Abstract:
A trim component ( 10 ) for a vehicle door post ( 11 ) having a seat belt mounting ( 17 ) secured thereto, the component comprising a body shell ( 12 ) with at least one energy absorbing member ( 24 ) mounted on the reverse side ( 16 ) of the body shell. The member ( 24 ) has an aperture ( 34 ) therein through which seat belt webbing ( 19 ) in use passes, and is slidable relative to the shell ( 12 ) to accommodate belt path adjustments.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to trim components and in particular to trim components for use with safety harnesses, in particular but not exclusively for use on motor vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     In typical motor cars the driver and front passenger are held in their seats by a harness comprising a lap belt and a single diagonal belt that extends through a mounting or anchorage, secured on the adjacent door post, to a releasable lock located towards the middle of the vehicle. The mounting on the door post is typically fixed in position by a large bolt. The upper seat belt mountings on the door post can give rise to injuries if the wearer&#39;s head impacts the mounting during a collision. 
     Trim components having energy absorbing structures on the reverse side, between the trim surface and the door post, are known, see for example EP-A-0736422. However a particular problem arises with door post trim components. If the mounting is to be cushioned then the harness needs to pass through the trim component. The path taken by the seat belt webbing when in use in the vehicle will vary depending upon the distance that the car seat is from the door post and the height of the wearer. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will provide a means for covering a seat belt mounting with an energy absorbent member, and provides a trim component that allows for changes in seat belt path when in use. 
     STATEMENTS OF INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a trim component for a vehicle structural member having a seat belt mounting secured thereto, the component comprising a body shell, at least one energy absorbing member mounted on the reverse side of the body shell, and the member having an aperture therein through which seat belt webbing in use passes, being slidable relative to the shell to accommodate changes or adjustments in the belt path. 
     When adapted for use with a seat belt mounting which is slidable on the structural member, the trim component may be provided with an energy absorbing member having a socket formed therein to receive a portion of the mounting or its fastener. 
     The energy absorbing member preferably includes a pair of opposed walls with collapsible ribs extending between the two walls. The ribs can be arranged as is desired, for example in parallel, as chevrons in a lattice work, as a series of cell walls similar to a honey comb, or other suitable cell shape. 
     The member may slide with one wall in direct contact with the reverse side of the shell or may be formed as a separate pad which is mounted on an intermediate sliding member located adjacent the shell. The energy absorbing member or sliding member is slidably mounted to the shell by clips and/or slideways formed integrally with the body shell. 
     The shell is preferably a plastics moulding formed from polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or acrylonitrile styrenebutadiene (ABS). 
     Preferably, said slide member, or the said one wall of the energy absorbing member has a portion that extends in at least one direction beyond the opposing other wall and the aperture for the webbing is located in said extending portion to one side of the pad. 
     For a component covering the door post, that is the B post, or B and C post, the seat belt mounting is typically at head height and the energy absorbing member could be utilised to mask a large aperture in the body shell provided to accommodate the extremes of positioning of the seat belt webbing in use, and the extending portion in use projects vertically downwards. 
     Also according to the invention there is provided a method of protecting a seat belt mounting affixed to a structural member of a vehicle for guiding a seat belt, wherein the structural member and seat belt mounting are both covered by a decorative trim component comprising a body shell with at least one energy absorbing member mounted on the reverse side of the body shell to cushion impacts against said structural member and seat belt mounting, the energy absorbing member having an aperture therein through which seat belt webbing passes and being movable relative to the shell to accommodate changes in the belt path. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the exposed side of a trim component for a door post of a motor vehicle, showing the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a section on the line II—II of FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the reverse side of the component of FIG. 1, showing a minor modification. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A trim panel  10  for a B and C door post  11  of a motor car is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The trim panel  10  is injection moulded from a suitable plastics material such as polypropylene and has a body shell  12 , which may be decorative or covered in decorative material, and which has integral clips  13 ,  14 ,  15  on the reverse side  16 . The clips  13 - 15  are used for securing the trim panel  10  to the door post  11 . 
     The door post  11  provides a structural member to which a seat belt mounting  17 , typically the upper mounting, is secured by a fastener  18 . The mounting  18  provides a guide for the belt  19  as it is drawn from, or retracted onto, the belt storage reel (not shown) which may be located in the lower portion of door post  11 . This will typically be an inertia reel seat belt. The upper mounting fastener  18  is fixed to a slide mechanism  21  which is mounted in a slotted track  22  for vertical movement to provide a height adjustable seat belt. 
     The shell  12  of the trim panel  10  has a large aperture  23  therein through which the belt  19  passes. The aperture  23  must be of a size that accommodates the belt  19  over the entire range of its adjustment. An energy absorbing member  24  is located between the reverse side  16  of the shell  12  and the seat belt mounting and fastener  18 . 
     The energy absorbing member  24  comprises a pair of opposing planar walls  25 ,  26  with collapsible ribs  27  extending between the two walls. The member  24  may comprise an assembly in which the wall  26  adjacent the post  11  is a plastics moulding having the ribs  27  formed integrally therewith, and the other wall  25  is also a plastics moulding secured to the ribs  27  by welding techniques, for example by ultra sonic welding. The wall  26  has a socket  28  integrally moulded therein which in use fits over the head  29  of the fastener  18  and the wall  25  slides in contact with the reverse side  16  of the shell  12 . 
     The ribs  27  can be arranged in any desired pattern, for example in a lattice work, or the ribs  27 , as shown, may extend across the full width of the pad and are arranged in parallel. Alternatively a collapsible cellular structure, such as a honeycomb, may be used. 
     The wall  25  adjacent the shell  12  is larger than the opposing wall  26  and extends beyond the other wall  26  both lengthways and sideways. The sideways edge margins  38 ,  39  of the wall  25  engage with clips  31  and  32  respectively on the rear surface  16  to guide the member  24  for vertical sliding movement. The downwards extension  33  of the wall  25  has a shallow “U” shaped aperture  34  formed therein with the lips  35  of the aperture  34  being turned inwardly towards the post  11 . The aperture  34  is adjacent the member  24  and is located immediately beneath the socket  28 . 
     In use the seat belt webbing  19  passes through the aperture  34  and adjustments in height of the seat belt will cause the member  24  to slide vertically with the belt and mounting  17 . This ensures that the aperture  23  in the shell  12  of the trim panel  10  is always covered, and that the mounting  17  is always covered by a protective layer of energy absorbing material. 
     Optionally, a second energy absorbing member in the form of a pad  36  (FIG. 1 only) may be located on the downwards extension  33  of the wall  25 . The pad  36  may have its wall adjacent the shell  12  formed integrally with the wall  25  of the upper pad  24 , or may be formed separately and secured to the downwards extension by welding or adhesive means. The pad  36  may have the same energy absorbing structure as the upper pad or may differ in structure, whatever is desired. 
     Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 3, in which an intermediate sliding member  125  is located on the reverse side  16  of the shell  12  and is guided for its movement by clips  31 ,  32  as before. The energy absorbing pad  24  is formed separately and is secured as a unit to the sliding member  125 . The aperture  134  is formed in the sliding member adjacent the pad  24  as previously described. A second energy absorbing pad may be added to the lower portion of the sliding member  125  if required.