Seat belt connector tongue assembly having locking mechanism

• US 10,512,309 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2018
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael, Cicchelli, Joseph, Sadakhom, Sone
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/868,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20190208869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/10 sliding wedge
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/14 with snap-action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/16 Strap held by spring action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2557 with strap length adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2561 Tongue elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/021 Means for holding the tongue or buckle in a non-use position, e.g. for easy access by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/023 Three-point seat belt systems comprising two side lower and one side upper anchoring devices B60R22/022, B60R22/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/30 Coupling devices other than buckles, including length-adjusting fittings or anti-slip devices adaptations of manual three-point seat belt systems for use by small passengers using other means than belt anti-slip devices B60R22/024; buckles A44B11/00; releasable fastenings in general F16B

Abstract

A seat belt assembly including a seat belt webbing, a buckle, and a connector tongue assembly. The tongue assembly includes a body, a slot in the body for receiving a seat belt webbing, a locking mechanism located proximate the slot, and a spring biasing the locking mechanism towards the slot to frictionally engage the webbing to prevent freefall of the assembly.

Claims

1. A seat belt connector tongue assembly comprising:

a body;

a slot in the body for receiving a seat belt webbing;

a locking mechanism located proximate the slot; and

a spring biasing the locking mechanism towards the slot to frictionally engage the webbing to prevent freefall of the assembly, wherein the spring biases the locking mechanism onto the webbing to apply a force less than 30 newtons.

2. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a rotatable cam, wherein the spring biases the cam towards the slot to engage the webbing with a force sufficient to prevent freefall of the assembly.

3. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 2, wherein the cam comprises a locking cam that rotates to a locked position with the webbing when the webbing is in tension due to a crash event.

4. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a linear displaceable member.

5. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 4, wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring.

6. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 4, wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring.

7. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a lock bar, wherein the spring biases the lock bar towards the slot to engage the webbing with sufficient force to prevent freefall of the assembly.

8. The seat belt connector tongue assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat belt webbing comprises a shoulder belt and a lap belt.

9. The seat belt tongue assembly of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a latch mechanism configured to latch onto a buckle on a seat belt assembly on a vehicle.

10. A seat belt assembly comprising:

a seat belt webbing; and

a buckle;

a connector tongue assembly comprising;

a body;

a slot in the body for receiving a seat belt webbing;

a locking mechanism located proximate the slot; and

a spring biasing the locking mechanism towards the slot to frictionally engage the webbing to prevent freefall of the tongue assembly, wherein the spring biases the locking mechanism onto the webbing to apply a force less than 30 newtons.

11. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a rotatable cam, wherein the spring biases the cam toward the slot to engage the webbing with a force sufficient to prevent freefall of the assembly.

12. The seat belt assembly of claim 11, wherein the cam comprises a locking cam that rotates to a locked position with the webbing when the webbing is in tension due to a crash event.

13. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a linear displaceable member.

14. The seat belt assembly of claim 13, wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring.

15. The seat belt assembly of claim 13, wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring.

16. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a lock bar, wherein the spring biases the lock bar toward the slot to engage the webbing with sufficient force to prevent freefall of the assembly.

17. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the seat belt webbing comprises a shoulder belt and a lap belt.

18. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the body comprises a latch mechanism configured to latch onto the buckle on a vehicle.