US4903377A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Free-falling, self-locking adjustable tip assembly
Assignee: OCCUPANT SAFETY SYSTEMS Inc A DE CORP
•
Filing: 1988-05-31
•
Granted: 1990-02-27
•
Expires: 2008-05-31
Abstract
Abstract An improved tip assembly including a tongue plate insertable into a buckle is provided for a safety belt system in which a continuous retractable belt length provides both a lap portion and a shoulder portion. The tip assembly through which the belt passes has a snubber slide engaged with the tongue plate and slidable relative thereto. When the belt is drawn across the occupant's body, the belt shifts the snubber slide rearwardly on the tongue plate to a point where the belt is firmly gripped between a surface of the tongue plate and a surface of the snubber slide, whereby that portion of the belt which extends across the occupant's lap cannot expand. When the belt is retracted so that a run of the belt is substantially vertical, the weight of the tip assembly causes its front end to tip downwardly causing the slide to fall vertically along the tongue plate releasing its grip on the belt, whereby the tip assembly freely falls to a lower position along the vertical belt position. A dampener is located in an engaging region of the tongue plate and snubber slide to effect quietness of action between these two parts.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald A. Doty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 03:19
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44B; A44B11/00; A44B11/25; A44B11/2503; A44B11/2546; A44B11/2553; A44B11/2557; A44B11/02; A44B11/06; A44B11/10; B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/30; B60R22/18; B60R2022/1812; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/40; Y10T24/4002; Y10T24/4012; Y10T24/4019; Y10T24/4079
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
A tip assembly for free sliding mounting on a safety belt, the tip assembly comprising: a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, the tongue plate having lateral edges, snubber slide means movable in a forward and rearward direction and slidably engaged with the tongue plate for gripping the belt, channel-shaped region walls at the lateral edges of the snubber slide means receiving the lateral edges of the tongue plate, the snubber slide means being slidable on the tongue plate to a belt gripping position when the tip assembly is mounted on a belt that is under tension and the tongue plate is connected to a buckle, the snubber slide means being slidable to a position that will allow sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt when the belt is in a vertical position and the tongue plate is disconnected from the buckle, and said tongue plate being a substantially flat plate having top and bottom sidewalls, said snubber slide means having portions covering the top and bottom sidewalls and the lateral edges of the flat plate, the snubber slide means having an opening through which the belt passes, and dampening means including a spring located between at least part of the portions of the tongue plate and the snubber slide means that engage one another to urge the lateral edges of the flat plate in a lateral direction against the channel-shaped region walls to reduce noise between the tongue plate and the snubber slide means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
A tip assembly for free sliding mounting on a safety belt, the tip assembly comprising: a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, the tongue plate having lateral edges, snubber slide means movable in a forward and rearward direction and slidably engaged with the tongue plate for gripping the belt, channel-shaped region walls at the lateral edges of the snubber slide means receiving the lateral edges of the tongue plate, the snubber slide means being slidable on the tongue plate to a belt gripping position when the tip assembly is mounted on a belt that is under tension and the tongue plate is connected to a buckle, the snubber slide means being slidable to a position that will allow sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt when the belt is in a vertical position and the tongue plate is disconnected from the buckle, and said tongue plate being a substantially flat plate having top and bottom sidewalls, said snubber slide means having portions covering the top and bottom sidewalls and the lateral edges of the flat plate, the snubber slide means having an opening through which the belt passes, and dampening means including a spring located between at least part of the portions of the tongue plate and the snubber slide means that engage one another to urge the lateral edges of the flat plate in a lateral direction against the channel-shaped region walls to reduce noise between the tongue plate and the snubber slide means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A tip assembly in accordance with claim 1, including the dampening means spring being bow-shaped and being located in at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means adjacent a corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A tip assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein said spring is a single leaf spring having the general form of a bow-shaped curve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A tip assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the spring is made of steel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
301 words
A tip assembly for free sliding mounting on a safety belt, the tip assembly comprising: a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, the tongue plate having lateral edges, snubber slide means slidably engaged with the tongue plate for gripping the belt, the snubber slide means being slidable on the tongue plate to a belt gripping position when the tip assembly is mounted on a belt that is under tension and the tongue plate is connected to the buckle, the snubber slide means being slidable to a position that will allow sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt when the belt is in a vertical position and the tongue plate is disconnected from the buckle, and the snubber slide means having an opening through which the belt passes, and dampening means located between at least part of the portions of the tongue plate and the snubber slide means that engage one another channel-shaped regions at the lateral edges of the snubber slide means receiving the lateral edges of the tongue plate, the dampening means being located in at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means adjacent a corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate, the dampening means being a spring means, the spring means being a single leaf spring having the general form of a bow-shaped curve, at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means including a notch formed therein at each end of the channel and the spring means including a bent portion at either end thereof for gripping in the notches to retain the spring in location when the snubber slide means is assembled on the tongue plate, the bow-shaped curve portion of the spring thereby being in sliding contact with the corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
301 words
A tip assembly for free sliding mounting on a safety belt, the tip assembly comprising: a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, the tongue plate having lateral edges, snubber slide means slidably engaged with the tongue plate for gripping the belt, the snubber slide means being slidable on the tongue plate to a belt gripping position when the tip assembly is mounted on a belt that is under tension and the tongue plate is connected to the buckle, the snubber slide means being slidable to a position that will allow sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt when the belt is in a vertical position and the tongue plate is disconnected from the buckle, and the snubber slide means having an opening through which the belt passes, and dampening means located between at least part of the portions of the tongue plate and the snubber slide means that engage one another channel-shaped regions at the lateral edges of the snubber slide means receiving the lateral edges of the tongue plate, the dampening means being located in at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means adjacent a corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate, the dampening means being a spring means, the spring means being a single leaf spring having the general form of a bow-shaped curve, at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means including a notch formed therein at each end of the channel and the spring means including a bent portion at either end thereof for gripping in the notches to retain the spring in location when the snubber slide means is assembled on the tongue plate, the bow-shaped curve portion of the spring thereby being in sliding contact with the corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-02-26 | 1993-08-28 | 1994-02-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-02-26 | 1997-08-28 | 1998-02-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-02-26 | 2001-08-28 | 2002-02-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |