Latch plate and method for producing a latch plate

• US 10,285,473 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knoedl, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mercado, Louis A
• Application Number:
  US15/305,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/10 sliding wedge
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/16 Strap held by spring action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2553 Attachment of buckle to strap
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2557 with strap length adjustment
• 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

Abstract

A locking tongue for a seat belt has a deflecting portion for a webbing. The deflecting portion includes a webbing passage and a clamping element. The clamping element is displaceable between a home position in which the webbing is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element is displaced against a wall of the webbing passage so that the webbing is clamped between the clamping element and the wall of the webbing passage. The clamping element includes a clamping surface which in the blocking position clamps the webbing against the wall of the webbing passage. The clamping element is guided along a curved guide path extending in an area of the blocking position substantially perpendicularly to the wall so that in the blocking position the clamping element is moved against the wall substantially perpendicularly with the clamping surface.

Claims

1. A locking tongue (10) for a seat belt comprising an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted into a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for a webbing (16), wherein the deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) through which the webbing (16) is guided and a clamping element (22) for the webbing (16), the clamping element (22) being displaceable between a home position in which the webbing (16) is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element (22) is displaced against a wall (36) of the webbing passage (20) so that the webbing (16) is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall (36) of the webbing passage (20), the clamping element (22) including a clamping surface (24) which in the blocking position clamps the webbing (16) against the wall (36) of the webbing passage (20),

wherein the clamping element (22) is guided along a curved guide path (40) extending in an area of the blocking position substantially perpendicularly to the wall (36) so that in the blocking position the clamping element (22) is moved against the wall (36) substantially perpendicularly with the clamping surface (24),

wherein an effective height of the clamping surface (24), measured in a longitudinal direction of the webbing (16), is larger than a height of the guide path,

and wherein the clamping surface (24) in the blocking position is arranged in parallel to the wall (36) and is in full-surface contact with the latter.

2. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element (22) takes a circular arc shape, in cross-section, the clamping element (22) having a first end in which a deflecting surface (26) for the webbing (16) is provided and a second, opposite end in which the clamping surface (24) is provided.

3. A method of manufacturing a locking tongue (10) according to claim 1, comprising the following features of:

providing the deflecting portion (14),

positioning the clamping element (22) on the deflecting portion (4), and

partly surrounding the deflecting portion (14) and the clamping element (22) by injection-molding so that the clamping element (22) is fixed to the deflecting portion (14).

4. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein at least one guideway (30) is provided along which the clamping element (22) is moved.

5. The locking tongue according to claim 4, wherein projections (28) guided in the guideway (30) are arranged on the clamping element (22).

6. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein a spring element (38) is provided for forcing the clamping element (22) into the home position.

7. The locking tongue according to claim 6, wherein the spring element (38) is a leaf spring.

8. The locking tongue according to claim 6, wherein the spring element (38) engages at least one opening (48) on the clamping element (22) to force the clamping element (22) into the home position.

9. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein the deflecting portion (14) includes an overmolding (18) which encloses the deflecting portion (14) at least in portions, and in that the clamping element (22) is molded into the overmolding (18) in the home position.

10. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein the guide path has a first end that faces toward and is parallel to the wall (36), a height of the first end, measured in the longitudinal direction of the webbing (16), being smaller than the effective height of the clamping surface (24), measured in the longitudinal direction of the webbing (16), a portion of the clamping element (22) being surrounded by the first end.

11. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein

the deflecting portion (14) includes an overmolding (18) which encloses the deflecting portion (14) at least in portions, and

the guide path has a first end that faces toward and is parallel to the wall (36), the first end extending in the longitudinal direction of the webbing (16) from a first side that is bounded by the overmolding (18) to a second side that faces oppositely to the first side, a portion of the clamping element (22) being positioned between the first and second sides of the first end, a height between the first and second sides of the first end, measured in the longitudinal direction of the webbing (16), being smaller than the effective height of the clamping surface (24), measured in the longitudinal direction of the webbing (16).

12. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein

the deflecting portion (14) includes an overmolding (18) which encloses the deflecting portion (14) at least in portions,

the clamping element (22) has a first end in which a deflecting surface (26) for the webbing (16) is provided and a second, opposite end in which the clamping surface (24) is provided, the clamping element (22) having oppositely facing first and second surfaces that extend between the deflecting surface (26) and the clamping surface (24), and

the first surface of the clamping element (22) directly contacts at least a portion of the overmolding (18) as the clamping element (22) is displaced between the home and blocking positions.

13. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element (22) has the clamping surface (24) at a first end, a deflecting surface portion (26) at a second, opposite end, a body that extends between the clamping surface (24) and the deflecting surface portion (26), and oppositely facing first and second surfaces that extend from the clamping surface (24), over the body and to the deflecting surface portion (26), a distance between the first and second surfaces at the clamping surface (24) being larger than a distance between the first and second surfaces at the body and larger than a distance between the first and second surfaces at the deflecting surface portion (26).

14. The locking tongue according to claim 13, wherein the height of the guide path is larger than or equal to the distance between the first and second surfaces at the body and larger than or equal to the distance between the first and second surfaces at the deflecting surface portion (26), the height of the guide path being smaller than the distance between the first and second surfaces at the clamping surface (24).

15. The locking tongue according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the body and the deflecting surface portion (26) of the clamping element (22) are positioned within the guide path while the clamping surface (24) of the clamping element (22) protrudes from the guide path.

16. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein

the deflecting portion (14) includes an overmolding (18) which encloses the deflecting portion (14) at least in portions,

the guide path extends between a first surface of the overmolding (18) and a second surface of the overmolding (18), the second surface of the overmolding (18) facing toward the first surface of the overmolding (18), and

a distance between the first and second surfaces of the overmolding (18) is smaller than the effective height of the clamping surface (24).

17. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein

the deflecting portion (14) includes an overmolding (18) which encloses the deflecting portion (14) at least in portions,

the guide path extends between a first surface of the overmolding (18) and a first surface of a retaining land (42) that fixes the clamping element (22) to the deflecting portion (14), the first surface of the retaining land (42) facing toward the first surface of the overmolding (18), and

a distance between the first surface of the overmolding (18) and the first surface of the retaining land (42) is smaller than the effective height of the clamping surface (24).

18. The locking tongue according to claim 1, wherein the clamping element (22) has a first end in which a deflecting surface (26) for the webbing (16) is provided and a second, opposite end in which the clamping surface (24) is provided, and a portion of the clamping surface (24) that contacts the webbing (16) in the blocking position is larger than a portion of the deflecting surface (26) that contacts the webbing (16) in at least one of the blocking and home positions.