SEAT BELT LATCH PLATE ASSEMBLY

• US 20130097827A1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Richter, Steven J., Strnad, George J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/593.1
• 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 24/4012 Clamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4016 Pivoted part or lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4019 Sliding part or wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45241 Slot and tab or tongue

Abstract

A seat belt system includes a belt having an upper end mounted adjacent the occupant shoulder and a lower end mounted adjacent the occupant lap. A latch plate assembly is carried by the belt for engagement with a buckle and includes a housing having a base wall with a tongue for latching engagement by the buckle and a pair of flanges extending at a lateral spacing greater than the width of the belt. A lock bar is pivotally mounted on the flanges. The lock bar has a clamping surface moving toward and away from the base wall upon pivoting of the lock bar to clamp and unclamp the belt against the base wall to prevent transference of the belt through the latch plate assembly. A detent mechanism between the lock bar and the housing locks the lock bar at a pivotal position clamping the belt against the housing.

Claims

1. In a seat belt system with a continuous length of belt having an upper end mounted adjacent the occupant shoulder and a lower end mounted adjacent the occupant lap, and a latch plate assembly carried by the belt for engagement with a buckle;

said latch plate assembly comprising;

a housing having a base wall with a tongue projecting from one end thereof for latching engagement by the buckle, and a pair of flanges extending from the base wall at a lateral spacing greater than the width of the belt;

a lock bar pivotally mounted on the flanges, the lock bar having a clamping surface moving toward and away from the base wall upon pivoting movement of the lock bar to clamp and unclamp the belt against the housing to prevent or permit transference of the belt through the latch plate assembly;

and a detent mechanism provided between the lock bar and the housing to lock the lock bar at a pivotal position clamping the belt against the housing.

2. The latch plate assembly of claim 1 further comprising the housing having a cover over-molded on the base wall and the lock bar clamping the belt against the cover of the housing.

3. The latch plate assembly of claim 1 further comprising the detent mechanism including the housing having a detent bar extending between the flanges adjacent the lock bar and the detent mechanism acting between the lock bar and the detent bar.

4. The latch plate assembly of claim 3 further comprising the detent mechanism including a locking surface on the lock bar that engages with a detent face on the detent bar to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

5. The latch plate assembly of claim 4 further comprising the detent bar also having a cam face and the lock bar camming over the cam face to engage with the detent face of the detent bar.

6. The latch plate assembly of claim 5 further comprising the camming of the lock bar over the cam face of the detent bar being permitted by flexure of at least one of flexure of the pivotal mounts that mount the lock bar on the housing, flexure of the detent bar, or flexure of a plastic cover over-molded on the detent bar.

7. The latch plate assembly of claim 1 further comprising the detent mechanism including the lock bar having end faces and a detent structure provided on each of the flanges to engage the end faces and thereby lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

8. The latch plate assembly of claim 7 further comprising the detent structure provided on each of the flanges including a detent face that engages the end face of the lock bar to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

9. The latch plate assembly of claim 7 further comprising the detent structure including a cam face engaged by the end face of the lock bar.

10. The latch plate assembly of claim 7 further comprising the detent structure provided on each of the flanges including a cam face engaged by the ends of the lock bar to cause flexure of the flanges and further pivoting of the lock bar causes a detent face provided on each of the flanges to engage with the ends of the lock bar to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

11. In a seat belt system with a continuous length of belt having an upper end mounted adjacent the occupant shoulder and a lower end mounted adjacent the occupant lap, and a latch plate assembly carried by the belt for engagement with a buckle;

said latch plate assembly comprising;

a housing having a base wall with a tongue projecting from one end thereof for latching engagement by the buckle and a pair of flanges extending from the base wall at a lateral spacing greater than the width of the belt;

a lock bar pivotally mounted on the flanges, the lock bar having a clamping surface moving toward and away from the base wall upon pivoting movement of the lock bar to clamp and unclamp the belt against the housing to permit or prevent transference of the belt through the latch plate assembly;

and a detent mechanism provided between the lock bar and a detent bar extending between the flanges adjacent and parallel with the lock bar to lock the lock bar at a pivotal position clamping the belt against the housing.

12. The latch plate assembly of claim 11 further comprising the housing having a cover over-molded on the base wall and the lock bar clamping the belt against the cover of the housing.

13. The latch plate assembly of claim 11 further comprising the detent bar having a metal base extending between the flanges and a plastic cover over-molded on the metal base.

14. The latch plate assembly of claim 11 further comprising the detent mechanism including a detent projection provided on the detent bar and having a cam face and a detent face, the lock bar engaging and camming over the cam surface to then engage the detent face to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

15. The latch plate assembly of claim 14 further comprising the camming of the lock bar over the cam face of the detent bar being permitted by flexure of at least one of flexure of the pivotal mounts that mount the lock bar on the housing, flexure of the detent bar, or flexure of a plastic cover over-molded on the detent bar.

16. In a seat belt system with a continuous length of belt having an upper end mounted adjacent the occupant shoulder and a lower end mounted adjacent the occupant lap, and a latch plate assembly carried by the belt for engagement with a buckle;

said latch plate assembly comprising;

a housing having a base wall with a tongue projecting from one end thereof for latching engagement by the buckle, and a pair of flanges extending from the base wall at a lateral spacing greater than the width of the belt;

a lock bar pivotally mounted on the flanges, the lock bar having a clamping surface moving toward and away from the base wall upon pivoting movement of the lock bar to clamp and unclamp the belt against the housing to prevent or permit transference of the belt through the latch plate assembly;

and a detent mechanism provided between the lock bar and the flanges to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

17. The latch plate assembly of claim 16 further comprising the detent mechanism including the lock bar having end faces and a detent structure provided on each of the flanges including a detent face that engages the end face of the lock bar to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

18. The latch plate assembly of claim 17 further comprising the detent structure including a cam face engaged by the end face of the lock bar.

19. The latch plate assembly of claim 17 further comprising the detent structure provided on each of the flanges including a cam face engaged by the ends of the lock bar to cause flexure of the flanges so that further pivoting of the lock bar causes the detent face provided on each of the flanges to engage with the ends of the lock bar to lock the lock bar at the clamping position.

20. The latch plate assembly of claim 16 further comprising the detent mechanism including the lock bar having end faces and a detent structure of molded plastic over-molded on each of the flanges.