SEAT BELT SYSTEM WITH ROLLOVER LOCKING TONGUE

• US 20130341994A1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: BOUGHNER, Jonathon Michael, GOUDEAU, Darren Wade
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/468
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2561 Tongue elements
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2569 Safety measures buckles for releasing in a vehicle emergency B60R22/32; control, alarm, or interlock systems for the correct application of safety belt buckles in vehicles B60R22/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4019 Sliding part or wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45241 Slot and tab or tongue

Abstract

A tongue member comprising a structural member including a latch plate configured to detachably engage the buckle mechanism and a side wall including an opening; a lock bar configured to move along the opening between a first position and a second position relative to the structural member; and a lock member configured to secure the lock bar in the second position; wherein when the lock bar is in the first position, the tongue member is allowed to move freely along the seat belt, and wherein when the lock bar is in the second position, a clamping surface of the lock bar secures a section of the seat belt to a clamping surface of the structural member to fix the relative position of the tongue member along the seat belt.

Claims

1. A tongue member for use in a seat belt system also including a buckle mechanism and a seat belt, the tongue member comprising:

a structural member including a latch plate configured to detachably engage the buckle mechanism and a side wall including an opening;

a lock bar configured to move along the opening between a first position and a second position relative to the structural member; and

a lock member configured to secure the lock bar in the second position;

wherein when the lock bar is in the first position, the tongue member is allowed to move freely along the seat belt, and

wherein when the lock bar is in the second position, a clamping surface of the lock bar secures a section of the seat belt to a clamping surface of the structural member to fix the relative position of the tongue member along the seat belt.

2. The tongue member of claim 1, wherein the lock member is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein when in the unlocked position the lock bar is free to move, and wherein the lock member is configured to move to the locked position when the lock bar moves to the second position to secure the lock bar in the second position.

3. The tongue member of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the lock member is disposed in the opening of the side wall.

4. The tongue member of claim 3, wherein when the lock bar is in the first position, a shoulder of the lock bar is provided between two legs of the lock member, and wherein when the lock bar is in the second position, the shoulder is held in place by the legs.

5. The tongue member of claim 4, wherein the lock member a spring, and each leg is biased toward each other, such that when the lock bar is the second position, the legs move toward one another and each leg has an end that engages the shoulder of the lock bar.

6. The tongue member of claim 5, wherein the outer surface of the lock member complements an inner surface of the opening when the lock member is in the unlocked position.

7. The tongue member of claim 1, wherein the clamping surface of the lock bar includes a friction element that engages the section of the seat belt when the lock bar is in the second position.

8. The tongue member of claim 7, wherein the friction element includes teeth.

9. The tongue member of claim 8, wherein the clamping surface of the structural member includes teeth that complement the teeth of the lock bar.

10. A seat belt system for securing an occupant of a vehicle, the seat belt system comprising:

a seat belt;

a buckle mechanism; and

a tongue member slideably coupled to the seat belt, the tongue member comprising;

a structural member including a latch plate configured to detachably engage the buckle mechanism;

a lock bar movably attached to the structural member and configured to move between a first position and a second position; and

a lock member configured to secure the lock bar in the second position;

wherein when the lock bar is in the first position, the tongue member can slide freely along the seat belt, and

wherein when the lock bar is in the second position, a clamping surface of the lock bar secures a section of the seat belt to a clamping surface of the structural member to fix the relative position of the tongue member along the seat belt.

11. The seat belt system of claim 10, wherein the structural member also includes two opposing openings, and wherein the lock bar includes a shoulder at each of two opposite ends, such that each shoulder engages one opening to movably attached to the lock bar to the structural member.

12. The seat belt system of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the lock member is disposed within one of the two openings and is configured to engage one shoulder of the lock bar to secure the lock bar in the second position.

13. The seat belt system of claim 12, further comprising a second lock member, wherein at least a portion of the second lock member is disposed within the other of the two openings and is configured to engage the other of the two shoulders of the lock bar to secure the lock bar in the second position.

14. The seat belt system of claim 13, wherein the lock member is completely contained within the one opening, and the second lock member is completely contained within the other opening.

15. The seat belt system of claim 11, wherein the lock member is completely contained within one of the two openings.

16. A tongue member for use in a seat belt system of a vehicle, the seat belt system also including a buckle mechanism and a seat belt, the tongue member comprising:

a structural member including a latch plate configured to detachably engage the buckle mechanism;

a clutch member including a clamping surface and coupled to the structural member; and

a lock bar including a clamping surface and slideably coupled to the structural member such that the lock bar can slide between a first position and a second position relative to the clutch member;

wherein when the lock bar is in the first position, the tongue member is allowed to move freely along the seat belt,

wherein when the lock bar is in the second position, the clamping surfaces of the clutch member and lock bar engage opposing sides of a section of the seat belt to secure the section and fix a relative position of the tongue member along the seat belt, and

wherein each clamping surface includes a friction element.

17. The tongue member of claim 16, wherein the friction element of the lock bar includes teeth, and wherein the friction element of the clutch member includes teeth that complement the teeth of the lock bar.

18. The tongue member of claim 17, wherein the clutch member is pivotally coupled to the structural member by a pivot that allows for a rotation of the clutch member relative to the structural member.

19. The tongue member of claim 18, wherein the pivot is located on a distal end of clutch member.

20. The tongue member of claim 18, further comprising a lock member configured to secure the lock bar in the second position, wherein the lock member has an unlocked position wherein the lock bar is free to slide relative to the structural member, and wherein when the lock bar slides to the second position, the lock member moves to a locked position wherein the lock member secures the lock bar in the second position.