Plug-in tongue for a safety belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10182622-B2
Application number	US-201414769545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2014
Priority date	Feb 25, 2013
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A plug-in tongue (10) for a seat belt includes an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for a webbing (16). The deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) as well as a clamping element (22) for the webbing (16). The clamping element (22) can be displaced between a home position in which the webbing (16) is freely movable and a locking position in which the clamping element (22) is displaced against a wall (30) of the webbing passage (20) such that the webbing (16) is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall (30) of the webbing passage (20). The webbing passage (20) extends substantially in the longitudinal direction (L) or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10). The clamping element (22) is displaceable at an acute angle with the webbing passage (20) and/or with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10) from the deflecting position into the locking position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plug-in tongue for a seat belt, comprising:
an inserting portion adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle;
a deflecting portion for a webbing, the deflecting portion including a webbing passage through which the webbing is guided, a clamping element for the webbing, and at least one guide for the clamping element, the clamping element being displaceable along the at least one guide between a home position in which the webbing is freely movable and a locking position in which the clamping element is displaced against a wall of the webbing passage such that the webbing is clamped between the clamping element and the wall of the webbing passage; and
at least one securing element for retaining the clamping element in the home position until a defined force is exceeded, the at least one securing element including at least one securing pin anchored in the clamping element and guided at the deflecting portion in a corresponding groove;
wherein the clamping element is directly drawn into the locking position by a loop of the webbing which is laid around the clamping element.

2. The plug-in tongue according to claim 1 , wherein the guide for the clamping element is formed by guiding passages extending at an acute angle with at least one of the webbing passage and a longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue, the webbing passage substantially extending in the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue.

3. The plug-in tongue according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one securing element further includes a spring element which loads the clamping element into the home position.

4. The plug-in tongue according to claim 3 , wherein the spring element is made of plastic material.

5. The plug-in tongue according to claim 4 , wherein the spring element is made of hard rubber.

6. The plug-in tongue according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one securing pin has a predetermined breaking point.

7. The plug-in tongue according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting portion includes a surrounding injection molding that encloses the deflecting portion wherein the webbing passage is at least partially formed by the surrounding injection molding.

8. The plug-in tongue according to claim 7 , wherein the injection molding is made of plastic material.

9. The plug-in tongue according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one guide is formed by guiding passages provided in the injection molding and extending at an acute angle with at least one of the webbing passage and a longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue, the webbing passage substantially extending in the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue.

10. The plug-in tongue according to claim 9 , wherein the groove is provided in the injection molding and extends in the direction of the at least one guide.

11. The plug-in tongue according to claim 9 , wherein the clamping element has projections that protrude into the guiding passages to displace the clamping element along the at least one guide between the home position and the locking position.

12. The plug-in tongue according to claim 1 , wherein the webbing passage substantially extends in a longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue, and the clamping element is displaceable from the home position into the locking position at an acute angle of less than 45° with at least one of the webbing passage and the longitudinal direction of the plug-in tongue.

Assignees

• Trw Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Knoedl Ralf

Classifications

• Y10T24/4019

  Sliding part or wedge · CPC title

• A44B11/2561

  Tongue elements · CPC title

• A44B11/10 Primary

  sliding wedge · CPC title

• A44B11/2557 Primary

  with strap length adjustment · CPC title

• B60R22/1855

  the means being sensitive to belt tension · CPC title