The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 15, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 26, 1993
Cecil A Collins, Shelby, MI (US);
Dagoberto Krambeck, Troy, MI (US);
General Safety Corporation, St. Clair Shores, MI (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a belt tensioning mechanism that is actuated in response to a vehicle deceleration exceeding a predetermined critical value for retracting the belt buckle so as to apply a tension loading on the safety belt for minimizing forward excursions of the seat occupant. The belt tensioning mechanism includes a sensor for sensing the magnitude of a vehicular deceleration and generating a deceleration signal indicative thereof, a lock plate fixed to the vehicle and having a series of locking apertures formed therein, a belt buckle supported for sliding movement on the lock plate from a normal position toward a retracted position, a latch mechanism coupled to the belt buckle and engageable with the locking apertures for permitting retraction of the belt buckle and lockingly retaining the belt buckle in the retracted position, a drive mechanism coupled to the belt buckle, a stored energy device acting on the drive mechanism and operable for displacing the drive mechanism so as to cause concurrent movement of the belt buckle from the normal position toward the retracted position, and an actuation mechanism for actuating the stored energy device in response to a deceleration signal indicative of a vehicular deceleration exceeded the predetermined critical value.