Seat belt assembly
By introducing webbing locks and auxiliary webbing locks into the seat belt assembly, the problem of providing occupant lumbar and torso support during a collision event in existing technologies is solved, improving comfort, ease of use and safety, while reducing occupant chest deformation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
- Filing Date
- 2019-02-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing seat belts struggle to provide adequate support for both the occupant's lower back and torso during a collision while maintaining comfort and ease of use.
Design a seat belt assembly including a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock, which allows the webbing to slide when unlocked and locks when the occupant exerts force to prevent movement between the waist and torso, and provides limited torso release through a tongue assembly to reduce chest deformation.
It enhances the comfort, ease of use, and safety of the seat belt assembly, reduces chest deformation of occupants during a collision, and provides effective restraint for occupants.
Smart Images
Figure CN110194121B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a seat belt assembly used in a vehicle, and more particularly to a tongue assembly portion of a seat belt assembly. Background Technology
[0002] Seat belts in vehicles are used to restrain occupants during a vehicle collision. Typically, seat belts are arranged with a combination of lap belts and shoulder straps, with webbing extending through a latch assembly to adjust the amount of webbing between the portion extending across the lumbar region and the portion extending across the occupant's torso. While the webbing can be adjusted between the lumbar and torso portions when a person is wearing the seat belt, during a collision, the latch assembly is generally configured to hold (i.e., lock) the webbing relative to each portion to provide full support for the occupant's lumbar and torso. Therefore, it is desirable for the seat belt to provide good support for the occupant's lumbar and torso, and for the latches to operate in a way that helps provide good support for both the lumbar and torso portions of the seat belt. Summary of the Invention
[0003] One embodiment envisions a method of operating a seat belt, comprising: allowing the webbing to slide between a lumbar portion and a torso portion via a tab assembly when not locked; and locking the webbing with both a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock when an occupant applies force to the webbing to prevent its movement between the lumbar portion and the torso portion.
[0004] One embodiment envisions a seatbelt assembly comprising: a tongue assembly having a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock mounted to a tongue selectively secured to a buckle; a webbing extending adjacent to the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock between a torso portion and a lumbar portion; and the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock, when in an unlocked position, allowing the webbing to slide between the torso portion and the lumbar portion, and, when in a locked position, pivoting relative to the tongue such that the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock prevent the webbing from sliding between the lumbar portion and the torso portion.
[0005] The advantages are that it maintains the comfort, ease of use, and safety of the seat belt assembly for vehicle occupants while enhancing its functionality. During a vehicle incident where a seat belt-wearing occupant pushes forward into the webbing, the webbing lock and auxiliary webbing lock of the latch assembly lock the seat belt between the torso and lumbar regions. This essentially prevents lumbar release via the latch assembly, while allowing a small amount of payout in the torso region to potentially reduce chest deformation under such loading conditions. Attached Figure Description
[0006] Figure 1 This is a diagram of a vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat, with the seat belt securing the occupant in the correct position.
[0007] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective partial cross-sectional view of a part of the latch assembly, with the webbing lock in the unlocked position.
[0008] Figure 3 This is a schematic perspective view of a part of the tongue assembly.
[0009] Figure 4 This is a schematic side partial cross-sectional view of the tongue assembly and webbing, with the webbing lock in the locked position.
[0010] Figure 5 This is a schematic perspective view of the housing of the tongue assembly, which has a modified auxiliary webbing lock.
[0011] Figure 6 This is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the shell, webbing, and tongue, in which... Figure 5 The webbing lock is shown in the locked position.
[0012] Figure 7 It is similar to Figure 6 A schematic side view of a portion of the tongue assembly, but with a modified auxiliary webbing lock in the unlocked position.
[0013] Figure 8 It is similar to Figure 7 The view shows the webbing lock in the locked position.
[0014] Figure 9 It is similar to Figure 6 The view is shown, but with a modified auxiliary webbing lock, and is shown in the locked position.
[0015] Figure 10 It is similar to Figure 6 The view is shown, but with a modified auxiliary webbing lock, and is shown in the locked position.
[0016] Figure 11 It is a schematic perspective view of a tongue with a notch for assisting the webbing lock.
[0017] Figure 12 It has the same Figure 11 A schematic perspective view of the housing of the modified auxiliary webbing lock, which uses the tongue piece together with the lock.
[0018] Figure 13 It is similar to Figure 12 The view, but with modified auxiliary webbing locks.
[0019] Figure 14 It is similar to Figure 12 The view, but with modified auxiliary webbing locks.
[0020] Figure 15 It is similar to Figure 12 The view, but with modified auxiliary webbing locks.
[0021] Figure 16 It is shown as being mounted relative to the tongue. Figure 15 A schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the shell.
[0022] Figure 17 It is similar to Figure 16 The view shows the webbing lock in the locked position.
[0023] Figure 18 It is similar to Figure 15 The view, but with modified auxiliary webbing locks.
[0024] Figure 19 It is similar to Figure 13 The view, but with modified auxiliary webbing locks. Detailed Implementation
[0025] Figure 1 A portion of the vehicle is shown, having a vehicle seat 22 mounted to the vehicle structure 24. An occupant 26 is shown seated in the seat 22 and secured therein by a seatbelt 28, which is shown in the fastened state.
[0026] The seatbelt 28 includes a webbing 30 comprising a torso portion 32 extending across the occupant's torso and a lumbar portion 34 extending across the occupant's hips. The webbing 30 extends through a tongue assembly 36 and is selectively slidable between the lumbar portion 34 and the torso portion 32. The tongue assembly 36 is selectively secured to and released from a buckle (hook) 38, which is secured to the seat 22 or vehicle structure 24 via a support member 40. The buckle 38 may be conventional and is therefore only shown schematically herein. The end 42 of the lumbar portion 34 of the webbing 30 is secured to the vehicle structure 24 or the seat 22. Thus, when the tongue assembly 36 is locked to prevent the webbing 30 from sliding through it, the lumbar portion 34 secures the occupant's hips in the seat 22.
[0027] The body portion 32 of the webbing 30 has an end 44 that extends through a D-ring 45 into a retractor mechanism 46 attached to a vehicle structure 24 (such as a vehicle pillar) (not shown in detail herein, as this assembly can be conventional). The retractor mechanism 46 may have an inertial or other type of lock that selectively allows webbing to be fed into the body portion 32 of the webbing 30 to allow the occupant 26 to wear a seatbelt but prevents (or broadly restricts) webbing feed during certain vehicle deceleration events. This type of operation of the retractor mechanism 46 can be conventional and will therefore not be discussed further in detail herein.
[0028] Now for reference Figures 2 to 4 (in reference) Figure 1 In the case of [specific example], one embodiment of the tongue assembly 36 is shown. The tongue 48 of the tongue assembly 36 can be selectively locked into and released from the latch 38. The tongue 48, and how it is secured to and released from the latch 38, can be conventional and will therefore not be discussed further herein.
[0029] The tongue 48 may be part of or attached to the tongue plate 50, which has a tongue wall 52 extending substantially perpendicular to the tongue plate 50. The tongue wall 52 may include a webbing guide slot 54 through which the webbing 30 slides; and a pair of tongue holes 56, which may be circular or keyed, such as hexagonal.
[0030] The rod 58 extends into each tongue hole 56 and may have a keyed (hexagonal) end 60, which is fixed in one of the tongue holes 56 to prevent rotation; and an opposite end, which is fixed in the other tongue hole 56. The rod may define an axis 64 about which the webbing lock 66 and auxiliary webbing lock 67 pivot.
[0031] The webbing locks 66 and 67 include a housing 68 that includes a pair of rod supports 70 having a channel 72 through which a rod 58 extends. The channel 72 may be keyed to match corresponding keyed (e.g., hexagonal) portions of the rod 58, which would restrict rotation of the rod 58 relative to the rod support 70. The housing 68 also includes a webbing slot 76 through which the webbing 30 is guided.
[0032] The webbing 66 also includes a lock 78 having a locking feature 80 that, when in the locked position, locks the webbing 30 to the housing 68 to prevent feed of the webbing 30 between the waist portion 34 and the torso portion 32. The locking feature 80 may be, for example, an angled surface adjacent to the webbing slot 76 and may include an engineered textured surface, wherein the textured surface may engage with the webbing 30 under certain operating conditions. The lock 78 may include a spring (not shown) to rotate the housing 68 when the webbing lock 66 is not under the load of the occupant 26, and thus prevent the locking feature 80 from contacting the webbing 30. Then, when the occupant 26 presses into the webbing 30, the force of the spring overcomes, causing the housing 68 to rotate, which in turn presses the locking feature 80 against the webbing 30. This locking feature 80 presses against the webbing 30 to lock the webbing 30 and prevent its movement between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34.
[0033] The auxiliary webbing lock 67 is defined by a cantilever flange 82 extending from the housing 68 toward the webbing guide slot 54 and a cutout 84 in the tongue plate 50 adjacent to the flange 82.
[0034] Now relative to Figures 1 to 4 The operation of the tongue assembly 36 with webbing lock 66 is discussed. Under typical vehicle operating conditions, when the seat belt 28 is in the fastened position ( Figure 1 When (as shown), the force acting on the tongue assembly 36 is minimal. In this case, the housing 68 is angled such that the webbing lock 66 and the auxiliary webbing lock 67 do not engage the webbing 30 to prevent the webbing 30 from sliding between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34. Figure 2 This state is evident from the orientation of the housing 68 relative to the tongue plate 50. Since neither the webbing locks 66 nor 67 engage the webbing 30 in this state, the webbing 30 is relatively free to slide between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34, thereby allowing for the comfort of the occupant 26.
[0035] In the vehicle operating condition where the occupant 26 is pushed forward into the webbing 30, the forces from the occupant 26's torso and waist act on the torso portion 32 and waist portion 34 respectively, causing the housing 68 to pivot about the axis 64 of the rod 58. Figure 4(As shown in the diagram). This movement causes two webbing locks 66, 67 to press into the webbing 30, thereby preventing the webbing 30 from sliding through the tongue assembly 36. Thus, the webbing locks 66, 67 lock the webbing 30 in the tongue assembly 36, thereby securing which portion of the webbing 30 is located in the torso portion 32 and which portion is located in the waist portion 34. For the webbing lock 66, the pivoting of the housing 68, due to the orientation of the webbing 30 relative to the slot 76, secures the webbing 30 relative to the webbing slot 76. For the auxiliary webbing lock 67, the flange 82 pivots into the cutout 84 to capture the webbing 30 between the flange 82 and the edge of the cutout 84 in the tongue. The flange 82 also creates a displacement stop that prevents the housing 68 from rotating beyond the edge of the cutout 84 to prevent the flange 82 from moving further.
[0036] Casing 68 Figure 2 and Figure 4 The movement between positions causes the waist portion 34 to be slightly pulled into the tongue assembly 36, thereby providing additional initial restraint on the hips of the occupant 26. Additionally, due to the housing 68 around the axis 64 of the rod 58... Figure 2 and Figure 4 The pivoting between the positions effectively restricts the movement of the occupant 26 as a whole while providing a small amount of additional release of the torso portion 32 of the webbing 30. As used herein (including in the claims), the term release means providing the webbing 30 in a manner that provides additional slack in the waist portion 34 or torso portion 32—this slack in the webbing (derived from the release) comes not from the ends of the webbing 30, but from the mechanical function of the tongue assembly 36.
[0037] Therefore, the webbing lock 66 in the tongue assembly 36 allows for the securing of the occupant's hips while allowing a small amount of torso extension to allow for controlled additional displacement of the occupant's torso during vehicle operation conditions where the occupant is pushed into the seatbelt webbing 30. This can allow for reduced chest load and deformation of the occupant 26 during such vehicle events. The amount of extension can be controlled by the dimensions and stiffness of various components of the tongue assembly 36, such as, for example, the length, diameter, and / or material stiffness of the rod 58, and the dimensions and / or material stiffness of various parts of the housing 68.
[0038] As part of the webbing locks 66, 67 that allow a small amount of controlled release of the torso portion 32 while providing a small amount of tension to the waist portion 34, some elements may have flexural capacity. This flexural capacity may take the form of torsion, flattening (compression), bending, rotation, or other deformation. Therefore, when the term "flexural" is used herein (including in the claims), this may include the form of deformation just as discussed above. This flexural capacity is macroscopic, thus allowing a significant release of the torso portion 32, rather than microscopic (because every material subjected to force has some deformation at least at the microscopic scale).
[0039] For example, the housing 68 can be formed of an elastomeric material that allows bending when a tensile load is applied to the torso portion 32. In this arrangement, if the rod 58 has a keyed end 60 in the keyed tongue hole 56 to prevent said end of the rod 58 from rotating relative to the tongue 50, and at least one of the channels 72 in the rod support 70 is keyed to align with the keyed portion of the rod 58, then the rod support 70 can have minimal rotation relative to the rod 58 when the torso portion is loaded. In this case, the housing 68 flexes adjacent to the rod support 70 when the torso portion 32 is loaded, thereby providing a small amount of release of the torso portion 32 when the webbing lock 66 is locked. Additionally, the flange 82 can be elastomeric and also provides some flex when the occupant 26 is pressed into the webbing 30. This flexing can help alleviate any load peaks caused by the webbing 30 pressing against the occupant 26.
[0040] In another example, the rod 58 may be formed of an elastomeric material that allows for torsion of the rod 58 when the torso portion 32 is loaded and the webbing lock 66 is locked. In this arrangement, if the rod 58 has a keyed end 60 in the keyed tongue hole 56 to prevent rotation of said end of the rod 58 relative to the tongue 50, and at least one of the channels 72 in the rod support 70 is keyed to align with the keyed portion of the rod 58, then the rod support 70 can have minimal rotation relative to the rod 58 when the torso portion is loaded. In this case, the rod 58 flexes by torsion about axis 64 when the torso portion 32 is loaded, thereby allowing the housing 68 to rotate, which in turn provides a small release of the torso portion 32 when the webbing lock 66 is locked.
[0041] Figures 1 to 4This embodiment preferably includes both an elastomer housing 68 and an elastomer rod 58, in which case both elements provide some flexure, resulting in a small extension of the torso portion 32 and a small retraction in the waist portion 34. The amount of force / torque required to cause bending in the housing 68 and torsion in the rod 58 can be set to different levels of force / torque applied to the webbing 30. In this case, flexure can occur sequentially, rather than simultaneously with the housing 68 and the rod 58. However, if it is not desired that both the housing 68 and the rod 58 flex, then one or the other can be configured to be rigid under seat belt loading conditions, while only the other is flexible. The dimensional geometry of the components can be set for a specific application to achieve the desired amount of torso extension.
[0042] The webbing locks 66 and 67 can alternatively function sequentially, wherein an initial rotation of the housing 68 causes the webbing lock 66 to lock the webbing 30 between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34, while an additional rotation of the housing 68 causes the auxiliary webbing lock 67 to lock when the webbing lock 66 releases the webbing 30. Throughout this process, the webbing remains locked, while the occupant 26 is pushed into the webbing 30, but this allows for a rebalancing of the load on the webbing 30 relative to the housing 68.
[0043] Figure 5 and Figure 6 (refer to Figure 1 (As discussed in the context) A tongue assembly 36 is shown, which has alternative webbing locks 66, 67. In this embodiment, the webbing lock 66 can be similar to the previous embodiment, wherein the webbing slot 76 engages the webbing 30 when the housing 68 rotates. The auxiliary webbing lock 87 can be constituted by a plurality of relatively small flexible flanges 82 extending from the rod support 70. The flanges 82 are positioned such that they generally do not contact the webbing 30 and the tongue 50 when the occupant 26 does not apply a significant force to the webbing 30. However, in a vehicle state where the occupant 26 applies a force to the webbing 30, the housing 68 rotates about the rod, thereby causing the flanges 82 to press the webbing 30 against the tongue 50 (see Figure 6 This creates an auxiliary webbing lock 67, which prevents the webbing 30 from slipping between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34.
[0044] As in the first embodiment, either or both of the rod and the housing can be flexural components, resulting in a slight release of the torso portion 32 when the webbing locks 86, 87 are in the locked position. The operation is then substantially the same as in the first embodiment and will therefore not be repeated here. This flexure of the rod and / or housing applies to all embodiments herein and will therefore not be discussed further.
[0045] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, the two webbing locks 86 and 87 can be used to lock the webbing 30, or the locking can be sequential. That is, an initial rotation of the housing 68 causes the webbing lock 66 to lock the webbing 30 between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34, while an additional rotation of the housing 68 causes the auxiliary webbing lock 67 to lock when the webbing lock 66 releases the webbing 30. Throughout the process, the webbing remains locked, while the occupant 26 is pushed into the webbing 30, but this allows the load on the webbing 30 to be rebalanced relative to the housing 68.
[0046] Figure 7 and Figure 8 (refer to Figure 1 The discussion shows a tongue assembly 36 with alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. The webbing locks 66, 67 can be used with... Figure 5 and Figure 6 Those that are the same as those in the text will not be discussed further. Figure 7 The webbing locks 66 and 67 are shown in the unlocked position, while Figure 8 This shows webbing locks 66 and 67 in the locked position.
[0047] In this embodiment, one or more cantilever flanges 82 may extend from the rod support 70 and serve as rotation stops. The flanges 82 create displacement stops that prevent the housing 68 from rotating beyond the point where the flanges 82 contact the tongue 50 (see [link to original document]). Figure 8 ).
[0048] Figure 9 (refer to Figure 1 (In the case discussed) a tongue assembly 36 is shown, which has alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping the rotation of the housing 68. The webbing locks 66, 67 can be used with... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The ones in the previous section are essentially the same and will therefore not be discussed further - however, the tongue plate 50 is provided with a cutout 84 that can receive excess webbing 30 during the locking process.
[0049] Figure 10 (refer to Figure 1 The case discussed shows a tongue assembly 36 with alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In one embodiment, the tongue plate 50 has a cutout 84 that receives a flange 82 when the webbing locks 86 and 87 are in their locked positions.
[0050] Figure 11 and Figure 12(refer to Figure 1 (As discussed in the case of) a tongue assembly 36 is shown, which has an alternative webbing lock 66 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping the rotation of the housing 68. In this embodiment, the flange 82 is located outside the width of the webbing 30 and thus serves as a rotation stop without the auxiliary webbing lock. However, the webbing lock 66 is employed, along with the restriction of the rotation of the housing 68, in order to provide the desired release of the torso portion 32 and the loading of the webbing 30 onto the occupant 26.
[0051] When the occupant 26 is pushed into the webbing 30, the housing 68 rotates relative to the tongue 50, which causes the webbing lock 66 to engage the webbing 30, thereby preventing it from moving between the torso portion 32 and the waist portion 34. Moreover, when the housing 68 rotates far enough, the flange 82 will engage the tongue 50 via a pair of cuts 84, thereby preventing further rotation of the housing 68.
[0052] Figure 13 (refer to Figure 1 The case discussed illustrates a housing 68 with an alternative webbing lock 66 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to... Figure 11 and Figure 12 The embodiment in question has only one flange 82 for stopping the rotation of the housing 68, instead of two flanges.
[0053] Figure 14 (refer to Figure 1 The case discussed shows a housing 68 with alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to... Figures 2 to 4 The embodiment has a flange 82, which has a slightly different shape and is angled toward the tongue at the cantilever end.
[0054] Figures 15 to 17 (refer to Figure 1 The case discussed illustrates a tongue assembly 36 with an alternative webbing lock 66 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to... Figure 13 The embodiment has a straight tapered flange 82, instead of an angled flange at the cantilever end. Figure 16 The orientation of the housing 68 relative to the tongue 50 is shown when it is in the unlocked position, while Figure 17 This shows the orientation of the housing 68 relative to the tongue 50 when it is in the webbing locked position.
[0055] Figure 18 (refer to Figure 1The case discussed shows a housing 68 with alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to... Figure 10 An embodiment, but with a flange 82 extending laterally outward from the webbing.
[0056] Figure 19 (refer to Figure 1 The case discussed shows a housing 68 with alternative webbing locks 66, 67 and a cantilever flange 82 for stopping rotation of the housing 68. This embodiment is similar to... Figure 18 The embodiment, however, has a flange 82 of a different shape, which is an angled rather than straight tapered flange 82 at the cantilever end.
[0057] While certain embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined in the appended claims.
[0058] According to the present invention, a method of operating a seat belt includes: allowing the webbing to slide between a lumbar portion and a torso portion via a tab assembly when not locked; and locking the webbing with both a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock when an occupant applies force to the webbing to prevent its movement between the lumbar portion and the torso portion.
[0059] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock simultaneously lock the webbing.
[0060] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that, when the occupant applies the force, the webbing lock initially locks the webbing, and when the webbing lock releases the webbing due to the increased force applied by the occupant on the webbing, the auxiliary webbing lock locks the webbing.
[0061] According to one embodiment, in the locked position, the webbing lock flexes to provide release in the torso portion.
[0062] According to one embodiment, the webbing lock includes a rod fixed to a tongue plate and a housing fixed to the rod, wherein the housing pivots relative to the tongue plate to change the webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock from the unlocked position to the locked position.
[0063] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that the webbing lock flexes in the locked position, thereby providing release in the torso portion in the locked position and the auxiliary webbing lock engages the webbing to retract the webbing from the waist portion.
[0064] According to one embodiment, the auxiliary webbing lock includes a pivotable flange that pushes the webbing through a cut in a tongue to lock the webbing in the locked position.
[0065] According to one embodiment, the auxiliary webbing lock includes a pivotable flange that abuts against a tongue to compress the webbing, thereby locking the webbing in the locked position.
[0066] According to one embodiment, the webbing lock includes a rod fixed to a tongue and a housing fixed to the rod, wherein the housing pivots relative to the tongue to change the webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the rod flexes to provide release in the torso portion.
[0067] According to the present invention, a seat belt assembly is provided, comprising: a tongue assembly having a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock, the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock being mounted to a tongue selectively secured to a buckle; a webbing extending adjacent to the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock between a torso portion and a lumbar portion; and the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock, when in an unlocked position, allowing the webbing to slide between the torso portion and the lumbar portion, and when in a locked position, pivoting relative to the tongue such that the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock prevent the webbing from sliding between the lumbar portion and the torso portion.
[0068] According to one embodiment, the tongue assembly includes a rod fixed to the tongue and a housing fixed to the rod such that the housing is pivotable relative to the tongue, and the webbing lock includes a flange having a slot through which the webbing extends, wherein the slot selectively engages the webbing to lock the webbing in the slot.
[0069] According to one embodiment, the auxiliary webbing lock includes a second flange that extends to contact the webbing and is pivotally accessible through a cut in the tongue to selectively engage the webbing between the edge of the second flange and the cut.
[0070] According to one embodiment, the auxiliary webbing lock includes an auxiliary flange that extends to contact the webbing and is pivotable toward the tongue to selectively press the webbing between the auxiliary flange and the tongue.
[0071] According to one embodiment, the tongue assembly includes a rod fixed to the tongue and an elastomeric housing fixed to the rod, such that the housing is pivotable relative to the tongue, and wherein when the webbing lock is in the locked position, the housing flexes to allow the release of the torso portion.
[0072] According to one embodiment, the auxiliary webbing lock engages the webbing in the locked position to retract the webbing from the waist portion.
[0073] According to one embodiment, the tongue assembly includes a rod fixed to the tongue and a housing fixed to the rod, such that the housing is pivotable relative to the tongue, and wherein the auxiliary webbing lock engages the webbing in the locked position to retract the webbing from the waist portion.
Claims
1. A method for operating a seat belt, comprising: The webbing is allowed to slide between the waist and torso sections via the tongue assembly when not locked. and When an occupant applies force to the webbing, both the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock lock the webbing to prevent its movement between the waist and torso portions, wherein in the locked position, the webbing lock flexes to provide release in the torso portion.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock simultaneously lock the webbing.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the occupant applies the force, the webbing lock initially locks the webbing, and when the webbing lock releases the webbing due to the increased force applied by the occupant on the webbing, the auxiliary webbing lock locks the webbing.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the webbing lock includes a rod fixed to a tongue and a housing fixed to the rod, wherein the housing pivots relative to the tongue to change the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock from the unlocked position to the locked position.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the webbing lock flexes in the locked position to provide release in the torso portion and the auxiliary webbing lock engages the webbing to retract the webbing from the waist portion.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary webbing lock includes a pivotable flange that pushes the webbing through a cut in the tongue to lock the webbing in the locked position.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary webbing lock includes a pivotable flange that abuts against a tongue to compress the webbing, thereby locking the webbing in the locked position.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the webbing lock includes a rod fixed to a tongue and a housing fixed to the rod, wherein the housing pivots relative to the tongue to change the webbing lock and auxiliary webbing lock from an unlocked position to the locked position, and the rod flexes to provide release in the torso portion.
9. A seat belt assembly, comprising: A tongue assembly having a webbing lock and an auxiliary webbing lock, the webbing lock and the auxiliary webbing lock being mounted to a tongue that can be selectively fixed to a buckle; Webbing, the webbing extending adjacent to the webbing lock and auxiliary webbing lock between the torso portion and the waist portion; and When in the unlocked position, the webbing lock and auxiliary webbing lock allow the webbing to slide between the torso and waist portions, and when in the locked position, they pivot relative to the tongue such that the webbing lock and auxiliary webbing lock prevent the webbing from sliding between the waist and torso portions, wherein in the locked position, the webbing lock flexes to provide release in the torso portion.
10. The seat belt assembly of claim 9, wherein the tongue assembly includes a rod fixed to the tongue and a housing fixed to the rod such that the housing is pivotable relative to the tongue, and the webbing lock includes a flange having a slot through which the webbing extends, wherein the slot selectively engages the webbing to lock the webbing in the slot.
11. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary webbing lock includes a second flange extending to contact the webbing and pivotally passable through a cut in the tongue to selectively engage the webbing between the edge of the second flange and the cut.
12. The seat belt assembly of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary webbing lock includes an auxiliary flange extending to contact the webbing and pivoting toward the tongue to selectively press the webbing between the auxiliary flange and the tongue.
13. The seat belt assembly of claim 9, wherein the tongue assembly includes a rod fixed to the tongue and an elastomeric housing fixed to the rod such that the housing is pivotable relative to the tongue, and wherein when the webbing lock is in the locked position, the housing flexes to allow the release of the torso portion.
14. The seat belt assembly of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary webbing lock engages the webbing in the locked position to retract the webbing from the lumbar portion.