Buckle and seat belt device equipped with the same

Abstract

The present invention simplifies the work for attaching a harness and improves the durability of the harness when a buckle is swung. In order to achieve this, the present disclosure provides a buckle (10) of which a base end portion (10b) side is attached to a bracket (80) constituting a vehicle seat belt device, in a relatively movable manner. This buckle (10) comprises: a cover member constituting a wall portion of the buckle (10); a detection member (22) that is disposed inside the cover member and detects whether the buckle (10) is in a predetermined state; a harness (30) that transmits a signal detected by the detection member (22) to the vehicle side; and a harness holder (40) that restricts a movable range of the harness (30) inside the cover member, and guides the harness (30) with a play such that at least a part of the harness (30) can move relative to the cover member when the buckle (10) moves relative to the bracket (80).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a buckle and a seat belt device provided with the same.

Background Art

[0002] In-vehicle seat belt devices incorporating a switch for sensing the state of the device and a harness for transmitting the signal of the switch are used. Such switches include, for example, a slide switch or a Hall effect switch for detecting whether the tongue of the seat belt is attached to the buckle, and the harness is provided to send the signal detected by such a switch to a vehicle control device (such as a CPU) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

[0003] When providing such a harness to the buckle of the seat belt device, a method that has been conventionally used is to form ribs on members such as a buckle cover and a holder, and sandwich one or a plurality of harnesses between the ribs and fix them so as not to move. Also, when hook-shaped claws are provided on each rib so that the harness does not come off, an operation such as pushing the harness beyond these claws may be further required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the assembly process, which involves securing and routing each harness strand individually in narrow areas such as between ribs, requires considerable effort and time. Furthermore, in recent years, seat belt systems that perform a so-called swivel motion, where the buckle tilts in the direction of vehicle travel and width, have been used. However, repeated such swivel motions by the buckle cause the harnesses routed within the buckle to repeatedly bend, resulting in reduced durability.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a buckle and a seat belt device equipped therewith that have a structure that simplifies the work of assembling the harness and improves the durability of the harness when the buckle swings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a buckle whose base end is attached to a bracket constituting a seat belt device for a vehicle so as to be able to move relative to it, The cover member that constitutes the wall portion of the buckle, A detection member is disposed within the cover member to detect whether the buckle is in a predetermined state, A harness that transmits the signal detected by the detection member to the vehicle side, A harness holder that restricts the range of motion of the harness within the cover member and guides the harness while allowing some play so that at least a portion of the harness moves relative to the cover member when the buckle moves relative to the bracket, It is a buckle that has [a certain feature].

[0008] In a buckle with the above configuration, since it has a harness holder that guides the harness, it is possible to route multiple harnesses together into the buckle at once and easily by, for example, hanging them together in the harness holder. Moreover, since this harness holder also restricts the range of motion of the harness within the cover member, it is easier to avoid situations such as accidentally pinching the harness when assembling the cover member to the buckle. In addition, in a buckle with the above configuration, when the buckle moves relative to the bracket, the harness holder guides the harness while allowing at least a portion of the harness to move relative to the cover member, thereby improving the durability of the harness when the buckle swings.

[0009] In the buckle described above, the harness holder may have a guide portion that guides the harness, which extends from the base end to the tip of the buckle, toward the detection member along the way.

[0010] In the buckle described above, the guide portion may be provided only in the portion that guides the harness toward the detection member in the path of the harness from the bracket to the detection member.

[0011] The guide portion described above may be composed of a cylindrical surface or a curved surface approximating it.

[0012] The harness holder in the buckle described above may have a fall prevention mechanism to prevent the harness from falling off the guide.

[0013] In the buckle described above, the fall prevention portion may be formed to be shaped and sized such that the harness, when the buckle moves relative to the bracket and the harness is in its most flexed state, does not fall off the guide portion.

[0014] The buckle as described above may be capable of relative movement in the vehicle width direction with respect to the bracket.

[0015] The buckle as described above may further include a suppressing portion that suppresses the lifting of a harness holder that is detachable from the buckle.

[0016] The buckle as described above may be capable of relative movement in the vehicle longitudinal direction with respect to the bracket.

[0017] The buckle as described above may further include a rotation preventing portion that prevents a harness holder that is detachable from the buckle from rotating relative to the buckle in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0018] In the buckle as described above, at least a part of the harness may be arranged substantially at the center in the vehicle longitudinal direction width of the cover member.

[0019] In the buckle as described above, a detection member is provided inside the cover member on both sides or one side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the harness may be composed of a plurality of wires that branch in the middle toward each of the detection members.

[0020] A seat belt device according to another aspect of the present invention includes the buckle as described above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a buckle having a structure that simplifies the work for assembling the harness and improves the durability of the harness when the buckle swings, and a seat belt device including the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1A] It is a view seen from the left side of the seat, showing an outline of a buckle and a bracket of a seat belt device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] This is a view of the seat with buckles and brackets, seen from the left side. [Figure 2A] Figure 1A shows the buckle and bracket as viewed from the front of the seat. [Figure 2B] This is a front view of the seat equipped with buckles and brackets. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of a buckle. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view from a different angle, showing an example of the internal structure of the buckle. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a buckle, viewed from the tip side. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a buckle, viewed from the base end. [Figure 7] This is a view from the front of the vehicle, showing an example of the internal structure of a buckle. [Figure 8] This figure shows the structure around the harness holder in a cross-section perpendicular to the y-axis. [Figure 9] This is a view of the frame section to which the harness holder is attached, seen from the rear (the side opposite the harness holder). [Figure 10] This diagram shows the internal structure of the buckle in a cross-section perpendicular to the x-axis. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the structure around the harness holder inside the buckle. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the buckles and brackets in the harness holder before the harness is routed through them. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the buckle and bracket after the harness has been routed through the harness holder. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the buckle moving relative to the bracket in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The configuration of the present invention will be described below based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.

[0024] In this specification, up and down, left and right, and front and back are defined as follows (see Figures 1B and 2B). When an occupant is seated in a normal posture in a seat (vehicle seat 100), the direction the occupant is facing is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear, and the front and back direction is represented by the x-axis when indicating the axes of the coordinate system. Similarly, when an occupant is seated in a normal posture in a vehicle seat 100, the right side of the occupant is referred to as the right direction, and the left side of the occupant is referred to as the left direction, and the left and right direction is represented by the y-axis when indicating the axes of the coordinate system. Likewise, when an occupant is seated in a normal posture, the direction of the occupant's head is referred to as the up direction, and the direction of the occupant's waist is referred to as the down direction, and the up and down direction is represented by the z-axis when indicating the axes of the coordinate system. The vehicle seat 100 may be a front seat (i.e., a driver's seat or a passenger seat) or a rear seat.

[0025] The vehicle seat belt device 1 has a seat belt 2, which is a webbing that restrains the occupant. The seat belt 2 has a shoulder belt 2a extending from an upper guide loop or upper anchor (not shown) to a tongue 2t, and a lap belt 2b extending from the tongue 2t to a lap anchor (not shown) (see Figures 1A to 2B). The shoulder belt 2a is worn diagonally across the occupant's chest, from the upper left or right side to the lower left or right side of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat 100. The lap belt 2b is worn across the occupant's waist, from one left or right side to the other. The shoulder belt 2a and the lap belt 2b are formed as a continuous, single belt. The tongue 2t is inserted into the seat belt 2 and is also configured to be attachable to a buckle 10 (see Figure 1A, etc.). When the tongue 2t is attached to the buckle 10, the seat belt device 1 achieves three-point restraint between the upper anchor, the tongue 2t (buckle 10), and the lap anchor.

[0026] In this embodiment, the seat belt device 1 is configured such that, in the event of a vehicle emergency (a vehicle emergency refers to, for example, a vehicle collision, an impact event to the vehicle, or a vehicle overturning, but is not limited to these), the buckle 10 moves toward the front of the vehicle relative to the bracket (buckle stay) 80 (see Figures 1A and 1B). Furthermore, in the event of a vehicle emergency, the seat belt device 1 in this embodiment is configured such that the buckle 10 moves toward the occupant by moving along the y-axis in the vehicle width direction relative to the bracket 80, thereby increasing the restraining force (see Figures 2A and 2B). To enable these changes in posture (orientation), the buckle 10 is attached at its base end 10b so as to be able to move relative to the bracket 80 (see Figures 1A and 2A).

[0027] [Buckle configuration] The configuration of buckle 10 is described below (see Figure 3, etc.).

[0028] The buckle 10 in the seat belt device 1 of this embodiment includes a cover member 12, a detection member, a harness 30, a harness holder 40, a retaining part 50, a rotation prevention part 60, and the like.

[0029] The cover member 12 is a component that constitutes the housing that forms the wall portion of the buckle 10 (see Figures 1A and 2A). Although not shown in detail, this cover member 12 is attached to and fixed to the frame portion 11 of the channel structure inside the buckle 10.

[0030] The detection member is positioned inside the cover member 12 and is a member that detects whether the buckle 10 is in a predetermined state. In this embodiment, a Hall effect switch 21 and a slide switch 22 are provided as detection members. The Hall effect switch 21 is for detecting the posture (orientation) of the buckle 10 when the buckle 10 moves in the event of a vehicle emergency, as described above, and is provided inside the housing 21H (see Figures 8 and 9, etc.). The slide switch 22 is for detecting whether the tongue 2t is attached to the buckle 10, and is provided inside the housing 22H (see Figures 8 and 9, etc.). These Hall effect switches 21 and slide switches 22 are positioned on both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle along the x-axis, and the harness 30 is wired to them so as to branch off towards each switch (see Figure 8). In addition, there is a configuration in which either the Hall effect switch 21 or the slide switch 22 is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the x-axis, but below we will describe a configuration in which the Hall effect switch 21 and the slide switch 22 are arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0031] The harness 30 consists of wires wired to transmit signals detected by the detection members (Hall effect switch 21, slide switch 22) to the vehicle's ECU (not shown). As described above, the harness 30 of this embodiment consists of multiple wires that branch off towards the Hall effect switch 21 and the slide switch 22, respectively (see Figure 8). The harness 30 up to the point where it branches off along the harness holder 40 is positioned approximately in the center of the width along the front-rear direction (x-axis direction) of the vehicle within the buckle 10 (see Figure 8).

[0032] The harness holder 40 is a component configured to restrict the range of motion of the harness 30 within the cover member 12 and to guide the harness 30 while allowing some play so that at least a portion of the harness 30 moves relative to the cover member 12 when the buckle 10 moves relative to the bracket 80. The harness holder 40 in this embodiment is a component that can be attached to and detached from the frame portion 11 inside the buckle 10, and has a guide portion 42 and a fall prevention portion 44 formed therein. In this embodiment, an integrally molded resin harness holder 40 is used, but this is just one example.

[0033] The guide portion 42 is configured to guide the harness 30 from the base end 10b of the buckle 10 to the tip end 10t toward the Hall effect switch 21 and the slide switch 22, respectively (see Figure 8, etc.). In this embodiment, the guide portion 42 is composed of a columnar portion formed to protrude from the main body portion of the harness holder 40 along the y-axis direction. At least the portion of the surface (circumferential surface) of such a columnar portion that contacts the harness 30 is composed of a curved surface, like the circumferential surface of a cylinder, or a surface including a curved surface that approximates this (see Figure 8, etc.). The guide portion 42, having such a smooth surface, distributes contact resistance even when tension is applied to the harness 30 and it is pulled, thus making it easier to avoid stress concentration (see Figure 11, etc.). In this embodiment, the guide portion 42 is composed of a pair of columnar portions arranged symmetrically to guide the harness 30 toward the Hall effect switch 21 and the slide switch 22, respectively (see Figure 5, etc.). Furthermore, the guide portion 42 is provided only in the portion of the harness 30 that guides the harness 30 toward the detection members (Hall effect switch 21 and slide switch 22) along the path of the harness 30 from the bracket 80, thereby reducing the space required to provide the guide portion 42 (see Figure 3, etc.).

[0034] The detachment prevention portion 44 is provided to prevent the harness 30 from falling off the guide portion 42. In this embodiment, a flange-like portion is provided at the end of the columnar portion constituting the guide portion 42, projecting toward the tip portion 10t of the buckle 10, and this portion functions as the detachment prevention portion 44 (see Figures 4, 7, etc.). The shape and size of this detachment prevention portion 44 are such that even when the buckle 10 moves relative to the bracket 80 and the harness 30 is in its most bent state, the harness 30 will not fall off the guide portion 42.

[0035] The retaining portion 50 is provided to prevent the harness holder 40 from lifting away from the frame portion 11 of the buckle 10. When tension is applied to the harness 30 and it is pulled, force may also be applied to the harness holder 40, but even in such cases, the retaining portion 50 prevents the harness holder 40 from lifting away from the frame portion 11. The retaining portion 50 can be constructed, for example, by fixing the harness holder 40 to the frame portion 11 with a snap fit or rivet. In this embodiment, a harness holder 40 is used which has a positioning pin 46 and a fixing hook 47 on the side that is the mounting surface to the frame portion 11, and by positioning it with respect to the hole 11a of the frame portion 11 and then engaging the fixing hook 47 with the hole 11b, these function as the retaining portion 50 and prevent the harness holder 40 from lifting away (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0036] The anti-rotation part 60 is provided to prevent the harness holder 40 from rotating relative to the frame portion 11 of the buckle 10 in the front-rear direction (x-axis direction) of the vehicle. When tension is applied to the harness 30 and it is pulled, a force that causes relative rotation may be applied to the harness holder 40 (see Figures 11 and 14), but even in such cases, the anti-rotation part 60 prevents the harness holder 40 from rotating relative to the frame portion 11. In this embodiment, a harness holder 40 is used which has a rotation-preventing rib 48 on the side that is attached to the frame portion 11, and by inserting this rotation-preventing rib 48 into the hole 11c of the frame portion 11 and locking the fixing hook 47, the positioning pin 46 and the rotation-preventing rib 48 cooperate as the anti-rotation part 60 to prevent the rotation of the harness holder 40 (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0037] In a buckle 10 configured as described above, when wiring the harness 30, the harness 30 connected to the detection member (e.g., slide switch 22) is simply placed on the guide portion 42 of the harness holder 40, routed towards the base end 10b, and a portion of the harness 30 is secured to the bracket 80 using harness clips, cable ties, or similar fastening means (not shown). This allows the harness 30 to be routed inside the buckle 10 in one go and easily (see Figures 12 and 13). Moreover, even if the harness 30 is composed of multiple wires, or if the harness 30 is configured to branch off towards the detection members on both sides (e.g., Hall effect switch 21 and slide switch 22), the harness 30 can be routed in one go and easily using basically the same procedure. This procedure realized by the harness holder 40 is completely different from conventional procedures in which one or more harnesses are sandwiched between ribs and fixed in place, making it possible to route the harness very easily and reliably. Furthermore, the harness holder 40 also restricts the range of motion of the harness 30 within the cover member 12 with the guide portion 42 and the fall prevention portion 44. Therefore, for example, when assembling the cover member 12 after routing the harness 30, it is possible to minimize the risk of accidentally pinching the harness 30. In addition, in the buckle 10 configured as in this embodiment, unlike conventional structures in which the harness is sandwiched between ribs and fixed in place, the harness holder 40 guides the harness 30 while allowing at least a portion of the harness 30 to move gently within the cover member 12. Therefore, when the buckle 10 swings, the harness 30 is prevented from becoming taut and localized stress is prevented (the movement of the harness 30 is absorbed as a whole), thereby improving the durability of the harness 30.

[0038] While the embodiments described above are examples of preferred implementations of the present invention, they are not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0039] The present invention is particularly suitable for application to a vehicle seat belt system in a vehicle seat with an integrated seat belt. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1…Seat belt device 2…Seat belt 2a... Shoulder strap 2b... Wrap belt 2t...Tang 10...Buckle 10b... Base end of the buckle 10t... the tip of the buckle 11...Frame part 11a~11c...hole 12…Cover component 21…Hall effect switch (detection element) 21H...Housing of the Hall effect switch 22... Slide switch (detection element) 22H...Slide switch housing 30…Harness 40…Harness holder 42… Guide Section 44... Falling prevention part 46…Positioning pin 47…Fixed hook 48... Rotation-stopping rib 50…Relief 60... Anti-rotation part 80... Bracket 100... Vehicle seats

Claims

1. A buckle whose base end is attached to a bracket constituting a seat belt device for a vehicle so as to be able to move relative to it, The cover member that constitutes the wall portion of the buckle, A detection member is disposed within the cover member to detect whether the buckle is in a predetermined state, A harness that transmits the signal detected by the detection member to the vehicle side, A harness holder that restricts the range of motion of the harness within the cover member and guides the harness while allowing some play so that at least a portion of the harness moves relative to the cover member when the buckle moves relative to the bracket, It has, The harness holder has a guide portion that guides the harness from the base end to the tip of the buckle toward the detection member, and a fall prevention portion that prevents the harness from falling out of the guide portion. The aforementioned detachment prevention part is a buckle composed of a flange-shaped portion or a flange-shaped portion.

2. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is provided only in the portion of the harness that guides the harness toward the detection member in the path of the harness from the bracket to the detection member.

3. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is composed of a cylindrical surface or a curved surface approximating it.

4. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the detachment prevention portion is formed to be such that the harness, when the buckle moves relative to the bracket and the harness is in its most bent state, does not detach from the guide portion.

5. The buckle according to claim 1, which is movable relative to the bracket in the width direction of the vehicle.

6. The buckle according to claim 5, further comprising a retaining portion that prevents the harness holder, which is detachable from the buckle, from lifting up.

7. The buckle according to claim 1, which is movable relative to the bracket in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

8. The buckle according to claim 7, further comprising a rotation prevention part that prevents the harness holder, which is detachable from the buckle, from rotating relative to the buckle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

9. The buckle according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the harness is positioned approximately in the center of the cover member in the front-to-rear width of the vehicle.

10. The buckle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the detection member is provided inside the cover member on both sides or one side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the harness is composed of a plurality of wires that branch out toward each of the detection members.

11. A seat belt device comprising a buckle according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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