of the locking device (30) is shifted from an unlocking position to a locking position that locks the fitting element (40) in the belt shaft (20), and wherein the locking position can be secured by means of a securing element (32). According to the invention, it is envisaged that the securing element (31) is attached to the locking element (31) and is moved together with the latter during the shifting of the locking element (31) from the unlocking position of the locking element (31) into the locking position of the locking element (31).