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:
Mar. 12, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 13, 2000
Anindya Deb, Dearborn, MI (US);
Nripen Kumar Saha, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Stephen Matthew Calso, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Ford-Global Technologies, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A seat belt anchor assembly is provided for use in an automotive vehicle wherein the vehicle includes an occupant compartment having a side pillar forming a structural part of a vehicle body. The seat belt anchor assembly includes an anchor bolt fixedly secured to the side pillar and having a shank portion defining a bolt axis and a head portion including an outer cylindrical surface extending axially from the shank portion to an annular face facing toward an interior of the occupant compartment. The seat belt anchor assembly further includes a seat belt sling member supported by the shank portion for receiving a seat belt webbing forming an anchor point along the side pillar. The seat belt anchor assembly also includes a trim panel adapted to be secured to the side pillar for covering the anchor bolt and having an energy absorbing member extending axially between the trim panel and the head portion of the anchor bolt. The energy absorbing member includes a tubular member supported between the support ribs and spaced axially from the trim panel for encapsulating the head portion of the anchor bolt and a planar shelf closing an end of the tubular member adjacent the trim panel for contacting the annular face of the head portion to dissipate energy through the energy absorbing member in response to impact forces acting upon the trim panel through the interior of the occupant compartment.