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

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) has 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: APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEAT BELT WEBBING WITH A SILL-END BRACKET The present invention relates to an apparatus 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 webbmg 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-πng because it has a shape reminiscent of a side oriented letter "D" . The webbmg passes through a slit-shaped hole m the sill- end bracket (D-rmg) 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 webbmg and sill-end bracket (D-rmg) must be assembled together by passing the webbmg 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 webbmg 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 jaws 6 at one end for gripping the end 2 of the webbing 1. The form feeding horn 3 is formed in two parts and is shown in FIG. 1 in a closed position with the two parts fixed together and in FIG. 2 in an open position with the two parts separated to facilitate its removal from the assembly. The sill-end bracket 4 is held in 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 in 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 in the correct positions the pull-through device is activated to grip the end 2 of webbing 1 between the jaws 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 centerline of the webbing as shown in 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 in 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 in 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 in FIG. 3 shows the webbing 1 passed through the sill-end bracket 4 and still attached to the pull-through member 5 by jaws 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. An apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4), the apparatus comprising: a form feeding member (3) having a tapered channel for receiving one end of a length of seat belt webbing; a bracket support (8) for the sill -end bracket; and a bracket sensor (9) for sensing the presence of the sill-end bracket at a correct position in the bracket support . 2. The apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill -end bracket (4) according to claim 1 further comprising means responsive to a signal from the sensor indicating the correct positioning of the sill-end bracket for feeding a pull-through member (5) through the sill-end bracket. 3. The apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) according to either of claims 1 or 2 further comprising means for driving the webbing into the tapered channel. 4. The apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill -end bracket (4) according to claim 3 wherein said driving means is arranged to drive the webbing into the channel so that said one end is located at a predetermined position relative to the form feeding member. 5. The apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) according to any of the preceding claims further comprising means for activating the pull-through member to engage the webbing and to drive the pull-through member back. 6. The apparatus for assembling seat belt webbing (1) with a sill-end bracket (4) according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a sensor associated with the pull-through member for sensing when the pull-through member is at predetermined position dependent on the required webbing fold-over length.

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