EP0404075A2 — Safety belt apparatus for vehicle

Claim 1

Independent Claim 137 words

A safety apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: an air bag system (2) in which an air bag is housed, when empty, in a container in front of a seat (8) of the vehicle and is inflated to protect an occupant of said seat during a collision of said vehicle; a safety belt system (3) having at least a shoulder belt (4) engaged with a retractor (5) for preventing forward plunging of an occupant of said seat to hold said occupant in said seat during the collision of said vehicle; and impact diminishing means (20) associated with said safety belt system for restraining said shoulder belt (4) and preventing said shoulder belt from being increasingly tensioned by said occupant at a time before said air bag is inflated and acts on said occupant with a maximum impact.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 137 words

A safety apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: an air bag system (2) in which an air bag is housed, when empty, in a container in front of a seat (8) of the vehicle and is inflated to protect an occupant of said seat during a collision of said vehicle; a safety belt system (3) having at least a shoulder belt (4) engaged with a retractor (5) for preventing forward plunging of an occupant of said seat to hold said occupant in said seat during the collision of said vehicle; and impact diminishing means (20) associated with said safety belt system for restraining said shoulder belt (4) and preventing said shoulder belt from being increasingly tensioned by said occupant at a time before said air bag is inflated and acts on said occupant with a maximum impact.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 54 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said time is set at a lapse of approximately 80% of a time period lasting from a time at which said air bag begins to act on said occupant to a time at which said air bag acts on said occupant with said maximum impact.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 20 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said impact diminishing means is directly associated with said shoulder belt.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 74 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said impact diminishing means comprises shaft means on which said shoulder belt is threaded and supporting means connected to part of a body of said vehicle for supporting said shaft means, said supporting means being capable of deforming to allow said shaft means to move when said shoulder belt is drawn with a specified tension load, thereby preventing said shoulder belt from being increasingly tensioned.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 61 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said supporting means comprises a bracket having parallel side walls and a deformable hole formed in each said side wall for receiving said shaft means, said deformable hole being deformed by said shaft means to allow said shaft means to move when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said deformable hole comprises a circular hole for receiving said shaft means and an elongated slot extending directly from said circular hole.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said deformable means further comprises a thin slot formed separately from, and provided on each side of, said elongated slot in each said side wall.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 42 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said shaft means comprises two cylindrical shafts juxtaposed in a substantially vertical direction, one of said two cylindrical shafts being stationarily supported and the other of said two cylindrical shafts being movably supported.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 22 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said shoulder belt is threaded on said two cylindrical shafts in S-like fashion.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 77 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said supporting means comprises a bracket having parallel side walls, each being formed with an elongated slot for movably receiving said shaft means and deformable urging means for urging said shaft means against a tension load of said shoulder belt, said deformable urging means being deformed to allow said shaft means to move in said elongated slot when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 25 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said urging means is a tension spring provided between said shaft means and said supporting means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said impact diminishing means is associated with said retractor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 63 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said impact diminishing means comprises coupling means for coupling said retractor to part of a body of said vehicle, said coupling means being capable of deforming so as to allow said retractor to move when said shoulder belt is drawn with a specified tension load, thereby preventing said shoulder belt from being increasingly tensioned.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 39 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises a deformable U-shaped bracket with a pair of arms, one arm secured to said retractor and the other arm secured to said part of said body.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 63 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises a deformable L-shaped bracket secured to said retractor and a deformable tab secured to said part of said body, said tab being partly integrated into said deformable L-shaped bracket and being able to be ripped away from said bracket when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 63 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises a bracket formed with a deformable hole and a coupling shaft member received in said deformable hole, said deformable hole being deformed by said coupling shaft member to allow said coupling shaft member to move relative to said bracket when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein said bracket is secured to said part of said body and said coupling shaft member is secured to said retractor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 30 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said bracket is integrally formed with said retractor and secured to said part of said body by said coupling shaft member.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 84 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises a bracket secured to said part of said body and a deformable coupling member with one end thereof secured to said retractor and its other end deformably coupled to said bracket, said deformable coupling member being deformed by said bracket to extend a distance between said retractor and said bracket, thereby allowing said retractor to move relative to said bracket when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 78 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said deformable coupling member comprises a deformable pipe with an upper half portion crushed flat and connected to a lower half portion through a transitional portion, said deformable pipe being held at said transitional portion by said bracket, said lower half portion being able to be crushed by said bracket so as to slide relative to said bracket when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 74 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said deformable coupling member comprises a member integrally formed with a laterally projecting tab, said member being supported at said laterally projecting tab by holding clips integrally formed with said bracket and being able to be broken at said laterally projecting tab by said holding clips so as to slide relative to said bracket when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 47 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said deformable coupling member has a lower portion coiled around a shaft secured to said bracket by more than a single turn so as to be stretched when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said coupling means comprises an elastically deformable member directly secured between said retractor and said part of said body.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 29 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein said elastically deformable member is adapted to be stretched when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 48 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein said elastically deformable member is formed with a number of transverse score lines, each being transversely discontinuous so as to allow said elastically deformable member to be stretched when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 31 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein said elastically deformable member is folded so as to be stretched when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 28 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein said elastically deformable member is a stud bendable when said shoulder belt is drawn with said specified tension load.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 48 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said stud has a center shank portion having a length for spacing apart said retractor from said part of said body at a desired distance and threaded end boss portions extending from both ends of said center shank portion.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 44 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said stud comprises a fastening bolt and a cylindrical spacer fitted on said fastening bolt, said cylindrical spacer having a length for spacing apart said retractor a desired distance from said part of said body.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 21 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein said cylindrical spacer is formed with a plurality of circumferential score lines.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 20 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said cylindrical spacer is formed with a plurality of axial slots.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 67 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said impact diminishing means comprises coupling means for coupling said retractor to part of a body of said vehicle, said coupling means being capable of torsionally deforming so as to absorb an external force applied to said retractor when said shoulder belt is drawn with a specified tension load, thereby preventing said shoulder belt from being increasingly tensioned.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 57 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein said coupling means comprises two brackets, said brackets separately secured at respective first ends to said part of said body and said retractor and at respective second ends to a torsionally deformable rod, said two brackets being fixedly coupled by said second ends to said torsionally deformable rod.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 31 words

A safety apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein each of said two brackets is coiled at said second end around said torsionally deformable rod by less than a single turn.

Safety belt apparatus for vehicle

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