US 7,165,787 B1 · Safety device for motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts · patentgrep

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Abstract

As yet heads of belted passengers, when thrown forwards in real-world front collisions, crush into vehicle members or inflating airbags. A safety device is equipped with wires, energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, a collapsible upper portion of steering column and a pair of independently operating piston devices. The deflection of at least one piston rod in any front or rear collision is exploited to pre-tension the seat belts up to a predetermined length of seat-belt retraction and retract that collapsible upper portion with the steering wheel out of the head-injury area. In order to prevent buckling of longitudinal runners, achieve the highest efficiency of energy-absorption and lower impact energy, to which passengers are exposed, a cone-shaped hub reams, folds and buckles the respective longitudinal runner, loosely guided by the piston rod, guided by a bearing box. The delimiters block further movement of seat-belt wire thus preventing strangulation.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

a pair of bearing boxes, each of which is rigidly attached to a torque box and in a rear portion of a deformable longitudinal runner, facing a passenger compartment and having the greatest stiffness;
at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a front section of a vehicle body, consists of a piston head, located in the vicinity of a front bumper, a wire-guiding member, connected to a deformable element, attached to the passenger compartment, and a piston rod, which, guided by the bearing box, is movable in the longitudinal runner, where the piston head and the wire-guiding member are fastened to front and rear portions of the piston rod;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to the torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to a dash panel, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a front collision an impact energy displaces the front bumper and at least one piston head, a movement of which results in
deforming the respective longitudinal runner, loosely guided by the piston rod, and deflecting the respective wire-guiding member in association with deforming the deformable element, the respective energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiter and the energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing the respective steering-column wire and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

7 more elements

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a front section of a vehicle body, has a piston rod, which, arranged to a longitudinal runner, has a front portion, fastened to a front portion of the longitudinal runner, a mid-portion, loosely guided by a bearing of a dash panel, reinforced, and a rear portion, to which a wire-guiding member is fastened, where the bearing is provided with a soundproofing bush;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to a torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to a dash panel and the torque box, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a mid-front collision an impact energy displaces the front bumper and both piston heads, a movement of which results in
deforming both longitudinal runners and deflecting both wire-guiding members in association with deforming both energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters and both energy-absorbing steering-column delimiters and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing both steering-column wires and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

6 more elements

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a front section of a vehicle body, has a piston rod, which, arranged to a longitudinal runner, has a front portion, fastened to a front portion of the longitudinal runner, a mid-portion, loosely guided by a soundproofing bearing of a dash panel, reinforced, and a rear portion, to which a wire-guiding member is fastened;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to a torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to the dash panel and the torque box, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a front collision an impact energy displaces the front bumper and at least one piston head, a movement of which results in
deforming the respective longitudinal runner, loosely guided by the piston rod, and deflecting the respective wire-guiding member in association with deforming the deformable element, the respective energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiter and the energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing the respective steering-column wire and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

6 more elements

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

a pair of bearing boxes, each of which is rigidly attached to a torque box and in a front portion of a deformable longitudinal runner, facing a passenger compartment and having the greatest stiffness;
at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a rear section of a vehicle body, consists of a piston head, located in the vicinity of a rear bumper, a wire-guiding member, connected to a deformable element, attached to the passenger compartment, and a piston rod, which, guided by the bearing box, is movable in the longitudinal runner, where the piston head and the wire-guiding member are fastened to rear and front portions of the piston rod;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to a torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to a dash panel, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a rear collision an impact energy displaces the rear bumper and at least one piston head, a movement of which results in
deforming the respective longitudinal runner, loosely guided by the piston rod, and deflecting the respective wire-guiding member in association with deforming the deformable element, the respective energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiter and the energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing the respective steering-column wire and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

7 more elements

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a rear section of a vehicle body, has a piston rod, which, arranged to a longitudinal runner, has a rear portion, fastened to a rear portion of the longitudinal runner, a mid-portion, loosely guided by a bearing of a rear panel of a passenger compartment, reinforced, and a front portion, to which a wire-guiding member is fastened, where the bearing is provided with a soundproofing bush;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to a torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to a dash panel and the torque box, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a mid-rear collision an impact energy displaces the rear bumper and both piston heads, a movement of which results in
deforming both longitudinal runners and deflecting both wire-guiding members in association with deforming both energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters and both energy-absorbing steering-column delimiters and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing both steering-column wires and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

6 more elements

A safety device for a motor-vehicle steering column and seat belts, comprising

at least one pair of independently operating piston devices, each of which, arranged in a rear section of a vehicle body, has a piston rod, which, arranged to a longitudinal runner, has a rear portion, fastened to a rear portion of the longitudinal runner, a mid-portion, loosely guided by a soundproofing bearing of a rear panel of a passenger compartment, reinforced, and a front portion, to which a wire-guiding member is fastened;
a seat-belt wire, wound about pivots, attached to a torque box and a pair of side rails, and pivots of both wire-guiding members, where both ends of the seat-belt wire are connected to at least one pair of energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiters, fastened to stiff motor-vehicle members, with sites of predetermined fracture in connection with the seat belts;
two steering-column wires, each of which, provided with a wire holder and an energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter with at least one site of predetermined fracture, is connected to the wire-guiding member and wound about pivots, and
a collapsible casing, arranged between a collapsible upper portion of the steering column with a steering wheel and a non-collapsible lower portion thereof, attached to the dash panel and the torque box, where the collapsible upper portion thereof has a threaded stud, which, accommodating both wire holders, has a threaded end projection onto which a nut is bolted to secure them;
whereby in the event of a rear collision an impact energy displaces the rear bumper and at least one piston head, a movement of which results in
deforming the respective longitudinal runner, loosely guided by the piston rod, and deflecting the respective wire-guiding member in association with deforming the deformable element, the respective energy-absorbing, vibration-dampening delimiter and the energy-absorbing steering-column delimiter and collapsing the collapsible upper portion of the steering column with the steering wheel;
absorbing the impact energy and dampening a vibration;
releasing the respective steering-column wire and
pre-tensioning the seat belts of belted passengers up to a predetermined length of a seat-belt retraction.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.