Inclined D-Ring Bracket for Vehicle Seat Belt Webbing Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing D-ring assemblies for inflatable vehicle seat belts guide the webbing towards the side of the wearer, making it inconvenient to wear, especially with two-layer webbing structures that can become bent or lumped, hindering smooth passage through the D-ring.

Innovation Solution

An inflatable belt D-ring assembly with a patch bracket featuring a forwardly inclined D-ring support part and rotatable D-ring, allowing a trapezoidal horizontal bending part and adjustable gradient angles between 5° to 25° to guide the webbing smoothly towards the wearer's front.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the D-ring is installed parallel to the pillar, then the structure is simple, but the webbing is guided toward the side of the wearer making it inconvenient to wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of wearing webbingVSAvoidbracket structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patch bracket is designed with an asymmetric structure where the D-ring support part is inclined forward at a specific angle (5° to 25°) relative to the pillar fixing part. This asymmetric inclination redirects the webbing guidance direction from the side (parallel to pillar) toward the front of the wearer, solving the wearing convenience issue without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the orientation dimension of the D-ring by introducing a forward inclination angle. Instead of the D-ring being parallel to the pillar (0° angle), it is positioned at an inclined angle in the forward direction, creating a new spatial dimension for webbing guidance that naturally directs the webbing toward the wearer's front

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Speed

If the webbing is withdrawn quickly, then the inflation response is fast, but the two-layer webbing becomes bent or lumped making it difficult to pass through the D-ring

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewebbing withdrawal speedVSAvoidsmoothness of webbing passage
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The inclined D-ring support part performs a preliminary guiding action on the webbing before it reaches the D-ring. By pre-aligning the webbing path at an inclination angle, the system prepares the webbing for smooth passage through the D-ring even at high withdrawal speeds, preventing bending and lumping before they occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inclined D-ring support part acts as an intermediary element between the webbing withdrawal and the D-ring passage. It mediates the transition by gradually directing the webbing at the optimal angle, ensuring smooth passage without direct contact or abrupt changes that would cause bending or lumping

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2994353B1Belt bag pillar loop assembly for vehicle
Publication Date: 2018.06.06 AUTOLIV DEV AB
  • EP2994353B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2994353B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2994353B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a belt bag pillar loop assembly for a vehicle. The belt bag pillar loop assembly includes a patch bracket, in which a portion of the patch bracket supporting a pillar loop is inclined forward with respect to a portion of the patch bracket fixed to a pillar of the vehicle; and the pillar loop installed at the patch bracket to be rotatable in a left or right direction, so that the two-layer webbing is guided toward the front of a wearer, allowing a passenger to easily wear the webbing.