Abstract:
A hood latch assembly for latching and unlatching a hood for an automotive vehicle comprises a housing for receiving a striker on the hood, a locking lever spring biased toward an unlatched position in which it releases the striker, but movable to a latched position in reponse to the hood being closed, a detent lever for holding the locking lever in its latched position, a cable release and a release lever disposed between the detent lever and locking lever. The release lever is connected to the cable release and engages the detent lever to provide a high mechanical advantage to the detent lever, when actuated to release the hood, to reduce hood opening effort and the locking lever automatically returns the release lever and cable release to their original positions when moved to its unlatched position whereby no spring return for the cable release is required.
Abstract:
A junction ring adapted for use in a seat belt system wherein a continuous-loop belt is slidable through the junction ring to define shoulder belt and lap belt portions includes a housing having slots mounting a pin for movement toward and away from the buckle. The belt passes around the pin. A buckle is selectively engageable with the junction ring to establish the lap belt and shoulder belt in occupant restraining positions across the seat. The shoulder belt is wound by a seat belt retractor having a tension reliever permitting introduction of slack into the shoulder belt. A spring urges the pin in the direction toward the buckle so that the belt is carried into frictional engagement with a friction member to provide a one-way friction detent which prevents transference of the shoulder belt slack into the lap belt so that the lap belt remains taut about the occupant. The spring acting on the pin yields upon the onset of an occupant restraint load to permit movement of the pin away from the buckle and the friction member so that the continuous-loop belt is permitted to pass through the junction ring to adjust the relative restraint lengths of the lap and shoulder belt portions. The frictional engagement of the friction member with the belt is terminated upon disengagement of the junction ring from the buckle so that the belt may pass freely therethrough.
Abstract:
A load locking junction device for coupling a continuous-loop belt having ends mounted on the door with an anchor belt retractably mounted inboard the seat includes a frame having an aperture defining spaced apart first and second load bearing walls. The continuous-loop belt is slidable over the first wall to define a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion. The anchor belt extends through the aperture and has a pin engaged in the end thereof to enlarge the end for simultaneous engagement against the second wall and the continuous-loop belt so that the belts are coupled together and maintained in engagement with the load bearing walls. A spring acts on the pin to space the anchor belt from the continuous-loop belt to permit movement of the continuous-loop belt through the frame. The imposition of oppositely directed occupant restraining loads on the continuous-loop belt and the anchor belt causes the enlarged anchor belt end to forcefully clamp the continuous-loop belt against the first wall whereby the relative restraining lengths of the lap belt and the shoulder belt portions are fixed. Disconnecting a buckle provided at one end of the continuous-loop belt terminates the occupant restraining load so that the clamping effort is terminated and the continuous-loop belt may pass freely through the junction ring to permit opening movement of the door and occupant egress.