Buckle devices and automobiles

Abstract

The buckle body is supported to bias it to rotate from the forward and retracted positions toward the reference position, while also reducing the number of parts. [Solution] The buckle device 10 comprises a buckle body 11, a bracket 12 extending from the buckle body 11, an anchor plate 13, a connecting pin 16 rotatably connecting the bracket 12 to the anchor plate 13, and a torsion spring 20 having a coil portion 21, a first arm 22, and a second arm 23, through which the connecting pin 16 is inserted. The torsion spring 20 is positioned on the side of the bracket 12 opposite to the anchor plate 13, and the tips of the first arm 22 and the second arm 23 are bent in the direction of the axial center of the coil portion 21 to form a first handle portion 22a and a second handle portion 23a, and the first arm 22 and the second arm 23 intersect, with the bracket 12 and the extended piece 13c of the anchor plate 13 sandwiched between the first handle portion 22a and the second handle portion 23a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a buckle device in which a buckle body is rotatable, and an automobile equipped with this buckle device.

Background Art

[0002] A seat belt device installed in an automobile or the like is configured to latch a tongue through which a webbing for restraining an occupant is passed to a buckle. For example, in the rear seat of an automobile, a buckle is disposed in a region at the rear of a seat cushion and at the lower part of a seat back. During normal use, the buckle is in a posture in which the insertion port faces forward and upward so that the tongue can be easily inserted.

[0003] There is known an automobile that tilts a seat back of a seat to a non-use position in front and uses the upper space of the seat back in the non-use position as a luggage storage space. When the seat back is rotated to the non-use position, the buckle is pressed by the seat back and is tilted to the forward-tilt position. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-179225) discloses a configuration in which when the seat back is returned from the non-use position to the use position, the buckle is automatically returned to the use position by a spring force.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that the buckle is supported so as to be rotatable to a retracted position behind its use position, and when an occupant straddles the seat cushion and the buckle and sits down, the buckle rotates to the retracted position to prevent the buckle from strongly hitting the occupant's buttocks, and when an external force applied to the buckle is removed, the buckle is automatically returned to the use position by a spring force.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, since a first spring that rotationally biases the buckle from the forward-tilt position toward the use position, and a swing arm and a second spring that rotationally bias the buckle from the retracted position toward the use position are used, the number of parts is large, the size becomes large, and the cost is high.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-179225 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a buckle device that supports the buckle body so as to be biased to rotate from a forward-tilted position and a retracted position toward a reference position, while also reducing the number of parts, and an automobile equipped with this buckle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The buckle device of the present invention comprises a buckle body through which a tongue on which a webbing for restraining an occupant is threaded engages; a bracket extending from the lower part of the buckle body; an anchor plate fixed to a vehicle body member; a connecting pin rotatably connecting the bracket to the anchor plate; and a torsion spring having a coil portion, a first arm extending from one end of the coil portion, and a second arm extending from the other end of the coil portion, with the connecting pin inserted through the coil portion. The torsion spring is positioned on the side of the bracket opposite to the anchor plate, the tip of the first arm is a first handle portion bent in the direction of the axis of the coil portion, and the tip of the second arm is a second handle portion bent in the direction of the axis of the coil portion, the first arm and the second arm intersect, and the bracket and the anchor plate are sandwiched between the first handle portion and the second handle portion.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the base end of the second arm is bent in a substantially Z shape, and a protrusion is provided on the torsion spring side surface of the bracket. When the buckle body and the bracket are rotated to a forward position, tilted forward from the reference position, the protrusion engages with the base end of the second arm, the second handle portion separates from the bracket and the anchor plate, and the first handle portion engages with the anchor plate.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, when the buckle body and the bracket are rotated to a retracted position behind the reference position, the second handle portion engages with the anchor plate and the first handle portion engages with the bracket.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the protrusion is a rivet, a press-fit pin, or a cut-up bracket.

[0012] The automobile of the present invention comprises a seat cushion and a seat back, a buckle device of the present invention disposed in a notch at the rear of the seat cushion, a webbing for restraining the occupant, and a tongue that is threaded through the webbing, wherein when the seat back is tilted forward to a non-use position, the buckle body and the bracket are pressed against the seat back and rotate to the tilted forward position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the buckle body is supported so as to be biased to rotate from the forward-tilted position and the retracted position toward the reference position, while also reducing the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a seat according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the buckle device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the buckle device. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of a torsion spring. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the reference position. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of the torsion spring when the buckle body is in the reference position. [Figure 7] This is a rear view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the reference position. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the reference position. [Figure 9] This is a front view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the forward-tilt position. [Figure 10] This is an enlarged front view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the forward-tilt position. [Figure 11] This is an enlarged rear view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the forward-tilt position. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the torsion spring when the buckle body is in the forward-tilt position. [Figure 13] This is a front view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the retracted position. [Figure 14] This is an enlarged front view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the retracted position. [Figure 15] This is an enlarged rear view of the buckle device when the buckle body is in the retracted position. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view of the torsion spring when the buckle body is in the retracted position.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following embodiments, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are the same as the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle unless otherwise specified. FR and UP in the figures indicate the front direction and the upward direction of the vehicle.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seat 1 arranged in the vehicle interior. The seat 1 is, for example, a rear seat arranged at the rear of the vehicle interior.

[0017] Seat 1 has a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3. Seat 1 is also equipped with a seat belt device for restraining the occupant seated on the seat cushion 2. The seat belt device has a webbing 4 for restraining the occupant, a tongue 5 through which the webbing 4 is threaded, a retractor 6 for winding and unwinding the webbing 4, and a buckle device 10 to which the tongue 5 is attached and detached.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the buckle device 10 is positioned within a notch 2a formed in the rear of the seat cushion 2 and supports the buckle body 11, into which the tongue 5 engages, so that it can rotate to a forward position (see Figure 9) and a retracted position (see Figure 13). Note that Figure 2 shows the state in which no external force is applied to the buckle body 11, which is the reference position (initial position) of the buckle body 11. The tongue 5 is connected when the buckle body 11 is in the reference position.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the buckle device 10 includes a buckle body 11, a bracket 12 extending from the lower part of the buckle body 11, an anchor plate 13, a bolt 14, a bush 15, a first rivet 16, a second rivet 18, and a torsion spring (torsion coil spring) 20.

[0020] The anchor plate 13 is an L-shaped metal plate with a bottom surface 13a and a vertical wall portion 13b that rises substantially vertically from the end of the bottom surface 13a. The anchor plate 13 is fixed to the floor panel 7 by inserting bolts 14 through bolt insertion holes H1 formed in the bottom surface 13a and bolt insertion holes (not shown) formed in the floor panel 7, and screwing nuts (not shown) onto them and tightening them. The anchor plate 13 may also be attached to a vehicle body member other than the floor panel 7.

[0021] The vertical wall portion 13b of the anchor plate 13 is longer in the front-to-back direction than the bottom portion 13a. Specifically, the front end of the vertical wall portion 13b is located in front of the front edge of the bottom portion 13a. An opening H2 is formed in the vertical wall portion 13b in the region in front of the front edge of the bottom portion 13a.

[0022] Of the vertical wall portion 13b, the portion in front of the opening H2 is an extension piece 13c that extends diagonally forward and upward. The extension piece 13c has a pair of side edges and a front edge connecting the tips of the pair of side edges. The width W1 of the extension piece 13c is approximately the same as the width W2 of the bracket 12.

[0023] An opening 12a is formed at the lower end of the bracket 12 (the end opposite to the buckle body 11). A smaller hole 12b, smaller in diameter than the opening 12a, is formed near the opening 12a. Specifically, with the buckle body 11 in its reference position, the smaller hole 12b is located above the opening 12a, in front of the center of the opening 12a, and behind the front end of the opening 12a.

[0024] The shape, dimensions, and position of the opening of the anchor plate 13 are not limited to those shown in the illustration and can be appropriately changed according to the position and shape of the mounting area of ​​the buckle device 10.

[0025] The bracket 12 is rotatably attached to the anchor plate 13 by sequentially inserting the shaft of the first rivet 16 through the coil portion 21 of the torsion spring 20, the opening 12a of the bracket 12, the bush 15, and the opening H2 of the anchor plate 13, and then plastically deforming (crimping) it. The torsion spring 20 is positioned on one side of the bracket 12, and the other side faces the vertical wall portion 13b of the anchor plate 13. The bracket 12 is rotatably supported on the vertical wall portion 13b of the anchor plate 13 via the first rivet 16. The member connecting the bracket 12 and the vertical wall portion 13b is not limited to a rivet; other connecting pins having a cylindrical portion inserted through the coil portion 21, the opening 12a, the bush 15, and the opening H2 can be used.

[0026] Before attaching the bracket 12 to the anchor plate 13, the shaft of the second rivet 18 is inserted through the small hole 12b from the side of the torsion spring arrangement surface and plastically deformed (crimped) to attach the second rivet 18 to the bracket 12. This creates a protrusion on the torsion spring arrangement surface of the bracket 12 formed by the head of the second rivet 18.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the torsion spring 20 has a coil portion 21, a first arm 22 extending from one end of the coil portion 21, and a second arm 23 extending from the other end of the coil portion 21. The first arm 22 extends tangentially to the coil portion 21, and its tip is a first handle portion 22a that is bent in the direction of the coil axis.

[0028] The second arm 23 extends in a direction approximately tangential to the coil section 21, and its base end 23b is Z-bent so as to rise away from the coil axis. That is, the base end 23b has a roughly Z-shape with two bent sections. The portion beyond the base end 23b extends approximately parallel to the tangential direction of the coil section 21. The tip of the second arm 23 is a second handle section 23a that is bent in the direction of the coil axis.

[0029] The torsion spring 20 is made of metal, and the material is not limited, but stainless steel can be used, for example.

[0030] In the free state of the torsion spring 20, the first arm 22 and the second arm 23 may be crossing each other. When assembling the bracket 12, anchor plate 13 and torsion spring 20 using the first rivet 16, the gap between the first handle portion 22a and the second handle portion 23a of the crossed first arm 22 and second arm 23 is widened, and the bracket 12 and extension piece 13c are sandwiched between the first handle portion 22a and the second handle portion 23a.

[0031] As a result, as shown in Figures 5 to 8, the bracket 12 extends along the extension direction of the extension piece 13c, and the buckle body 11 is supported in the reference position (initial position). The angle θ between the extension direction of the extension piece 13c and the horizontal direction can be set arbitrarily. The second arm 23 is in contact with or slightly separated from the torsion spring arrangement surface of the bracket 12. The second arm 23 is positioned lower than the top surface of the head of the second rivet 18 when viewed from the torsion spring arrangement surface of the bracket 12. The base end 23b of the second arm 23 is located between the coil portion 21 and the second rivet 18.

[0032] The first arm 22 is positioned higher (separated) from the top surface of the head of the second rivet 18 when viewed from the torsion spring arrangement surface of the bracket 12.

[0033] When the seatback 3 of seat 1 is tilted forward to an unused position, and the space above the unused seatback 3 is used as a luggage storage space, as shown in Figures 9 to 12, the buckle body 11 is pressed by the seatback 3 (not shown), and the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 rotate to the tilted forward position around the first rivet 16.

[0034] The first handle portion 22a of the first arm 22 engages with the upper side edge of the extension piece 13c.

[0035] As the bracket 12 rotates to the forward position, the second rivet 18 (the head of the second rivet 18) engages with the base end portion 23b (the roughly Z-shaped bend) of the second arm 23. The second handle portion 23a of the second arm 23 does not contact the bracket 12 and is slightly separated from the side edge of the bracket 12.

[0036] When the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 are rotated to the forward position, as shown in Figure 12, the point of contact between the base end 23b and the second rivet 18 becomes the point of force application, and the point of contact between the first handle portion 22a and the extension piece 13c becomes the point of application. The distance L1 from the coil portion 21 to the point of application and the distance L2 from the coil portion 21 to the point of force application are as shown in the figure.

[0037] The spring constant of the torsion spring 20 can be approximated by the following equation using distances L1 and L2. In the following equation, D is the average diameter of the coil, N is the effective number of turns, E is the Young's modulus of elasticity according to the material of the torsion spring 20, and d is the diameter of the material.

[0038]

number

[0039] The torsion spring 20 biases the bracket 12 and the buckle body 11 to rotate from the forward-tilted position to the reference position. When the seat back 3 is returned to the usage position shown in Figure 1, the bracket 12 and the buckle body 11 rotate back to the reference position.

[0040] When an occupant straddles the seat cushion 2 and the buckle body 11 and sits down, the buckle body 11 and the bracket 12 rotate to a retracted position around the first rivet 16, as shown in Figures 13 to 16.

[0041] At this time, the first handle portion 22a of the first arm 22 engages with the side edge of the bracket 12. Also, the second handle portion 23a of the second arm 23 engages with the lower side edge of the extension piece 13c.

[0042] When the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 are rotated to the retracted position, as shown in Figure 16, the point of contact between the first handle portion 22a and the bracket 12 becomes the point of force application, and the point of contact between the second handle portion 23a and the extension piece 13c becomes the point of application. The distance L1 from the coil portion 21 to the point of application and the distance L2 from the coil portion 21 to the point of force application are as shown in the figure.

[0043] The torsion spring 20 biases the bracket 12 and the buckle body 11 to rotate from the retracted position to the reference position. When the external force applied to the buckle body 11 is removed, such as when the occupant shifts their waist position, the bracket 12 and the buckle body 11 rotate back to the reference position.

[0044] As can be seen from Figures 12 and 16, the sum of the distance L1 from the coil portion 21 to the point of application and the distance L2 from the coil portion 21 to the point of force application (L1 + L2) is different when the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 are rotated to the forward position and when they are rotated to the retracted position.

[0045] When the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 are rotated to the forward position, the distance L2 from the coil portion 21 to the point of force application is short, so the value of L1 + L2 becomes small. As a result, the spring constant increases, and the buckle body 11 can be reliably rotated from the forward position to the reference position.

[0046] On the other hand, when the buckle body 11 and bracket 12 are rotated to the retracted position, the distance L2 from the coil portion 21 to the point of force application is long, so the value of L1 + L2 becomes large. As a result, the spring constant becomes smaller, the buckle body 11 does not press strongly against the occupant's buttocks, and discomfort to the occupant can be suppressed.

[0047] According to this embodiment, only one spring (torsion spring 20) is used to bias the buckle body 11 to rotate from the forward-tilted position and the retracted position toward the reference position. Compared to conventional configurations that require two springs, such as those described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-179225, this allows for miniaturization and cost reduction.

[0048] Furthermore, a single torsion spring 20 can be used to change the spring constant when the device is rotated to the forward position and when it is rotated to the backward position.

[0049] In the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which a projection made by the second rivet 18 engages with the base end 23b of the second arm 23 when the bracket 12 rotates to the forward position. However, the projection that engages with the base end 23b may be a press-fit pin or it may be made by cutting and bending the bracket.

[0050] The above embodiments represent one aspect of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 seat 2 seat cushions 3 Seatback 10 Buckle device 11 Buckle body 12 brackets 13 Anchor plate 16. First rivet 18. Second rivet 20 Torsion springs 22 First Arm 23. Second Arm 22a First handle section 23a Second handle section 23b Proximal end

Claims

1. A buckle body into which a tongue, through which crew restraint webbing is threaded, is engaged, A bracket extending from the lower part of the buckle body, Anchor plate fixed to the vehicle body member, A connecting pin that rotatably connects the bracket to the anchor plate, A torsion spring having a coil portion, a first arm extending from one end of the coil portion, and a second arm extending from the other end of the coil portion, with the connecting pin inserted through the coil portion, Equipped with, The torsion spring is positioned on the side of the bracket opposite to the anchor plate. The tip of the first arm is a first handle portion that is bent in the direction of the axial center of the coil portion. The tip of the second arm is a second handle portion that is bent in the direction of the axial center of the coil portion. The first arm and the second arm intersect, A buckle device in which the bracket and the anchor plate are sandwiched between the first handle portion and the second handle portion.

2. The base end of the second arm is bent in a roughly Z-shape. A protrusion is provided on the torsion spring side surface of the bracket, The buckle device according to claim 1, wherein when the buckle body and the bracket are rotated to a forward-tilted position, the protrusion engages with the base end of the second arm, the second handle separates from the bracket and the anchor plate, and the first handle engages with the anchor plate.

3. The buckle device according to claim 2, wherein when the buckle body and the bracket are rotated to a retracted position behind the reference position, the second handle portion engages with the anchor plate and the first handle portion engages with the bracket.

4. The buckle device according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned protrusion is a rivet, a press-fit pin, or a cut-and-bent bracket.

5. Seat cushion and seat back, The buckle device according to claim 2, which is positioned in the notch at the rear of the seat cushion, Crew restraint webbing, The tongue is threaded through the aforementioned webbing, Equipped with, An automobile in which, when the seat back is tilted forward to an unused position, the buckle body and the bracket are pressed against the seat back and rotate to the tilted forward position.

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