Magnetic adjustable turning loop

A vehicle safety restraint adjuster has a vehicle safety restraint support and a guide for the support. The support is moveable along the guide. The adjuster further has a lock which secures the safety restraint support at a position on the guide in the locked state and allows the support to move in the unlocked state. A magnetic actuator selectively places the lock in the locked state and the unlocked state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an adjustable turning loop for a vehicle safety restraint system.

A safety belt system is typically anchored to a vehicle at three different locations around a vehicle passenger. Two anchors support the lap belt portion of a safety belt while a third anchor, a loop or D-ring, located at the approximate height of the shoulder of the passenger provides support for the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt. Due to varying sizes of passengers, manufacturers use assemblies known as adjustable turning loops, which allow the shoulder loop to be adjusted up or down to accommodate these differing sizes. The adjustable turning loop has a button or other actuator that locks and unlocks the adjustable turning loop, generally located near the loop.

Typically, the adjustable turning loop is located near a side of the vehicle. Recently, side curtain air bags that deploy downwardly from the top of a door frame of the vehicle have been developed. Due to the proximity of the actuator to this air bag, deployment of the air bag may inadvertently cause the adjustable turning loop to become unlocked and thereby allow the loop to move at a point in time when the loop should be secured. Manufacturers have overcome this problem by placing shields above the actuator to deflect the downwardly deploying air bag. These shields may be cosmetically unsightly and add cost to the safety restraint system.

A need therefore exists for an adjustable turning loop assembly that avoids inadvertent actuation during air bag deployment without adding significant cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an adjustable turning loop that has a support for a vehicle safety restraint and a guide that permits movement of the support along the guide. Like existing vehicle restraint adjusters, the inventive adjustable turning loop has a lock, which secures the support at a position on the guide in the locked state and, when unlocked, allows movement of the support along the guide. In contrast to existing adjustable turning loops, however, the inventive adjustable turning loop only allows unlocking of the lock in a direction opposite of an anticipated deployment of the side curtain air bag. In this way, deployment of the air bag does not move the actuator of the adjustable turning loop from the locked position to the unlocked position.

The inventive adjustable turning loop accomplishes this feature through a magnetic actuator that selectively moves the lock between the locked state or the unlocked state. The magnetic actuator has both a locked position and an unlocked position. In contrast to other assemblies, the unlocked position of the magnetic actuator is above the locked position. Accordingly, downward movement of a deploying air bag does not move the magnetic actuator from its locked position. No shield is required because the inventive adjustable turning loop allows for the downward movement of the deploying air bag. A spring may further bias the magnetic actuator to stay in the locked position.

The adjustable turning loop may comprise a web guide mounted to a slide. The slide is slideably received on a rail. Moreover, the magnetic actuator may be an electromagnet, which is controllable by a control unit by turning the magnetic actuator “on” and “off.” In this way, the adjustable turning loop may be used with existing automated adjustable seatbelt systems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1illustrates a side view of the inventive adjustable turning loop or more broadly vehicle safety restraint adjuster10. Vehicle safety restraint adjuster10comprises vehicle safety restraint support14, here a slide, which slideably mounts loop50for shoulder belt54on rail18. Slide14is adjustable along the X-axis in an up and down direction like existing adjustable turning loop assemblies. However, in contrast to such assemblies, vehicle safety restraint adjuster10is unlocked by moving button66(shown by dashed lines) in the direction of arrow A, an upward direction. Adjustable turning loop is locked by moving button66in the direction of arrow B. Accordingly, an air bag deploying from the window frame of a vehicle in the direction of arrow B only forces button66more towards its locked position. In addition, as shown inFIG. 1, spring42is biased to maintain button66in the locked position.

The inner working of vehicle safety restraint adjuster10will now be explained with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3.FIG. 2illustrates vehicle safety restraint adjuster10in the locked state whileFIG. 3illustrates the device in the unlocked state. In the looked state, button86, which is mounted to arm24, is held by spring42in locked position26. Arm24is connected to button66on one end as shown inFIG. 1and supports magnet38at the other end as shown inFIG. 2. Magnet38serves to hold up latch58, which is made of a magnetic receptive material, through magnetic force. Latch58is pivotally mounted to slide14. Magnet38may be an electromagnet, which is controlled by control unit46to be “on” or “off.” Latch58serves to lock slide14in place by engaging teeth62of rail18as shown by cross-section inFIG. 4. In this way, slide14is held at locked position26on rail18. Moreover, downward movement of an air bag100in the direction of arrow B does not cause magnet38to change its position so that inadvertent unlocking of the adjustable turning loop may be avoided.

To unlock adjustable turning loop10, as shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 3, button66and consequently arm24is moved in the direction of arrow A, an upward direction. Thus, magnet38moves from locked position26to unlocked position30, a position higher than locked position26and further away from latch58. Upward movement of button66will cause slide14to be moved upward. Consequently, while portion59of latch58will rise with slide14, portion61of latch58will fall with gravity so as to disengage from teeth62of rail18as shown by cross-section inFIG. 5. Slide14may accordingly be moved up or down along the X-axis. Following adjustment of slide14to a desired height, button66is released allowing spring42to draw arm24to locked position26. It should be noted that in this particular embodiment, magnet38need not be in contact with latch58to hold latch58in place. There need only be sufficient magnetic force to suspend latch58in the locked position.

The aforementioned description is exemplary rather that limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For this reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.