METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SEAT BELT WEBBING WITH A SILL-END BRACKET

Abstract: A method of assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) uses an apparatus having a form-feeding member (3) with a tapered channel for receiving one end of a length of seat belt webbing. A webbing pull-through member engages one end of the webbing. A bracket sensor senses the presence of a bracket at a correct position in the bracket support. Means responsive to a signal from a sensor may be provided for indicating the correct positioning of the sill-end bracket for feeding the pull-through member (5) through the sill-end bracket. Means for driving the webbing into the tapered channel are provided so that said one end is located at a predetermined position relative to the form-feeding member.

Description: METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SEAT BELT WEBBING WITH A SILL-END BRACKET The present invention relates to method for assembling a seat belt. A seat belt system generally comprises a single piece of elongate webbing fixed at three points so that it passes across both the lap and diagonally across the torso a vehicle occupant. The seat belt is fixed to the vehicle chassis on each side of the seat and is fixed to the side of the vehicle above the vehicle occupant's shoulder, usually to a load-bearing pillar of the vehicle known m the industry as the "B-pillar" . To provide flexibility at the fixing point and allow the belt to adapt to different sizes and shapes of vehicle occupants, the webbing is fixed to the B-pillar by a pivotally mounted bracket known as a sill-end bracket. The sill end bracket is sometimes referred to as a D-rmg because it has a shape reminiscent of a side oriented letter "D" . The webbing passes through a slit-shaped hole m the sill- end bracket (D-πng) and over a generally horizontal bar formed by the vertical line of the "D" . The sill- end bracket is mounted to the vehicle by a bolt that allows the bracket to pivot to set the webbing at the correct orientation for the vehicle occupant being restrained without twisting or pinching the webbing. On the assembly line the webbing and sill -end bracket (D-πng) must be assembled together by passing the webbing through the hole m the bracket. Traditionally this is done manually and there is considerable waste due to operator error since the operation is difficult . It is desired to increase the speed and efficiency of the assembly line. The foregoing problems are solved by the invention set forth herein in claim 1. Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention at an early stage of a method according to the second aspect of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus of the first aspect of the invention at an intermediate stage of a method according to the second aspect of the invention. FIG. 3 is a top plan view of seat belt webbing and a sill-end bracket assembled using the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2. Detailed Description of the Invention In the figures a length of seat belt webbing 1 has an end 2. A form feeding horn 3 has a tapered internal channel 7. A sill-end bracket 4 has a slot 10 therein. A webbing pull-through device 5 has hinged aws 6 at one end for gripping the end 2 of the webbing 1. The form feeding horn 3 is formed m two parts and is shown m FIG. 1 m a closed position with the two parts fixed together and m FIG. 2 m an open position with the two parts separated to facilitate its removal from the assembly. The sill-end bracket 4 is held m a holding member 8 that is fitted with a sensor 9 to detect the correct positioning of the sill-end bracket 4. Once the sensor 9 indicates that the sill -end bracket is correctly positioned the apparatus feeds the pull- through device 5 through the slot 10 m the sill-end bracket. The end 2 of the webbing 1 is fed into the channel 7 of form feeding horn 3 up to a predetermined position which is sensed by a second sensor 11. When the pull-through device and the webbing are m the correct positions the pull-through device is activated to grip the end 2 of webbing 1 between the aws 6. The pull-through device 5 is then drawn back through the sill -end bracket 4 thus drawing the webbing 1 through the tapered channel 7 of form feeding horn 3. The tapered channel rolls both of the sides of the webbing over by equal amounts toward the centerlme of the webbing as shown m FIGS . 2 and 3. The pull-through member is retracted to a predetermined position that is detected by sensor 12 and can be adjusted depending on the required webbing fold-over length. The pull-through member is then stopped and the jaws 6 disengage the end 2 of the webbing. The two parts 3a, 3b of form feeding horn 3 are pulled apart as shown m FIG. 2 to remove the horn from the assembly. The sill -end bracket 4 is removed from the holding member 8 and the assembly is ready for the next stage of the production process. Of course some of the steps may be performed manually rather than completed automatically. The sensors 9, 11, 12 may be arranged to provide visual and/or audio prompts to an operator. An improvement m the efficiency of the assembly line will nonetheless be observed because the form feeding horn facilitates the correct fold-over orientation for the webbing and use of the pull-through member allows an accurate fold-over length to be determined. The top-plan view m FIG. 3 shows the webbing 1 passed through the sill-end bracket 4 and still attached to the pull-through member 5 by aws 6. It clearly illustrates how the webbing is folded generally equally from each side, this being the correct webbing fold-over form for the webbing to pass easily through the sill -end bracket hole and thus for consistent performance of the complete assembly of the webbing and sill -end bracket.

Claims: Claims : 1. A method for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) comprises the steps of: (a) placing a sill-end bracket (4) in a bracket support ( 8 ) ; (b) feeding a webbing pull-through member (5) through an opening in the sill -end bracket; (c) driving one end of a length of seat belt webbing into the wide part of a tapered channel of a feeding member; (d) sensing when the webbing is at a predetermined position; (e) activating the pull-through member to engage the end of the webbing; (f) pulling the pull-through member back through the sill -end bracket to pull the webbing through the form feeding member channel and through the sill -end bracket. 2. The method for assembling seat belt webbing with a sill-end bracket according to claim 1 wherein in step (f) the pull-through member (5) is pulled back to a predetermined position, sensed by a sensor and arranged in dependence of the required webbing fold- over length.

Inventors: BAINBRIDGE DOUGLAS, HENDERSON PAUL, HODSON JOHN, SLACK PAUL, WEEDALL ANTHONY, WISE SIMON, BAINBRIDGE, DOUGLAS, HENDERSON, PAUL, HODSON, JOHN, SLACK, PAUL, WEEDALL, ANTHONY, WISE, SIMON
Applicants: BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECH, BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B60R22
IPC codes: B60R22