Patent Grant
11653721
Harness systems are commonly used in child car seats and other vehicular restraint systems. Various harness configurations, such as with 3-point or 5-point harnesses, can be used to restrain occupants inside the vehicle. Buckles are typically used to join together the various webs forming the harness so as to secure the occupant in the seat. The buckle needs remain locked and withstand significant forces that occur during an accident, and at the same time, the buckle needs to be able to be repeatedly unlocked to facilitate removal of the occupant from the harness. At times, it can also be difficult to determine whether the restraint systems are properly buckled.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.
A buckle system, such as for use in vehicular restraint systems like child car seats, has been developed to address a number of issues. The buckle system includes a unique buckle design that not only improves safety and ease of use but that also simplifies manufacturing and can reduce cost by reducing the number of components required. The buckle has a buckle mechanism with a unique lock pawl and latch pin. The latch pin is designed to travel only in a longitudinal or horizontal direction relative to the buckle mechanism. When a latch plate assembly is secured, the latch pin holds the lock pawl in a latched position and prevents accidental release of the latch plate assembly. A release button is coupled to the latch plate retention bar so that all of the effective actuation and other motions are in the longitudinal direction of the buckle mechanism. The buckle mechanism has an ejector mechanism with an ejection spring for ejecting the latch plate assembly. Earlier designs purely relied on the ejection spring to eject the latch plate assembly. However, the force applied by the ejection spring can deteriorate over time, such as by debris like food crumbs being trapped between the coils of the ejection spring. The lock pawl is configured to mechanically actuate the ejector mechanism so as to eject the latch plate assembly when the release button is actuated. The buckle can further include an indicator and/or a sensor for determining whether the latch plate assembly is properly buckled to the buckle.
Aspect 1 generally concerns a system that includes a buckle with a longitudinally slidable pin configured to lock a lock pawl.
Aspect 2 generally concerns the system of aspect 1 in which the buckle includes a buckle mechanism configured to releasably secure one or more latch plates.
Aspect 3 generally concerns the system of aspect 2 in which the buckle mechanism includes a latch mechanism, a release mechanism, and an ejector mechanism.
Aspect 4 generally concerns the system of aspect 3 in which the latch mechanism includes the pin and the lock pawl configured to engage the latch plates.
Aspect 5 generally concerns the system of aspect 4 in which the buckle mechanism includes a frame with one or more pivot notches pivotally engaged to the lock pawl.
Aspect 6 generally concerns the system of aspect 5 in which the frame has one or more pin guide slots extending in a longitudinal direction in which the pin is slidably received.
Aspect 7 generally concerns the system of aspect 4 in which the release mechanism includes one or more release springs seated to one or more spring seat fingers on the lock pawl.
Aspect 8 generally concerns the system of aspect 7 in which the release mechanism includes a release button.
Aspect 9 generally concerns the system of aspect 8 in which the release springs are disposed between the release button and the spring seat fingers.
Aspect 10 generally concerns the system of aspect 9 in which the release button includes a spring retainer in which the release springs are seated.
Aspect 11 generally concerns the system of aspect 10 in which the spring retainer has one or more latch pin engagement channels in which the pin is received.
Aspect 12 generally concerns the system of aspect 11 in which the release button includes a cap body with clip arms secured to the latch pin engagement channels to retain the pin.
Aspect 13 generally concerns the system of aspect 12 in which the clip arms each have a latch pin contact surface configured to move the latch pin.
Aspect 14 generally concerns the system of aspect 8 in which the lock pawl has one or more cam arms engageable by the pin to secure the lock pawl in a latched position.
Aspect 15 generally concerns the system of aspect 14 in which the release button is secured to the pin to actuate the pin to a position where the lock pawl is released.
Aspect 16 generally concerns the system of aspect 4 in which the lock pawl has one or more ejector fingers that are engageable with the ejector mechanism.
Aspect 17 generally concerns the system of aspect 4 in which the lock pawl has a nose tab to contact a tab guide on the ejector mechanism to inhibit latching after latch plate ejection.
Aspect 18 generally concerns the system of aspect 4 in which the ejector mechanism includes an ejector swivel configured to swivel to stop latching when a single latch plate is inserted.
Aspect 19 generally concerns the system of aspect 18 in which the ejector swivel is configured to redirect the single plate to stop latching of the pawl with the single plate.
Aspect 20 generally concerns the system of aspect 3 in which the ejector mechanism includes a slider slidably received in a guide slot in a frame.
Aspect 21 generally concerns the system of aspect 20 in which the slider has one or more retention tabs oriented to be received in corresponding notches in the guide slot.
Aspect 22 generally concerns the system of aspect 20 in which the ejector mechanism includes an ejector spring disposed between the slider and a spring seat flange of the frame.
Aspect 23 generally concerns the system of aspect 1 in which the buckle has a release button with an indicator that indicates when the buckle is properly secured.
Aspect 24 generally concerns the system of aspect 1 in which the buckle includes a sensor for sensing a state of the buckle.
Aspect 25 generally concerns the system of aspect 1 in which the buckle secures at least two latch plates.
Aspect 26 generally concerns the system of aspect 25 in which the latch plates include a latch plate alignment system configured to align the latch plates.
Aspect 27 generally concerns the system of aspect 26 in which the latch plate alignment system includes one or more magnets on the latch plates.
Aspect 28 generally concerns the system of aspect 26 in which the latch plate alignment system includes one or more alignment protrusions and one or more alignment cavities on the latch plates.
Aspect 29 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle includes a buckle mechanism configured to releasably secure one or more latch plates.
Aspect 30 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle mechanism includes a latch mechanism, a release mechanism, and an ejector mechanism.
Aspect 31 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the latch mechanism includes the pin and the lock pawl configured to engage the latch plates.
Aspect 32 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle mechanism includes a frame with one or more pivot notches pivotally engaged to the lock pawl.
Aspect 33 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the frame has one or more pin guide slots extending in a longitudinal direction in which the pin is slidably received.
Aspect 34 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release mechanism includes one or more release springs seated to one or more spring seat fingers on the lock pawl.
Aspect 35 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release mechanism includes a release button.
Aspect 36 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release springs are disposed between the release button and the spring seat fingers.
Aspect 37 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release button includes a spring retainer in which the release springs are seated.
Aspect 38 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the spring retainer has one or more latch pin engagement channels in which the pin is received.
Aspect 39 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release button includes a cap body with clip arms secured to the latch pin engagement channels to retain the pin.
Aspect 40 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the clip arms each have a latch pin contact surface configured to move the latch pin.
Aspect 41 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the lock pawl has one or more cam arms engageable by the pin to secure the lock pawl in a latched position.
Aspect 42 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the release button is secured to the pin to actuate the pin to a position where the lock pawl is released.
Aspect 43 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the lock pawl has one or more ejector fingers that are engageable with the ejector mechanism.
Aspect 44 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the lock pawl has a nose tab to contact a tab guide on the ejector mechanism to inhibit latching after latch plate ejection.
Aspect 45 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the ejector mechanism includes an ejector swivel configured to swivel to stop latching when a single latch plate is inserted.
Aspect 46 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the ejector swivel is configured to redirect the single plate to stop latching of the pawl with the single plate.
Aspect 47 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the ejector mechanism includes a slider slidably received in a guide slot in a frame.
Aspect 48 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the slider has one or more retention tabs oriented to be received in corresponding notches in the guide slot.
Aspect 49 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the ejector mechanism includes an ejector spring disposed between the slider and a spring seat flange of the frame.
Aspect 50 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle has a release button with an indicator that indicates when the buckle is properly secured.
Aspect 51 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle includes a sensor for sensing a state of the buckle.
Aspect 52 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the buckle secures at least two latch plates.
Aspect 53 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the latch plates include a latch plate alignment system configured to align the latch plates.
Aspect 54 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the latch plate alignment system includes one or more magnets on the latch plates.
Aspect 55 generally concerns the system of any previous aspect in which the latch plate alignment system includes one or more alignment protrusions and one or more alignment cavities on the latch plates.
Aspect 56 generally concerns a method of operating the system of any previous aspect.
Further forms, objects, features, aspects, benefits, advantages, and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from a detailed description and drawings provided herewith.
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. One embodiment of the invention is shown in great detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features that are not relevant to the present invention may not be shown for the sake of clarity.
The reference numerals in the following description have been organized to aid the reader in quickly identifying the drawings where various components are first shown. In particular, the drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated by the left-most digit(s) in the corresponding reference number. For example, an element identified by a “100” series reference numeral will likely first appear in
A harness system 100 is illustrated in
Turning to
An exploded view of the buckle system 105 is depicted in
Referring now to
The ejector mechanism 620 includes an ejection slider 650 that is slidably coupled to the frame 605, an ejector swivel 655 that is pivotally coupled to the ejection slider 650, and at least one ejection spring 660 to bias the ejection slider 650. The ejector swivel 655 is able to swivel relative to the ejection slider 650 to ensure that both latch plates 220 are properly secured together when locked in the buckle 200. In other words, the ejector swivel 655 is designed to swivel in order to prevent the lock pawl 635 from latching with only a single latch plate 220. The ejection spring 660 is sandwiched between the frame 605 and the ejection slider 650 so as to bias the ejection slider 650 in an ejection direction where the latch plate assembly 205 is ejected from the latch plate cavity 505.
Earlier designs relied solely on springs to eject latch plates. It was discovered, however, that debris can collect in between the coils of the spring, thereby inhibiting proper ejection of the latch plates. Due to repeated use, the spring force can also deteriorate over time so as to further inhibit proper ejection of the latch plates. Without proper ejection of the latch plates, the latch plate may remain latched to the buckle which can be especially problematic such as during emergencies where quick occupant removal from the car seat is required.
The buckle mechanism 300 in the illustrated example has been designed to address this as well as other issues. As noted before, when the release button 625 is actuated, the lock pawl 635 rotates so as to release the latch plate assembly 205. This rotation also causes the lock pawl 635 to contact the ejector swivel 655 and push the ejection slider 650 in the ejection direction so as to eject the latch plates 220 from the latch plate cavity 505 in the buckle 200. In most cases, this ejection force from the lock pawl 635 supplements the ejection biasing force applied by the ejection spring 660, but in some cases, where the ejection spring 660 has been damaged or otherwise rendered inoperative, the lock pawl 635 can apply the sole ejection force to the ejection slider 650 so as to eject the latch plate assembly 205 from the buckle 200.
Various features of the frame 605 will now be described with reference to
Each support flange 1110 further defines a button guide notch 1130 at the latch plate coupling end 410 of the frame 605. As shown, the button guide notches 1130 extend parallel to the longitudinal axis 415 of the buckle 200. The button guide notches 1130 are generally straight and extend in a generally parallel manner relative to the pin guide slots 1120. With such an arrangement, the release button 625 generally moves in a straight direction along the longitudinal axis 415 when pressed or otherwise actuated. This release button 625 further does not catch on anything when biased back to its original position. At the web engagement end 405, the frame 605 has a fastener opening 1135 configured to receive a fastener for securing the frame 605 between the mechanism cover 305 and base cover 310. The frame 605 at the web engagement end 405 has a web eye 1140 through where the webbing 110 is looped.
Looking at
As can be seen in
Turning to
A perspective view of the lock pawl 635 is shown in
Referring again to
Extending on a side opposite from the spring seat fingers 1730 relative to the pivot tabs 1725, the hinge portion 1710 has one or more ejector fingers 1735 positioned to engage the ejection slider 650 of the ejector mechanism 620. When the latch plate assembly 205 is inserted into the buckle mechanism 300, the ends of the tongues 315 of the latch plates 220 press against the ejector mechanism 620. This pressing action pushes the ejection slider 650 against the ejector fingers 1735 which in turn causes the lock pawl 635 to rotate about the pivot tabs 1725 to latch with the latch plate assembly 205. When the release button 625 is pressed to eject the latch plate assembly 205 from the buckle mechanism 300, the lock pawl 635 rotates in the opposite direction which in turn causes the ejector fingers 1735 to press against and move the ejection slider 650 in the ejection direction resulting in the latch plate assembly 205 being unlatched and ejected from the buckle mechanism 300. The compressed ejection spring 660 can provide additional force for ejecting the latch plate assembly 205. As noted before, this construction allows the latch plate assembly 205 to be unlatched and ejected even when the ejection spring 660 is clogged with debris, damaged, and/or otherwise operating below operational norms.
At the end of the lock portion 1715, the lock pawl 635 has a nose tab 1740 that helps to keep the lock pawl 635 in an unlatched position until the latch plate assembly 205 is properly seated inside the buckle 200. The nose tab 1740 is sized to fit between the tips of the tongues 315, and the lock portion 1715 is sized to engage the latch notches 320 in the tongues 315 when the latch plate assembly 205 is latched. In the illustrated example, the lock portion 1715 is rounded to reduce wear on the ejection slider 650.
Turning to
A latch bias wing 2325 of the ejection slider 650 extends transverse to the slider body 2305. The latch bias wing 2325 has one or more wing tabs 2330 that extend from opposing ends of the latch bias wing 2325. The wing tabs 2330 in conjunction with the retention tabs 2315 help to retain the ejection slider 650 in sliding engagement with the frame 605. The wing tabs 2330 of the latch bias wing 2325 are positioned to be contacted with the ejector fingers 1735 when the lock pawl 635 is pivoted to facilitate movement of the ejection slider 650 for ejecting the latch plate assembly 205. The latch bias wing 2325 further defines one or more relief notches 2335 configured to facilitate swiveling motion of the ejector swivel 655 relative to the ejection slider 650.
Referring to
As noted before, the buckle mechanism 300 is designed to prevent just a single latch plate 220 from being secured without the other. In other words, the latch plates 220 of the latch plate assembly 205 must be properly aligned and coupled together before the lock pawl 635 in the buckle mechanism 300 is able to latch the latch plate assembly 205 with the buckle 200. When a single latch plate 220 is inserted into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle 200, the end of the tongue 315 of the latch plate 220 contacts just one of the tongue engagement arms 2415 such that ejector swivel 655 begins to swivel. While the ejector swivel 655 swivels, the ejection slider 650 is stationary with the nose tab guide 2320 remaining in contact with the nose tab 1740 of the lock pawl 635 such that the lock pawl 635 stays in an unlatched position. When the single latch plate 220 is inserted further into the buckle 200, the relief notches 2335 in the latch bias wing 2325 allow the ejector swivel 655 to further swivel while ejection slider 650 remains stationary. The tongue engagement arms 2415 are then angled such that further insertion causes the end of the latch plate 220 to slide in an outward lateral direction which in turn prevents the latch notch 320 in the tongue 315 from engaging the lock portion 1715 of the lock pawl 635.
In contrast, when the latch plates 220 are both properly coupled together and inserted at the same time into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle mechanism 300, the ends of the latch plates 220 contact the tongue engagement arms 2415 of the ejector mechanism 620 at the same time, and the ejector swivel 655 does not rotate or swivel. Against the biasing force of the of the ejection spring 660, the latch plate assembly 205 is able to slide the ejection slider 650 in an insertion direction. This sliding movement of the ejection slider 650 compresses the ejection spring 660, and the resulting potential energy stored in the ejection spring 660 can be later used to move the ejection slider 650 in the ejection direction during unbuckling. As the latch plate assembly 205 is further pushed into the buckle 200, the ejection slider 650 continues to slide in the insertion direction, and the nose tab 1740 of the lock pawl 635 slides off the nose tab guide 2320 so that the lock pawl 635 is able to latch to the latch notches 320 in the latch plate assembly 205. Eventually, as the ejection slider 650 continues to slide, the wing tabs 2330 of the ejection slider 650 press against the ejector fingers 1735 of the lock pawl 635 (
With the frame grooves 2505, the ejection slider 650 is able to be retained on and slide relative to the frame 605. Looking at
The buckle system 105, and more particularly the buckle mechanism 300, is designed to minimize the number of components so as to simplify assembly as well as enhance reliability. A technique for assembling various components of the buckle 200 will now be initially described with reference to
Looking at
Turning to
With the release button 625 secured to the frame 605, the ends of the button springs 630 are secured to the spring seat fingers 1730 of the lock pawl 635 (
A technique for inserting and securing the latch plate assembly 205 in the buckle 200 will now be described with reference to
To secure the latch plate assembly 205 with the buckle 200, the latch plate assembly 205 is inserted into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle 200 in an insertion direction 3705 along the longitudinal axis 415. When the latch plates 220 are both properly coupled together and inserted at the same time into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle mechanism 300, the ejector contact edges 3510 of the latch plates 220 contact the tongue engagement arms 2415 of the ejector mechanism 620 at the same time, and the ejector swivel 655 does not rotate or swivel. In other words, the forces applied by both ejector contact edges 3510 on the tongue engagement arms 2415 located on opposite sides of the pivot connector head 2410 balance one another, thereby preventing rotation of the ejector swivel 655.
Against the biasing force of the of the ejection spring 660, the latch plate assembly 205 is able to slide the ejection slider 650 in the insertion direction 3705. This sliding movement of the ejection slider 650 compresses the ejection spring 660, and the resulting potential energy stored in the ejection spring 660 can be later used to move the ejection slider 650 during ejection of the latch plate assembly 205. As the latch plate assembly 205 is further pushed into the buckle 200, the ejection slider 650 continues to slide in the along the longitudinal axis 415 in the insertion direction 3705, and the nose tab 1740 of the lock pawl 635 slides off the nose tab guide 2320 so that the lock pawl 635 is able to latch to the latch notches 320 in the latch plate assembly 205. Eventually, as the ejection slider 650 continues to slide, the wing tabs 2330 of the ejection slider 650 press against the ejector fingers 1735 of the lock pawl 635. When the ejector fingers 1735 are pressed, the lock pawl 635 is able to pivot about the pivot tabs 1725 to have the lock portion 1715 latch in the latch notches 320. After latching, the ejection spring 660 may cause the ejection slider 650 to slide back such that a space or gap is formed between the ejector fingers 1735 of the lock pawl 635 and the wing tabs 2330 of the ejection slider 650. This spacing gives some play in the release button 625 so as to prevent accidental release of the latch plate assembly 205 when the release button 625 is accidentally or incidentally pressed.
When the latch plate assembly 205 is buckled or latched in the buckle 200, the lock portion 1715 of the lock pawl 635 is received inside the latch cavity 3525 of the latch plate assembly 205. The latch edges 3530 of the latch plate assembly 205 are pressed or hooked against the lock portion 1715 of the lock pawl 635. To prevent slippage, the side end edges of the lock portion 1715 are received in the latch alignment grooves 1320 of the frame 605 (
To release the latch plate assembly 205 from the buckle 200, the user actuates the release button 625. Once more, the release button 625 is designed to smoothly slide in a straight direction along the longitudinal axis 415 when pressed. Looking at
As the lock pawl 635 rotates, the lock portion 1715 of the lock pawl 635 is removed or disengages from the latch cavity 3525 of the latch plate assembly 205 (
A buckle 4000 according to another example will now be described with reference to
The buckle 4000 of
The buckle 4000 in
Turning to
Another example of a buckle system 4300 that can be used with the webbing 110 of the
The buckle system 4300 includes a buckle 4305 to which a latch plate assembly 4310 is buckled. The latch plate assembly 4310 includes one or more latch plates 4312 that are secured to the buckle 4305. In the illustrated example, the latch plate assembly 4310 includes a first latch plate 4315 and a second latch plate 4320 that are coupled together before being buckled to the buckle 4305. The latch plate assembly 4310 includes two (2) latch plates 4312 that are coupled together before being inserted into the buckle 4305, but the latch plate assembly 4310 in other examples can includes more or less latch plates 4312 than is shown. As depicted, the buckle 4305 along with the first latch plate 4315 and second latch plate 4320 each include one or more web slots 4325 to which the webbing 110 is secured. As shown, the buckle 4305 has a housing 4330 for protecting the internal components of the buckle 4305.
The buckle system 4300 of
An exploded view of the buckle system 4300 is depicted in
Turning to
Referring now to
The ejector mechanism 4720 includes an ejection slider 4750 that is slidably coupled to the frame 4705, an ejector swivel 4755 that is pivotally coupled to the ejection slider 4750, and at least one ejection spring 4760 to bias the ejection slider 4750. The ejector swivel 4755 is able to swivel relative to the ejection slider 4750 to ensure that both latch plates 4312 are properly secured together when locked in the buckle 4305. In other words, the ejector swivel 4755 is designed to swivel in order to prevent the lock pawl 4735 from latching with only a single latch plate 4312. The ejection spring 4760 is sandwiched between the frame 4705 and the ejection slider 4750 so as to bias the ejection slider 4750 in an ejection direction where the latch plate assembly 4310 is ejected from the latch plate cavity 4605.
As noted before, it was discovered in earlier designs that debris can collect in between the coils of the spring, thereby inhibiting proper ejection of the latch plates. Due to repeated use, the spring force can also deteriorate over time so as to further inhibit proper ejection of the latch plates. Without proper ejection of the latch plates, the latch plate may remain latched to the buckle which can be especially problematic such as during emergencies where quick occupant removal from the car seat is required.
The buckle mechanism 4400 in the illustrated example has been designed to address this as well as other issues. As noted before, when the release button 4335 is actuated, the lock pawl 4735 rotates so as to release the latch plate assembly 4310. This rotation also causes the lock pawl 4735 to contact the ejector swivel 4755 and push the ejection slider 4750 in the ejection direction so as to eject the latch plates 4312 from the latch plate cavity 4605 in the buckle 4305. In most cases, this ejection force from the lock pawl 4735 supplements the ejection biasing force applied by the ejection spring 4760, but in some cases, where the ejection spring 4760 has been damaged or otherwise rendered inoperative, the lock pawl 4735 can apply the sole ejection force to the ejection slider 4750 so as to eject the latch plate assembly 4310 from the buckle 4305.
Various features of the frame 4705 will now be described with reference to
Each support flange 4810 and the base 4805 further define one or more relief notches 4830. As shown, the relief notches 4830 extend from the base 4805 to the support flanges 4810. The relief notches 4830 are generally straight and extend in a generally parallel manner relative to the pin guide slots 4820. With such an arrangement, the actuator cap 4725 generally moves in a straight direction along the longitudinal axis 4515 when pressed or otherwise actuated. This release button 4335 further does not catch on anything when biased back to its original position. At the web engagement end 4505, the frame 4705 has a fastener opening 4835 configured to receive a fastener for securing the frame 4705 between the mechanism cover 4405 and base cover 4410. The frame 4705 at the web engagement end 4505 has a web eye 4840 through where the webbing 110 is looped.
Looking at
As depicted in
Each of the side clip arms 5020 has a latch pin contact surface 5035 configured to actuate or move the latch pin 4740 in the pin guide slots 4820 of the frame 4705. In one example, the latch pin contact surface 5035 of each side clip arms 5020 is spaced away from the latch pin 4740 such that the release button 4335 needs to almost be fully depressed before releasing the latch plate assembly 4310. When pressing the release button 4335 in this example, the user will first feel just the resistance of the button springs 4730. Once the release button 4335 is pressed further, the latch pin contact surfaces 5035 contact the latch pin 4740, and the user experiences greater resistance. At this point, the side clip arms 5020 push the latch pin 4740 in the pin guide slot 4820 such that the latch pin 4740 releases the lock pawl 4735 from the formerly clipped latch plate assembly 4310. Having some play in the release button 4335 before releasing the latch plate assembly 4310 reduces the chance of accidental release of the latch plate assembly 4310. Turning to
As shown in
Referring again to
Extending on a side opposite from the spring seat fingers 5330 relative to the pivot tabs 5325, the hinge portion 5310 has one or more ejector fingers 5335 positioned to engage the ejection slider 4750 of the ejector mechanism 4720. When the latch plate assembly 4310 is inserted into the buckle mechanism 4400, the ends of the tongues 4415 of the latch plates 4312 press against the ejector mechanism 4720. This pressing action pushes the ejection slider 4750 against the ejector fingers 5335 which in turn causes the lock pawl 4735 to rotate about the pivot tabs 5325 to latch with the latch plate assembly 4310. When the release button 4335 is pressed to eject the latch plate assembly 4310 from the buckle mechanism 4400, the lock pawl 4735 rotates in the opposite direction which in turn causes the ejector fingers 5335 to press against and move the ejection slider 4750 in the ejection direction resulting in the latch plate assembly 4310 being unlatched and ejected from the buckle mechanism 4400. The compressed ejection spring 4760 can provide additional force for ejecting the latch plate assembly 4310. As noted before, this construction allows the latch plate assembly 4310 to be unlatched and ejected even when the ejection spring 4760 is clogged with debris, damaged, and/or otherwise operating below operational norms.
At the end of the lock portion 5315, the lock pawl 4735 has a nose tab 5340 that helps to keep the lock pawl 4735 in an unlatched position until the latch plate assembly 4310 is properly seated inside the buckle 4305. The nose tab 5340 is sized to fit between the tips of the tongues 4415, and the lock portion 5315 is sized to engage the latch notches 4420 in the tongues 4415 when the latch plate assembly 4310 is latched. In the illustrated example, the lock portion 5315 is rounded to reduce wear on the ejection slider 4750.
Turning to
A latch bias wing 5525 of the ejection slider 4750 extends transverse to the slider body 5505. The latch bias wing 5525 has one or more wing tabs 5530 that extend from opposing ends of the latch bias wing 5525. The wing tabs 5530 in conjunction with the retention tabs 5515 help to retain the ejection slider 4750 in sliding engagement with the frame 4705. The wing tabs 5530 of the latch bias wing 5525 are positioned to be contacted with the ejector fingers 5335 when the lock pawl 4735 is pivoted to facilitate movement of the ejection slider 4750 for ejecting the latch plate assembly 4310. The latch bias wing 5525 further defines one or more relief notches 5535 configured to facilitate swiveling motion of the ejector swivel 4755 relative to the ejection slider 4750.
Referring to
As noted before, the buckle mechanism 4200 is designed to prevent just a single latch plate 4312 from being secured without the other. In other words, the latch plates 4312 of the latch plate assembly 4310 must be properly aligned and coupled together before the lock pawl 4735 in the buckle mechanism 4200 is able to latch the latch plate assembly 4310 with the buckle 4305. When a single latch plate 4312 is inserted into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle 4305, the end of the tongue 4415 of the latch plate 4312 contacts just one of the tongue engagement arms 5615 such that ejector swivel 4755 begins to swivel. While the ejector swivel 4755 swivels, the ejection slider 4750 is stationary with the nose tab guide 5520 remaining in contact with the nose tab 5340 of the lock pawl 4735 such that the lock pawl 4735 stays in an unlatched position. When the single latch plate 4312 is inserted further into the buckle 4305, the relief notches 5535 in the latch bias wing 5525 allow the ejector swivel 4755 to further swivel while ejection slider 4750 remains stationary. The tongue engagement arms 5615 are then angled such that further insertion causes the end of the latch plate 4312 to slide in an outward lateral direction which in turn prevents the latch notch 4420 in the tongue 4415 from engaging the lock portion 5315 of the lock pawl 4735.
In contrast, when the latch plates 4312 are both properly coupled together and inserted at the same time into the latch plate cavity 505 of the buckle mechanism 4200, the ends of the latch plates 4312 contact the tongue engagement arms 5615 of the ejector mechanism 4720 at the same time, and the ejector swivel 4755 does not rotate or swivel. Against the biasing force of the of the ejection spring 4760, the latch plate assembly 4310 is able to slide the ejection slider 4750 in an insertion direction. This sliding movement of the ejection slider 4750 compresses the ejection spring 4760, and the resulting potential energy stored in the ejection spring 4760 can be later used to move the ejection slider 4750 in the ejection direction during unbuckling. As the latch plate assembly 4310 is further pushed into the buckle 4305, the ejection slider 4750 continues to slide in the insertion direction, and the nose tab 5340 of the lock pawl 4735 slides off the nose tab guide 5520 so that the lock pawl 4735 is able to latch to the latch notches 4420 in the latch plate assembly 4310. Eventually, as the ejection slider 4750 continues to slide, the wing tabs 5530 of the ejection slider 4750 press against the ejector fingers 5335 of the lock pawl 4735 (
The buckle system 4300, and more particularly the buckle mechanism 4400, is designed to minimize the number of components so as to simplify assembly as well as enhance reliability. A technique for assembling various components of the buckle 4305 will now be initially described with reference to
Looking at
Turning to
Referring now to
Once the buckle mechanism 4400 is assembled, the buckle mechanism 4400 is then sandwiched inside the mechanism cover 4405 and base cover 4410 (
Looking at
As should be recognized, the buckle system 4300 operates in the same general fashion as those described before. A technique for inserting and securing the latch plate assembly 4310 in the buckle 4305 will be initially described with reference to
As noted before, the latch plate alignment system 6205 of the latch plate assembly 4310 ensures that the tongues 4415 of the latch plates 4312 contact the ejector swivel 4755 at the same time to ensure proper buckling. To secure the latch plate assembly 4310 with the buckle 4305, the latch plate assembly 4310 is inserted into the latch plate cavity 4605 of the buckle 4305 in an insertion direction along the longitudinal axis 4515. When the latch plates 4312 are both properly coupled together and inserted at the same time into the latch plate cavity 4605 of the buckle mechanism 4400, the tongues 4415 at the latch notches 4420 contact the tongue engagement arms 5615 of the ejector mechanism 4720 at the same time, and the ejector swivel 4755 does not rotate or swivel. In other words, the forces applied by both tongues 4415 on the tongue engagement arms 5615 located on opposite sides of the pivot connector head 5610 balance one another, thereby preventing rotation of the ejector swivel 4755.
Against the biasing force of the ejection spring 4760, the latch plate assembly 4310 is able to slide the ejection slider 4750 in the insertion direction. This sliding movement of the ejection slider 4750 compresses the ejection spring 4760, and the resulting potential energy stored in the ejection spring 4760 can be later used to move the ejection slider 4750 during ejection of the latch plate assembly 4310. As the latch plate assembly 4310 is further pushed into the buckle 4305, the ejection slider 4750 continues to slide in the along the longitudinal axis 4515 in the insertion direction, and the nose tab 5340 of the lock pawl 4735 slides off the nose tab guide 5520 so that the lock pawl 4735 is able to latch to the latch notches 4420 in the latch plate assembly 4310. Eventually, as the ejection slider 4750 continues to slide, the wing tabs 5530 of the ejection slider 4750 press against the ejector fingers 5335 of the lock pawl 4735. When the ejector fingers 5335 are pressed, the lock pawl 4735 is able to pivot about the pivot tabs 5325 to have the lock portion 5315 latch in the latch notches 4420. After latching, the ejection spring 4760 may cause the ejection slider 4750 to slide back such that a space or gap is formed between the ejector fingers 5335 of the lock pawl 4735 and the wing tabs 5530 of the ejection slider 4750. This spacing gives some play in the actuator cap 4725 so as to prevent accidental release of the latch plate assembly 4310 when the actuator cap 4725 is accidentally or incidentally pressed.
When the latch plate assembly 4310 is buckled or latched in the buckle 4305, the lock portion 5315 of the lock pawl 4735 is received inside the latch plate assembly 4310. The tongues 4415 at the latch notches 4420 of the latch plate assembly 4310 are pressed or hooked against the lock portion 5315 of the lock pawl 4735. To prevent slippage, the side end edges of the lock portion 5315 are received in the latch alignment grooves 4920 of the frame 4705. The nose tab 5340 of the lock pawl 4735 extends through the ejector guide slot 4845 in the frame 4705. To further prevent accidental release, the latch pin 4740 presses against the cam arms 5320 of the lock pawl 4735 so as to hold the lock pawl 4735 in a latched position. With the pin guide slot 4820 only extending in a straight line along the longitudinal axis 4515, only the smooth linear motion of the actuator cap 4725 being pushed in a single direction along the longitudinal axis 4515 can release the latch pin 4740 such that the lock pawl 4735 can decouple from the latch plate assembly 4310. Movements in other directions will not cause the lock pawl 4735 to be accidentally unlatched. With the latch plate assembly 4310 latched in the buckle 4305, the occupant can be at least partially secured in the harness system 100, though additional tightening of the webbing 110 may be required.
To release the latch plate assembly 4310 from the buckle 4305, the user actuates the release button 4335. Once more, the release button 4335 is designed to smoothly slide in a straight direction along the longitudinal axis 4515 when pressed. An individual presses on the release button 4335 in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis 4515 to release the latch plate assembly 4310. When the release button 4335 is pressed, the latch pin 4740, which is coupled to the release button 4335, longitudinally slides in the pin guide slot 4820 of the frame 4705 towards the web engagement end 4505. This movement in turn releases cam arms 5320 of the lock pawl 4735 from the latch pin 4740 such that the lock pawl 4735 is no longer locked in the latched position. At the same, the button springs 4730 are compressed between the release button 4335 and the ejector fingers 5335 of the lock pawl 4735. Due to this compression, the pressing force is transferred from the release button 4335 to the lock pawl 4735 via the button springs 4730. With the lock pawl 4735 now released by the latch pin 4740 and the force from the release button 4335 being applied to the spring seat fingers 5330, the lock pawl 4735 pivots about the pivot tabs 5325 in the latch pivot notch 4815 in a rotational direction.
As the lock pawl 4735 rotates, the lock portion 5315 of the lock pawl 4735 is removed or disengages from the latch notches 4420 of the latch plate assembly 4310. Around the same time, the pivoting motion of the lock pawl 4735 also causes the ejector fingers 5335 to push against the wing tabs 5530 of the ejector mechanism 4720 so as to cause the ejection slider 4750 to slide in an ejection direction. The ejection spring 4760 that was compressed when the latch plate assembly 4310 was buckled is now released so as to also push the ejection slider 4750 in the ejection direction. The ejector swivel 4755 of the ejector mechanism 4720 then pushes the latch plate assembly 4310 in the ejection direction so as to eject the latch plate assembly 4310. Again, the ejector fingers 5335 of the lock pawl 4735 allow the latch plate assembly 4310 to be unlatched and ejected even when the ejection spring 4760 is clogged with debris, damaged, and/or otherwise functionally inoperable. The buckle 4305 returns to the initial unbuckled state where the nose tab 5340 rests against the nose tab guide 5520 of the ejection slider 4750, and the release button 4335 is now at a partially retracted position, as was described before. With the latch plate assembly 4310 unlatched from the lock pawl 4735 and moved in the ejection direction, the latch plate assembly 4310 can be removed from the buckle 4305, and the occupant can be freed from the harness system 100.
The language used in the claims and specification is to only have its plain and ordinary meaning, except as explicitly defined below. The words in these definitions are to only have their plain and ordinary meaning. Such plain and ordinary meaning is inclusive of all consistent dictionary definitions from the most recently published Webster's dictionaries and Random House dictionaries. As used in the specification and claims, the following definitions apply to these terms and common variations thereof identified below.
“Acute Angle” generally refers to an angle smaller than a right angle or less than 90 degrees.
“Couple” or “Coupled” generally refers to an indirect and/or direct connection between the identified elements, components, and/or objects. Often the manner of the coupling will be related specifically to the manner in which the two coupled elements interact.
“Fastener” generally refers to a hardware device that mechanically joins or otherwise affixes two or more objects together. By way of nonlimiting examples, the fastener can include bolts, dowels, nails, nuts, pegs, pins, rivets, screws, and snap fasteners, to just name a few.
“Frame” generally refers to a structure that forms part of an object and gives strength and/or shape to the object.
“Latch Plate” or “Latchplate” generally refers to a part of a vehicle belt assembly that releasably connects to a buckle and through which the webbing is threaded or otherwise secured. Typically, but not always, the latch plate is in at least part made of metal and/or plastic. The latch plate includes one or more tongues that are inserted into the buckle. Each tongue can include a notch or other opening that is used to secure the latch plate to the buckle. By way of non-limiting examples, the latch plates can include free-sliding latch plates, cinching latch plates, locking latch plates, and switchable latch plates, to name just a few examples.
“Lateral” generally refers to being situated on, directed toward, or coming from the side. “Longitudinal” generally relates to length or lengthwise dimension of an object, rather than across.
“Magnet” generally refers to a material or object that produces a magnetic field external to itself. Types of magnets include permanent magnets and electromagnets. By way of non-limiting examples, magnets in certain circumstances are able to attract (or repel) objects such as those made of iron or steel.
“Notch” generally refers to an indentation, cut, groove, channel, and/or incision on an edge or surface. In some non-limiting examples, the notch includes a V-shaped or U-shaped indentation carved, scratched, etched, stamped, and/or otherwise formed in the edge or surface. The notch can have a uniform shape or a non-uniform shape.
“Pin” or “Peg” generally refers to an elongated piece of material such as wood, metal, plastic and/or other material. Typically (but not always), the pin is tapered at one or both ends, but the pin can be shaped differently in other examples. For example, the ends of the pin can be flattened, widened, and/or bent in order to retain the pin. Pins can be used for any number of purposes. For example, the pin can be used in machines to couple components together or otherwise act as an interface between components. Pins can also be used for holding things together, hanging things on, and/or marking a position. Normally, but not always, the pin is a small, usually cylindrical piece. In certain cases, the pin is pointed and/or a tapered piece used to pin down, fasten things together, and/or designed to fit into holes. In other examples, the pin can have a polyhedral shape, such as with a rectangular or triangular cross-sectional shape, or an irregular shape.
“Seat Belt”, “Safety Belt”, “Vehicle Belt”, or “Belt” generally refers to an arrangement of webs and other materials designed to restrain or otherwise hold a person or other object steady such as in a boat, vehicle, aircraft, and/or spacecraft. For example, the seat belt is designed to secure an occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. By way of non-limiting examples, the seat belt can include webbing, buckles, latch plates, and/or length-adjustment mechanisms, such as a retractor, installed in the vehicle that is used to restrain an occupant or a child restraint system. The seat belt for instance can include a lap belt only, a combination lap-shoulder belt, a separate lap belt, a separate shoulder belt, and/or a knee bolster.
“Sensor” generally refers to an object whose purpose is to detect events and/or changes in the environment of the sensor, and then provide a corresponding output. Sensors include transducers that provide various types of output, such as electrical and/or optical signals. By way of nonlimiting examples, the sensors can include pressure sensors, ultrasonic sensors, humidity sensors, gas sensors, motion sensors, acceleration sensors, displacement sensors, force sensors, optical sensors, and/or electromagnetic sensors. In some examples, the sensors include barcode readers, RFID readers, and/or vision systems.
“Snap-Fit Connector” or “Snap-Fit Connection” generally refers to a type of attachment device including at least two parts, with at least one of which being flexible, that are interlocked with one another by pushing the parts together. The term “Snap-Fit Connector” may refer to just one of the parts, such as either the protruding or mating part, or both of the parts when joined together. Typically, but not always, the snap-fit connector includes a protrusion of one part, such as a hook, stud and/or bead, that is deflected briefly during the joining operation and catches in a depression and/or undercut in the mating part. After the parts are joined, the flexible snap-fit parts return to a stress-free condition. The resulting joint may be separable or inseparable depending on the shape of the undercut. The force required to separate the components can vary depending on the design. By way of non-limiting examples, the flexible parts are made of a flexible material such as plastic, metal, and/or carbon fiber composite materials. The snap-fit connectors can include cantilever, torsional and/or annular type snap-fit connectors. In the annular snap-fit type connector, the connector utilizes a hoop-strain type part to hold the other part in place. In one form, the hoop-strain part is made of an elastic material and has an expandable circumference. In one example, the elastic hoop-strain part is pushed onto a more rigid part so as to secure the two together. Cantilever snap-fit type connectors can form permanent type connections or can be temporary such that the parts can be connected and disconnected multiple times. A multiple use type snap-fit connector typically, but not always, has a lever or pin that is pushed in order to release the snap-fit connection. For a torsional snap fit connector, protruding edges of one part are pushed away from the target insertion area, and the other part then slides in between the protruding edges until a desired distance is reached. Once the desired distance is reached, the edges are then released such that the part is held in place.
“Spring” generally refers to an elastic object that stores mechanical energy. The spring can include a resilient device that can be pressed, pulled, and/or twisted but returns to its former shape when released. The spring can be made from resilient or elastic material such as metal and/or plastic The spring can counter or resist loads in many forms and apply force at constant or variable levels. For example, the spring can include a tension spring, compression spring, torsion spring, constant spring, and/or variable spring. The spring can take many forms such as by being a flat spring, a machined spring, and/or a serpentine spring. By way of nonlimiting examples, the springs can include various coil springs, pocket springs, Bonnell coils, offset coils, continuous coils, cantilever springs, volute springs, hairsprings, leaf springs, V-springs, gas springs, torsion springs, rubber bands, spring washers, and/or wave springs, to name just a few.
“Substantially” generally refers to the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in an essential change of the basic function of the subject matter at issue. The term “substantially” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, and/or other representation.
“Transverse” generally refers to an orientation in which the lines or objects extend in a crosswise direction relative to one. For example, the objects in the transverse orientation can extend in a perpendicular direction, at an acute angle, or at an obtuse angle relative to one another.
“Web” or “Webbing” generally refers to a strap made of a network of thread, strings, cords, wires, and/or other materials designed to restrain or otherwise hold a person or other object steady such as in a boat, vehicle, aircraft, and/or spacecraft. By way of non-limiting examples, the web can be incorporated into a seat belt, a child booster seat, and/or a car seat.
It should be noted that the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and the like as used in the description and/or the claims include the plural forms unless expressly discussed otherwise. For example, if the specification and/or claims refer to “a device” or “the device”, it includes one or more of such devices.
It should be noted that directional terms, such as “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” “lateral,” “longitudinal,” “radial,” “circumferential,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” etc., are used herein solely for the convenience of the reader in order to aid in the reader's understanding of the illustrated embodiments, and it is not the intent that the use of these directional terms in any manner limit the described, illustrated, and/or claimed features to a specific direction and/or orientation, unless expressly discussed otherwise.
The term “or” is inclusive, meaning “and/or”.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes, equivalents, and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions defined by the following claims are desired to be protected. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.
This application is a continuation of International Patent Application Number PCT/US2019/051725, filed Sep. 18, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference. International Patent Application Number PCT/US2019/051725, filed Sep. 18, 2019, claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/732,707, filed Sep. 18, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2019/051725 | Sep 2019 | US |
| Child | 17249883 | US |
