Improved fully automatic release seat belt buckle

Abstract

The buckle body for a fully automatic release type seat belt requires a functional internal structure that prevents the tongue plate from accidentally coming off when the tongue plate is inserted or when the vehicle body or the body is violently swaying, and a method and means for maximizing the most important role of the locking claw is provided here. [Solution] A fully-automatic-release seat belt buckle body, in which the buckle mechanism and solenoid are integrally formed, is characterized in that when the buckle body is in a locked state, a locking claw portion and a plunger locking port are provided in the plunger base post portion provided within the buckle mechanism portion at the receiving portion of the plunger base post portion that faces the tongue lock hole of the inserted tongue plate and the tongue tip portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] To provide a buckle body with an improved release mechanism that automatically releases a belt without manual operation when a person tries to get off a car seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, regarding a fully automatic release seat belt, there is a known patent registered by the same applicant as the present application (hereinafter referred to as the previously registered patent) (see Patent Document 1). In the above-mentioned buckle body, the buckle mechanism and solenoid are installed in a buckle case as a whole in an integrated L-shape, and a plunger section made of a movable iron core, i.e., the plunger mechanism piece and plunger base shaft section, are provided in an integrated L-shape inside each of the buckle mechanism and solenoid sections. When the engine switch is turned ON / OFF, an electromagnetic flow action is generated only for a set number of seconds, causing the plunger mechanism piece which is integrally connected to the plunger base shaft section in the solenoid section to push and pull the tongue plate a few millimeters toward the locking claw protruding from the opposing buckle base wall side, thereby locking and unlocking the buckle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7373049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the locking mechanism shown in Patent Document 1, when the tongue plate is inserted, the pressure of the tongue plate descending down the slope of the locking claw that slopes down toward the plunger receiving part momentarily pushes the plunger mechanism piece aside with great force, causing the locking claw to enter the tongue lock hole and be locked, and the plunger mechanism piece is fixed back into place by the permanent magnet as if nothing had happened. This instantaneous process can be simplified for easy understanding as follows. If the tongue plate is 2 mm thick, when it is inserted into the buckle or released from the locking claw, the plunger must move back at least 2 mm. If it moves less than 3 mm, the plunger will be pulled back by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet before it is pulled back by the seat belt and released. However, if the plunger moves more than 4 mm, it will be pulled back by the seat belt faster than the fixed magnetic force and will be forced out. In other words, to allow the tongue plate to be inserted or to help it be released, the plunger must be guaranteed to move back within 2 to 4 mm. However, if an unexpected external pressure is caused to force the plunger to move continuously, intermittently, or continuously within the very narrow allowable range of 3 to 4 mm while the car is locked while driving, the gap in the gap in the deviation movement within the delicate allowable range of 1 to 2 mm may be exploited, and the tongue plate may be released a moment earlier than the plunger is pulled back by the permanent magnet. This process is repeated every time the car is driven. In other words, every time a strong pressure is applied to the plunger lock mechanism, especially the delicate plunger receiving part that is part of it, which tends to wobble it, and it should not be overlooked that this force is always in the direction of releasing the lock claw. Deterioration over time depending on the number of times the car is used should also be expected. It is too serious a problem to dismiss these issues as mere groundless worries. This application aims to provide a technical solution to these problems, which is that the strong external pressure applied to the plunger lock mechanism piece via the tongue plate acts in a direction that causes it to unilaterally disengage from the lock pawl, and through repeated prototype testing, to provide a new horizon for the practical possibility of implementing the plunger lock mechanism, including improving its functional stability and structural reinforcement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The buckle body is formed by incorporating a bidirectional retaining solenoid having a movable iron core, or plunger, which moves in alternate directions each time it is energized and de-energized, integrally with the buckle mechanism. If the buckle body in the applicant's previously registered patent, "Fully Automatic Release Seat Belt," is L-shaped, then this application is an inverted L-shaped buckle. In the following explanation, the vertical side of this outer inverted L-shaped buckle body will be referred to as the buckle mechanism and the horizontal side will be referred to as the solenoid. In the buckle mechanism, While sharing the ceiling wall, the side of the solenoid unit is called the mechanism unit front wall and the opposite side is called the mechanism unit rear wall, and the interior surrounded by these three walls forms the lock mechanism chamber. Within this lock mechanism chamber, a movable iron core, i.e., a plunger base column, is installed on a scale that almost completely fills the chamber from the ceiling wall to the bottom while leaving about 3 mm of free space along the mechanism unit rear wall side, and a tongue insertion hole that receives a tongue plate inserted from the ceiling wall is provided down to the middle of the chamber. At the plunger base, The locking claw is formed in a nose-like protrusion that slopes downward toward the height position that meets the lowest part of the tongue lock hole of the tongue plate that has been inserted and lowered all the way down. Just below the nose-like protrusion is recessed like a mouth, and the plunger lock mouth is formed with a depth, length and width that can snugly hold the tip of the tongue plate (hereinafter referred to as the tip of the tongue). A push lever button is provided on the outside of the front wall of the mechanism section, facing the area immediately below the plunger lock port, which penetrates the wall and allows the plunger base section to be manually pushed to release the lock in the event of an emergency. In the solenoid section, The outer shell forms an inverted L-shaped horizontal piece, one of whose protruding ends is called the front wall of the solenoid section, and the internal space shares the bottom area of ​​the locking mechanism housing. A continuous, integral movable iron core extends perpendicularly from the front of the base of the plunger base shaft along the internal center line of the horizontal piece to form the plunger base shaft. Surrounding the plunger base shaft are three sections, which are, from the buckle mechanism side, a section in the displacement direction when no current is applied, a permanent magnet section, and a section in the displacement direction when current is applied. The tip of the plunger base shaft extending into the section in the displacement direction when current is applied travels back and forth across the front wall of the solenoid section by a distance of approximately 3 mm, which corresponds exactly to the free space between the plunger base shaft and the rear wall of the mechanism section. Thus, in the locked state, The plunger base shaft portion and the plunger base post portion are pulled and moved toward the displacement direction portion when electricity is applied, and the tip of the plunger base shaft portion comes into close contact with the front wall of the solenoid portion, and the plunger base post portion creates a space between itself and the rear wall of the mechanism portion while gripping the tip of the tongue plate into the plunger lock port, and at the same time, fits the lock claw portion into the tongue lock hole, In the unlocked state, The plunger base shaft together with the plunger base post is pulled and moved in the direction of displacement when no current is applied, and the tip of the plunger base shaft creates a space between it and the front wall of the solenoid section, while the plunger locking mouth separates from the tip of the tongue, and at the same time the locking claw comes out of the tongue lock hole and the plunger base post fits tightly against the rear wall of the mechanism section, and these simultaneous processes are accompanied by the instantaneous release of the tongue plate. When the vehicle is in a locked state while driving, if an unexpected external impact force acts on the buckle mechanism via the seat belt / tongue plate, the tongue plate will end up pressing itself against the locking claws as it tries to push away what is holding it (i.e., it will be unable to be released). The above features make it possible to improve the automatic release type seat belt buckle. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In the previously registered patent "Fully Automatic Release Seat Belt," ▲1▼When the engine key is turned on, an electromagnetic current is generated for only three seconds, which causes the plunger base shaft in the solenoid to move toward the position of the lock claw (the lock claw in this application) together with the plunger lock mechanism piece (the plunger base column in this application) toward the current-displacement direction portion, and the plunger lock mechanism piece comes into close contact with the lock claw in the opposing position, and regardless of whether the tongue plate is inserted or not, the lock claw blocks the tongue insertion hole (the tongue insertion hole in this application) halfway, ▲2▼After three seconds, the electromagnetic current disappears, and instead the plunger base shaft and plunger lock mechanism piece are fixed together as a single unit by the permanent magnet, and the locked state is maintained. ▲3▼Normally, it takes three seconds for a driver to sit in the driver's seat, feel for the seat belt, put it on, and get the tongue plate in his or her hand. To insert the tongue plate into the buckle body, the driver must push the locking claw through the tongue lock hole, which blocks the tongue insertion hole halfway, with a single strong push, just like with a normal manual buckle. This completes the fastening of the seat belt, and the driver can then start driving. ▲4▼Since no electricity flows through the buckle mechanism while the vehicle is driving, there is no risk of the entire buckle body overheating due to heat generation and accumulation. ▲5▼When the vehicle stops driving and the engine key is turned off, an electromagnetic current is generated for only three seconds, and the plunger base shaft part and the plunger mechanism piece move toward the non-energized direction part, releasing the tongue lock hole from the locking claw via the lock release piece. At that moment, the tongue plate is pulled up by the belt in one go and detached. When the cycle of use that unfolds as in ▲1▼~▲5▼ above is finally closed, even if you skip the necessary procedure to free yourself from the restraint of the seat belt, the belt will release you by itself. Especially among the elderly and seniors, the number of people who "accidentally forget to release" their seat belts is increasing, and as soon as they try to get off the car, they are pulled back by the unexpected force of the belt, hurting their shoulders, neck, upper arms, etc., and some people even develop chronic illnesses. In response to the problems of seat belts that inevitably accompany the use of automobiles, which will become even more common as "feet" in an aging society that will become even more serious in the future, a wonderful functional device of "fully automatic release seat belt" that will contribute to society is presented here. The buckle mechanism itself shown above is adopted as is in the present invention, and the technical components are also the same. The only improvement added by the present invention is a change in the installation location of the locking claw (the locking claw portion in this application), and the resulting important advantages, which are more than you might imagine, will be explained below. In the above process of ▲1▼, when pushing the tongue plate into the tongue insertion hole by hand, the plunger lock mechanism piece (and therefore the plunger base shaft part, which is a continuous integral part of it) could be felt to be slightly wobbly (or wobbling). If it had been sold as a product, it probably would not have been noticeable to the consumer (driver), but from the perspective of the engineer who developed it as a device, it was an uneasy and eerie "wobbling" feeling that could not be helped. The same thing happened even when the shape of the locking claw and the slope angle at which the tip of the tongue sloped down were changed. The last idea that remained was a human analogy that because the locking claws are opposed, the plunger also has to fight (fight), and every time the plunger is hit by the locking claw, the plunger stumbles and wobbles. Instead of the locking claw and the plunger fighting, it would be better to make the locking claw your ally and hold the locking claw yourself. After repeated prototype testing, they arrived at the idea of ​​a "locking claw" that is part of the plunger base. As a result of repeated experiments, the subtle and eerie "shaking and wobbling" sensation that had been haunting me had completely disappeared. How can I explain this stark fact? When a person is suddenly pushed forward by a stranger, they instinctively lose their balance and step back in a panic, barely managing to hold on or falling over. However, when they step back on their own, they step back one foot at a time, so they do not lose their balance unnaturally. There is no choice but to acknowledge the providential nature that is manifested in the outcome of this simple and clear phenomenon. That is, in this case, the tongue plate, which is being pushed into the tongue insertion hole, tries to push the plunger aside by descending obliquely over the locking claw, just for a moment before the locking claw blocking its path passes through the tongue lock hole. At that time, in the previous L-shaped buckle, this acts as a dangerous pressure that pushes the plunger aside and releases it from the locking claw, but in the reverse L-shaped buckle of the present invention, the more the tongue plate tries to push the plunger aside, the more tightly it adheres to the locking claw, making it difficult to come off, which only results in the locked state being strengthened. In addition, in the previous L-shaped structure, if the external pressure transmitted through the combination of the locking claw and the tongue plate becomes strong and intense, the external pressure applied to the base wall of the solenoid by the tip of the plunger base shaft increases, and there is a concern that the outer structure of the buckle body may become unstable. In contrast, in the inverted L-shaped structure of the present application, the external pressure applied to the buckle mechanism is unlikely to act in a direction that would separate the solenoid. Therefore, the concern that distortion will accumulate in a direction that would damage the structural robustness of the buckle body has been greatly improved. Thus, in terms of the change in position of the same inventive element from the "locking claw" to the "plunger locking claw portion," the buckle body used in the "fully-automatic-release seatbelt" manifested a clear inventive step through a partial improvement from an "L-shape" to an "inverted L-shape," thereby raising the prospects for the implementation of the "fully-automatic-release seatbelt" by one level. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the present invention in a locked state when in use. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 in a state toward unlocking. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the AB cross section of the present invention shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the A'-B' cross section of the present invention shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] Tongue plate front view [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The structural features of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, and the actual method of use will be described. The buckle body is formed by incorporating a bidirectional retaining solenoid having a movable iron core, or plunger, which moves alternately in direction when current is applied and when current is not applied, integrally with the buckle mechanism. If the buckle body in the applicant's previously registered patent, "Fully Automatic Release Seat Belt," is L-shaped, then the buckle body in this application is an inverted L-shaped buckle. In the following explanation, the vertical side of the outer inverted L-shaped buckle body will be referred to as the buckle mechanism (1) and the horizontal side as the solenoid (2). In the buckle mechanism (1), While sharing the ceiling wall (7), the side of the solenoid section (2) is called the mechanism section front wall (4) and the opposite side is called the mechanism section rear wall (5). The interior surrounded by these three walls forms the lock mechanism (6) chamber. Within this lock mechanism chamber (6), a movable iron core, i.e., a plunger base column portion (8) is installed so as to fill the entire chamber from the ceiling wall (7) to the bottom while leaving a free space of about 3 mm along the mechanism section rear wall (5). A tongue insertion hole (17) for receiving a tongue plate (16) inserted from the ceiling wall (7) is provided in the chamber so as to descend to the middle of the chamber. In the plunger base portion (8), The plunger protrudes like a nose and forms the lock claw (9) at a height that meets the lowest part of the tongue lock hole (19) of the tongue plate (16) that has been inserted and lowered to the lowest position. Just below the nose, the plunger protrudes like a mouth and forms the plunger lock mouth (10) with a depth, length and width that is large enough to fit the tip area of ​​the tongue plate, i.e., the tongue tip (18). A push lever button (21) penetrates the wall on the outside of the front wall (4) of the mechanism section facing the area immediately below the plunger lock port (10) and is used to manually push the plunger base portion (8) to release the lock in the event of an emergency. In the solenoid section (2), The outer shell forms an inverted L-shaped horizontal piece, one of whose protruding ends is called the solenoid section front wall (3), and the internal space shares the bottom area of ​​the locking mechanism housing (6). A continuous, integral movable iron core extends perpendicularly from the front of the base of the plunger base shaft portion (12) along the internal center line of the horizontal piece to form the plunger base shaft portion (12). Surrounding the plunger base shaft portion (12), three sections are formed in order from the buckle mechanism section (1) side: a non-energized displacement direction portion (13), a permanent magnet portion (15), and an energized displacement direction portion (14). The tip of the plunger base shaft portion (12) extending to the energized displacement direction portion (14) travels back and forth with a space of approximately 3 mm between it and the solenoid section front wall (3), which corresponds exactly to the relationship with the free space where the plunger base shaft portion (12) travels between itself and the mechanism section rear wall (5). Thus, in the locked state, The plunger base shaft portion (12) is pulled and moved together with the plunger base post portion (8) toward the energized displacement direction portion (14), and the tip of the plunger base shaft portion (12) comes into close contact with the solenoid portion front wall (3), and the plunger base post portion (8) creates a space between itself and the mechanism portion rear wall (5), while the tongue tip portion (18) is gripped into the plunger lock port (10) and at the same time the lock claw portion (9) is fitted into the tongue lock hole (19). In the unlocked state, The plunger base shaft portion (12) together with the plunger base post portion (8) is pulled toward the non-energized displacement direction portion (13) and moves, and the tip of the plunger base shaft portion (12) creates a space between it and the solenoid portion front wall (3), while the plunger lock port (10) moves away from the tongue tip portion (18). At the same time, the lock claw portion (9) also comes out of the tongue lock hole (19), and the plunger base post portion (8) fits tightly against the mechanism portion rear wall (5). These simultaneous processes are accompanied by the instantaneous release of the tongue plate (16). The structural features of the present invention are summarized as above, but they can be used in exactly the same way as the buckle body for the previously registered patent "fully automatic release seat belt", and the specific method of use and operation is also the same. However, the "lock claw" in the previously registered patent, which had an independent position, has been reorganized into a "lock claw portion (9)" arranged as part of the plunger base portion (8) in the present invention, which represents an important improvement and evolution. ▲1▼ The evolutionary inventive step brought about by the only structural improvement change is described in detail in the section on [Effectiveness of the Invention]. The “wobbling and rattling” that was always felt when inserting the tongue plate (16), even if it was only minor, should have been understood as a qualitative inadequacy of the locking mechanism as a safety-related item and, in the worst case, as a defect that could potentially endanger the life of the user. ▲2▼ The tongue plate (16), which is inserted as the initial operation just before driving, connects the locking claw and plunger part in a mechanical functional relationship. The swaying of the vehicle body and the driver exerts an external pressure on the entire device mechanism, giving it an eerie feeling of uneasiness. No other method or means could be found to eliminate this “wobbling” sensation. Only the “locking claw part (9)” that was appropriately positioned provided a solution. ▲3▼ As a result, not only when the buckle is inserted, but also when there is any external pressure of various sizes transmitted through the tongue plate (16) while driving, the tongue plate (16) will not move away from the locking claw portion (9) but will always pull more strongly toward the locking claw portion (9) in proportion to the strength of the external pressure. Therefore, even when it is hit by an unexpected strong impact, there will be no tragic release unless the buckle body itself is destroyed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0009] 1 buckle mechanism, 2 solenoid, 3 front wall of solenoid, 4 Mechanism front wall, 5 Mechanism back wall, 6 Lock mechanism storage, 7 Ceiling wall, 8 Plunger base, 9 Lock claw, 10 Plunger lock port, 11 Push lever button, 12 plunger base portion, 13 non-energized displacement direction portion, 14: Displacement direction when current is applied; 15: Permanent magnet part; 16 tongue plate, 17 tongue insertion hole, 18 tongue tip, 19 Tanglock hole, 20 Lenoid ceiling wall, 21 Push Lever Button

Claims

1. A buckle body in which the buckle mechanism and the solenoid are integrally provided with a plunger shaft in the former and a plunger base shaft in the latter, The plunger has a locking claw at a position that contacts the tongue lock hole of the tongue plate that is inserted to the deepest part, and a plunger locking port at a position that contacts the tip of the tongue. When the tongue plate is locked, An improved type of fully automatic release seat belt buckle characterized in that there is no free space between the tip of the plunger base shaft and the front wall of the solenoid section, and external pressure transmitted through the tongue plate is absorbed toward the rear of the plunger base section, which has free space at that time, and does not act in a direction that tends to separate the solenoid section.

2. A buckle body in which the buckle mechanism and the solenoid are integrally provided with a plunger shaft in the former and a plunger base shaft in the latter, The plunger has a locking claw at a position that contacts the tongue lock hole of the tongue plate that is inserted to the deepest part, and a plunger locking port at a position that contacts the tip of the tongue. An improved fully automatic release seat belt buckle is characterized in that a push lever button is provided on the outside of the front wall of the mechanism, facing the immediate lower area of ​​the plunger lock port of the plunger base column across the wall, for manually pushing the plunger base column to release the lock in the event of an emergency.

3. 3. An improved type of fully automatic release seat belt buckle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that even if the tongue plate is disturbed by external pressure while in a locked state during driving, it will always press itself more firmly against the locking claw portion, and the only chance for escape is when the locking claw portion retreats of its own accord, which occurs only when the vehicle stops driving and the engine switch is turned off.

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