Buckle assembly

Abstract

The present invention provides a buckle assembly. The buckle assembly comprises: a buckle, which is used for matching a tongue to fix a seat belt to a seat; and a force limiting module, which is connected to the buckle by means of a connecting member and used for limiting a force threshold. The force limiting module comprises: a core shaft, which has a hollow structure and has two shaft ends thereof rotatably supported; a torsion bar, which is positioned in a hollow internal cavity of the core shaft so as to be coaxially arranged with the core shaft, wherein only a part of the torsion bar is connected to the core shaft in such a manner that said part is capable of rotating together with the core shaft; and a limiting member, which applies a force to the core shaft so as to prevent the core shaft from rotating, and when the force to which the buckle is subjected is greater than the force threshold, elastically deforms to allow the core shaft to rotate, making the distance between the buckle and the force limiting module increased.

Description

Lock assembly Technical Field

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

[0002] Vehicle seatbelts are safety devices used to restrain occupants during a collision, preventing them from secondary collisions with the steering wheel, instrument panel, or other components, or from being ejected from the vehicle, resulting in death or injury. Vehicle seatbelts, also known as seat belts, are a type of occupant restraint. They are recognized as the cheapest and most effective safety device, and are mandatory in many countries.

[0003] As is well known, a seatbelt uses a webbing pulled from a seatbelt retractor to restrain a seated occupant, securing the occupant in the seat and protecting them in the event of a vehicle collision. In one type of seatbelt, when a horizontal acceleration exceeding a specified value occurs during a vehicle collision, an acceleration sensor detects this acceleration, activating the seatbelt's locking mechanism and preventing the belt from being pulled out.

[0004] Seatbelts with force-limiting functions are currently available. After a collision, if the occupant is determined to be safe, for example, due to airbag deployment, the seatbelt can be appropriately loosened to reduce the force on the occupant's chest, thereby ensuring safety and improving comfort. It is desirable to allow the seatbelt to release the occupant's restraint with a greater force and / or a controlled speed to achieve greater reliability.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a lock assembly with high reliability.

[0007] The present invention provides a lock assembly, which includes:

[0008] a buckle for cooperating with the tongue to secure the seat belt to the seat; and

[0009] a force limiting module, which is connected to the lock via a connecting member and is used to define a force threshold,

[0010] in,

[0011] The force limiting module includes:

[0012] a core shaft having a hollow structure and being rotatably supported at both shaft ends;

[0013] a torsion bar positioned in the hollow inner cavity of the core shaft so as to be coaxially arranged with the core shaft, and having only a portion connected to the core shaft in a manner capable of rotating therewith; and

[0014] The limiting member applies force to the core shaft to prevent the core shaft from rotating, and when the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold, the limiting member elastically deforms to allow the core shaft to rotate, thereby increasing the distance between the lock buckle and the force limiting module.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a material missing portion is provided at the end of the core shaft, the limiting member extends into the material missing portion, and the limiting member undergoes elastic deformation at a position where the depth of the recess of the end face of the core shaft changes due to the material missing portion.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the missing material portion includes a first missing material portion and a second missing material portion spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the core shaft.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the invention, both the first material absence and the second material absence are configured as slots or holes.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first material absence is configured as a hole and the second material absence is configured as a slot.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first material absence portion and the second material absence portion is configured as a slot with varying depth.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the force limiting module further includes a first support member and a second support member located at both ends of the core shaft to rotatably support the core shaft respectively, and the limiting member is arranged on the side of the first support member and / or the second support member facing the core shaft.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the limiting member is constructed as a part cut from the first support member and / or the second support member and still remains integral therewith, and the limiting member extends into the material missing portion along the axial direction of the core shaft.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the material missing portion is located at the edge of the end face of the core shaft, and / or the limit member still undergoes elastic deformation to apply force to the core shaft during at least part of the rotation process of the core shaft.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member is configured as a winding member, the core shaft has a narrowed portion between both ends, and the winding member is wound around an outer circumferential surface of the narrowed portion.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a guide roller is rotatably provided on the first support member or the second support member;

[0025] The winding member includes a winding portion wound around the outer circumference of the core shaft and a fixing portion fixed to the lock buckle;

[0026] When the mandrel rotates, the wound portion leaves the outer circumferential surface of the mandrel as the mandrel rotates, and moves through the guide roller to be guided to gradually unwind.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one of the first support member and the second support member is provided with a support column, and the other is provided with a support hole for accommodating the support column, and the guide roller is rotatably provided on the support column.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the axial dimension of the torsion bar is set in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] 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:

[0030] FIG1 schematically shows an exploded view of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG2 schematically shows some components of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG3( a ), FIG3 ( b ) and FIG3 ( c ) schematically illustrate some components of a lock assembly according to different embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] FIG4 schematically shows a locking assembly in an assembled state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG5 schematically shows an exploded view of some components of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG6 schematically shows some components of a lock assembly in an assembled state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG7( a ), FIG7 ( b ), FIG7 ( c ) and FIG7 ( d ) schematically illustrate force-time curves of a force-limiting module in a locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following describes a specific embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and accompanying drawings are used to 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 may be used alone or in any combination. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0038] 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 orientations different from those shown in the drawings when used. Obviously, although all of these spatially relative terms refer to the orientations shown in the drawings for ease of description, those skilled in the art will understand that orientations different from those shown in the drawings can be used.

[0039] Fig. 1 schematically shows an exploded view of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 .

[0040] The buckle assembly of the present invention comprises a buckle (not shown) and a force limiting module 1. The buckle is used to cooperate with a lock tongue to secure the seat belt to the 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 similarly secured to the buckle.

[0041] The force-limiting module 1 is connected to the buckle via a connecting member 2 and is 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, based on this, determine whether the buckle should move under the action of the applied force. When the buckle is not subjected to a force or the force applied is less than the force threshold defined by the force-limiting module, the buckle is in a certain position relative to the force-limiting module 1; however, when the buckle is subjected to a larger force than the force threshold, the buckle is in another position relative to the force-limiting module 1, increasing the distance between the buckle and the force-limiting module 1. In other words, because the buckle has displaced and the distance between the buckle and the force-limiting module 1 has increased, the restraint of the seat belt on the passenger in the seat is reduced, and the force applied by the seat belt on the passenger's chest is reduced.

[0042] The force limiting module of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1 , the force limiting module 1 includes a core shaft 10 and a torsion bar 20. In the lock assembly 1 of the present invention, the core shaft 10 has a hollow structure, and the torsion bar 20 is positioned in the hollow inner cavity of the core shaft 10 to be coaxially arranged with the core shaft 20.

[0044] As an example, the connecting member 2 is constructed as a winding member and is partially wound around the outer circumference of the core shaft 10 and connected to the lock. To this end, a portion of the winding member is formed into a plurality of turns wound around the outer circumference of the core shaft, and these turns are arranged substantially concentrically. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , the core shaft 10 has a narrowing portion located between the two ends, and the winding member is wound around the outer circumference of the narrowing portion. It can be understood that the arrangement of the core shaft narrowing at the middle section facilitates the winding member to be simply and quickly wound around a predetermined position of the core shaft multiple times without slipping off the core shaft. In addition, one end of the winding member is hung on a hook-shaped connecting portion (not shown) extending from the lower end of the lock to achieve connection and fixation between the winding member and the lock. Of course, other connection methods (for example, welding) can also be used to achieve connection between the winding member and the lock.

[0045] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , the force-limiting module 1 further includes a first support member 40 and a second support member 50 located at either end of the core shaft 10 to rotatably support the core shaft 10. The first support member 40 and the second support member 50 collectively define a receiving space within which the core shaft 10, the torsion bar 20, and a portion of the connecting member 2 are accommodated. Furthermore, the second support member 50 is configured to have a circumferential sidewall with an opening formed therein for the connecting member 2 to extend and connect to the lock catch.

[0046] The force-limiting module 1 in the lock assembly of the present invention also includes a limiter 30, which is used to apply force to the core shaft 10 to prevent the core shaft 10 from rotating, and when the force applied to the lock is greater than the above-mentioned force threshold, elastic deformation occurs to allow the core shaft 10 to rotate. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the limiter 30 is arranged on the first support member 40, specifically, on the side of the first support member 40 facing the core shaft 10. Of course, the limiter can also be provided as a separate component, or the limiter can be provided on the side of both the first support member and the second support member facing the core shaft, or only on the side of the second support member facing the core shaft. The limiter will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2-3 (a), 3 (b) and 3 (c).

[0047] Figure 2 schematically illustrates some components of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c) schematically illustrate some components of a lock assembly according to different embodiments of the present invention, respectively. The lock assembly of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 2, 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c).

[0048] As shown in FIG2 , the retaining member 30 is disposed on one side of the first support member 40. When assembled, this side of the first support member 40 faces the mandrel 10, i.e., this side is the left side of the first support member 40 in FIG1 . In this embodiment, the retaining member 30 is constructed as a portion cut from the first support member 40 and remains integral with the first support member 40. Specifically, two retaining members 30 are disposed on the first support member 40 shown in FIG2 . The left retaining member 30 is connected to the lower edge of the opening formed after the first support member 40 is cut and bent into a protrusion protruding from the first support member 40. The right retaining member 30 is connected to the upper edge of the opening formed after the first support member 40 is cut and bent into a protrusion protruding from the first support member 40. As can be seen from FIG2 , the first support member 40 is also provided with a larger through-hole for positioning the mandrel 10. The two retaining members 30 are disposed along this through-hole at intervals of 180 degrees. Each of the two stoppers 30, as part of the first support member 40, is cut in the same direction along the circumference of the through hole. That is, the stopper 30 on the left, as part of the first support member 40, is cut from the cut-off point and cut a distance counterclockwise. And, the stopper 30 on the right, as part of the first support member 40, is cut from the cut-off point and cut a distance counterclockwise. It should be noted that the stopper 30 is easily restored to its original position in the clockwise direction. Of course, the number of stoppers is not limited to two; one or more stoppers may be provided based on actual needs.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3( a ), FIG. 3 ( b ), and FIG. 3 ( c ), the end of the mandrel 10 is provided with a material missing portion. Several examples of the mandrel are described in detail below.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] As shown in FIG3( a ), two material missing portions in the form of holes are provided on the end face of the mandrel 10, namely, a first material missing portion 11 and a second material missing portion 12. The two material missing portions are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the mandrel 10. The end face of the mandrel 10 is concave at the material missing portions. In other words, the material missing portions cause the depth of the concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 to change. The concavity depth of the mandrel 10 in portions other than the material missing portions is zero, while the concavity depth at the material missing portions is a predetermined value. Furthermore, at the junction of the material missing portion and other portions, the degree of concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 changes, i.e., changes from a predetermined value to zero.

[0052] The above-mentioned limit member 30 will extend into the material missing portion along the axial direction of the core shaft 10. As shown in Figure 4, when the core shaft 10 is subjected to a force and wants to rotate in the clockwise direction R, the limit member 30 located in the material missing portion of the core shaft 10 will contact the side wall of the hole, and thereby be subjected to a force that causes it to further bend and deform and thus move further away from its original position. In this case, the limit member 30 will apply a force in the opposite direction, that is, in the counterclockwise direction, to the core shaft 10 to prevent the core shaft 10 from rotating. When the core shaft 10 is allowed to rotate, the limit member 30, which is still kept as a whole with the first support member 40, will leave the material missing portion of the core shaft 10 and contact the core shaft 10 at other positions of the core shaft 10. At this stage, the limit member 30 is in contact with the core shaft 10, thereby existing a sliding friction force between the two, and this sliding friction force also prevents the core shaft 10 from rotating.

[0053] Therefore, in this example, the torsion bar 20 and the position limiting member 30 of the force limiting module 1 jointly define the above-mentioned force threshold. Compared with the force limiting module in which the force threshold is limited only by the torsion bar, the force threshold defined by the force limiting module in the present invention is increased, thereby preventing the lock from unexpectedly moving away from the force limiting module, thereby improving the reliability of the lock assembly; moreover, during the rotation of the core shaft, the position limiting member still jointly defines the rotation speed of the core shaft together with the torsion bar, so that the core shaft rotates at a desired speed.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] As shown in FIG3( b ), the end face of the mandrel 10 is provided with two missing material portions in the form of narrow grooves, namely, a first missing material portion 11 and a second missing material portion 12. The two missing material portions are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the mandrel 10. The arrangement of the narrow grooves causes the outer edge of the end face of the mandrel 10 to be an incomplete circle, but rather to have a notch at the narrow grooves. The end face of the mandrel 10 is concave at the missing material portions, that is, the missing material portions cause the depth of the concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 to change. The concavity depth of the mandrel 10 in other parts except the missing material portions is zero, and the concavity depth at the missing material portions is a predetermined value. Moreover, at the junction of the missing material portions and other parts, the degree of concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 changes, i.e., changes from a predetermined value to zero.

[0056] The above-mentioned stopper 30 will extend into the material-missing portion along the axial direction of the mandrel 10. As shown in Figure 4, when the mandrel 10 is subjected to a force and wants to rotate in the clockwise direction R, the stopper 30 located in the material-missing portion of the mandrel 10 will contact the sidewall of the slot and thereby be subjected to a force that causes it to further bend and deform and thus further move away from its original position. In this case, the stopper 30 will apply a counterclockwise force to the mandrel 10 to prevent the mandrel from rotating. When the mandrel 10 rotates, the stopper 30, which is still integrated with the first support member 40, will leave the material-missing portion of the mandrel 10 and contact the mandrel 10 at another position on the mandrel 10 (i.e., the radially outward protruding tab shown in Figure 3(b)). At this stage, the stopper 30 is in contact with the mandrel 10, thereby generating a sliding friction force between the two, which similarly prevents the mandrel 10 from rotating. Next, the stopper 30 will be located in the slot again and no longer in contact with the mandrel 10.

[0057] Therefore, in this example, the torsion bar 20 and the limiting member 30 of the force limiting module 1 jointly define the above-mentioned force threshold. Compared with the force limiting module in which the force threshold is defined only by the torsion bar, the force threshold defined by the force limiting module in the present invention is increased; at the same time, during the rotation of the core shaft, the rotation speed of the core shaft is basically limited only by the torsion bar.

[0058] The contact between the retaining member 30 and the mandrel 10 is shown in the left-hand side view of FIG7( a). As shown in the left-hand side view of FIG7( a), the retaining member 30 is initially located in the missing material portion of the mandrel 10 and abuts the sidewalls of the slot. When the mandrel 10 wishes to rotate, it needs to overcome the restriction imposed by the retaining member 30 on its rotational motion. To do this, the mandrel 10 must apply force to the retaining member 30 to further deform it until the retaining member is deformed sufficiently and substantially loses contact with the sidewalls of the slot. It will be appreciated that when the retaining member substantially no longer abuts the sidewalls of the slot, it no longer restricts the mandrel, allowing the mandrel to rotate. When the mandrel begins to rotate, the retaining member leaves the slot and moves onto the tab, where it contacts the tab, creating a sliding frictional force between the two. Subsequently, the retaining member is once again located within the slot and out of contact with the mandrel. Correspondingly, the right-hand side view of Figure 7(a) shows the time-dependent variation of the force applied by the force-limiting module. Point A represents the force threshold defined by the force-limiting module 1. When the force applied to the buckle exceeds this threshold, the spindle begins to rotate. Point B represents another force point defined by the force-limiting module 1. At this point, the spindle stops rotating. In other words, the spindle rotates between the moments corresponding to points A and B.

[0059] In this example, as described above, the force threshold at point A is jointly defined by the stopper 30 and the torsion bar 20. Subsequently, as the mandrel 10 rotates, the stopper 30, still integral with the first support member 40, will leave the missing material portion of the mandrel 10 and contact the mandrel 10 at another location on the mandrel 10. During this stage, the stopper 30 similarly exerts a sliding friction force on the mandrel 10, preventing its rotation. However, this sliding friction force is smaller than the force defined by the further deformation of the stopper in the previous stage. This stage corresponds to the descending section after point A. Next, the stopper 30 is once again located within the slot, no longer in contact with the mandrel 10. The force defined by the force-limiting module 1 is now solely defined by the torsion bar 20. This stage corresponds to the horizontal section between points A and B.

[0060] Example 3

[0061] As shown in FIG3(c), the end face of the mandrel 10 is provided with material loss portions, namely, a first material loss portion 11 in the form of a slot and a second material loss portion 12 in the form of a hole. The two material loss portions 11 are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the mandrel 10, and the two material loss portions 12 are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the mandrel 10. The two first material loss portions 11 are separated by the second material loss portion 12. The end face of the mandrel 10 is concave at the material loss portions. In other words, the material loss portions cause the depth of the concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 to vary. The concavity depth of the mandrel 10 is zero in all parts except the material loss portions, while the concavity depth of the second material loss portion 12 is a predetermined value. Furthermore, the degree of concavity of the end face of the mandrel 10 varies at the junction of the second material loss portion 12 and other parts, i.e., changes from a predetermined value to zero. Furthermore, the concavity depth of the first material loss portion 11 can be constant or variable.

[0062] The stopper 30 extends into the missing material portion along the axial direction of the mandrel 10. As shown in Figure 4, when the mandrel 10 is subjected to a force that causes it to rotate in the clockwise direction R, the stopper 30 located in the missing material portion of the mandrel 10 will contact the sidewall of the hole and be subjected to a force that further bends and deforms the mandrel 10 and moves it further away from its original position. In this case, the stopper 30 will apply a counterclockwise force to the mandrel 10 to prevent the mandrel from rotating. As the mandrel 10 rotates, the stopper 30, which remains integral with the first support member 40, will move away from the missing material portion of the mandrel 10 and contact the mandrel 10 at another location on the mandrel 10. At this stage, the stopper 30 will also apply a force to the mandrel 10 to prevent it from rotating. Next, the stopper 30 will be located within the slot and no longer contact the mandrel 10, or it will continue to contact the mandrel 10, or it will gradually contact the mandrel 10, depending on the depth of the slot.

[0063] The contact conditions between the stopper 30 and the core shaft 10 are shown in FIG. 7( a ), FIG. 7 ( b ), and the left side of FIG. 7 ( c ).

[0064] When the depth of the slot is deep, so that the limiting member cannot contact the core shaft in the slot, this is similar to the situation in Example 2, so it will not be described in detail.

[0065] As the depth of the slot gradually decreases, the stopper initially does not contact the core shaft in the slot, but gradually comes into contact later. This situation is shown in Figure 7(b). The following only describes the differences from Figure 7(a), and the similarities are not described again. When the stopper 30 leaves the hole and is located in the slot, it does not initially contact the core shaft 10. The force defined by the force limiting module 1 will be limited solely by the torsion bar 20. This stage corresponds to the horizontal section between points A and B. As the core shaft 10 rotates, the stopper 30 gradually moves to the smaller depth section of the slot. As shown in the left view of Figure 7(b), this smaller depth section is a sloped section with a decreasing depth. Therefore, as the core shaft 10 rotates, the degree of contact between the stopper 30 and the core shaft 10 increases, and the sliding friction between the two also increases. This stage corresponds to the rising section behind the horizontal section between points A and B.

[0066] In this scenario, the force threshold at point A is jointly defined by the stopper 30 and the torsion bar 20. Subsequently, as the mandrel 10 rotates, the stopper 30, still integral with the first support member 40, will exit the mandrel 10 hole and contact the mandrel 10 at another location on the mandrel 10. During this stage, the stopper 30 similarly exerts a sliding friction force on the mandrel 10, preventing its rotation. However, this sliding friction force is smaller than the force defined by the further deformation of the stopper in the previous stage. This stage corresponds to the descending section after point A. Next, the stopper 30 is located within the slot, no longer in contact with the mandrel 10, and the force defined by the force-limiting module 1 is solely defined by the torsion bar 20. This stage corresponds to the horizontal section between points A and B. Afterwards, the limit member 30 gradually contacts the core shaft 10 and the degree of contact becomes greater and greater, and the sliding friction between the two also becomes greater and greater. The force defined by the force limiting module 1 will be jointly limited by the torsion bar 20 and the limit member 30. This stage corresponds to the rising section behind the horizontal section between points A and B.

[0067] Alternatively, as a variation of Figure 7(b), the second missing material portion on the core shaft 10 can be omitted. That is, in this variation, the core shaft 10 is provided with only a narrow groove of gradually decreasing depth. In this case, as shown in the right side view of Figure 7(d), the force threshold at point A is defined solely by the torsion bar 20. As the core shaft 10 begins to rotate, the limiter 30 gradually contacts the core shaft 10 to an increasing degree, and the sliding friction between the two also increases. The force defined by the force-limiting module 1 is now jointly limited by the torsion bar 20 and the limiter 30. This stage corresponds to the rising section following the horizontal section between points A and B.

[0068] As the depth of the slot gradually increases, the limiter initially contacts the core shaft in the slot, but the degree of contact decreases until there is no contact. This situation is shown in Figure 7(c). The following only describes the differences from Figure 7(a), and the similarities are not described again. When the limiter 30 leaves the hole and is located in the slot, it initially contacts the core shaft 10. The force defined by the force limiting module 1 will be jointly limited by the torsion bar 20 and the limiter 30. As the core shaft 10 rotates, the limiter 30 gradually moves to the deeper part of the slot. As shown in the left view of Figure 7(c), this deeper section is a sloped section with increasing depth. Therefore, as the core shaft 10 rotates, the degree of contact between the limiter 30 and the core shaft 10 becomes smaller and smaller, and the sliding friction between the two also becomes smaller and smaller. This stage corresponds to the descending section between point A and point B.

[0069] In this case, the force threshold at point A is defined by the stopper 30 and the torsion bar 20. Subsequently, when the mandrel 10 rotates, the stopper 30, which remains integral with the first support member 40, will leave the hole of the mandrel 10 and contact the mandrel 10 at another position on the mandrel 10. At this stage, the stopper 30 similarly applies a sliding friction force to the mandrel 10 to prevent its rotation. However, this sliding friction force is smaller than the force defined by the further deformation of the stopper in the previous stage. This stage corresponds to the descending section after point A.

[0070] It can be understood that the force-time curve shown in the right view of Figure 7(b) has an ascending section between points A and B, that is, when the core shaft rotates, it is subjected to an increasingly greater force applied by the force limiting module to reduce the speed of movement of the pelvis of a passenger, for example, in a collision. The force-time curve shown in the right view of Figure 7(c) has a descending section between points A and B, that is, when the core shaft rotates, it is subjected to an increasingly smaller force applied by the force limiting module to reduce the initial displacement of the pelvis of a passenger, for example, in a collision. Therefore, in the lock assembly of the present invention, the rotation speed of the core shaft, and thus the movement speed of the lock, is controlled by the interaction between the limiter and the material missing portion of the core shaft, which can provide personalized settings to suit different scenarios.

[0071] FIG5 schematically illustrates an exploded view of some components of a latch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG6 schematically illustrates some components of a latch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in an assembled state. The following description of the latch assembly according to the present invention continues with reference to FIG5 and FIG6 .

[0072] As shown in FIG5 , the first support member 40 is provided with a support column 41, which is located near a through hole 42, wherein the through hole 42 is used to rotatably support the core shaft 10. Furthermore, the second support member 40 is provided with a support hole 51 for accommodating the support column 41, and an annular guide roller 60 is rotatably mounted on the support column 41. Of course, this is merely an example, and different arrangements are possible. For example, the first support member can be provided with a support hole, and the second support member can be provided with a support column.

[0073] As shown in FIG6 , the winding member includes a winding portion 21 wound around the outer circumference of the core shaft 10 and a fixing portion 22 fixed to the lock. When the core shaft 10 rotates, the winding portion 21 leaves the outer circumference of the core shaft 10 as the core shaft 10 rotates, moves over the guide roller 60, and is guided to gradually unwind. It can be understood that the provision of the guide roller can ensure that the winding portion is quickly and smoothly unwound.

[0074] As an embodiment of the present invention, the axial dimension of the torsion bar is set in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm. It can be understood that the core shaft has a smaller size and occupies a smaller installation space.

[0075] 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 specific embodiments, and the scope of protection 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; and a force limiting module (1), which is connected to the lock via a connecting member (2) and is used to define a force threshold, It is characterized in that The force limiting module (1) comprises: a core shaft (10) having a hollow structure and being rotatably supported at both shaft ends; a torsion bar (20) which is positioned in the hollow inner cavity of the mandrel (10) so as to be arranged coaxially with the mandrel (10), and only a portion of which is connected to the mandrel (10) in a manner capable of rotating therewith; and A limiter (30) applies a force to the core shaft (10) to prevent the core shaft (10) from rotating, and when the force applied to the lock buckle is greater than the force threshold, elastic deformation occurs to allow the core shaft (10) to rotate, thereby increasing the distance between the lock buckle and the force limiting module (1).

2. The lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A material missing portion is provided at the end of the core shaft (10), the limiting member (30) extends into the material missing portion, and the limiting member (30) undergoes elastic deformation at a position where the depth of the depression on the end face of the core shaft (10) changes due to the material missing portion.

3. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The missing material portion comprises a first missing material portion (11) and a second missing material portion (12) which are spaced apart and distributed in the circumferential direction of the core shaft (10).

4. The lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein: Both the first missing material portion (11) and the second missing material portion (12) are configured as slots or holes.

5. The lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The first material absence (11) is configured as a hole and the second material absence (12) is configured as a slot.

6. The lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein: At least one of the first missing material portion (11) and the second missing material portion (12) is configured as a slot having a varying depth.

7. The lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The force limiting module (1) further comprises a first support member (40) and a second support member (50) located at both ends of the core shaft (10) to rotatably support the core shaft respectively, and the limiting member (30) is arranged on the side of the first support member (40) and / or the second support member (50) facing the core shaft (10).

8. The lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The limiting member (30) is constructed as a part cut from the first supporting member (40) and / or the second supporting member (50) and still maintained as an integral part therewith, and the limiting member (30) extends into the material missing portion along the axial direction of the core shaft (10).

9. The lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The missing material portion is located at the edge of the end face of the core shaft (10), and / or the stopper (30) still undergoes elastic deformation during at least part of the rotation process of the core shaft (10) to apply force to the core shaft (10).

10. The lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The connecting member (2) is configured as a winding member, the core shaft (10) has a narrowed portion between two ends, and the winding member is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the narrowed portion.

11. The lock assembly according to claim 10, wherein: A guide roller (60) is rotatably provided on the first support member (40) or the second support member (50); The winding member comprises a winding portion (21) wound on the outer peripheral surface of the core shaft (10) and a fixing portion (22) fixed to the lock buckle; When the mandrel (10) rotates, the winding portion (21) leaves the outer circumferential surface of the mandrel (10) as the mandrel (10) rotates, and moves through the guide roller (60) to be guided to gradually unfold.

12. The lock assembly according to claim 11, wherein: One of the first support member (40) and the second support member (50) is provided with a support column (41), and the other is provided with a support hole (51) for accommodating the support column (41), and the guide roller (60) is rotatably provided on the support column (41).

13. The lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The axial dimension of the torsion bar (20) is set in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm.

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