Belt latch for a safety belt

• US 7,712,194 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fyhr, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain; James R
• Application Number:
  US12/278,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 241/71, 241/93, 241/96, 241/94, 280/801.1, 280/806
• US Class Current: 24/171
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2553 Attachment of buckle to strap
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2561 Tongue elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4019 Sliding part or wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4079 Sliding part of wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45241 Slot and tab or tongue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4736 Buckle connected

Abstract

A belt tongue for a safety belt having a connecting plate for connecting the belt tongue with a buckle, a tongue main body being rigidly connected to the belt tongue and a clamping element with a bending edge. The clamping element is mounted in the tongue main body in such a way that it rotates in relation to the tongue main body if the force in the belt exceeds a defined force. The clamping element forms a concave outer surface. In order to be able to achieve a low weight of the belt tongue and in particular of the bending element, the clamping element is supported on the tongue main body by means of its outer surface.

Claims

1. A belt tongue for a safety belt system having belt webbing passing through the belt tongue and the belt tongue adapted for connection with a buckle, the belt tongue comprising a connecting plate for connecting the belt tongue to the buckle, a tongue main body being connected to the belt tongue and the main body forming a semi-cylindrical inner surface, and a clamping element with a bending edge, the clamping element forming a semi-cylindrical outer surface and being mounted on the tongue main body with the outer surface supported by the inner surface in a way that the clamping element may rotate in relation to the tongue main body from a normal position if the force on the belt webbing exceeds a defined force to a blocking position in which the webbing is clamped between the main body and the clamping element, wherein the belt tongue provides at least one fixing device which blocks the clamping element at the tongue main body to maintain the clamping element in the normal position until the force on the webbing exceeds the defined force.

2. A belt tongue according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element outer surface defines a rotation axis which lies outside the clamping element.

3. A belt tongue according to claim 2, wherein the tongue main body forms two side arms.

4. A belt tongue according to claim 3, wherein each of the side arms having a guiding bar positioning the clamping element in the axial direction relative to the rotation axis.

5. A belt tongue according to claim 3, further comprising a reinforcing bar that extends between the side arms, wherein the clamping element is in contact with the reinforcing bar.

6. A belt tongue according to claim 3, wherein the fixing device is adjacent the side arms.

7. A belt tongue according to claim 6, wherein the fixing device comprises breaking noses at the side arms extending axially into recesses of the clamping element.

8. A belt tongue according to claim 1, wherein the tongue main body forming an upper slot and a lower slot through which the webbing passes, wherein in the normal position the webbing passing through the lower slot and wrapping over the bending edge, and wherein when the belt webbing exceeds the defined force, the clamping element is rotated to the blocking position such that the webbing forces the clamping element to rotate relative to the tongue main body, wherein the webbing is clamped by the clamping edge and a clamping cheek forming the upper edge.

9. A belt tongue according to claim 1, wherein the defined force is between about 10 and 20 kN.