Seat belt fitting

Abstract

A seat belt fitting is provided which comprises a guide element mounted on a carriage that is movable along a rail or the like. The rail may be mounted on the "B" post of an automobile so that the position of the guide element can be adjusted up-and-down relative to the shoulder of a person sitting in the automobile. The carriage can be selectively retained in a plurality of different positions along the rail. In the invention a spring strip has one end connected to the carriage, and the other end wound into a spiral. The spiral portion of the spring is retained in a predetermined position and the spring imparts a bias to the carriage tending to cancel out a bias supplied to the carriage by the seat belt.

What I claim: 
     
       1. A seat belt arrangement comprising a guide element through which part of the seat belt passes, the guide element being mounted on a carriage that is movable along a rail or the like, manually operable means being provided on the carriage for selectively locking or retaining the carriage in a plurality of positions along said rail, means being provided to impart a bias to the carriage against any bias applied thereto by the seat belt, said bias imparting means comprising a spring strip, one end of which is connected to the carriage and the other end of which is wound into a spiral, the portion of the spring wound in a spiral being retained at substantially a predetermined position. 
     
     
       2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said spiral portion of the strip is wound about a member defining the axis of the spiral. 
     
     
       3. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the spiral .[.partition.]..Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of the strip is wound on a spool or reel. 
     
     
       4. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the said spiral portion of the strip is retained within a cavity formed within a housing. 
     
     
       5. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said carriage is provided with a hook-like element which engages an aperture formed in said one end of the spring strip. 
     
     
       6. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the spring strip is formed of steel. 
     
     
       7. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the strip is of substantially rectangular cross section. 
     
     
       8. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said rail comprises a channel along which the carriage may slide, the channel being provided with a plurality of apertures therein and the carriage being provided with releasable means to engage said apertures. 
     
     
       9. A seat belt arrangement comprising a guide element through which part of the seat belt passes, the guide element being mounted on a carriage that is movable along a rail or the like, manually operable means being provided on the carriage for selectively locking or retaining the carriage in a plurality of positions along said rail, means being provided to impart a bias to the carriage against any bias applied thereto by the seat belt.Iadd., said bias imparting means comprising an elongated, thin, flat spring.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       10. An arrangement according to claim 9 wherein said .[.bias imparting means comprising a spring strip.]. .Iadd.thin, flat spring comprises a spring strip, .Iaddend.one end of which is connected to the carriage. .Iadd.11. A seat belt arrangement comprising a tube guide element through which part of the seat belt passes, the guide element being mounted on a carriage that is movable along a rail or the like, the carriage being provided with means to selectively retain or lock the carriage in a plurality of positions along said rail, means being provided to impart a bias to the carriage against any bias applied thereto by the seat belt, characterized in that said bias imparting means comprises a spring strip, the opposed ends of which are respectively connected to the carriage and retained at a substantially predetermined position, one end of the spring strip being wound into a spiral, the spiral portion being retained within 
     
     
        a cavity. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  A seat belt arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the cavity is defined by a housing which is retained at a substantially predetermined position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said carriage is provided with a hook-like element which engages an aperture formed in an end portion of the spring strip. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 11 wherein said cavity is defined between said carriage and said rail. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 9 wherein said rail comprises a channel along which the carriage may slide, the channel being provided with a plurality of apertures therein and wherein the means for selectively locking or retaining the carriage in said positions includes releasable means to engage said apertures, the releasable means being provided on the carriage. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A seat belt arrangement comprising a guide element through which a part of the seat belt passes, the guide element being-mounted in a carriage that is movable along a rail or the like, manually operable means being provided on the carriage for selectively locking or retaining the carriage in a plurality of positions along said rail, means being provided to impart a bias to the carriage against any bias applied thereto by the seat belt, said bias imparting means comprising a spring strip having first and second ends, one of said ends operatively connected to said rail and the other of said ends operatively connected to said carriage for movement therewith, one of said ends of said spring strip including a spiral portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 16 wherein said spring is constrained against movement essentially by said rail and said carriage. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 16 wherein said bias imparting means is of generally rectangular cross-section.