Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5607185?dq=6666377
Timestamp: 2016-07-01 10:45:42
Document Index: 500843460

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 5', 'Application No. 5', 'Application No. 5', 'Application No. 6', 'Application No. 6', 'Application No. 6', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 31', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 31', 'art 1', 'art 31', 'art 1', 'art 121', 'art 122', 'art 122', 'art 421']

Patent US5607185 - Belt tightener for seat belt - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA pre-loader device that quickly tighten a seat belt after a sudden deceleration of a vehicle is detected is disclosed herein. The pre-loader device includes a mass body and a casing housing the mass body with the mass body being movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle within the casing....http://www.google.com/patents/US5607185?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5607185 - Belt tightener for seat beltAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5607185 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/345,816Publication dateMar 4, 1997Filing dateNov 22, 1994Priority dateNov 26, 1993Fee statusLapsedAlso published asDE69404811D1, DE69404811T2, EP0655371A1, EP0655371B1Publication number08345816, 345816, US 5607185 A, US 5607185A, US-A-5607185, US5607185 A, US5607185AInventorsKazuyoshi Isaji, Shinichi Iwai, Yutaka OhashiOriginal AssigneeNippondenso Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (22), Referenced by (28), Classifications (8), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetBelt tightener for seat belt
US 5607185 AAbstract
A pre-loader device that quickly tighten a seat belt after a sudden deceleration of a vehicle is detected is disclosed herein. The pre-loader device includes a mass body and a casing housing the mass body with the mass body being movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle within the casing. A holder is positioned by a weak coil spring, and a strong coil spring is disposed between a flange part of the mass body and a flange part of the holder. A retainer and the holder hold therebetween stoppers disposed at the tip of plate springs that extend from the rear end of the mass body so as to position the mass body and maintaining the coil spring in a compressed state. A wire connects the rear end of the mass body to a seat belt buckle.
1. A belt tightener for a seat belt, wherein said belt tightener pulls in a seat belt when deceleration of a moving vehicle exceeds a predetermined value, comprising:a casing extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a compression spring having a first end and a second end and disposed in said casing; a connecting member having a first end and a second end, with a buckle of the seat belt connected to said first end of said connecting member; a supporting member supporting said first end of said compression spring; a pull-in member contacting said second end of said compression spring, connected to said second end of said connecting member and adapted to move in an expansion direction of said compression spring following expansion of said compression spring; wherein said pull-in member includes a locking part engageable with and disengageable from said supporting member to maintain said compression spring in a compressed state by causing said locking part to be engaged with said supporting member; and a restricting member contacting said locking part for restricting movement thereof in the direction in which the engagement of said locking part is released; wherein said seat belt is tightened by the expansion of said spring caused by the release of contact between said locking part and said restricting member and disengagement of said locking part from at least a portion of said supporting member when deceleration of the vehicle exceeds the predetermined value. 2. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 1, wherein said pull-in member includes a means for re-engagement movable in the direction of pull-out movement of said seat belt after said compression spring expands.
3. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member includes means for moving in a direction in which a space formed between said supporting member and said restricting member, and smaller than said locking part, widens when deceleration of the vehicle exceeds the predetermined value.
4. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 2, wherein said supporting member includes means for moving in a direction in which a space formed between said supporting member and said restricting member, and smaller than said locking part, widens when deceleration of the vehicle exceeds the predetermined value, and wherein said restricting member includes means for moving in a direction of movement of said locking part when said pull-in member moves in the direction of pull-out movement of said seat belt for re-engagement after said compression spring expands, thus forming said space larger than said locking part and said locking part re-engages with said supporting member to maintain said restricting member in the compressed state.
5. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 1, wherein said locking part comprises:a plate member connecting with said connecting member, which gradually expands in a radial direction of said compression spring, and a stopper provided at a tip end part of said plate member and contacting said supporting member and said restricting member facing said supporting member. 6. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 5, wherein said compression spring and said pull-in member jointly form a mass body movable according to deceleration of the vehicle.
7. The belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 6, wherein said stopper is longitudinally movable and provides stopping movement of said mass body by being engaged therewith.
8. A belt tightener for a seat belt disposed in a moving vehicle, said belt tightener comprising:a casing having first and second hollow parts; supporting means disposed in said first hollow part for moving in a longitudinal direction of said casing in response to a deceleration force of said moving vehicle; means for supplying a force in a direction opposite to a direction of said deceleration force, said supplying means being connected to said seat belt, said supplying means disposed in said first hollow part, said supplying means including blocking means for blocking said supplying means in order to prevent said supplying means from supplying said force until said supporting means moves in said longitudinal direction by a predetermined distance which releases said supplying means, wherein said supporting means includes:a movable cylindrical holder having a flange at a far end thereof; and a coil spring disposed so as to be in contact with said flange of said cylindrical holder. 9. A belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 8, wherein said supplying means includes:a mass body having a flange at a far end thereof; and a second coil spring maintained in a compressed state between said flange of said mass body and said flange of said cylindrical holder. 10. A belt tightener for a seat belt according to claim 9, wherein said blocking means includes a pair of plate springs connected to said mass body; anda locking part for holding said plate springs, said locking part being disposed so as to move between a first and a second position when said supplying means releases, said locking part being disposed at an end of said plate springs opposite said mass member. Description
This application is based upon and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 5-321195, filed Nov. 26, 1993; Japanese Patent Application No. 5-321196, filed Nov. 26, 1993; Japanese Patent Application No. 5-321197, filed Nov. 26, 1993; Japanese Patent Application No. 6-11388, filed Jan. 6, 1994; Japanese Patent Application No. 6-12109, filed Jan. 7, 1994; and Japanese Patent Application No. 6-12110, filed Jan. 7, 1994, with the contents of each document being incorporated herein by reference.
A pre-loader device is designed to quickly tighten a seat belt to eliminate any slack therein and protect the passenger in conjunction with the locking of the retractor. To enable the seat belt to be tightened in a short time, conventional devices have been proposed that cause the seat belt buckle to move using spring force of a torsion bar or a coil spring. Such a tightening device is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 4-63746 and 61-241234. Another proposal for tightening a seat belt has been to reel a seat belt using the explosive power of powder, for example. Such a device is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent No. 63-22752.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a structure for tightening a seat belt disposed in a vehicle and thereby holding passengers securely therein that includes a casing having first and second hollow parts. The tightener includes a supporting means disposed in the first hollow part for moving in a longitudinal direction of the casing in response to a deceleration force of the moving vehicle. Furthermore, the tightener has means for supplying a force in a direction opposite to a direction of the deceleration force. The supplying means is connected to the seat belt, is disposed in the first hollow part and includes a blocking means for blocking the supplying means in order to prevent the supplying means from supplying the force until the supporting means moves in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined distance which releases the supplying means.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the pre-loader device provided with a seat belt buckle according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II--II of FIG. 5 illustrating the inside structure of the seat belt buckle according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the inside structure of a seat belt buckle according to another embodiment of the present invention;
In FIG. 1, casing 1 includes horizontal part 1a disposed in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle (sideways in the figure) and inclined part lb diagonally extending upwards from one end of horizontal part 1a. Within the cylindrical space defined by horizontal part 1a is disposed metal mass body 2 that includes a holding member, a holding release member and a pull-in member. At the front end of mass body 2 is formed flange 21. The outer periphery of flange 21 is disposed proximate to inner peripheral wall if of horizontal part 1a.
At the rear end of the inner space defined by horizontal part 1a of casing 1, cylindrical holder 3 is disposed that includes a supporting member with its outer periphery being proximate to inner peripheral wall 1f. Flange part 31 of holder 3 formed at the front end thereof is positioned within recessed part 1d annularly formed in an intermediate position in inner peripheral wall 1f of horizontal part 1a. Within recessed part 1d, coil spring 9 is disposed. Coil spring 9 has a weak spring force between flange part 31 and front end wall 1g of recessed part 1d. Cylindrical holder 3 is pressed backwards by the coil spring 9 and held in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 with flange part 31 being in contact with rear end wall 1h of recessed part 1d.
Seat belt buckle 14 is illustrated in FIG. 6 in detail. Upper end part 121 of non-return rod 12 enters casing 14a from the lower side thereof and is linearly movably positioned within casing 14a. On the tip end thereof is formed oblong recessed part 122. The tip end part of tongue plate 17 is inserted into oblong recessed part 122. Locking hole 171 is formed at the tip end part of tongue plate 17. One of the forked protrusions of locking lever 18 enters locking hole 171 so as to lock tongue plate 17 therein. Locking lever 18 is pivotally supported at the base part by pin 181 on non-return rod 12. Locking lever 18 is rotatably energized by a spring (not illustrated) counterclockwise in FIG. 6, which depicts one of the forked protrusions thereof being locked in locking hole 171 of tongue plate 17.
As described above, even when the pre-loader device is actuated and the seat belt is tightened, operation button 161 of unlocking rod 16 remains in the same positions. Therefore, the passenger can quickly release seat belt 41 by pressing operation button 161 and leave the vehicle.
The reset mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 9 in detail. In this figure, on a part of the outer periphery of reset wheel 42 is formed lever holding part 421, to which the base end of reset lever 45 is fixed. Non-return wheel 43 is provided with a plurality of sawtooth-like ratchet teeth 432 for almost 180� around the periphery thereof. The tip end of locking pawl 44 engages with one of ratchet teeth 432 to prevent non-return wheel 43 (i.e., the reset wheel 42) from reverse (counterclockwise) rotation. Locking pawl 44 is pivotally supported at the base end by a support shaft 441 provided on the vehicle body.
This invention has been described in connection with what are currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, this invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various modifications and alternative arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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