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US 10,525,929 B2Granted
Seatbelt assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRichard Edward Ruthinowski, Kevin M. Pline
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seatbelt assembly and method of operating a seatbelt includes allowing webbing to slide between a lap portion and a torso portion through an unlocked weblock of a tongue assembly; and upon forces exerted by an occupant on the webbing, the weblock locking the webbing from movement between the lap and torso portions while increasing tension in the lap portion via the tongue assembly.
Claims13
A method of operating a seatbelt comprising:
- allowing webbing to slide between a lap portion and a torso portion through an unlocked weblock of a tongue assembly;
- upon forces exerted by an occupant on the webbing, the weblock locking the webbing from movement between the lap and torso portions while increasing tension in the lap portion via the tongue assembly, and wherein the weblock includes a pivotable flange pushing the webbing through a cutout in a tongue plate to lock the webbing in the locked position while retracting lap portion into the tongue assembly, causing the increase in tension in the lap portion.
A seatbelt assembly comprising:
- a tongue assembly having a weblock mounted to a tongue selectively securable to a buckle;
- a webbing extending through the weblock between a torso portion and a lap portion;
- and
- the weblock allowing for the webbing to slide between the torso and lap portions when in an unlocked position, and pivoting relative to the tongue when in a locked position to prevent the webbing sliding between the torso and lap portions while increasing lap tension via the tongue assembly, and wherein the weblock includes a flange extending into contact with the webbing and pivotable into a cutout in the tongue to selectively engage the webbing between the flange and an edge of the cutout.
1 more element
A seatbelt assembly comprising:
- a tongue assembly having a weblock mounted to a tongue selectively securable to a buckle;
- a webbing extending through the weblock between a torso portion and a lap portion;
- and
- the weblock allowing for the webbing to slide between the torso and lap portions when in an unlocked position, and pivoting relative to the tongue when in a locked position to prevent the webbing sliding between the torso and lap portions while increasing lap tension via the tongue assembly, and wherein the tongue assembly includes an elastomeric bar secured to a tongue plate and a housing secured to the bar, with the bar flexing by twisting when the weblock is locked.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.