Through Anchor Slide Support for Webbing Skew

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing through anchors fail to effectively suppress the skewing of webbing toward the width direction in the insertion hole, leading to jamming issues.

Innovation Solution

A through anchor design featuring a main body member with a through hole and a slide support member that is anchored to the main body member, allowing the slide support member to move in the webbing width direction while being anchored in the webbing thickness and length directions, thereby increasing the movement range and preventing skewing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the webbing is inserted through a fixed insertion hole in a metal plate, then the structure is simple, but the webbing skews toward the width direction causing jamming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewebbing insertion reliabilityVSAvoidthrough anchor structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The slide support member is made movable in the webbing width direction relative to the main body member, transforming the fixed insertion hole into a dynamic system. This allows the insertion hole to adjust its position laterally, accommodating webbing skewing movements and preventing jamming while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The through anchor is divided into two functional segments: the main body member (metal plate) and the slide support member (resin mold portion). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component - the main body provides structural strength while the slide support member provides lateral movement capability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the slide support member is allowed to move freely in all directions, then webbing skewing is suppressed, but movement control in thickness and length directions is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskewing suppressionVSAvoidslide support member position stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Different movement freedoms are provided in different directions: the slide support member is allowed to move freely in the webbing width direction (lateral movement) while being constrained in the webbing thickness and length directions. This local quality differentiation achieves skewing suppression while maintaining positional stability through selective anchoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If the insertion hole is made larger to accommodate skewing, then jamming is reduced, but the precision of webbing insertion is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewebbing insertion easeVSAvoidwebbing insertion precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of enlarging the insertion hole to accommodate skewing movements, the invention makes the insertion hole itself movable through the slide support member. This dynamic approach maintains tight insertion precision while allowing the hole to shift position laterally, preventing jamming without sacrificing manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3081437B1Through anchor
Publication Date: 2020.09.09 ENSHU CO LTD
  • EP3081437B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3081437B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3081437B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3E

AI summary

In a through anchor (10), when an occupant is restrained by webbing (30) in a vehicle emergency, the webbing (30) is moved to the vehicle front side in an insertion hole (22) of a guide piece (18) by movement of the occupant due to inertia, and a vehicle front side end face of the webbing (30) contacts a peripheral face of the insertion hole (22) at high load. A gap is formed between the guide piece (18) and an anchor plate (12). The guide piece (18) is accordingly moved to the vehicle front side with respect to the anchor plate (12) by the webbing (30), thereby enabling occurrence of skewing of the webbing (30) toward the vehicle front side in the insertion hole (20) to be suppressed.