SAFETY BELT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SAFETY BELT

Abstract

The invention describes a seat belt (10) for a motor vehicle comprising a webbing (12) that includes plural layers (26, 28, 30) at least one layer (26) of which comprises an electric heating element (26). The invention further describes a method for manufacturing such seat belt (10).

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A seat belt (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising a webbing (12) that includes plural layers (26, 28, 30) at least one layer (26) of which comprises an electric heating element (24).

15. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the heating element (24) extends at least over a partial area of the webbing (12) in the longitudinal direction.

16. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the layer (26) comprising the heating element (24) is assigned to at least two webbing layers (28, 30) which are assigned to opposed sides of the layer (26) comprising the heating element (24), especially wherein the two webbing layers (28, 30) are directly adjacent to opposed sides of the layer (26) comprising the heating element (24).

17. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the electric heating element (24) includes an electric heating material (34) which is coupled to webbing material of at least one central layer (26), especially wherein the heating material (34) comprises at least one conductive yarn, such as a carbon fiber and/or a silver thread, at least one conductive wire and/or at least one conductive strand, such as made from copper and/or stainless steel.

18. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the heating element (24) is at least partially interwoven with the at least one layer (26).

19. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein after at least a partial area (22) of the webbing (12) the heating element (24) is passed onto the surface of the latter.

20. The seat belt according to claim 19, wherein an electric circuit assigned to the electric heating element (24) is closed on the surface of the webbing (12), especially wherein a solder and/or crimp bonding (36) is provided to contact the electric heating element (24).

21. The seat belt according to claim 14, wherein the seat belt (10) includes an end fitting (16) which has a power supply interface (40) to which the electric heating element (24) is electrically coupled.

22. A method for manufacturing a seat belt (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: providing at least one layer (26) of a webbing (12) and at least one electric heating element (24), and coupling the at least one layer (26) to the electric heating element (24) in a weaving process.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein two webbing layers (28, 30) are provided, wherein the electric heating element (24) is interposed substantially between the two webbing layers (28, 30), especially wherein the two webbing layers (28, 30) are interconnected, for example at the periphery.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein, after at least a partial area of the webbing (12), the heating element (24) is passed onto the surface of the webbing (12).

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the heating element (24) is contacted on the surface of the webbing (12), especially by means of soldering or crimping.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the heating element (24) comprises an electric heating material (34) that has been interwoven with a carrier material of the layer (26).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0029] Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following description and the drawings which will be referred to, and wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a seat belt according to the invention comprising a webbing; and

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a three-layer webbing of a seat belt according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a seat belt 10 for a motor vehicle comprising a webbing 12 a first end of which is assigned to a webbing retractor 14 and a second end of which is assigned to an end fitting 16.

[0033] Moreover, the seat belt 10 comprises a deflecting device 18 via which the webbing 12 is appropriately deflected.

[0034] In addition, a plug tongue 20 through which the webbing 12 is passed is movably arranged at the webbing 12.

[0035] The webbing 12 may include at least a portion or a partial area 22 in which an electric heating element 24 is provided. The partial area 22 extends, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the webbing 12, at least over a section of the webbing 12.

[0036] Along the length of the partial area 22 the heating surface can be appropriately adjusted, as the electric heating element 24 is provided in the partial area 22.

[0037] In FIG. 2, the partial area 22 of the webbing 12 is shown in greater detail, which reveals that the webbing 12 has a three-layer design in the shown embodiment.

[0038] The webbing 12 has a central layer 26 comprising the heating element 24 which can also be referred to as heating layer.

[0039] The heating layer 26 has two opposed sides each of which is contacted directly by a webbing layer 28, 30. This means that the heating layer 26 is sandwiched between the two webbing layers 28, 30 so that it is protected to the outside.

[0040] Each of the heating layer 26 and the webbing layers 28, 30 can be configured as fabric layers, especially with the layers 26 to 30 comprising PET.

[0041] The webbing layers 28, 30 can be connected to, especially appropriately interwoven with, the heating layer 26 via additional backing yarns 32 or via backings and/or ties.

[0042] In the partial area 22 shown in FIG. 2, the webbing layer 28 is connected to the heating layer 26 in that a warp or backing yarn 32 of the webbing layer 28 is passed preferably regularly downward and is connected to a weft yarn 42 of the heating layer 26. The webbing layer 30 is connected to the heating layer 26 in that a warp or backing yarn 32 of the webbing layer 30 is passed preferably regularly upward and is connected to a weft yarn 42 of the heating layer 26.

[0043] The electric heating element 24 may further include an electric heating material 34 which is appropriately supplied with current to provide thermal heat due to the ohmic losses, by which thermal heat a vehicle occupant is warmed after having fastened his/her seat belt 10.

[0044] The electric heating material 34 may be a fiber within the fabric of the heating layer 26 so that it can be incorporated into the webbing 12 immediately during the weaving process.

[0045] In the illustrated embodiment, the electric heating material 34 forms warp yarns of the heating layer 24. By connecting the webbing layers 28 and 30 to the heating layer 26 through the weft yarns 42, the electric heating material 34 can be achieved to be covered by the webbing layers 28, 30 and thus to be protected against direct influence.

[0046] In general, the electric heating material 34 may comprise at least one conductive yarn, such as a carbon fiber and/or a silver thread, at least one conductive wire and/or at least one conductive strand, for example made from copper and/or stainless steel and/or steel having a copper coating. In addition, the electric heating material 34 may comprise an insulation that is formed by an insulating enamel layer, for example.

[0047] It would also be imaginable that the heating layer 26 is not interwoven with the webbing layers 28, 30, but is only received inside the two webbing layers 28, 30 which are sewn to each other at the periphery so that the heating layer 26 is fixed within the surrounding webbing layers 28, 30.

[0048] As an alternative, it is imaginable that the webbing layers 28, 30 are interwoven and the heating layer 26 is interposed therebetween. To this end, the electric heating material 34 may be provided to be formed of plural conductive fibers juxtaposed in parallel, especially conductive yarns and/or conductive wires and/or conductive strands. For connecting the two webbing layers 28 and 30, the warp yarns of the upper webbing layer 28 and, resp., the lower webbing layer 30 are passed through between the conductive fibers of the heating layer 26 downward to the lower webbing layer 30 and, resp., upward to the upper webbing layer 28 and are connected via the weft yarn to each of the lower webbing layer 30 and, resp., the upper webbing layer 28.

[0049] Especially at the end of the partial area 22, the heating element 24 is passed onto the surface of the webbing 12 so that there it can be electrically coupled via the solder and/or crimp bonding 36.

[0050] For this purpose, an electric line 38 extends from the end fitting 16 to the solder and/or crimp bonding 36 so as to form an electric circuit with the heating element 24 and, resp., to electrically contact the heating element 24. For this purpose, the end fitting 16 includes a power supply interface 40 to which the line 38 is coupled.

[0051] Accordingly, the heating element 24 is electrically coupled to the power supply interface 40 through the electric line 38.