Lock catch assembly and safety belt lock catch

Abstract

The invention provides a lock catch assembly and a safety belt lock catch. The lock catch assembly comprises a lock catch and a force limiting module, the force limiting module is connected to the lock catch and used for limiting a force threshold value, and the force limiting module comprises a mandrel which is rotatably supported at two axial end parts and is provided with a force acting part; the winding component is provided with a winding part wound on the core shaft and a fixing part fixed on the lock catch; the deformation piece is at least partially arranged on the end face of the mandrel and comprises an abutting section abutting against the force acting part and a deformation section connected with the abutting section; the guide piece comprises a first circumferential side face, a second circumferential side face and a transition face connecting the first circumferential side face and the second circumferential side face, and the first circumferential side face and the second circumferential side face have different distances from the rotating axis of the mandrel; when the force borne by the lock catch is larger than a force threshold value limited by the force limiting module, the force acting part of the mandrel applies force to the abutting section of the deformation piece, so that the deformation section of the deformation piece moves from the first circumferential side face of the guide piece to the second circumferential side face through the transition face.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a safety device of a vehicle, in particular to a buckle assembly of a seat belt and a seat belt buckle. Background Art

[0002] The seat belt in a vehicle is a safety device that is used to restrain passengers in the event of a collision and to prevent passengers from having a secondary collision with the steering wheel, dashboard, etc., or from being rushed out of the vehicle and causing death or injury. The seat belt used in a vehicle can also be called a seat belt, which is a type of passenger restraint device. The seat belt restrains passengers sitting in the seat through the webbing pulled out from the seat belt retractor, and is used to fix passengers in the seat to protect the passengers in the event of a vehicle collision. As a type of seat belt, in the event of a vehicle collision, when an acceleration greater than a specified value occurs in the horizontal direction, the acceleration is detected by the acceleration sensor, and the locking mechanism of the seat belt is activated, thereby preventing the seat belt from being pulled out.

[0003] Nowadays, some seat belts are designed with a force-limiting function, that is, after a collision, if it is determined that the passenger is in a safe situation (for example, the airbag has been deployed), the seat belt can be appropriately loosened to reduce the force on the passenger's chest, so as to improve the passenger's comfort while ensuring the passenger's safety.

[0004] It is desirable to be able to provide a seat belt buckle with a force limiting function in a cost-effective and easy to manufacture manner. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a latch assembly which is cost effective and easy to manufacture.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a lock assembly, comprising:

[0007] a buckle for cooperating with the locking tongue to secure the seat belt to the seat;

[0008] in,

[0009] The lock assembly also includes a force limiting module, which is connected to the lock and is used to define a force threshold.

[0010] The force limiting module comprises:

[0011] a core shaft rotatably supported at both axial ends and having a force application portion;

[0012] a winding member having a winding portion wound around the core shaft and a fixing portion fixed to the lock buckle;

[0013] a deformation member, which is at least partially disposed at the end surface of the core shaft and includes an abutting section abutting against the force application portion and a deformation section connected to the abutting section; and

[0014] A guide member including a first circumferential side surface, a second circumferential side surface and a transition surface connecting the two, wherein the first circumferential side surface and the second circumferential side surface have different distances from the rotation axis of the mandrel;

[0015] When the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module, the force application portion of the core shaft applies force to the abutment section of the deformable member, so that the deformation section of the deformable member moves from the first circumferential side surface of the guide member through the transition surface and to the second circumferential side surface.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the force-limiting module further comprises side plates and end covers respectively located at two ends of the core shaft, and the core shaft is rotatably supported on the side plates and the end covers.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide member is arranged on at least one of the side plate and the end cover and is located radially outside the end face of the core shaft, a portion of the deformation member is fixedly connected to the core shaft, and the distance between the first circumferential side surface and the rotation axis of the core shaft is greater than the distance between the second circumferential side surface and the rotation axis of the core shaft.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the core shaft further includes a matching portion, and the deformable member further includes a matching segment, and the matching segment and the matching portion are matched in shape to fix the matching segment of the deformable member to the core shaft.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the matching portion is configured as a groove located on the end surface of the mandrel, the groove starts from a first position on the periphery of the end surface, extends along a predetermined path through a middle portion of the end surface to a second position on the periphery, and the first position is different from the second position;

[0020] The fitting segment is configured to be fixedly received in the groove, and the two deformation segments are respectively positioned at two ends of the fitting segment and extend from the fitting segment to the first circumferential side surface of the corresponding guide member.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mating portion is constructed as a notch portion at the periphery of the two end faces of the core shaft, the mating section is constructed as a U-shaped section that is snap-fitted with the notch portion, and the two deformation sections are respectively located on both sides of the mating section to be positioned on the two end faces of the core shaft.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two guide members are arranged on the side of the side plate facing the core shaft, the end of the core shaft has a boss portion, the groove is arranged in the boss portion, and the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion and the second circumferential side surface of the guide member define a deformation channel for the deformation section.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide member is respectively arranged on the side surfaces of the side plate and the end cover facing the core shaft, and the deformation section is connected to the U-shaped section and is bent back from the end of the U-shaped section to the first circumferential side surface of the guide member.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformation member is fixed on the side plate or the end cover, the guide member is arranged on the end face of the core shaft, and the distance between the first circumferential side surface and the rotation axis of the core shaft is smaller than the distance between the second circumferential side surface and the rotation axis of the core shaft.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the end cover includes a fixing portion located at its circumferential side wall, the deformable member includes a U-shaped segment clamped together with the fixing portion, and the deformable segment is connected to the U-shaped segment and bent from the end of the U-shaped segment to the first circumferential side surface of the guide member.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the core shaft has a through hole, a support shaft is arranged on the end cover, a support hole is arranged on the side plate, the support shaft passes through the through hole of the core shaft and cooperates with the support hole to rotatably support the core shaft, and the winding structure is fixed in the narrowing section between the two ends of the core shaft.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide is configured to have an arc-shaped configuration and has the same central axis as the mandrel.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformation member is configured as a ring-shaped member.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformation member is constructed as a slender strip member that is bent.

[0030] Another aspect of the present invention provides a seat belt buckle, which comprises a locking tongue and any one of the aforementioned buckle assemblies cooperating with the locking tongue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The features, advantages and technical effects of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same symbols indicate the same elements, wherein:

[0032] Figure 1The force limiting module in the locking assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0033] Figure 2 The components in the force limiting module according to the first embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown.

[0034] FIG. 3( a ) and FIG. 3( b ) schematically illustrate some components of a force limiting module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 The force limiting module in the locking assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0036] Figure 5-Figure 7 Partial components of a force limiting module according to a second embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown.

[0037] Figure 8 Partial components of a force limiting module according to a third embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown.

[0038] Fig. 9 The components in the force limiting module according to the third embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will describe the specific implementation of the buckle assembly and the seat belt buckle according to the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described. The various embodiments described in the present invention can be used alone or in any combination. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0040] In addition, spatially relative terms (such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right") are used to describe the relative positional relationship of an element shown in the drawings to another element. Therefore, the spatially relative terms can be applied to directions different from those shown in the drawings when used. Obviously, although for ease of description, all of these spatially relative terms refer to the directions shown in the drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that directions different from those shown in the drawings can be used.

[0041] The present invention provides a buckle assembly, which includes a buckle (not shown) and a force limiting module 1, wherein the buckle is used to cooperate with a lock tongue (not shown) to fix a seat belt to a seat. As in the usual case, the lock tongue can be inserted into the buckle from the open end of the buckle and thereby clamped in the buckle, and the seat belt connected to the lock tongue is also thereby fixed to the buckle. The force limiting module 1 is connected to the buckle and used to define a force threshold. It should be noted that the term "force threshold" in this article is used to evaluate the force applied to the buckle and determine whether the buckle moves under the action of the applied force. When the buckle is not subjected to a force or the applied force is less than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1, the buckle is in a certain position relative to the force limiting module 1; however, when the buckle is subjected to a larger force greater than the force threshold, the buckle is in another position relative to the force limiting module 1, so that the distance between the buckle and the force limiting module 1 increases. In other words, since the buckle is displaced, the restraint of the seat belt on the passenger on the seat is reduced, and the force applied by the seat belt to the passenger's chest is reduced, thereby preventing the seat belt from being too tight and injuring the passenger and improving the passenger's comfort.

[0042] The force limiting module in various embodiments of the present invention is described in detail below.

[0043] Figure 1 The force limiting module in the locking assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 2 Components in a force-limiting module according to a first embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown. Figure 3(a) and Figure 3(b) schematically show some components in a force-limiting module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the force limiting module 1 includes a core shaft 10, a winding member 20, a deforming member 30, a guide member 40, an end cover 50 and a side plate 60. Next, the above components in this embodiment are described in detail.

[0045] The core shaft 10 has a through hole, which extends through the entire length of the core shaft 10 in the axial direction of the core shaft 10. The end cover 50 and the side plate 6 jointly define a receiving space to receive the core shaft 10 in the receiving space. Specifically, a support shaft 51 is provided on the end cover 50, and a receiving space is left between the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 51 and the circumferential side wall of the end cover 50. A support hole 61 is provided on the side plate 60. After the support shaft 51 of the end cover 50 passes through the above-mentioned through hole of the core shaft 10, it is matched with the support hole 61 of the side plate 60 to rotatably support the core shaft 10. In addition, as Figure 1 As shown, an opening section 52 is provided on the circumferential side wall of the end cover 50, and the winding member 20 will extend from the core shaft 10 and pass through the opening section 52 and then be fixed together with the lock buckle. Figure 1As shown, the mandrel 10 also has a narrowing section between the two ends, and the winding member 20 is fixed at the narrowing section of the mandrel 10; optionally, a fixing structure for fixing the winding member 20 may be provided at the narrowing section of the mandrel 10, and one end of the winding member 20 may be provided with a corresponding fixing end (i.e., Figure 1 The fixed portion and the fixed structure are fixed together, for example, by a snap-fit ​​connection. Of course, the mandrel 10 may also be designed differently. For example, the mandrel 10 may not be provided with an axially extending through hole. Alternatively, the mandrel is connected to the end cover and the side plate as a solid shaft through bearings to achieve rotatable support at the two axial ends.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, in addition to the fixed end described above, the winding member 20 also has a winding portion 21 wound on the core shaft 10, and the winding portion 21 can be wound forwardly on the narrowing section of the core shaft 10 for one or more turns. It can be understood that the core shaft is provided with a narrowing section for connecting the winding member, which has the following benefits: the winding portion of the winding member usually has a multi-turn stacked structure, so it has a larger radial size; and the narrowing section on the core shaft reserves a larger installation space for the winding portion, and after the core shaft is connected to the winding member, the radial size of the whole formed by the two is smaller. And, the above-mentioned winding portion 21 can reversely wind off the core shaft 10 when the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold. In addition, the winding member 20 also includes a fixing portion 22 fixed to the lock buckle, and the fixing portion 22 is, for example, an annular section, and is fixed to the lock buckle by hooking on the hook on the lock buckle. Of course, this is only an example, and the winding member and the lock buckle can also be fixed together in other fixing methods.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 , the deformation member 30 is constructed as an annular member. Figure 1 It can be clearly observed that the deformable member 30 is not a ring-shaped member closed in the circumferential direction, but has two gaps, which allow the deformable member to deform as described below. As an embodiment of the present invention, the deformable member 30 is constructed as a thin and long strip member bent; of course, the deformable member can also be formed by connecting multiple sections. Figure 1As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the deformation member 30 includes an abutment segment 31, a deformation segment 32 and a mating segment 33. In the present embodiment, the abutment segment 31 is substantially a part of the mating segment 33, that is, the abutment segment 31 and the mating segment 33 are integrated into one component. Specifically, two deformation segments 32 and two abutment segments 31 are provided. The two abutment segments 31 are approximately 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. Similarly, the two deformation segments 32 are approximately 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. The corresponding deformation segments 32 and abutment segments 31 are respectively provided at the two ends of the mating segment 33, and the deformation segment 32 is closer to the radial outside than the abutment segment 31. The deformation member 30 will be positioned at the end face of the core shaft 10, specifically Figure 1 At the right end face of the central core shaft 10. And, in this embodiment, the deformable member 30 is positioned in the following manner: a boss portion 11 is provided at the right end of the core shaft 10, and a groove 12 is provided in the boss portion 11. It can be understood that since the core shaft 10 is provided with the aforementioned axially extending through hole, correspondingly, the boss portion is an annular component, and the groove in this embodiment penetrates the thickness of the boss portion and extends from a first circumferential position of the boss portion, passes through the middle part of the boss portion, and reaches a second position of the boss portion that is different from the first position on the circumference of the boss portion, and the groove is divided into two sections by the axially extending through hole. In one example, the above-mentioned first position and second position are 180 degrees apart on the circumference of the boss portion. Of course, the relative position between the first position and the second position can also be set differently. As shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b), after the support portion 51 of the end cap 50 is positioned on the mandrel 10, a narrow groove extending in the circumferential direction is defined between the two. The narrow groove and the groove 12 together serve as the matching portion of the mandrel 10 and are matched with the matching section 33 of the deformable member 30. Specifically, the matching section 33 has the same curvature as the narrow groove and the groove 12 respectively to fit the matching portion tightly, so as to fix the deformable member 30 on the mandrel 10. In addition, the mandrel 10 includes a force application portion 111, which is a portion of the boss portion 11 adjacent to the groove 12, and abuts against the abutting section 31 of the deformable member 30 and applies force to the abutting section 31 when the mandrel 10 rotates.

[0048] like Figure 2As shown, the guide member 40 is arranged on the side plate 60, specifically, two guide members 40 in the form of arc-shaped members are arranged on the side of the side plate 60 opposite to each other. The guide member 40 includes a first circumferential side surface 411, a second circumferential side surface 412 and a transition surface 413 connecting the two. When the lock assembly is assembled, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the guide member 40 is located as a whole on the radial outside of the boss portion 11 of the mandrel 10. And, the first circumferential side surface 411 and the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40 have different distances from the rotation axis of the mandrel 10. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance between the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40 and the rotation axis of the mandrel 10 is greater than the distance between the second circumferential side surface 412 and the rotation axis of the mandrel 10. In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the boss portion 11 and the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40 define a deformation channel for the deformation section 32, which will be described in detail later. .

[0049] The working principle of the force limiting module of the present invention is described below with reference to FIG. 3( a ) and FIG. 3( b ).

[0050] As shown in FIG3(a), when the force applied to the lock buckle is not greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1, the mandrel 10 does not rotate. In this case, the deformation section 32 of the deformation member 30 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40. Specifically, in this embodiment, the deformation section 32 has a longer length, and only the section of the deformation section 32 closer to the abutment section 31 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, while the section farther away extends beyond the guide member 40 and remains suspended.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3( b ), when the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1 , the force application portion 111 of the core shaft 10 applies force to the abutment section 31 of the deformable member 40 . In this embodiment, the direction of the force is in the clockwise direction. Under the action of the force applied by the force application part 111, the deformable member 30 is fixed to the core shaft 10 via the matching section 33, so the deformable member 30 will also rotate along the clockwise direction with the core shaft 10. In this process, the deformable member 30 is deformed as follows under the action of the guide member 40: the upper deformable section 32 of the deformable member 30 first moves upward through the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, turns at the transition surface 413, and then moves downward through the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40 to move through the deformation channel; the lower deformable section 32 of the deformable member 30 first moves downward through the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, turns at the transition surface 413, and then moves upward through the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40 to move through the deformation channel. In other words, the deformable section 32 of the deformable member 30 moves from the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40 through the transition surface and to the second circumferential side surface 412. Comparing the deformation members shown in FIG. 3( a ) and FIG. 3( b ), after the deformation process, the radial dimension of the deformation member 30 becomes smaller.

[0052] It can be understood that in the lock assembly of the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation of the core shaft needs to overcome the deformation of the deformable member and the friction between the deformable member and the guide member located on the axial side of the core shaft. Since each component in the lock assembly, especially the deformable member, is easy to process, the lock assembly of the present invention is cost-effective and easy to manufacture.

[0053] The above embodiments are merely examples. For example, alternatively, the guide member may be disposed on the end cap and also located radially outside the end face of the mandrel, that is, the distance between the first circumferential side of the guide member and the rotation axis of the mandrel is greater than the distance between the second circumferential side of the guide member and the rotation axis of the mandrel. Also, a portion of the deformable member is fixedly connected to the mandrel, and the relative position between the deformable segment and the guide member is similar to that of the above embodiments, and the deformation process is also similar to the above deformation process, which will not be described in detail here.

[0054] Alternatively, the mating portion that performs shape mating with the mating section of the deformable member is not limited to the mating portion formed by the above-mentioned narrow groove and the groove. For example, instead of the narrow groove defined by the boss portion and the support portion of the end cover, the mating portion can be defined by the boss portion alone, that is, the mating portion can also be configured as follows: the mating portion is configured as a groove located on the end face of the mandrel, the groove starts from a first position on the outer periphery of the end face, extends along a predetermined path through the middle part of the end face to a second position on the outer periphery and does not extend through the inner periphery, and the first position is different from the second position. That is, the groove in this embodiment is a single groove and is radially spaced a predetermined distance from the axially extending through hole of the mandrel.

[0055] As an embodiment of the present invention, the arc-shaped guide member and the mandrel have the same central axis. It can be understood that this structure is beneficial to the processing and manufacturing of the components.

[0056] Figure 4 The force limiting module in the locking assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 5-Figure 7 The following schematically shows some components of the force limiting module according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4-Figure 7 A second embodiment of the present invention will be described, and parts thereof different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, with the same parts not described again to avoid redundancy.

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown, the mating portion of the mandrel 10 is constructed as a notch portion 13 at the periphery of the two end faces. In other words, the notch portion 13 extends inwardly from the edge of the end face of the mandrel 10. The mating section 33 of the deformation member 30 is constructed as a U-shaped section. Figure 5 As shown, the bottom portion of the U-shaped segment is positioned in the notch portion 13, and the portions on both sides thereof extend upward approximately along the circumferential direction. The mandrel 10 includes a force application portion 111, Figure 5 The force application portion 111 is a portion of the mandrel 10 adjacent to the groove 12, which abuts against the abutment section 31 of the deformable member 30 and applies force to the abutment section 31 when the mandrel 10 rotates counterclockwise. In this embodiment, the abutment section 31 is substantially a portion of the mating section 33, that is, the abutment section 31 and the mating section 33 are integrated into one component. And, when Figure 5 When the mandrel 10 shown rotates counterclockwise, the abutting portion 31 of the deformable member 30 is subjected to the force applied by the force application portion 111. Since the U-shaped section is engaged with the notch portion 13 of the mandrel 10, the deformable member 30 rotates together with the mandrel 10 under the force of the force application portion 111. The two deformable segments 32 are respectively located on both sides of the matching segment 33 to be positioned on the two end faces of the mandrel 10, that is, in this embodiment, each end face of the mandrel 10 is provided with a deformable segment 32.

[0058] And, if Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the guide member 40 is respectively arranged on the side surfaces of the side plate 60 and the end cover 50 facing the core shaft 10, the deformation section 32 is connected to the mating section 33 and is bent back from the end of the U-shaped section to the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, and the deformation section 32 is located radially outside the mating section 33.

[0059] When the force applied to the lock buckle is not greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1, the mandrel 10 does not rotate, and the deformation section 32 of the deformation member 30 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40. Specifically, in this embodiment, the deformation section 32 has a relatively long length, and only the section of the deformation section 32 closer to the abutment section 31 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, while the section farther away extends beyond the guide member 40 and remains suspended.

[0060] When the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1, the force application portion 111 of the mandrel 10 applies force to the abutment section 31 of the deformable member 40. Figure 5 In the mandrel 10 shown in FIG. 1 , the direction of the force is counterclockwise. Under the force applied by the force application portion 111, the deformable member 30 is fixed to the mandrel 10 via the matching section 33. Therefore, the deformable member 30 also rotates counterclockwise with the mandrel 10. In this process, the deformable member 30 deforms as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 7 The deforming sections 32 of the deforming members 30 are respectively moved upward through the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, turn at the transition surface 413, and then move downward through the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40. In other words, the deforming sections 32 of the deforming members 30 move from the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40 through the transition surface and to the second circumferential side surface 412. After the deformation process, the radial dimension of the deforming member 30 becomes smaller.

[0061] It can be understood that in the lock assembly of the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation of the core shaft needs to overcome the deformation of the deformable member and the friction between the deformable member and the guide members located on both axial sides of the core shaft.

[0062] Figure 8 Partial components of a force limiting module according to a third embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown. Fig. 9 The components of the force limiting module according to the third embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown. Figure 8-Figure 9 A third embodiment of the present invention will be described, and parts thereof different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, with the same parts not described again to avoid redundancy.

[0063] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9As shown, the guide members 40 are respectively arranged at the two axial end faces of the core shaft 10. The end cover 50 is provided with a fixing portion 52 at the opening section of its circumferential side wall, which is specifically a convex piece. The deformable member 30 includes a fitting segment 33, which is specifically a U-shaped segment that is clamped together with the fixing portion 52 of the end cover 50. The deformable member 30 also includes a deformable segment 32, and the two deformable segments 32 are respectively located on both sides of the fitting segment 33 to be positioned at the two end faces of the core shaft 10. Specifically, the two deformable segments 32 are connected to the U-shaped segment, and the deformable segment 32 is located on the radial inner side of the fitting segment 33, and is bent from the end of the U-shaped segment to the first circumferential side face of the guide member 40 at the end face of the core shaft 10.

[0064] like Fig. 9 As shown, the guide member 40 is also used as the force application portion 111 of the mandrel 10, specifically, the transition surface 413 of the guide member 40 acts as the force application portion 111. Moreover, in this embodiment, the distance between the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40 and the rotation axis of the mandrel 10 is smaller than the distance between the second circumferential side surface 412 and the rotation axis of the mandrel 10.

[0065] When the force applied to the lock buckle is not greater than the force threshold defined by the force limiting module 1, the mandrel 10 does not rotate, and the deformation section 32 of the deformation member 30 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40. Specifically, in this embodiment, the deformation section 32 has a relatively long length, and only the section of the deformation section 32 closer to the abutment section 31 is located on the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, while the section farther away extends beyond the guide member 40 and remains suspended.

[0066] When the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold value defined by the force limiting module 1, the force application portion 111 of the mandrel 10 applies force to the abutment section 31 of the deformable member 40. Fig. 9 In the mandrel 10 shown, the direction of the force is in the clockwise direction. Under the action of the force applied by the force application portion 111, the deformable member 30 is fixed to the end cover 50 via the mating section 31, so the deformable member 30 is deformed as follows: the deformable section 32 of the deformable member 30 moves through the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40, turns at the transition surface 413, and then moves through the second circumferential side surface 412 of the guide member 40. In other words, the deformable section 32 of the deformable member 30 moves from the first circumferential side surface 411 of the guide member 40 through the transition surface and to the second circumferential side surface 412. After the deformation process, the radial dimension of the deformable member 30 increases.

[0067] It can be understood that in the lock assembly of the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation of the core shaft needs to overcome the deformation of the deformable member and the friction between the deformable member and the guide member located on the core shaft.

[0068] Another aspect of the present invention provides a safety belt buckle, which comprises a locking tongue and any one of the above described locking assemblies cooperating with the locking tongue. The features described with reference to the locking assemblies are also applicable to the safety belt buckle, and will not be described again to avoid redundancy.

[0069] As mentioned above, although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and the protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A lock assembly, comprising: a buckle for cooperating with the locking tongue to secure the seat belt to the seat; It is characterized in that The lock assembly also includes a force limiting module (1), which is connected to the lock and is used to limit a force threshold. The force limiting module (1) comprises: A core shaft (10) which is rotatably supported at both axial ends and has a force application portion (111); A winding member (20) having a winding portion (21) wound around the core shaft (10) and a fixing portion (22) fixed to the lock buckle; a deformation member (30) which is at least partially disposed at the end surface of the mandrel (10) and comprises a contact section (31) contacting the force application portion (111) and a deformation section (32) connected to the contact section (31); and A guide member (40), comprising a first circumferential side surface (411), a second circumferential side surface (412) and a transition surface (413) connecting the first circumferential side surface (411) and the second circumferential side surface (412) having different distances from the rotation axis of the core shaft (10); When the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold value defined by the force limiting module (1), the force application portion (111) of the core shaft (10) applies force to the abutment section (31) of the deformable member (30), so that the deformable section (32) of the deformable member (30) moves from the first circumferential side surface (411) of the guide member (40) through the transition surface (413) and to the second circumferential side surface (412).

2. The lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The force limiting module (1) further comprises a side plate (60) and an end cover (50) respectively located at two ends of the core shaft (10); the core shaft (10) is rotatably supported on the side plate (60) and the end cover (50).

3. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The guide member (40) is arranged on at least one of the side plate (60) and the end cover (50) and is located radially outside the end surface of the core shaft (10), a portion of the deformation member (30) is fixedly connected to the core shaft (10), and the distance between the first circumferential side surface (411) and the rotation axis of the core shaft (10) is greater than the distance between the second circumferential side surface (412) and the rotation axis of the core shaft (10).

4. The lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The core shaft (10) further comprises a matching portion, and the deformable member (30) further comprises a matching section (33), wherein the matching section (33) and the matching portion match in shape so as to fix the matching section (33) of the deformable member (30) to the core shaft (10).

5. The lock assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The matching portion is configured as a groove located on the end surface of the mandrel (10), the groove starting from a first position on the periphery of the end surface, extending along a predetermined path through a middle portion of the end surface to a second position on the periphery, and the first position is different from the second position; The mating segment (33) is constructed to be fixedly accommodated in the groove, and the two deformation segments (32) are respectively positioned at two ends of the mating segment (33) and extend from the mating segment (33) to the first circumferential side surface (411) of the corresponding guide member (40).

6. The lock assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The matching portion is constructed as a notch portion (13) at the periphery of the two end faces of the core shaft (10), the matching section (33) is constructed as a U-shaped section snap-fitted with the notch portion (13), and the two deformation sections (32) are respectively located on both sides of the matching section (33) to be positioned on the two end faces of the core shaft (10).

7. The lock assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The two guide members (40) are arranged on the side of the side plate (60) facing the core shaft (10), the end of the core shaft (10) has a boss portion (11), the groove is arranged in the boss portion (11), and the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion (11) and the second circumferential side surface (412) of the guide member (40) define a deformation channel for the deformation section (32).

8. The lock assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The guide member (40) is respectively arranged on the side of the side plate (60) and the end cover (50) facing the core shaft (10), and the deformation section (32) is connected to the U-shaped section and is bent back from the end of the U-shaped section to the first circumferential side surface (411) of the guide member (40).

9. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The deformable member (30) is fixed on the side plate (60) or the end cover (50), the guide member (40) is arranged on the end face of the core shaft (10), and the distance between the first circumferential side surface (411) and the rotation axis of the core shaft (10) is smaller than the distance between the second circumferential side surface (412) and the rotation axis of the core shaft (10).

10. The lock assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The end cover (50) includes a fixing portion (52) located at its circumferential side wall, the deformable member (30) includes a U-shaped segment snap-fitted to the fixing portion (52), and the deformable segment (32) is connected to the U-shaped segment and bent from the end of the U-shaped segment to the first circumferential side surface (411) of the guide member (40).

11. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The core shaft (10) has a through hole, the end cover (50) is provided with a support shaft (51), the side plate (60) is provided with a support hole (61), the support shaft (51) passes through the through hole of the core shaft (10) and cooperates with the support hole (61) to rotatably support the core shaft (10), and the winding member (20) is fixed in the narrowing section between the two ends of the core shaft (10).

12. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The guide (40) is configured to have an arc-shaped configuration and has the same central axis as the mandrel (10).

13. The lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The deformation member (30) is configured as a ring-shaped member.

14. The lock assembly according to claim 13, wherein: The deformation piece (30) is constructed by bending an elongated strip.

15. A seat belt buckle, characterized in that: The utility model comprises a locking tongue and a lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14 cooperating with the locking tongue.

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