Locking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518745-B2
Application number	US-201815908240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A locking device 1 includes a main body 2, a locking member 3 for locking a tongue 200, a lock releasing operation member 22 operated for releasing the lock of the tongue 200, a tongue guiding and discharging member 41 slid along an insertion direction of the tongue 200 in the main body 2 to guide the tongue 200 until the locking member 3 locks the tongue 200 and discharge the tongue 200 from the main body 2 when the lock of the tongue 200 is released, a power generator 5 having an operation member 53 pushed by the tongue guiding and discharging member 41 and pivotally moved in a plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue 200 when the tongue 200 is inserted into the main body 2 and generating electric power by utilizing external force applied through the operation member 53 and a wireless transmitting part 7 driven by the electric power generated by the power generator 5.

First claim

What it claimed is:

1. A locking device for locking a tongue, comprising:
a main body having a tongue insertion port through which the tongue is inserted;
a locking member for locking the tongue when the tongue reaches a predetermined position in the main body;
a lock releasing operation member operated for releasing a lock of the tongue due to the locking member;
a tongue guiding and discharging member provided in the main body so as to be slidably moved along an insertion direction of the tongue, wherein the tongue guiding and discharging member is slid along the insertion direction of the tongue in the main body to guide the tongue until the locking member locks the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the main body through the tongue insertion port and discharge the tongue from the main body when the lock of the tongue due to the locking member is released;
a power generator fixedly provided in the main body, wherein the power generator has an operation member pushed by the tongue guiding and discharging member slid in the main body along the insertion direction of the tongue and pivotally moved in a plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the main body, and wherein the power generator generates electric power by utilizing external force applied from the tongue guiding and discharging member through the operation member; and
a wireless transmitting part driven by the electric power generated by the power generator.

2. The locking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operation member of the power generator is pushed by the tongue guiding and discharging member and pivotally moved from a predetermined initial position in a first direction in the plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the main body, and
wherein the operation member of the power generator is pivotally moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction in the plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue to return to the predetermined initial position when the lock of the tongue due to the locking member is released and the tongue is discharged from the main body.

3. The locking device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the power generator performs first power generation when the tongue is inserted into the main body and the locking member locks the tongue and performs second power generation when the lock of the tongue due to the locking member is released and the operation member of the power generator is pivotally moved in the second direction in the plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue to return to the predetermined initial position.

4. The locking device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein positive and negative of an electromotive voltage generated in the power generator at the first power generation are different from positive and negative of an electromotive voltage generated in the power generator at the second power generation.

5. The locking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tongue guiding and discharging member has a plate-like engagement portion to be engaged with the tongue and a contact portion formed so as to protrude from an upper surface of the engagement portion,
wherein the contact portion pushes the operation member of the power generator to pivotally move the operation member in the plane parallel to the insertion direction of the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the main body and the tongue guiding and discharging member is slid in the main body along the insertion direction of the tongue.

6. The locking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power generator further has a coil, a magnet provided so as to be relatively rotated and moved with respect to the coil around a predetermined rotational axis and an elastic member for storing the external force applied from the tongue guiding and discharging member through the operation member as elastic energy and releasing of the stored elastic energy to relatively rotate and move the magnet with respect to the coil.

7. The locking device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the power generator further has a rotating member which is engaged with the operation member and can be rotated due to pivotal movement of the operation member, and
wherein the magnet is attached to the rotating member.

8. The locking device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the operation member is configured to be engaged with the rotating member while the magnet is rotated and moved to reach a first engagement release position due to rotation of the rotating member and release engagement with the rotating member when the magnet reaches the first engagement release position, and
wherein the elastic member is configured to store the elastic energy while the magnet is rotated and moved due to the rotation of the rotating member and release the elastic energy to rotate and move the magnet when an engagement between the operation member and the rotating member is released for allowing the power generator to perform first power generation.

9. The locking device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the operation member can be pivotally moved to return to a predetermined initial position when the lock of the tongue due to the locking member is released after the engagement between the operation member and the rotating member is released.

10. The locking device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the operation member is configured to again engage with the rotating member to rotate and move the rotating member when the operation member is pivotally moved so as to return to the predetermined initial position, and
wherein the operation member is configured to be engaged with the rotating member while the magnet is rotated and moved due to the rotation of the rotating member to reach a second engagement release position and again release the engagement with the rotating member when the magnet reaches the second engagement release position.

11. The locking device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the elastic member is configured to store the elastic energy while the operation member is pivotally moved so as to return to the predetermined initial position and the magnet is rotated and moved due to the rotation of the rotating member and release the elastic energy when the engagement between the operation member and the rotating member is again released to rotate and move the magnet for allowing the power generator to perform second power generation.

Assignees

• Mitsumi Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kikuchi Kazunori

Classifications

• A44B11/2569 Primary

  Safety measures (buckles for releasing in a vehicle emergency B60R22/32; control, alarm, or interlock systems for the correct application of safety belt buckles in vehicles B60R22/48) · CPC title

• A44B11/2523

  acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and in the same direction as the fastening action · CPC title

• A44B11/2561

  Tongue elements · CPC title

• H02K7/1807

  Rotary generators (H02K7/006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A44B11/2526

  with an operating lever · CPC title