Pivotally mounted locking station for passive safety belt carriage

摘要

A passive safety harness for use in a vehicle comprises a safety belt portion one end of which is attached to a retractor reel and the other end of which is attached to a carriage movable along a rail formed in the door of the vehicle. The carriage carries a tongue which is received in a latching or locking element secured to the vehicle so as to ensure that in an accident situation the end of the belt attached to the carriage is securely retained in the desired position. The locking mechanism comprises a safety belt buckle which is pivotally mounted in position, but which normally occupies a position in which the plane of the buckle is parallel with the plane of the rail to enable the tongue to be easily inserted into the buckle. However, the arrangement is such that in the event that an accident arises the buckle can pivot so that the force applied to the buckle by the safety belt is axial of the buckle, the buckle being designed primarily to withstand forces in this particular direction.