Patent Application
20190217811
The present invention generally relates to vehicle seat belts, and more particularly relates to the arrangement of a seat belt connector tongue assembly on a seat belt strap.
Automotive vehicles are typically equipped with seat belts for restraining passengers seated in vehicle seats. Conventional seat belts typically include a belt forming a lap belt and a shoulder belt that is connected onto a seat belt tongue which, in turn, releasably connects to a buckle that is fixed to a vehicle structure, such as a seat or a floor. The seat belt is typically made of a seat belt strap in the form of a fabric webbing and the seat belt tongue may slide on the strap to allow repositioning of the tongue between use and non-use positions and to accommodate different size passengers. When the seat belt is disconnected from the buckle in the non-use position, the tongue typically rests on a fixed stop on the strap to maintain the position of the tongue. The tongue is typically a metal tongue that is exposed and may become heated when the sunlight radiates onto it. It would be desirable to provide for a seat belt assembly that may conveniently cover the tongue when not in use.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a seat belt system is provided. The seat belt system includes a seat belt strap, a buckle, a connector tongue assembly located on the strap, and a pocket located on the strap for storing at least a portion of the tongue assembly.
Embodiments of the first aspect of the invention can include any one or a combination of the following features:
According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat belt system is provided. The vehicle seat belt system includes a seat belt strap, a buckle, a connector tongue assembly located on the strap, and a pocket embedded on the strap for storing at least a portion of the tongue assembly.
Embodiments of the second aspect of the invention can include any one or a combination of the following features:
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design; some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to
The seat belt system 20 is shown as a three-point seat belt configuration having the seat belt strap 22 connected at a first connection point 24 generally near the top of the seat back 16 or another supporting portion within the vehicle such as the B-pillar, a second connection point 26 connected to the floor or the seat 14 of the vehicle generally in the region of the lap of a passenger (not shown) seated on the seat 14, and a third connection point 28 shown at a seat belt buckle 45 which releasably connects with the connector tongue assembly 30. The connector tongue assembly 30 is configured to be matingly and releasably coupled to the seat belt buckle 45 for fastening the tongue assembly 30 onto the buckle 45. The seat belt system 20 includes the seat belt comprising the seat belt strap 22 which may be a fabric webbing. The seat belt strap 22 may be flat according to one embodiment or may be generally in the shape of a flattened tube defining an interior passageway which may form a seat belt airbag according to another embodiment.
In the embodiment shown, the seat belt strap 22 serves to form a shoulder belt that is generally positioned to extend from the connector tongue assembly 30 over the shoulder and chest of a passenger and a lap belt which is positioned to extend over the lap of the passenger when seated in the seat assembly 12. The lap belt and shoulder belt are therefore integrally formed of the same strap 22 as shown. It should be appreciated that in the seat belt use position, where the tongue assembly 30 is fastened to the buckle 45, the tongue assembly 30 divides the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The seat belt strap 22 may include a conventional webbing material such as a polyester webbing or nylon webbing that forms a seat belt. The seat belt strap 22 may extend within one or more seat belt retractors such as retractors located at or near one or both of the first connection point 24 and second connection point 26.
Referring to
The seat belt connector tongue assembly 30 is further illustrated having a metal tongue 34 that forms a latch plate and has a latch receiving opening 36 to enable engagement and fastening with a latch on the buckle 45. The metal tongue 34 is thus sized and positioned to be received within the buckle 45 and fastened thereto.
The pocket 50 as shown in
The pocket 50 may be made of a separate sheet of material, such as seat belt strap material, which may be stitched or sewn onto the surface of the seat belt strap 22 and thereby embedded on the seat belt strap 22. The stitching connection may include a row of stitching 52 sewn onto the pocket 50 and seat belt strap 22. As such, the stitching 52 extends from a top surface of the pocket 50 through the pocket and to a rear surface of the seat belt strap 22. The stitching 52 may extend along two lateral sides of the pocket 50 and a lower edge of the pocket 50, thereby exposing an open end of the storage space 54 on the upper edge of pocket 50. The storage space 54 is thereby defined by the space between the sheet forming the pocket 50 and the adjoining surface of the seat belt strap 22. The stitching 52 may include a single continuous thread or multiple threads sewn in one or more patterns, such as linear or cross stitch patterns. In one embodiment, the pocket 50 is formed of the same material having the same color and appearance as the seat belt strap 22. As such, the pocket 50 has the same look as the seat belt strap 22 and blends in with the overall seat belt strap 22. It should be appreciated that the pocket 50 may be otherwise formed so as to be embedded on the seat belt strap 22 according to other embodiments. For example, the pocket 50 may be integrally formed on the seat belt strap 22.
While the pocket 50 is shown having a rectangular configuration sized to receive a metal tongue 34 having a generally rectangular shape, it should be appreciated that pocket 50 may be formed in other sizes and configurations. For example, the pocket 50 may be shaped to receive other configurations of connector tongues, such as a tongue configured for a seat belt having an air bag connection formed as part of the connector tongue assembly 30. In doing so, the pocket 50 has a shape and size sufficient to receive the shape and size of at least a portion of or all of the connector tongue assembly 30.
As shown in
The pocket 50 extends outward from the front surface of the seat belt strap 22. The seat belt connector tongue assembly 30 may be configured to engage the outward extending pocket 50 at the entrance of slot 42 which also serves as a stop feature to hold the tongue assembly 30 fixed in position on the seat belt strap 22 sufficient to prevent gravity and normal vehicle use from causing the tongue assembly 30 to slide and thereby change position on the seat belt strap 22. As such, when the seat belt system 20 is in a non-use stowed position, the connector tongue assembly 30 will maintain its position against the pocket 50 suspended on the seat belt strap 22. As such, the seat belt connector tongue assembly 30 does not drop downward towards the ground or slide on the strap 22 during normal vehicle usage, and is maintained in the desired elevated position on the strap 22. When a seated passenger uses the seat belt system 20, the seat belt connector tongue assembly 30 slides along the seat belt strap 22 due to force applied by the user on the connector tongue assembly 30 to enable the tongue assembly 30 to be repositioned and fastened onto the buckle 45.
Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the seat belt system 20 advantageously provides a pocket 50 located on the seat belt strap 22 for storing at least a portion of the connector tongue assembly 30, particularly the metal tongue 34 when not in use. The metal tongue 34 is therefore encased within the storage space 54 and not exposed to direct sunlight or contact with the user such that the metal tongue 34 is protected from heating up due to sunlight. In addition, the pocket 50 advantageously positions and maintains the connector tongue assembly 30 in position on the seat belt strap 22 in a non-use position to thereby necessitate the need for a separate stop feature.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
