Buckle device

Abstract

Provided is a buckle device that can reduce the number of parts of a buckle switch and can be miniaturized. 【Solution means】The buckle device includes a buckle main body portion having a latch member that latches an inserted tongue, an ejector 6 that moves as the tongue is inserted and removed, and a base 4 that supports the ejector 6 so as to be movable in the tongue insertion / removal direction, a switch portion 10 that is installed outside a side wall portion 41 of the base 4 and detects the latching of the tongue, an upper cover and a lower cover that house the buckle main body portion and the switch portion 10, and a switch contact 7 that moves together with the ejector 6 between a bottom surface portion 40 of the base 4 and the lower cover. The switch portion 10 has a magnet, a sensor portion that incorporates a magnetic circuit, and a shield plate 13 that slides in conjunction with the movement of the switch contact 7. The shield plate 13 enters or exits between the magnet and the sensor portion by sliding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a buckle device for a seat belt device equipped on seats of automobiles and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, vehicles such as automobiles are provided with a seat belt device that restrains an occupant on a seat having a seat bottom (seat cushion) on which the occupant sits and a seat back (seat back) located behind the occupant. The seat belt device includes a webbing that restrains the occupant, a retractor that winds up the webbing, a buckle disposed on the side of the seat, and a tongue disposed on the webbing, and restrains the occupant on the seat by latching the tongue to the buckle.

[0003] The buckle is provided with a buckle switch for detecting that the tongue has been inserted and latched. As this buckle switch, there is one that includes a magnet and a magnetic sensing element installed with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a plate having a shielding region that enters the gap as the tongue is inserted, and the latch is detected based on a change in the magnetic flux density received by the magnetic sensing element from the magnet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a buckle device capable of reducing the number of parts and miniaturizing the buckle switch.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The buckle device of the present invention includes a latch member that latches onto an inserted tongue to latch the tongue, an operation button for releasing the latch of the tongue by the latch member, an ejector that moves as the tongue is inserted and removed, a base that includes a bottom surface portion and a pair of side wall portions that rise from the short-side edge portions of the bottom surface portion, and supports the ejector on the bottom surface portion so as to be movable in the tongue insertion / removal direction, a switch portion that is installed outside the side wall portions and detects the latching of the tongue, an upper cover and a lower cover that house the buckle main body portion and the switch portion, and a switch contact that is connected to the ejector and moves together with the ejector between the bottom surface portion of the base and the lower cover. The switch portion includes a magnet, a sensor portion that incorporates a magnetic circuit, and a shield plate that slides in conjunction with the movement of the switch contact. The shield plate enters or exits between the magnet and the sensor portion by sliding.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, the shield plate has a main plate portion that enters or exits between the magnet and the sensor portion, a seat plate portion that extends from the lower edge of the main plate portion in the direction of the buckle center, and two leg portions that hang down from the tip of the seat plate portion. The end portion of the switch contact is disposed between the two leg portions.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the leg portions are L-shaped with the lower ends bent in the direction of the buckle center.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the switch contact is a rod-shaped member that extends in the short-side direction of the base.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the number of parts of the buckle switch can be reduced and miniaturization can be achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a buckle device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the buckle device includes a buckle main body portion 1 into which a tongue (not shown) is detachably inserted and locked, an upper cover 2 and a lower cover 3 that house the buckle main body portion 1, and a switch unit 10. The upper cover 2 has an insertion port 2a for the tongue. In this embodiment, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction in FIG. 1. That is, it refers to the vertical direction when the buckle device is placed on a horizontal plane such that the upper cover 2 is on the upper side and the lower cover 3 is on the lower side.

[0014] The buckle main body 1 includes a latch member having a claw portion engageable with the opening of the tongue, an operation button 5 for releasing the engagement of the latch member, a base 4 that drivably supports the latch member and the operation button 5, a lock pin that is supported by the base 4 and restricts the movement of the latch member engaged with the tongue in the disengagement direction, an ejector 6 (see FIG. 6) that is slidably disposed in the longitudinal direction of the base 4 and can be urged in the direction of detaching the tongue from the buckle main body 1, a metal lever (inertia lever) that is rotatably supported by the base 4 and prevents the movement of the operation button 5 when the operation button 5 receives an inertial force in the release direction when the tongue and the latch member are engaged, and the like.

[0015] The base 4 is a U-shaped frame having a pair of side wall portions 41 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) that rotatably support the latch member and a bottom surface portion 40 that connects the pair of side wall portions 41. The bottom surface portion 40 is a member having a rectangular shape in plan view, and the side wall portions 41 stand up from a pair of side edges at both ends in the short side direction. The side wall portions 41 are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base.

[0016] A holding hole 42 extending in the longitudinal direction of the base 4 is formed in the bottom surface portion 40, and the ejector 6 is supported in the holding hole 42 so as to be movable in the direction of inserting and removing the tongue. An ejector spring (not shown) is disposed in the holding hole 42 to urge the ejector 6. A convex portion 43 is formed at the edge of the holding hole 42, and the convex portion 43 is inserted inside one end portion of the ejector spring. The other end portion of the ejector spring is attached to the ejector 6.

[0017] When the tongue is inserted into the insertion port 2a of the upper cover 2, the ejector 6 is pushed in by the tongue, and the ejector 6 rotates the latch member in the direction of engaging with the tongue. The latch member engages with the opening of the tongue, and the tongue can be restrained by the buckle main body 1.

[0018] On one hand, when removing the tongue, by pushing the operation button 5, the latch member rotates in the disengaging direction, and the opening of the tongue is released from the latch member. Then, the tongue is released to the outside of the buckle device through the ejector 6 by the biasing force of the ejector spring.

[0019] The switch unit 10 detects that the tongue has been inserted and latched, and is installed outside the side wall portion 41 of the base 4 and inside the peripheral wall of the lower cover 3.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the switch unit 10 has a sensor unit 12, a shield plate 13, and a magnet 17. These components are housed in the housing 11 and covered with a resin mold 16. The sensor unit 12 has a magnetic circuit built-in sensor chip. The housing 11 has a longitudinal direction parallel to the insertion / removal direction of the tongue, that is, the moving direction of the ejector 6. The shield plate 13 is slidable along the longitudinal direction of the housing 11 inside the housing 11.

[0021] The shield plate 13 is made of metal and has a main board portion 13a parallel to the vertical direction, a seat board portion 13b extending from the lower edge of the main board portion 13a toward the center of the buckle and forming a right angle with the main board portion 13a, and two leg portions 13c hanging down from the tip of the seat board portion 13b. The lower ends of the leg portions 13c are L-shaped with the lower ends bent toward the center of the buckle. Between the lower ends of the two leg portions 13c, the ends of the switch contact 7 described later are arranged.

[0022] Two harnesses 14 and 15 are connected to the sensor unit 12, and power supply and signal output are performed through the harnesses 14 and 15.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, a magnet 17 is installed near the sensor unit 12. The main board portion 13a of the shield plate 13 advances and retreats within the gap between the sensor unit 12 and the magnet 17. By the main board portion 13a advancing and retreating within the gap, the magnetic flux density received by the sensor unit 12 from the magnet 17 changes. The sensor unit 12 outputs a signal corresponding to this change in magnetic flux density to the vehicle side.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the switch contact 7 is a rod-shaped member extending in the short direction of the base 4 and is connected to the ejector 6. The switch contact 7 is disposed between the bottom surface portion 40 of the base 4 and the bottom surface portion of the lower cover 3 and slides together with the ejector 6.

[0025] The switch contact 7 is longer than the width of the base 4 in the short direction, and an end portion protruding outside the side wall portion 41 of the base 4 is disposed between the lower ends of the two leg portions 13c of the shield plate 13 described above. Thereby, the shield plate 13 slides in conjunction with the sliding of the switch contact 7.

[0026] FIG. 8 shows the switch contact 7 and the leg portion 13c of the shield plate 13 when the tongue is not inserted into the buckle device. At this time, the main plate portion 13a of the shield plate 13 is located between the sensor portion 12 and the magnet 17.

[0027] When the tongue is inserted into the buckle device, the ejector 6 is pushed in by the tongue, the latch member engages with the opening of the tongue, and the tongue is latched. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the shield plate 13 slides together with the ejector 6 and the switch contact 7, and the main plate portion 13a exits from the gap between the sensor portion 12 and the magnet 17. The magnetic flux density received by the sensor portion 12 from the magnet 17 changes, and a signal detecting that the tongue is latched is output to the vehicle side.

[0028] When the operation button 5 is pushed to release the opening of the tongue from the latch member, the tongue is released to the outside of the buckle device via the ejector 6 by the biasing force of the ejector spring. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the shield plate 13 slides together with the ejector 6 and the switch contact 7, and the main plate portion 13a enters the gap between the sensor portion 12 and the magnet 17. The magnetic flux density received by the sensor portion 12 from the magnet 17 changes, and a signal detecting that the tongue is detached is output to the vehicle side.

[0029] In this embodiment, since a sensor chip with a built-in magnetic circuit is used in the sensor unit 12 of the switch unit 10, there is no need to configure a circuit on the substrate, the number of components can be reduced, and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0030] Also, when mounting the switch unit 10, no new dedicated parts are generated on the buckle main body unit 1 side, so the cost can be suppressed.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0032] 1 Buckle main body unit 2 Upper cover 3 Lower cover 4 Base 5 Operation button 6 Ejector 7 Switch contact 10 Switch unit 11 Housing 12 Sensor unit 13 Shield plate 14, 15 Harness 16 Resin mold 17 Magnet

Claims

1. a buckle body including: a latch member that engages with an inserted tongue to latch the tongue; an operation button for releasing the latch of the tongue by the latch member; an ejector that moves as the tongue is inserted or removed; and a base that includes a bottom surface and a pair of side walls that stand up from side edges in a short direction of the bottom surface, and supports the ejector on the bottom surface so as to be movable in the tongue insertion / removal direction; a switch portion disposed on an outer side of the side wall portion and configured to detect latching of the tongue; an upper cover and a lower cover that accommodate the buckle body and the switch; a switch contactor connected to the ejector and moving together with the ejector between the bottom surface of the base and the lower cover; Equipped with A buckle device in which the switch section has a magnet, a sensor section incorporating a magnetic circuit, and a shield plate that slides in conjunction with the movement of the switch contactor, and the shield plate slides to enter or exit between the magnet and the sensor section.

2. The shield plate has a main plate portion that moves in and out between the magnet and the sensor portion, a seat plate portion that extends from a lower edge of the main plate portion toward the center of the buckle, and two legs that hang down from a tip of the seat plate portion, The buckling device of claim 1 , wherein an end of the switch contactor is disposed between the two legs.

3. 4. The buckle device according to claim 3, wherein the leg portion has an L-shape with a lower end bent toward the center of the buckle.

4. The buckle device according to claim 1 , wherein the switch contactor is a rod-shaped member extending in the short direction of the base.

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