WO2003049979A1 - Height adjusting device for safety belts - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a height adjusting device (10) for safety belts, comprising a guide rail (14), a displaceable adjusting element (16) provided with a redirecting fitting (12) for the safety belt and with a detent device (18), which enables the adjusting part (16) to be locked into different height positions on the guide rail (14). In order to be able to freely arrange a disengaging element for the detent device, the invention provides that a series of several detent elements (22) are provided on the adjusting part (16), whereby the number of detent elements corresponds to the number of possible detent positions of the device, and a disengaging element (30) for releasing the blocking action of the detent device (18) is provided in the area of the guide rail (14). The disengaging element (30) that is no longer displaced with the adjusting element can, for example, be integrated in a flush manner in a molding.

Description

 Height adjustment device for seat belts

The invention relates to a height adjustment device for seat belts with a frame to be fixed

Guide rail, a displaceably guided adjustment part, on which a deflection fitting for the seat belt is fixed, and a latching device, which enables the adjustment part to snap into place on the guide rail in different height positions.

The designs of height adjustment devices for seat belts which are common today provide an elongated guide rail which provides several latching elements for an adjustment element which is guided therein and which is comparatively short. An unlocking element is provided on the adjustment element, with which the locking engagement between the adjustment element and the guide rail can be canceled. Unlocking can also be carried out by the adjusting element or the deflection fitting itself, as shown for example in DE 31 39 624, although the deflection fitting must be freely accessible. For safety reasons, however, efforts are being made to arrange the deflection fitting behind a cover and to lead the belt out of the cladding through a slot in a sliding cover that can be displaced together with the deflection fitting. In these also known designs, the unlocking element is arranged separately on the sliding panel, ie a correspondingly enlarged cutout must be provided. In addition, there is the difficulty for the user that the unlocking element also serves as a grip element, which makes it more difficult to operate since the protrusion of the release element is too far Unlocking element is undesirable for security reasons.

The object of the present invention is to provide a height adjustment device in which a freer design of the unlocking element is possible.

According to the invention, the object is achieved in that a sequence of a plurality of latching elements is provided on the adjusting part in the displacement direction, the number of which corresponds to the number of possible latching positions of the device, an unlocking element being provided in the region of the guide rail in order to release the locking effect of the latching device.

The novel concept with the toothing now provided on the adjustment part or locking devices having the same effect makes it possible to arrange the unlocking element in a fixed manner in the region of the guide rail, where it can preferably be moved against its action by a return spring from its locked position into a released position releasing the adjustment part , It is thus possible to arrange the unlocking element, for example, in the frame of the B or C pillar of a motor vehicle, which is firmly attached to the frame, and to design it in a user-friendly manner as a push button. A flush closure of an unlocking element, for example a push button, which is desirable for security reasons, can be implemented without any disadvantages in terms of operation.

The latching device can preferably have a detent which can be taken away by the unlocking element from a position cooperating with the latching elements of a detent position on the adjustment part. The catch can be used as a bracket or Paragraph should be formed in the case of locking elements designed as locking lugs or even have the shape of a locking lug if the sequence of locking elements on the adjusting part is provided in the form of corresponding recesses.

In a simple embodiment, the spring of the belt roller would pull the deflection fitting with the adjusting part into its lowest position after the unlocking element has been actuated and the blocking action has been released. In order to facilitate the adjustability, it is provided in a preferred development of the invention that the latching device has latching elements with inclined surfaces which allow the adjustment part to be moved upward without actuating the unlocking element. In this embodiment, the unlocking element does not have to be actuated at the same time when the adjusting part is pushed up, as a result of which the operation is simplified. The lack of locking action in the upward direction is unproblematic because, even in the event of an accident, the forces introduced have a downward force component, so that the adjustment part cannot be adjusted from its set position.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that a coupling is provided between the unlocking element and the detent, which interrupts the connection between the unlocking element and the detent when the unlocking element is actuated after a detent position has been released and can be engaged again by releasing the unlocking element. As a result of this design of the latching device, the latch is immediately released again after a latching position has been released, and they latch with the next lower latching element under the action of the return spring can. By actuating the unlocking element once, the adjustment part jumps only into the rest position below, so that a targeted approach to a desired height position is possible without the adjustment part initially jumping into its lowest position.

The coupling can, for example, have wedges which are arranged radially resiliently, act axially on the catch or an intermediate element and can be displaced into a position releasing the catch or the intermediate element by a fixed link in a specific axial position or by an increased axial force over inclined surfaces. Other types of decoupling are also conceivable, for example a design similar to a stepping gear or an electrical coupling between the unlocking element and the catch, which only ensures a short-term release of the catch when the unlocking element is actuated.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that a first and a second guide element are provided at a distance from one another between the guide rail and the adjustment part, the first guide element being fixed to the guide rail and guided on a guide on the adjustment part and the second guide - Element fixed on the adjustment part and guided on a guide on the guide rail.

Such a height adjustment device offers the advantage of an exact guidance of the adjustment part in the guide rail, without the need for a large-area installation between the two parts, which makes operation more difficult and tends to jam. The distance between the two Rungselemente, which changes when adjusting the adjustment part, also ensures a tilt-free support, since any tilting moments can be absorbed safely and with little friction.

For example, an elongated hole can be provided on the guide rail and / or the adjusting part, in which a guide element is guided, which is designed, for example, as a ring element with a circumferential groove, the basic diameter of which essentially corresponds to the elongated hole width and the edges of which overlap the elongated hole edges on both sides. Such a guide works with very small contact areas, which enable the adjustment part to be moved very smoothly and also cause only small adjustment forces, even in the case of a design without play. It is particularly advantageous that the play of the guide is defined by the sheet metal thickness of the components and by the groove width in the guide elements, both dimensions being able to be maintained precisely without great effort and no subsequent adjustment having to be carried out during assembly. Even with slight deviations in the parallelism of the adjustment part and the rail, good guidance is ensured, and even a curved design of the guide rail and the adjustment part is unproblematic within certain limits for smooth guidance, which is why the height adjustment device described is particularly suitable for use in motor vehicles with strong curved B and / or C pillars is suitable, since the guide rail and the adjustment part of the body shape can be designed accordingly, which in turn enables a particularly secure anchoring of the guide rail on the body structure. In order to keep the number of parts low and thus to enable inexpensive manufacture of the height adjustment device in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first guide element is connected to the swiveling reversing fitting for the seat belt and / or the second guide element for fastening the guide rail to the frame is optionally provided in addition to further fastening elements.

The above-described type of guiding the adjustment part on the guide rail with the aid of two guide elements which can be moved relative to one another is in principle also suitable for improving the guide properties in conventional height adjustment devices with latching elements provided on the guide rail and an unlocking element correspondingly movable with the adjustment part.

In a still further preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the adjusting part and / or the guide rail are essentially U-shaped in cross section, their legs pointing away from the belt outlet opening.

The design as a profiled rail allows the cost-effective production of the two essential elements of a height adjustment device made of sheet metal, the required strength values nevertheless being achieved and, in the event of an accident, the adjustment part being able to rest on the guide rail over a large area in order to derive the forces which occur. In the particularly preferred combination with the guide elements described above, they will yield when the force is exceeded, so that the adjustment part that did not directly touch the guide rail reaches a large area on the inside of the guide rail. With such an expansion, In the embodiment of the height adjustment device, the latching elements are preferably designed in a particularly simple manner at the leg ends of the U-shaped adjustment part as preferably sawtooth-like toothing, the inclined surfaces of the sawtooth allowing the adjustment part to be moved upward without actuating the unlocking element.

Basically, however, it should be noted that even with conventional height adjustment devices with a conventional arrangement of the latching elements, in conjunction with the guide elements described above, it is conceivable to design the adjustment part and / or the guide rail in the manner described above as a U-profile.

In a preferred development it can be provided that on the adjustment part to the bottom of the guide rail pointing lugs or pins are provided, which are aligned in the locking positions with recesses provided in the bottom of the guide slot.

Since expanded under unfavorable circumstances the long hole under the pressure acting in egg ^'NEM accident forces and the adjustment can be partially pulled through the slot, it has proved advantageous that fluchten- with the recesses to provide the lugs or pins, which when Giving the guide element form an additional stabilization of the bottom of the guide rail in the area of the force application, which significantly increases the load limit until the adjustment part is partially pulled out. It is particularly advantageous to provide the weld nut provided in the area of the first guide element with projections which form the corresponding lugs. The advantage of this measure is in the fact that the welding nut as a cold pressed part has particularly high strength properties, which offers a particularly high level of security against the partial pulling out of the adjusting part. Of course, it is also conceivable to provide projections on the bottom of the guide rail to the side of the elongated hole edges, which can engage in corresponding recesses in the adjustment part.

In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are discussed in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is an oblique view of a height adjustment device for seat belts.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded diagram of the guide parts of the height adjustment device according to FIG. 1;

Fig. 3 is an oblique view of the height adjustment device of Figure 1 with a panel and a sliding panel.

Fig. 4 is a view of the height adjustment device with the panel mounted;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the height adjustment device of Fig. 1;

FIG. 6 shows an exploded diagram of a height adjustment device similar to FIG. 1; Fig. 7 is a view of a height adjustment device with curved guide parts and

Fig. 8 shows a section of an unlocking device.

In Fig. 1, a height adjustment device 10 is shown as it is used to adjust the height of a deflection fitting 12 for a seat belt (not shown) in a motor vehicle. The height adjustment device essentially consists of a guide rail 14 fixed to the B or C pillar of a motor vehicle, an adjustment part 16 which is displaceably guided thereon, on which the deflection fitting 12 is pivotably fixed, and a latching device 18 which makes it possible to lock the adjustment part 16 in different positions relative to the guide rail 14.

The guide rail 14 has hooks 20 on the body side, by means of which the height adjustment device 10 can be fixed to the body structure of the vehicle. Both the guide rail 14 and the adjustment part 16 are essentially formed by a C-shaped curved profile rail, the legs, on which the hooks 20 of the guide rail 14 are formed, pointing to the body structure. To form the latching device 18, sawtooth-like latching elements 22 are provided at the leg ends of the adjusting part 16, which with a pair of latching lugs 24 (see FIG. 5) on one around a pivot axis 26 on the

Guide rail 14 pivotally mounted unlocking element 28 cooperate with an unlocking element in the form an unlocking button 30 is connected, which is arranged accessible in a panel 32 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The unlocking lever 28, the locking lugs 24 for additional stabilization, in particular in the event of an accident, are held in the legs of the guide rail 14 by slot-like guide openings 34, is biased by a return spring (not shown) in the direction of the locking elements 22, so that the locking device 18 when not actuated Unlocking button 30 assumes a position locking the adjusting part 16. The locking elements 22 are, as already mentioned, sawtooth-like, whereby they run out obliquely upwards, ie the adjusting part 16 presses the locking lugs 24 and thus the unlocking lever 28 against the action of its return spring into the open one when it is moved upwards over the inclined surfaces 36

Position until they snap back into the locking position when the next catch is reached. The lower steep flanks 38, on the other hand, form a secure hold, a downward force being introduced into the deflection fitting 12 under the action of the belt winding roller, so that the adjusting part 16 is always pulled into a locked position in which the detents 24 engage Steep flanks 38 of the locking elements 22 abut.

Since the unlocking lever 28 is fixed in a fixed position on the guide rail 14 so that it can be pivoted with the unlocking button 30, it can be reached through a simple cutout 40 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) in the casing 32, the operating surface of the unlocking button 30 preferably is flush with the surface of the panel 32 to minimize the risk of injury in an accident. In addition to the formation of the various latching elements 22 on the adjusting part 16 in a number corresponding to the number of latching positions, there is another special feature of the height adjustment device 10 shown in the manner in which the adjusting part 16 is guided on the guide rail 14. For the sake of clarity, only those are simplified in FIG Guide rail 14 and the adjustment part 16 shown with their guide elements. A first guide element 42 is designed as a guide ring with a circumferential groove 44, the diameter of which essentially corresponds to the width of an elongated hole 46 in the adjusting part 16, the side edges 48 of the guide ring 42 overlapping the edges of the elongated hole 46 on both sides of the sheet. The guide ring 42 is attached to a shoulder 50 of a spacer sleeve 52 which, with the aid of a screw (not shown) and a bore 54 in the guide rail 14, enables the first guide ring 42 to be fixed on the guide rail and possibly also on the body structure.

A second guide element 56, like the first guide element 42, is designed as a guide ring with a circumferential groove 58, the diameter of which essentially corresponds to the width of an elongated guide hole 60 in the guide rail 14, the side edges 62 of the guide ring 56, in turn, the edges of the elongated hole 60 on both sheet metal sides spread. The guide ring 56 is seated on a shoulder 64 of a fastening sleeve 66, by means of which the deflection fitting 12 and the guide ring 56 can be fixed on the adjustment part 16 via a bore 68. The fastening sleeve 66 is screwed with the aid of a screw (not shown) to a welding nut 70 (see FIG. 5) which is located in the area of the bore 68 between see the legs of the adjustment part 16 is welded to the bottom thereof.

The very small guide surfaces between the guide elements 42, 56 and the respective elongated holes 46, 60 result in a very low-friction guide, which causes only very small adjusting forces even when there is no play. Since the play of the guides is defined solely by the sheet metal thickness of the guide rail 14 or the adjustment part 16 and the width of the circumferential grooves 44, 58, which can be exactly observed without great effort, the guide can be manufactured very precisely.

Since the two guide rings 42, 58 allow very good guidance with only an insignificant increase in the frictional forces even in the case of a slight inclination in the elongated holes 46, 60, it is readily possible for the guides, i. H. the elongated holes 46, 60 can also be made slightly curved, which will be discussed later in the context of a further exemplary embodiment of a height adjustment device.

The two guide elements 42, 56 normally ensure that the adjusting part 16 is guided at a certain distance from the guide rail 14 between its legs, so that low-friction guidance is guaranteed. However, if there is a very strong introduction of force in the area of the deflecting fitting 12, for example in the event of an accident, the second guide ring 56 jumps out of the elongated hole 60 and the bottom of the adjustment part 16 comes into a large area on the inside of the bottom of the guide rail 14 also the first guide ring 42 from the slot 46 leading it in the adjustment part 16, so that there is also a large-scale plant takes place. The large-scale system ensures that the forces acting on the belt are safely introduced into the body structure.

Since under unfavorable circumstances with very high force introduction, in particular with the second guide ring 56 located in the center of its guide slot 60, the lower region of the adjustment part 16 can be pulled through the widening edges of the slot 60, it may be useful to add additional ones Take measures to avoid such bending. FIG. 6 shows, for example, a height adjustment device 100 which essentially corresponds to the height adjustment device 10 described above and shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, which is why only components which are designed differently are discussed in detail. The guide rail 114 of this height adjustment device according to FIG. 6 has stabilizing openings 102 arranged in pairs next to the edges of the elongated hole 160, the spacing of which corresponds to the distance between the latching elements 22 between two latching positions. Stabilizing pins 104 are also provided on the weld nut 170 and, after welding to the adjusting part 116, protrude through bores 106 next to the bore 168 for fastening the deflection fitting 12 to the adjusting part 116. The stabilizing pins 104 are in the normal state at a short distance from the bottom of the guide rail 114, so that the adjustment part 116 is adjustable in the guide rail 114, the stabilizing pins 104 being aligned with a pair of the stabilizing openings 102 in their latching positions 22. If there is an accident and the second guide element 56 jumps out of its elongated guide hole 60, the stabilizing pins 104 engage in the respective stabilizing openings 102, where by bending the edges of the elongated hole 60 in the guide rail 114 under the forces introduced is considerably more difficult. It is also advantageous here that the stabilizing pins 104 are made of the same material as the weld nut 170, which is usually produced as a cold-pressed flow part, and are connected in one piece to this solid component, so that particularly high strengths are achieved against pulling the adjustment part 116 out of the guide rail 114. Of course, other connecting elements between the adjusting part and the guide rail are also conceivable in order to stabilize the edges of the elongated hole in the guide rail against widening, based on the principle of positive engagement of projections arranged on one of the two elements in recesses of the other element in the Area of the elongated hole.

3 and 4, the aforementioned panel 32 of the height adjustment device 10 is shown in more detail. The trim 32 has a shape adapted to a B-pillar of a motor vehicle and covers the height adjustment device 10. The cutout 40 for the unlocking button 30 has already been mentioned. Furthermore, the covering 32 has an outlet opening 72 which has a certain longitudinal extent in order to be able to cover the adjustment range of the belt strap 74. A sliding panel 76, which is connected to the adjusting part 16 in a manner not shown in detail, covers the deflection fitting 12 arranged on the inside and has an exit slot 78 for the belt strap 74. Furthermore, a sliding handle 80 is provided on the sliding panel 76, which enables the sliding of the adjusting part 16 against the action of the return spring of the webbing 74 upwards, in the manner described above the unlocking lever 28 slides with its locking lugs 24 over the locking elements 22. The advantage of the clad height adjustment device 10 shown in FIG. 4 is that no protruding parts have to be provided, the push handle 80 possibly also being designed as a trough. The height adjustment device shown is thus particularly advantageous with regard to minimizing the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a side impact.

Another advantage of the height adjustment device described here is that - as previously indicated - the adjustment part 16 is guided on the guide rail 14 via very small, rather punctiform contact areas, so that the guide rail 14 and correspondingly the adjustment part 16 are curved can be. An example of a height adjustment device 200 is shown in FIG. 7, the construction of which corresponds to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, but in which both the guide rail 214 and the adjustment part 216 are curved in a corresponding manner. The guide properties of the two guide elements are not impaired by this and an adaptation to the mostly curved B and / or C pillars of the motor vehicle in question is possible. As a result, the entire structure can be made flatter, with particularly good anchoring of the guide rail 214 on the correspondingly curved body structure using the hooks 20.

In the exemplary embodiments of a height adjustment device shown above, in which the unlocking button 30 is indirectly coupled to the unlocking lever 28, a permanent depression of the unlocking button 30 causes the released adjustment part 16 to be pulled over the deflection fitting 12 under the action of the return spring of the belt winding reel into its lowermost position. It may therefore be desirable to appropriately decouple the unlocking button 30 or, depending on the design of the latching device, another unlocking element from the unlocking lever or another element that carries the detent. As an example, an unlocking device 300 is shown in FIG. 8, in which an unlocking button 302 is decoupled from an unlocking bolt 304 for actuating the movable latching element after it has been depressed. The unlocking device 300 has a housing 306 in which a coupling 308 for decoupling the unlocking button 302 as an unlocking element from the unlocking bolt 304, which is provided as a catch, is provided after the depression. The unlocking button 302 can be pressed down against the action of a first return spring 309 and axially carries two wedges 310 which are supported in a radially movable manner by means of a spring 312. The wedges 310 act on the unlocking bolt 304 via axial contact surfaces 314, which is supported on the housing 308 via its own second return spring 316. The wedges 310 have cams 318 which run when the unlocking button 302 is pressed against inclined surfaces 320 of a fixedly arranged link 322. Shortly after the unlocking bolt 304 has released the locking action of the locking position to be released, the radial displacement of the axial contact surfaces 314 of the wedges 312 frees the unlocking bolt 304 and can be independent of the position of the unlocking button 302 under the effect of it Move return spring 316 to the starting position. Since the locking lugs of the unlocking device return to their locking starting position with the reset of the unlocking bolt 304, the adjustment part of the actuated height adjustment device snaps only one notch and only after releasing the unlocking button is it moved into its starting position under the action of its assigned return spring 309, whereby the Wedges 312 come out of the engagement area of the link 322 and the unlocking bolt 304, so that the wedges 310 are moved back into their radial starting position under the action of their return spring 312 and a renewed actuation and entrainment of the unlocking bolt 304 is made possible via the axial contact surfaces 314 ,

Instead of the unlocking device 300 shown, further types of decoupling of the unlocking button from the actual latching mechanism are conceivable, for example clutches that are disengaged by the movement of the adjustment part, force-controlled clutches or also mechanisms similar to a step transmission.

Claims

claims 1. Height adjustment device for seat belts with a guide rail (14; 114; 214) fixed on the frame, an adjustment part (16; 116; 216) which is displaceably guided thereon, on which a deflection fitting (12) for the seat belt is fixed, and a latching device (18 ), which enables the adjustment part (16; 116; 216) to be snapped onto the guide rail (14; 114; 214) at different height positions, characterized in that a sequence of several latching elements (22) on the adjustment part (16; 116; 216) is provided in the direction of displacement, the number of which corresponds to the number of possible locking positions of the device, wherein an unlocking element (30; 300) is provided to cancel the locking effect of the latching device (18) in the region of the guide rail (14; 114; 214). 2. Height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that between the guide rail (14; 114; 214) and the adjusting part (16; 116; 216) a first (42) and a second (56) guide element are provided at a distance from one another, wherein the first guide element (42) is fixed on the guide rail (14; 114; 214) and is guided on a guide (46) on the adjustment part (16; 116; 216) and the second guide element (56) on the adjustment part (16; 116 ; 216) and is guided on a guide (60) on the guide rail (14; 114; 214). Height adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that on the guide rail (14; 114; 214) and / or the adjustment part (16; 116; 216) is provided with an elongated hole (46, 60) in which a guide element (42, 56) is guided. 4. Height adjustment device according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide elements each have a ring element (42, 56) with a circumferential groove (44, 58), the basic diameter of which corresponds essentially to the respective slot width and the edges (48, 62) of the slot edges on both sides spread. 5. Height adjustment device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the first guide element (42, 52) serves to fasten the guide rail (14; 114; 214) to the frame. 6. Height adjustment device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the second guide element (56, 66) is connected to the pivotable deflection fitting (12) for the seat belt. 7. Height adjustment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latching device (18) latching elements (22) with inclined surfaces (36), which allow an adjustment of the adjustment part upwards without actuating the unlocking element (30). 8. Height adjustment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking device (18) with the unlocking element (30; 302) against the action of a return spring from its locked Position in a released position releasing the adjusting part (16; 116; 216) is movable. 9. Height adjustment device according to claim 8, characterized in that the latching device (18) has at least one notch (24) which cooperate with the latching elements (22) on the adjusting part (16; 116; 216) by the unlocking element (30) Position is portable. 10. Height adjustment device according to claim 9, characterized in that between the unlocking element (302) and the detent (24, 304) a coupling (308) is provided which, when the unlocking element (302) is actuated after a detent position has been canceled, the connection between the Unlocking element (32) and the catch (24, 304) interrupts and can be re-engaged by releasing the unlocking element (302). 11. Height adjustment device according to claim 10, characterized in that the coupling (308) wedges (310) which are arranged radially resiliently, act axially on the catch (304) or an intermediate element and through a fixed link (322) in a certain axial position or can be displaced by an increased axial force over inclined surfaces (320) into a position releasing the catch (304) or the intermediate element. 12. Height adjustment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a diaphragm (76) is provided which is connected to the deflection fitting (12) and in a casing (32) via an opening (72) is accessible and covers the height adjustment device (10). 13. Height adjustment device according to claim 12, character- ized in that on the sliding panel (76) an externally accessible handle element (80) is provided. 14. Height adjustment device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the unlocking element (30) is flush with the panel (32) in its locked position. 15. Height adjustment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting part (16; 116; 216) and / or the guide rail (14; 114; 214) are essentially U-shaped in cross section, their legs pointing away from the belt exit side. 16. Height adjustment device according to claim 15, characterized in that the latching elements (22) at the leg ends of the U-shaped adjusting part (16; 116; 216) are preferably sawtooth-like teeth. 17. Height adjustment device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that on the adjusting part (116) towards the bottom of the guide rail (116) facing lugs or pins (104) are provided, which in the locking positions with in the bottom of the guide rail (114) provided recesses (102) on the side of the elongated guide hole (60). 18. Height adjustment device according to claim 17, characterized in that the pins (104) are formed by projections of a nut (170) welded to the adjusting part (116). 19. Height adjustment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rail (214) and / or the adjusting element (216) are curved.