Interlocking web connectors for occupant restraint systems and associated methods of use and manufacture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional web connectors in occupant restraint systems can cause undesirable wear and tear due to movement during engagement with buckle assemblies, leading to friction and potential pinching of skin or clothing.
Innovation Solution
The design of web connectors with specific receiving portions and tongue portions featuring projections and recesses with surface features that interlock to reduce movement and friction, including the use of durable materials like glass-filled nylon for connector covers and metallic materials for connector bodies, which resist relative movement and stabilize the connectors during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional web connectors are used with buckle assemblies, then the connectors can be easily inserted and engaged, but the connectors move slightly during engagement causing wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary alignment mechanism consisting of complementary geometric features (protrusions and recesses) that mediate between the connector and buckle assembly. These features guide the connector into proper alignment during insertion, preventing misalignment and reducing wear while maintaining ease of engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features (protrusions and recesses) perform preliminary positioning action during the engagement process. The geometric features pre-align the connector with the buckle assembly before final engagement, ensuring proper orientation and minimizing movement that would cause wear.
2Reliability
If web connectors are designed with interlocking features to reduce movement, then wear and tear is reduced, but the connector design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design is segmented into distinct functional features: web receiving portions, tongue portions, protrusions, and recesses. Each feature performs a specific function (receiving, engaging, aligning), allowing the complex stabilization requirement to be met through modular geometric elements rather than a monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by adding alignment features (protrusions and recesses) only at specific locations where alignment is needed, rather than making the entire connector complex. The web receiving portions and tongue portions maintain their simple forms while localized geometric features provide the necessary stabilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Web connectors for use in occupant restraint systems in a vehicle are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, first and second web connectors include first and second web receiving portions, respectively. The first web receiving portion includes a first projection at a first side and a first recess adjacent a second side opposite the first side. The first recess includes a first surface feature. The second web receiving portion includes a second recess and a second projection having a second surface feature. In this embodiment, the second recess is configured to receive the first projection, the first recess is configured to receive the second projection, and the first surface feature is configured to engage the second surface feature to resist movement between the first and second connectors during use.