Lofted Latch Plate Stop for Vehicle Seat Belt Noise Reduction

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by creating a lofted portion in the webbing that forms a cushioning structure before the latch plate encounters it. This lofted portion is formed by folding the webbing back on itself and stitching it to create a padded, elevated stop surface. When the latch plate contacts this lofted portion, the cushioning structure absorbs vibrations and dampens noise, preventing the rattling that occurs with conventional fixed stops. The cushioning is built into the webbing structure in advance, ready to mitigate harmful vibrations when the latch plate reaches the stop position.

The patent applies local quality by creating a specific localized structure (the lofted portion) at the stop position on the webbing, while the rest of the webbing maintains its normal flat structure. The lofted portion is formed by folding the webbing back and stitching it to create a localized cushioning zone. This allows the latch plate to slide freely on the normal webbing portions for easy repositioning, while simultaneously providing a specialized cushioning surface at the stop position to eliminate noise and vibration when the latch plate is secured.

The patent utilizes the flexible nature of the webbing material itself to create the lofted portion, rather than requiring rigid structural components or complex assemblies. The webbing is folded back on itself and stitched, creating a flexible cushioning structure that maintains the advantages of webbing material while adding noise and vibration reduction functionality. This approach uses the inherent flexibility of the thin film (webbing) to create a three-dimensional lofted structure through simple folding and stitching operations, avoiding the need for complex manufacturing processes.