GB2225704A - Device for inertial clamping of tapes and safety belts - Google Patents

Abstract

On activation an element 3 pivots to the locked position shown in which it engages a fixed inclined surface (1a, Fig 1) and clamps the belt 20 against a guide roller 2. The element 3 is pivoted in response to vehicle acceleration by mechanism incorporating a pendulum comprising a lever 15 of plastics material, and an inertial mass 16 in heavy material. The locking mechanism is located close to the belt spool and thereby avoids any delay in arresting the belt and elongation of the belt rolled around the spool. The structure is compact and made of few parts, mainly of plastic material, achieving a reduction in assembling costs and weight. <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE FOR INERIIAL CLAMPIMG OF TAPES AMO SAFETY SELTS The invention is referred to a device, which ellows the usrotting of the tape, rolled on the tape rolling spoot, when it is pulled stowly, the automatic rewinding of the tape, when it is Let free, the estomatio olamping of the tape, when the tape is unrolled fest and/or the vehicte, car rin3 the system, is underta'cen to acceleration or deceleration.

Cherecteristic of the device is that the ctamping mechanis@ is @lace soon after the tape rotting spool, providing a prompter olamping and evoiding angy further unrotting of the tape from the spoot, in detait due to tightening of that part of the ta--c rolle on the spool.

The today known devices reatize the tape stopping, arresting the spin of the spool, in this way, after the actuation of the device, some Lenght of the tape is still release both for the tightening of the tape, violently stretched, around the spool, end for the alona- tion, due to the tensile strain, of the full lenght of the tape rottes on the spool as well.

In this way it results a delay between the activation of the device and the full stop of the tape and a more advanced final position of the boy to be protected in the case cf a crash.

Furthermore because of the complexity of tape stopping actuation mechanisms used till now, those devices demand important design and construction changes to be adapted to every type of vehicle.

The existing devices of the known state of the art are conceived with a number of parts definitely high, with large use of steel parts for the high loads working on the system, the result is an increase of produc- tion costs and weight, when hich retiability end respondence to severe certification standards are demanded.

The present invention has the purpose to avoid. tilce above cited disad- vantages through a device, which clemps the tapc soon efter th tape rolling spool, clamping the tape in a special mechanism bearings all the forces, avoiding the atongation of the tape rolle-' or: the spool.

Not being invotved in the clamping action, actuation mechenenismcan be done in plastic material, the att integrated in plastic covers.

The clamping mechanism itself consists of two parts, et whiich ene is the steel fixation frame and the tape clamper, which can :De .-^a.'- e of plestic material, in this way reducing number of perts and weigtt.

ore exactly the present invention refers to a device, partioutarly for safety belts, able to stop the unrolling of the tape, actin directly onto the the tape soon after the spool, characterized by the fact of having an element, that, activated by the known meanss sensitive to the vehicle acceleration, presses the tape against a guide roller by fitting on an inclined surface, stamped on the metal frame, in this way restraining the tape from any further elongation, sue to the tensite strein and the tightening of that part of the tepe roll around the spool.

The present invention refers also to a mechanism including the device performing the inertial clamping of safety belts and tapes in general, allowing the unrolling of the tape in absence of any significant acceleration on the vehicle, on which the device is fitted, and/or on the tape itself and performing the autemetic tape rewinding, when released.

The mechanism for safety belts is used in the specific ceses of cars and other terrestriat, marine end eeriat vehicles.

We give herein a detailed description of a preferred type of execution of the found object of the invention, referring to t fi--ures iri the enclosed drawings, not diminishing anywey the senerality of the invention itself.

Fig.1 presents the explosed drawing of the device with the several parts constituting it.

Fig.2 is a schematic drawing of the tape clamping syster in the configuration "locked1,.

Fig.3 is a schematic drawing of the tape clamping systern in the configuration "unlocked".

The peculiarity of this execution is that the large majority of the carts are made in plastic material, included the piece tape-clamor, which clamps the tape and passes the heavy loads to tho frame structure.

PURPOSE The object and characteristic of the present invention is tat of clamping the tape soon after the tape rolling spool, by means of a tape-clamper element very light, but apt to desohare the heavy Loeds without d'amaging the tape, and in the same time to reatize th all with a small nuber of parts, making the most of those i plastic material.

CONSTRUCTION The tape is clamped (Fig.2) between an oscillation ele.-ent, plastic made and suitaL----ly shaped, (3) anc! 2 steel guide roller.

The oscillating element fits in the Locked position metween the @@ide rot Ler end the inctined surface (la) on the frane, evoiding the ese of other steel structural parts.

OPERATION A. Operation cause by accelerations ecting on the vehicle.

The inertial mass (16), laying in unstale equilisriun on the support (17), activates the plastic lever (15). The lever (15) locks the sear (13), which locks the inertial disk (12). In this way is activated the Locking lever (13), which is hinged on the disk (9) and hooks the guide plate (8), which sets in place the tape clamping element (3).

This fits between the tape, which rolls on the guide roller (2), and inclined surface (la) on the frame.

B. Operation caused by spin acceleration on the spool.

In the case when the tape is unrolled fast and, as a consequence, the spool is subjected to a spin acceleration, it is activated te inertia disk (12), which activates the locking lever (13), providing the cIa;--- ping of the tape as in the previous case 1).

C. Rewinding.

ihen accelerations are not acting on the vehicle nor on t tape, the spring (7) untocks the clamping mechanisa end the spiral spring (1@) reins the tape aroun t spool.

@AND To realize a vehicle acceleration sensor simple end Light weighing.

COWSTRUCTION It has been done a small container (17), in a specific case @ un ur piece molded in plastic material, which supports an inertial lass in the position of an up-down inverted pendulum, in this speciffe case a steel cylinder (15), which sollicited by acceleration tilts, activating the plastic lever (15), which locks the gear system zurning on the shaft (14) in line with the spool.

Concluding with the present invention it has been solved the problem, present in the state of the art devices, of delayed arrest of tapes an safety belts, activated by inertial forces, and the consequent release some lenght of the tape, correspondinD to a more advanced position of the body needin; protection.

Furthermore has been invented e more compact structure, which descharges all the loads on the fixation frame, reducing the number of parts and specificly those with structural function, which increase the weight and reduce the adaptability to the different vehicles.

They have been reduce also weight and conplexity of vesicle inertia sensor mechanism, invention an up-Jc:!n inverse pendulum, Layin on simple support, which can be done in an unique plastic sold.

At the end it has been obtained a tape-clamper, which, still performing perfectly the function of tape restreiner, reduces the tape wear and/or avoids damages, increasing the system reliability in asence of checks and maintenance.

Claims (8)

C L A I S

1) Device, particularly for safety belts, able to stop the unrollin of the tape, actin directly onto the tape soon after the scl (5), characterized by the fast of having an element (3),, that, activa ted bythe known means sensitive to the vehicle eccelepation end/or to the spoon acceleretion, presses the tape (2@) ageinst a guide roller (2) by fitting on an inclined surface, stamped or.

the metal frane (1), in this way restraininr the tape fre any further elongation, due to the tensile strain and to the tightening of that part of the tape rolled around the spool.

2) Device, according to the clais 1, characterized by the fact of having a mechanism activating the tape clamping, sensitive to the vehicle acceleration, consisting in an inertial mess (1@) made in haevy material, Laying on support (17), in a special case in plestic materiat, positioned as an up-down inverted pendutum, which moved by acceleration activates a leverage (15-13-10), which enables the tape clamping.

3) Device, according to the claims 1 and 2, characterized by a plastic container, which encloses the clamping means, the spool (5) and the rewinding means (18-19), performing the two functions of spool cover and container of the above cite means, normally done by two different parts, by that lowering assembling cost end weight.

4) Device, according to whatever of claims from 1 to 3, cheracterized by the fact of having modular elements (1, 2-14, 15-13), uhich can be assembled on different frames facititating the fitting to needs of different clients.

5) Device, eccording to whatever of the claims fro . to 4, cha- racterized by the fact of having a fixation frame (1) reacting to tape clamping pressures, avoiding any further strecturat element to resct to the high Loads acting on the taps, in this way reducin number of pieces and weight.

6) including the device, according to Nechenism of the claims from 1 to 5, perfornin the inertial whatever of safety belts and tapes in general, clamping t unrollin of ellowing the tape in absence of any significant acceleration on the vehicle, on which the device is fitted, and/or on the tape itself and performing the automatic tape rewinding, if released.

7) Application of the mechanism for safety belts, according to the claim 6, to cars and other terrestrial, marine and aerial vehicles.

8) A device particularly for safety belts substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.