JP2002337656A - Buckle device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a buckle device capable of securely detecting whether a child seat is mounted or not without impairing usability. SOLUTION: The buckle device 30 includes a sublock plate 80 provided on an inner side of a lock plate 50 for preventing an inserted tongue plate 22 from separating, and a plate spring part 86 of the sublock plate 80 elastically deforms when webbing tensile force acts in an arrow B direction. When the webbing tensile force exceeds a predetermined value set in correspondence with tensile force in mounting the child seat, a detecting piece 88 which moves to the arrow B direction by the elastic deformation of the plate spring part 86 is in contact with a contact switch 90, and the contact switch 90 outputs an ON signal to a CPU 94. The CPU 94, which detects the mounting of the child seat by the ON signal, prohibits an air bag device 92 from operating.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a buckle device used for a seat belt device of a vehicle, in which a tongue plate is inserted and locked, and more particularly to a buckle device for detecting a tension of a webbing of a predetermined value or more. It relates to a buckle device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a seat belt device for protecting an occupant in a collision or the like. As such a seatbelt device, there is a three-point seatbelt device using continuous webbing.

In this seat belt device, one end of the webbing is locked by a winding device, the intermediate portion passes through a through anchor fixed to the upper part of a center pillar, and the other end is locked by an anchor plate. I have. A tongue plate is provided at an intermediate portion between the anchor plate and the through anchor of the webbing, and the webbing is wound by locking the tongue plate to a buckle device arranged on the side of the seat. The device is pulled out of the device and becomes mounted.

In the buckle device, a lock member such as a latch or a lock plate which can move or swing in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the tongue plate is provided.
With the insertion of the tongue plate, the lock member enters the engagement hole of the tongue plate and prevents the tongue plate from being detached (locks the tongue plate).

In this state, a portion of the webbing from the through anchor to the tongue plate (buckle device) (hereinafter referred to as a shoulder portion) restrains the upper body of the occupant, and a portion of the webbing from the tongue plate to the anchor plate (hereinafter, referred to as a shoulder). The waist) restrains the occupant's waist.

[0006] In recent years, from the viewpoint of safety for child occupants, the use of child seats has become mandatory when a child occupant is boarded. Some of such child seats are configured to be fixed to a vehicle seat using the above-described seat belt device. Specifically, the above-mentioned shoulder part and the waist part are fixed with fixing brackets or the like,
The child seat is fixedly held on the seat by the waist in a state where the waist is not loosened due to the unwinding of the webbing from the winding device.

[0007] By the way, when a child seat is used in a vehicle provided with an airbag device, a configuration is known in which an airbag device corresponding to a seat on which the child seat is mounted is not operated. For example, a vehicle is provided with a switch for inhibiting the operation of the airbag device,
The driver manually operates this switch to prohibit the operation of the airbag device.

However, such a configuration having a switch that is manually operated has a problem that the operation of the switch is complicated, the usability is poor, and erroneous operation cannot be excluded, so that the reliability is low.

In order to improve the usability and reliability described above, there is a demand for a detection device for automatically detecting the presence or absence of a child seat and prohibiting the operation of the airbag device. As such a detecting device, it is desirable to use a buckle device constituting a seat belt device for fixing a child seat to a seat.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a buckle device that can reliably detect the presence or absence of a child seat without impairing usability in consideration of the above facts.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a buckle device according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a buckle device is provided with an engagement hole of a tongue plate provided at one end or an intermediate portion of an occupant restraining webbing. With the lock member inserted,
A buckle device for preventing detachment of the tongue plate from a main body, a detection member that is displaced relative to the main body in accordance with a tension of the webbing transmitted through the tongue plate, and the detection member And a detecting means for detecting a displacement equal to or more than a predetermined value.

In the buckle device according to the first aspect, the locking member enters into the engagement hole of the tongue plate provided at one end portion or the intermediate portion of the webbing for restraining the occupant, and the body portion of the tongue plate (ie, the buckle device). Prevents departure from

In this state, tension acts on the webbing, and when the tension acts on the detecting member via the tongue plate, the detecting member is displaced relative to the main body in accordance with the webbing tension. The relative displacement is not limited to the displacement of the tongue plate in the detaching direction, but may be a displacement or an angular displacement in a direction intersecting the detaching direction.

When the amount of displacement of the detecting member exceeds a predetermined value,
The detecting means detects this. That is, it is detected that the tension acting on the webbing is equal to or higher than the predetermined tension.
Thus, for example, the presence or absence of a child seat can be detected.

More specifically, when the occupant normally wears the webbing, the webbing loosely restrains the occupant in order to ease the occupant's restraint, and acts on the detecting member of the buckle device via the tongue plate. Webbing tension is small. On the other hand, with the child seat attached,
The webbing firmly restrains the child seat in order to prevent the child seat itself from moving due to vehicle acceleration, and the webbing tension acting on the detection member of the buckle device is large. The difference in the tension of the webbing corresponding to the presence or absence of the child seat is detected by the detection means. Further, based on the detection result of the detection means, it may be detected whether or not the webbing tension at the time of mounting the child seat is appropriate as well as the presence or absence of the mounting of the child seat.

Here, since the presence or absence of the child seat can be detected based on the tension of the webbing as described above, it is not necessary to manually operate the manual switch as in the related art. For this reason, a complicated switch operation is unnecessary, the usability is not impaired, and the reliability is improved without fear of erroneous operation.

As described above, in the buckle device according to the first aspect, the presence or absence of the attachment of the child seat can be reliably detected without impairing the usability.

The detecting member may be directly displaced by engaging with the tongue plate, and a member engaging or following the tongue plate (for example, a lock member, an ejector and a spring for pressing the tongue plate in a detaching direction, Needless to say, it may be displaced indirectly via a release button or the like. Needless to say, the lock member may also serve as the detection member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the buckle device according to the first aspect, wherein the detection member is provided so as to be relatively movable in the detaching direction with respect to the main body. In the opposite direction, the tongue plate is urged in the opposite direction, enters the engagement hole together with the lock member, and engages with the edge of the engagement hole with the tension to release the tongue from the main body. It is characterized by relative movement in the direction.

In the buckle device according to the second aspect, in the state where the tongue plate is prevented from being detached, the detection member enters the engagement hole of the tongue plate together with the lock member. When tension acts on the webbing in this state, the detection member engages with the edge of the engagement hole of the tongue plate moving in the detaching direction,
The main body moves relative to the main body in the detaching direction against a biasing force in a direction opposite to the detaching direction. When the amount of relative movement of the detection member with respect to the main body exceeds a predetermined value, the detection means detects this. On the other hand, when the detachment prevention state of the tongue plate is released, the detection member returns to the initial position by the urging force.

Here, since the detecting member is directly engaged with the engaging hole of the tongue plate and relatively moved in the detaching direction of the tongue plate, the structure is simple and the reliability is high. Further, there is no need to move (slide) the locking member in the direction in which the tongue plate is released in accordance with the tension of the webbing, thereby preventing an increase in the size of the buckle device. Furthermore, no special measures (such as installation of a guide mechanism and measures for reducing friction associated therewith) for properly sliding the lock member are unnecessary, resulting in low cost.

In particular, if the detection member is provided on the lock member via the urging means for applying the urging force, the detection member enters and exits the engagement hole of the tongue plate together with the lock member. Therefore, a mechanism for moving the detection member into and out of the engagement hole is not required, and the structure is further simplified. Further, if the detection member is configured to abut against the lock member after the relative movement of the predetermined value or more and the relative movement cannot be further performed, the movement against the urging force of the webbing is prevented. Is strongly restrained.

In a buckle device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the buckle device according to the first aspect, the lock member is supported so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the main body portion by less than the predetermined value in accordance with the tension. The detection member swings in conjunction with the relative displacement of the lock member and amplifies the relative displacement amount of the lock member.

In the buckle device according to the third aspect, a tension acts on the webbing, and when the tension acts on the lock member via the tongue plate, the lock member is displaced relative to the main body. The relative displacement may be, for example, a displacement of the tongue plate in the detaching direction, or a displacement of the lock member in the reciprocating direction to the engagement hole (for example, a rotational displacement of the lock member around the support point of the lock member to the main body).

When the lock member is relatively displaced, the detection member swings in conjunction with the lock member and amplifies the relative displacement of the lock member. That is, for example, the detection member swings in conjunction with the displacement of the lock member while being directly or indirectly pressed by the lock member at a position near the swing center, and swings at a position far from the swing center. Is amplified with respect to the relative displacement of the lock member. When the amplified displacement becomes equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the detecting means detects this.

Here, since the detection member amplifies the displacement of the lock member, even if the displacement amount of the lock member due to the tension of the webbing is small (less than the predetermined value), the lock member is moved with respect to the main body. As a result, the size of the buckle device is prevented or reduced, and a large displacement amount (oscillation amount) of the detection member with respect to the detection means can be secured. Can be set), and erroneous detection due to variations in the sensitivity and position of the detection means can be prevented.

A buckle device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the buckle device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the predetermined value is set in accordance with the tension when the child seat is mounted. The detection means is electrically connected to a control means for inhibiting operation of an airbag device provided in the vehicle when the child seat is mounted.

[0028] In the buckle device according to the fourth aspect, the detection means is electrically connected to the control means, and a detection result of the detection means is output to the control means. Here, when the detecting unit detects the displacement of the detecting member equal to or more than the predetermined value set in accordance with the tension of the webbing at the time of mounting the child seat, the control unit to which the detection result is input indicates that the child seat is mounted. Judge to prohibit the operation of the airbag device.

Thus, in the buckle device, the presence or absence of the mounting of the child seat can be reliably detected based on the tension of the webbing. When the mounting of the child seat is detected, the detection result is output to the control means and the airbag device is output. Can be reliably prohibited.

[0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, the overall configuration of a seat belt device 10 to which each of the buckle devices according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention is applied, and then the configuration of each buckle device will be described. I do. (Overall Configuration of Seat Belt Apparatus) FIG. 5 shows a schematic overall configuration of the seat belt apparatus 10 in a perspective view.

As shown in FIG. 5, the seat belt device 10 includes a webbing 12 for restraining an occupant.
One end of the webbing 12 is locked on a spool (not shown) of the retractor 14. The retractor 14 is fixedly disposed near the lower end of the center pillar 16 of the vehicle, and the spool is constantly urged in the winding rotation direction of the webbing 12 by the urging force of a mainspring (not shown).

The webbing 12 has an intermediate portion inserted through a through anchor 18 disposed above the center pillar 16 and is folded back, and the other end thereof has the center pillar 1.
6 is fixed to an anchor portion 20 fixedly disposed near the lower end portion. A tongue plate 22 is disposed at an intermediate portion of the webbing 12 between the through anchor 18 and the anchor portion 20 with the webbing 12 inserted. The tongue plate 22 includes a buckle device 30, 10, which is fixed to the vehicle via a stay 26 on a side opposite to the anchor portion 20 with the vehicle seat 24 interposed therebetween.
0, 120 and 140 can be locked.

Thus, when the webbing 12 is mounted, the webbing 12 is pulled out from the retractor 14 against the urging force acting on the spool while the tongue plate 22 is pulled, and the tongue plate 22 is locked to the buckle device 30 or the like. It is a configuration to make it. (Structure of the buckle device according to the first embodiment)
A buckle device 30 according to a first embodiment applied to the seat belt device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the buckle device 30 in a cross-sectional view.

As shown in this figure, the buckle device 30
A buckle main body 34 as a main body is disposed between the upper cover 32A and the lower cover 32B. The buckle body 34 is inserted into the tongue plate 22 in the insertion direction (FIG. 1).
A flat plate portion 40 provided with a guide hole 36 extending in a longitudinal direction along an arrow A direction shown in FIG.
And a pair of leg plate portions (not shown) erected from both side portions of the flat plate portion 40. The buckle body 34 is fixed to the stay 26 at the mounting hole 38 by a rivet or the like.

In the buckle device 30, an opening 41 formed between the upper cover 32A and the lower cover 32B is provided.
The tongue plate 22 is inserted along the flat plate portion 40 between the pair of leg plate portions.

An ejector 42 is provided between the pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34. Ejector 42
Is facing the opening 41 (positioned so as to be able to engage with the tongue plate 22 inserted from the opening 41), and the insertion / removal direction of the tongue plate 22 along the guide hole 36 of the buckle main body 34 (arrow shown in FIG. 1). (A, B directions).

In the ejector 42, one end of a coil spring 46 is held by a spring holding portion 44 provided at a portion inserted into the guide hole 36, and the other end of the coil spring 46 is connected to an arrow A of the guide hole 36. It is locked to the inner edge of the side end. As a result, the ejector 42 is urged in the direction of arrow B by the coil spring 46 while
And is located at the front of the guide hole 36. When the tongue plate 22 can be received, the front portion of the guide hole 36 is covered (closed) by the ejector 42.

A lock plate 50 as a lock member is provided between the pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34. As shown in FIG.
Is an arm having a support portion 52 which is supported between the pair of leg plate portions and is swingably supported, and an engagement piece 54A extending from the support portion 52 in the direction of arrow B and having a distal end bent at a substantially right angle. A portion 54, a pressed portion 56 projecting from the support portion 52 on the movement trajectory of the ejector 42, and a lock engaging portion 58 extending from the vicinity of the bent portion of the arm portion 54 to both outsides in the width direction. It is provided with. The support portion 52 has a mounting hole 52A for mounting a sublock plate 80 described later.

In the lock plate 50, the support pieces 52 are supported by the notches 34 A provided in the pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34, so that the engagement pieces 54 A are guided by the guide holes 36.
1 can be swung in the directions of arrows C and D shown in FIG. 1 between a position where it enters the front portion and a position where it exits from the guide hole 36.

Accordingly, when the front portion of the guide hole 36 is closed by the ejector 42, the locking plate 50 is brought into contact with the
6 is prevented, and the ejector 42 is
When the member 56 is moved in the direction of arrow A against the urging force of No. 6, the pressed portion 56 is pressed by the ejector 42 and swings in the direction of arrow C so that the engagement piece 54A enters the front portion of the guide hole 36. is there.

Further, a lock cam 60 is provided between the pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34. The lock cam 60 includes a support portion 62 provided at a central portion and suspended between a pair of leg plate portions and supported in a swingable manner, a release portion 64 slightly bent at one end side, and a release portion 64 formed at the other end side. It has a substantially fan-shaped sliding contact portion 66 provided at both ends in the width direction.

In the lock cam 60, the support portion 62 is supported by a support hole 34B provided on the pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34 on the arrow B side of the notch 34A.
The position where the back surface 66A of the sliding contact portion 66 contacts the end on the arrow B side of the lock engaging portion 58 of the lock plate 50 where the entry into the guide hole 36 is prevented, and the distal end surface 66B of the sliding contact portion 66 are the guide hole. The lock plate 50 can be swung in the directions indicated by arrows E and F in FIG.

The buckle device 30 has a release button 70. When the release button 70 is prevented from falling off by the upper cover 32A and the lower cover 32B, the buckle body 3 is moved via a sliding portion (not shown).
4 is supported by a pair of leg plates so as to be relatively movable in the directions of arrows A and B.

The release button 70 has a pressing portion 72 extending in the direction of arrow A opposite to the release portion 64 of the lock cam 60 in the above-mentioned supporting state. One end of a coil spring 74 is locked to the release button 70, and the other end of the coil spring 74 is locked to the other end side (sliding contact portion 66 side) of the support portion 62 of the lock cam 60. Have been. Thus, the release button 70 is urged in the direction of arrow B, and the lock cam 60 is urged in the direction of arrow E.

As described above, when the tongue plate 22 is not inserted, the buckle device 30
Is located at the front of the guide hole 36 so as to be able to receive the tongue plate 22 while facing the opening 41 by the urging force of the coil spring 46, and the guide hole 36 (the tongue plate) of the engagement piece 54 </ b> A of the lock plate 50. 22).

On the other hand, the tongue plate 2
3, the ejector 42 is pressed and moved in the direction of arrow A against the urging force of the coil spring 46 to open the front portion of the guide hole 36, as shown in FIG. The ejector 42 presses the pressed portion 56 of the lock plate 50, the lock plate 50 swings in the direction of arrow C, and the engagement piece 54A enters the engagement hole 22A and the guide hole 36 of the tongue plate 22. It is.

In this state, the lock cam 60 is swung in the direction of arrow E by the urging force of the coil spring 74, and the end of the lock engagement portion 58 of the lock plate 50 on the arrow D side at the distal end surface 66B of the sliding contact portion 66. It is adapted to slidably abut the part. Thereby, the rocking plate 50 is prevented from swinging in the direction of arrow D, and the tongue plate 22 is kept in the state of being prevented from coming off.

Further, from this state, the release button 70
Is moved in the direction of arrow A against the urging force of the coil spring 74 so that the pressing portion 72 of the release button 70 presses the release portion 64 of the lock cam 60 to swing the lock cam 60 in the direction of arrow F. Has become. Accordingly, the lock plate 50 can swing in the direction of arrow D, and is pressed (via a sublock plate 80 described later) by the ejector 42 that moves in the direction of arrow B by the urging force of the coil spring 46, and And swings out of the engagement hole 22A of the tongue plate 22 and the guide hole 36.

The buckle device 30 has a sublock plate 80 as a detecting member. The sublock plate 80 is, as shown in FIG.
Mounting hole 82A corresponding to the mounting hole 52A of the support portion 52
, An arm portion 84 having a sub-engaging piece 84A whose front end is bent at a substantially right angle corresponding to the arm portion 54 of the lock plate 50, and the mounting portion 82 and the arm portion 84. It is provided with a leaf spring portion 86 provided therebetween and bent substantially in a U-shape, and a detection piece 88 extending laterally from a side portion of the arm portion 84.

The sublock plate 80 is provided with the mounting holes 8
At 2A, it is attached to the attachment hole 52A of the lock plate 50 by rivets, screws, or the like. In this state, the dimensions of the respective parts are determined such that the sub-engaging piece 84A faces the engaging piece 54A of the lock plate 50 on the arrow A side and is separated by a predetermined distance. Thereby, the sublock plate 80 swings in the directions of arrows C and D integrally with the lock plate 50, and the sub-engaging piece 84A is engaged with the engaging hole 22A of the tongue plate and the guide hole together with the engaging piece 54A of the lock plate 50. This is a configuration for entering and exiting at.

When a force in the direction of arrow B acts on the sub-engaging piece 84A of the sublock plate 80, the leaf spring 86
Is elastically deformed, the arm 84 moves in the direction of arrow B along the arm 54 of the lock plate 50, and the detection piece 88 provided on the arm 84 also moves in the direction of arrow B.

Further, the buckle device 30 includes a contact switch 90 as detecting means. Contact switch 9
0 indicates that the tongue plate 22 is inserted (separation is prevented).
The sub-engaging piece 84A is opposed to the detecting piece 88 in the locked state (see FIG. 3) and the engaging piece 5
The buckle body 34 is brought into contact with the detection piece 88 in a state where the leaf spring portion 86 is elastically deformed until it comes into contact with the buckle 4A.
(See FIG. 4).

The contact switch 90 is electrically connected to a CPU 94 as control means for judging whether or not an airbag device 92 corresponding to the vehicle seat 24 provided with the seatbelt device 10 can be operated. Detecting piece 88
Outputs an OFF signal to the CPU 94 when the detection piece 88 is not in contact, and outputs an ON signal to the CPU 94 when the detection piece 88 is in contact.
94.

On the other hand, when the OFF signal is input, the CPU 94 permits the operation of the airbag device 92 on condition that the operation of the airbag device 92 is not prohibited by another control parameter, and the ON signal is output. When input, the airbag device 92 is prohibited regardless of other control parameters.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

In the seat belt device 10 having the above structure, when the occupant P is seated on the vehicle seat 24, the tongue plate 22 is pulled out of the retractor 14 while the tongue plate 22 is pulled out of the retractor 14 while the tongue plate 22 is pulled. 34.

That is, the tongue plate 22 is inserted from the opening 41 of the buckle device 30 in the direction of arrow A. Thereby, in the buckle device 30, the ejector 42 is moved in the direction of arrow A while being pressed by the tongue plate 22, opening the front portion of the guide hole 36 and pressing the pressed portion 56 of the lock plate 50. Due to this pressing, the lock plate 50 swings in the direction of arrow C together with the sublock plate 80, and the lock plate 50 engages with the tongue plate 22 having entered the position where the engagement piece 54 </ b> A and the sub-engagement piece 84 </ b> A coincide with the front portion of the guide hole 36. It enters into the hole 22A. Tongue plate 22
Is biased in the direction of arrow B by the biasing force of the coil spring 46 acting via the ejector 42, and the inner edge of the engagement hole 22A engages with the sub-engaging piece 84A (see FIG. 3).

As the lock plate 50 swings in the direction of arrow C, the lock cam 60 swings in the direction of arrow E by the urging force of the coil spring 74, and the lock engagement portion 58 of the lock lever 50 moves in the direction of arrow D. The lock lever 50 swings in the direction of arrow D by slidingly contacting the side end. As a result, the buckle device 30 prevents the tongue plate 22 from separating in the direction of the arrow B and maintains this separation preventing state.

In this state, a portion (hereinafter referred to as a shoulder portion) 12A from the through anchor 18 to the tongue plate 22 of the webbing 12 restrains the upper body of the occupant P, and the tongue plate 22 (buckle device 30) of the webbing 12 A portion (hereinafter, referred to as a waist portion) 12B extending to the anchor portion 20 restrains the occupant P's waist.

As a result, as shown in FIG.
The occupant P properly wears the webbing 12.
In this state, the shoulder portion 12A and the waist portion 12B of the webbing 12 loosely restrain the occupant P in order to ease the sense of restraint of the occupant P. In other words, the tension acting on the webbing 12 is smaller than the predetermined tension.

Therefore, in this state, the webbing 12
Plate 80 that engages with engagement hole 22A of tongue plate 22 through which sub-engaging piece 84A is inserted.
The amount of elastic deformation of the leaf spring portion 86 is small, and the detection piece 88 is separated from the contact switch 90 (see FIG. 3). Detection piece 8
The contact switch 90 that is separated from the CPU 8
The CPU 94 to which the F signal is output and the OFF signal is input allows the operation of the airbag device 92 on condition that the operation of the airbag device 92 is not prohibited by another control parameter.

Therefore, for example, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the seat belt device 10 restrains the occupant P, and the airbag device 92 operates to protect the occupant P.

On the other hand, when the child seat 96 is mounted on the vehicle seat 24, as shown in FIG.
The above-mentioned shoulder portion 12A and waist portion 12B are fixed with fixing bracket 98, and webbing 1 from retractor 14 is fixed.
2 and the waist 12B (fixing fitting 98)
The waist portion 12B is hung on the base portion of the child seat 96, and the child seat 96 is restrained (fixedly held) on the vehicle seat 24 in a state where the shoulder portion 12A from the to the tongue plate 22 is not loosened. .

In this state, in order to prevent the child seat 96 from moving with respect to the vehicle seat 24 due to vehicle acceleration, the waist portion 12B firmly restrains the child seat 96, and the waist portion 12 of the webbing 12
The tension acting on B is equal to or higher than a predetermined tension.

For this reason, in this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the tongue plate 22 into which the webbing 12 is inserted
The plate spring portion 86 of the sublock plate 80 that engages with the engagement hole 22A of the lock plate 50 at the sub engagement piece 84A is greatly elastically deformed.
The arm portion 84 moves (displaces) in the direction of arrow B until it comes into contact with the back surface of 4A. With this movement, the detection piece 88 provided on the arm portion 84 moves in the direction of arrow B and comes into contact with the contact switch 90. Note that the sub-engaging piece 84A abuts against the back surface of the engaging piece 54A, whereby further movement of the arm portion 84 (that is, the tongue plate 22) in the direction of arrow B is prevented, and the waist portion 12B is attached to the child seat 96. And the detection piece 88 is prevented from pressing the contact switch 90 excessively strongly.

The contact switch 90 that has come into contact with the detection piece 88 outputs an ON signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94, to which the ON signal has been input, prohibits the operation of the airbag device 92 regardless of other control parameters. Therefore, for example, even when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the airbag device 92 is not activated,
The safety of the child occupant (not shown) is ensured. It is needless to say that, when the child seat 96 is mounted as described above, the operation of the airbag device 92 is prohibited even when no child occupant is in the vehicle.

Here, since the presence or absence of the child seat 96 can be detected based on the tension of the webbing 12,
There is no need to manually operate the manual switch as in the related art. For this reason, a complicated switch operation is unnecessary, the usability is not impaired, and the reliability is improved without fear of erroneous operation.

As described above, the buckle device 30 according to the first embodiment can reliably detect the presence or absence of the child seat without impairing the usability. Further, in the buckle device 30, the presence or absence of the child seat 96 can be reliably detected based on the tension of the webbing 12,
When the mounting of the child seat 96 is detected, the detection result is output to the CPU 94, and the operation of the airbag device 92 can be reliably prohibited.

Here, since the sub-engaging piece 84A of the sublock plate 80 is directly engaged with the engaging hole 22A of the tongue plate 22 and is relatively moved as described above, the structure is simple and the reliability is high. . In addition, sublock plate 8
Reference numeral 0 denotes a sub-engaging piece 84A which is mounted on the mounting portion 82 so that the arm portion 84 can be relatively moved to the lock plate 50 and swings in the directions of arrows C and D together with the lock plate 50.
Is moved into and out of the engaging hole 22A of the tongue plate 22, so that a mechanism for moving the sub-engaging piece 84A into and out of the engaging hole 22A is unnecessary, and the structure is further simplified.

Further, the plate spring portion 86 is elastically deformed by the tension of the webbing 12 transmitted through the tongue plate 22, and has a detection piece 88 which is largely displaced relative to the buckle body 34 (lock plate 50). Since the block plate 80 is provided, the detection piece 88 for preventing the erroneous detection due to the variation in the sensitivity and the position of the contact switch 90 without moving the lock plate 50 in the detaching direction of the tongue plate 22 (sliding in the direction of arrow B). Moving stroke can be secured.

In particular, since the sublock plate 80 is configured to be relatively displaced within the size range of the lock plate 50 in the directions of the arrows A and B, the buckle device 30 does not increase in size. In addition, special measures (such as installation of a guide, use of a low-friction material for the guide, surface treatment, processing, and assembling accuracy) for properly sliding the lock plate 50 (according to the tension acting on the webbing 12). (E.g., measures to reduce friction) such as improvement of the cost is unnecessary, and the cost is reduced.

In the first embodiment, the detection piece 88 is provided on the side of the arm portion 84 of the sublock plate 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this. 88 may be configured to extend from the side or below the sub-engaging piece 84A. In addition, sublock plate 8
0 has no mounting portion 82 or arm portion 84,
4A may be attached to the back surface of the engagement piece 54A of the lock plate 50 via urging means such as a leaf spring (or a leaf spring portion 86). (Structure of the buckle device according to the second embodiment) Next, the buckle device 100 according to the second embodiment applied to the seat belt device 10.
Will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition,
Components and portions that are basically the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the buckle device 100. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a lock plate 102 as a lock member, a detection lever 110 as a detection member, and a contact switch 90 constituting the buckle device 100.

As shown in these figures, the buckle device 100 includes a lock plate 102 having a pressing piece 104 in place of the lock plate 50, and a detection lever 110 in place of the sublock plate 80. Different from the buckle device 30.

The lock plate 102 has a pressing piece 104 projecting from the side end of the arm portion 54 between the support portion 52 and the lock engagement portion 58 toward the arrow D side. The lock plate 102 is not provided with a mounting hole corresponding to the mounting hole 52A of the lock plate 50.

The lock plate 102 is
Are supported by notches 34C provided in a pair of leg plates of the buckle body 34, so that the engagement pieces 54A
6 can be swung in the directions of arrows C and D shown in FIG. 7 and the like between a position where it enters the front part and a position where it exits from the guide hole 36, and the range of the gap d shown in FIG. Inside, it is supported so as to be slightly movable in the directions of arrows A and B.

The lock plate 100 has one end of a coil spring 106 fixed to the support portion 52 thereof.
The other end of the coil spring 106 is urged in the direction of arrow A by being locked to the buckle body 34 (not shown). In this state, the lock plate 100 is
Engages with the edge of the notch 34C on the arrow A side to restrict the movement in the arrow A direction. The biasing force of the coil spring 106 is set to be larger than the biasing force of the coil spring 46 that biases the ejector 42 in the direction of arrow B.

On the other hand, the detection lever 110 is substantially L
Buckle body 34
Cylindrical shaft portion 112 which is swingably supported by one of the leg plates.
A pressing arm 114 extending along the tangential direction of the cylindrical shaft portion 112 (corresponding to the long side of the substantially L-shape); and a pressing arm 114 extending along the tangential direction of the cylindrical shaft portion 112 (the short side of the substantially L-shape). Corresponding to)
An engagement arm 116 is provided which is extended and protrudes in the axial direction of the cylindrical shaft portion 112.

The detection lever 110 is connected to the buckle body 3
By inserting a support shaft (not shown) provided on one of the leg plate portions 4 through the cylindrical shaft portion 112, the lock plate 102 can swing freely in the directions of arrows G and H in FIG. Supported. The detection lever 110 is
One end of a coil spring 118 is locked to an intermediate portion of the pressing arm 114, and the other end of the coil spring 118 is locked to the buckle main body 34 (not shown).
It is urged in the direction of arrow H. In this state, the detection lever 1
The arrow H indicates that the pressing arm 114 is engaged with a swing regulating shaft 34D provided on one leg plate portion of the buckle body 34, and the arrow H
Directional movement is restricted.

In this state, when the tongue plate 22 is inserted and the lock plate 102 is in the state of preventing the tongue plate 22 from being released (the lock plate 102 is
The locking piece 60A swings in the direction of FIG.
When the swing in the direction is restricted), the engagement arm 1
The dimensions of each part are determined so that 16 engages with the end on the arrow B side of the pressing piece 104 of the lock plate 102.

As a result, when the lock plate 102 moves in the direction of arrow B in the state where the tongue plate 22 is prevented from being detached, the pressing piece 104 presses the engagement arm 116 of the detection lever 110 in the direction of arrow B, and the detection lever 110 It is configured to swing in the direction of arrow G against the biasing force of 118.

The contact switch 90 is connected to the detection lever 1
10 on the arrow G side of the pressing arm 114.
14 are arranged substantially opposite to each other. The distance X between the contact switch 90 and the corresponding position of the pressing arm 114 is set such that when the lock plate 102 moves by a distance (gap) d in the direction of arrow B, the tip of the pressing arm 114 comes into contact. That is, the cylindrical shaft portion 1 of the detection lever 110
L1 is the distance from the center of the shaft 12 to the position where the engagement arm 116 engages with the pressing piece 104, and L2 is the distance from the axis of the cylindrical shaft 112 to the region where the pressing arm 114 contacts the contact switch 90. L1), it is set so that X = d × L2 / L1.

In the buckle device 100 having this configuration, the webbing 12 restrains the occupant P (the state shown in FIG. 6A).
9, the amount of movement of the lock plate 102 in the direction of the arrow B is smaller than d, as shown in FIG.
4 is separated from the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 that is separated from the pressing arm 114 outputs an OFF signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94 to which the OFF signal has been input is conditioned on the condition that the operation of the airbag device 92 is not prohibited by another control parameter. The operation of the airbag device 92 is allowed. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the seat belt device 10 restrains the occupant P and the airbag device 9.
2 operates to protect the occupant P.

On the other hand, when the child seat 96 is mounted on the vehicle seat 24 (the state shown in FIG. 6B), the tension applied to the waist portion 12B of the webbing 12 is equal to or higher than a predetermined tension. For this reason, in this state, as shown in FIG. 10, the lock plate 102 which engages with the engagement hole 22A of the tongue plate 22 through which the webbing 12 is inserted.
Moves in the direction of arrow B against the urging force of the coil spring 106 (and the coil spring 118), and when the amount of movement reaches the distance d, the support portion 52 is moved to the notch portion 34C of the buckle body 34.
And the further movement is regulated.

As the lock plate 102 moves the distance d in the direction of arrow B, the engagement arm 116 of the detection lever 110 is pressed in the direction of arrow B, and the detection lever 110 resists the urging force of the coil spring 118. To swing in the direction of arrow G. Thereby, the movement amount of the distance d of the lock plate 102 is amplified by the detection lever 110 to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X, and the pressing arm 114 comes into contact with the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 in contact with the pressing arm 114 outputs an ON signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94 to which the ON signal has been input inhibits the operation of the airbag device 92 regardless of other control parameters. So, for example,
Even when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the airbag device 92 is not operated, and the safety of the child occupant (not shown) is ensured.

The buckle device 1 according to the second embodiment
As in the first embodiment, the presence or absence of the child seat can also be reliably detected without deteriorating the usability. Further, the presence or absence of the mounting of the child seat 96 can be reliably detected based on the tension of the webbing 12, and when the mounting of the child seat 96 is detected, this detection result is output to the CPU 94 and the airbag device 92 is output.
Can be reliably prohibited.

Further, since the detection lever 110 amplifies the movement amount (distance d) of the lock plate 102 in the direction of arrow B to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X of the pressing arm 114, the displacement of the lock plate 102 due to the tension of the webbing 12 Even if the amount (distance d) is small, the size of the sufficient buckle device 100 is prevented, and the swing amount X of the detection lever 110 (the pressing arm 114) with respect to the contact switch 90 can be secured large (that is, the sensitivity of the contact switch 90). The predetermined swing amount X of the detection lever 110 can be set in accordance with the mounting accuracy and the like, and the like.

Further, since a small displacement amount (distance d) of the lock plate 102 due to the tension of the webbing 12 is sufficient, special measures for properly sliding the lock plate 102 (installation of a guide, installation of the guide, The use of low-friction materials, surface treatment, processing, and measures to reduce friction such as improvement in assembly accuracy) are not required, or the cost is reduced due to simplification. (Configuration of the buckle device according to the third embodiment)
A buckle device 120 according to a third embodiment applied to the seat belt device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that components and portions that are basically the same as those in the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals as in the first and second embodiments, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the buckle device 120. As shown in this figure,
The buckle device 120 includes a lock plate 122 having no pressing piece 104 instead of the lock plate 102,
The buckle device 100 is different from the buckle device 100 in that a detection lever 130 is provided instead of the detection lever 110.

The lock plate 122 has basically the same shape as the lock plate 102 except that the lock plate 122 does not have the pressing piece 104. The lock plate 122 is supported by the notch 34A of the buckle body 34 so as to be swingable in the directions of arrows C and D, and is not biased by the coil spring 106 (in this regard, it is the same as the lock plate 50). .

Although the description has been omitted in the first and second embodiments, the engagement piece 54 of the lock plate 122 is omitted.
In the state in which the tongue plate 22 is prevented from disengaging, A is slightly inclined (so that the front end is positioned on the arrow B side) with respect to the directions of the arrows A and B so as to enter the engagement hole 22A of the tongue plate 22. When the rear surface thereof is pressed in the direction of arrow B by the tongue plate 22, the back surface slides in the direction of arrow D while sliding with the inner edge corner of the engagement hole 22A. Plate 80 corresponds to this).

Further, the lock cam 60 has the support portion 62 inserted into the support hole 34E of the buckle body 34 and the arrows E, F
It is supported so that it can swing in the direction. This support hole 34E
Is a direction orthogonal to the directions of arrows A and B (arrows I and
The support hole 34B according to the first embodiment is different from the support hole 34B according to the first embodiment in that the elongated hole (J direction) is a longitudinal direction.

That is, the lock cam 60 is normally engaged with the inner edge of the support hole 34E on the arrow I side by the urging force of the coil spring 74, and
It is movably supported in the directions of arrows I and J within a gap d between the side end and the inner edge of the support hole 34E on the arrow J side.

On the other hand, the detection lever 130 is formed in a substantially linear shape and includes a cylindrical shaft portion 112 provided at an intermediate portion, a pressing arm 132 provided at one end, and a pressing arm 132 provided at the other end. And a short engagement arm 134.

The detection lever 130 is connected to the buckle body 3
4 are inserted through the cylindrical shaft portion 112, so that arrows K and M in FIG.
It is swingably supported in the direction. Also, detection lever 1
Reference numeral 30 denotes a coil spring 1 at an intermediate portion of the pressing arm 132.
One end of the coil spring 118 is locked.
Is urged in the direction of arrow M by locking (not shown) the other end of the buckle body 34. In this state, the engagement arm 134 of the detection lever 130 is engaged with the end of the support portion 62 of the lock cam 60 on the arrow I side, and the swing in the arrow M direction is restricted.

Thus, when the lock cam 60 moves in the direction of the arrow J, the support portion 62 presses the engagement arm 134 of the detection lever 130 in the direction of the arrow J, and the detection lever 130 moves against the urging force of the coil spring 118 to move the arrow. It swings in the K direction.

The contact switch 90 is connected to the detection lever 1
30 on the arrow K side of the pressing arm 132
32 are disposed substantially opposite to each other. The distance X between the contact switch 90 and the corresponding position of the pressing arm 132 is set such that when the lock cam 60 moves by a distance (gap) d in the direction of the arrow J, the tip of the pressing arm 132 comes into contact. That is, similarly to the second embodiment, the engagement arm 1 is moved from the axis of the cylindrical shaft portion 112 of the detection lever 130.
Assuming that a distance between the engagement portion of the cylindrical portion 112 and the contact portion with the contact switch 90 is L2 (> L1), X = d. × L2 / L1 is set.

In the buckle device 120 having this configuration, the webbing 12 restrains the occupant P (the state shown in FIG. 6A).
In this case, since the tension of the webbing 12 is small, the lock cam 60 is moved by the urging force of the coil spring 74 at the edge of the support hole 34 on the arrow I side (or in the vicinity thereof) as shown in FIG.
And the lock engagement portion 5 of the lock plate 122
8 restricts the swing of the lock plate 122 in the direction of arrow D. Therefore, the amount of movement of the lock cam 60 in the direction of the arrow J is smaller than d, and the pressing arm 114 of the detection lever 110 is separated from the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 that is separated from the pressing arm 114 outputs an OFF signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94 to which the OFF signal has been input is conditioned on the condition that the operation of the airbag device 92 is not prohibited by another control parameter. The operation of the airbag device 92 is allowed. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the seat belt device 10 restrains the occupant P and the airbag device 9.
2 operates to protect the occupant P.

On the other hand, when the child seat 96 is mounted on the vehicle seat 24 (the state shown in FIG. 6B), the tension applied to the waist portion 12B of the webbing 12 becomes a predetermined value or more. For this reason, in this state, as shown in FIG. 13, the tongue plate 2 into which the webbing 12 has been inserted.
The lock plate 122 engaged with the second engagement hole 22A is
The coil spring 74 (and the coil spring 11) is pressed (pulled) in the direction of arrow B by the tongue plate 22.
8) swings in the direction of arrow D against the urging force, and moves the lock cam 60 in the direction of arrow J. When the amount of movement of the lock cam 60 reaches the distance d, the support portion 62 engages with the end of the support hole 34E of the buckle body 34 on the arrow J side, and further movement (swing of the lock plate 122) is restricted.

With the movement of the lock cam 60 by the distance d in the direction of the arrow J, the engagement arm 13 of the detection lever 130 is moved.
4 is pressed in the direction of arrow J, and the detection lever 130 swings in the direction of arrow K against the urging force of the coil spring 118. As a result, the movement amount of the lock cam 60 for the distance d is amplified by the detection lever 130 to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X,
The pressing arm 132 contacts the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 in contact with the pressing arm 132 outputs an ON signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94, to which the ON signal has been input, prohibits the operation of the airbag device 92 regardless of other control parameters. So, for example,
Even when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the airbag device 92 is not operated, and the safety of the child occupant (not shown) is ensured.

The buckle device 1 according to the third embodiment
As in the first embodiment, the presence / absence of a child seat can also be reliably detected without impairing the usability. Further, the presence or absence of the mounting of the child seat 96 can be reliably detected based on the tension of the webbing 12, and when the mounting of the child seat 96 is detected, this detection result is output to the CPU 94 and the airbag device 92 is output.
Can be reliably prohibited.

Further, when the detection lever 130 is
The movement amount of the distance d in the direction of the arrow J of 0 (that is, the swing amount of the lock plate 122 corresponding to the distance d in the direction of the arrow D).
Is amplified to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X of the pressing arm 114, so that the buckle device 120 is prevented from being enlarged, and the contact switch 90 is increased, as in the second embodiment.
Erroneous detection due to variations in sensitivity and position of the image can be reliably prevented.

In particular, the lock plate 122 is configured to swing only in the directions of arrows C and D (the direction in which the tongue plate 22 advances and retreats to the engagement hole 22A), and does not need to move in the directions of arrows A and B. In addition, the size of the buckle device 120 is preferably prevented from being increased, and a special measure for sliding the lock plate 122 is not required. (Configuration of the buckle device according to the fourth embodiment)
A buckle device 140 according to a fourth embodiment applied to the seatbelt device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that components and portions that are basically the same as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first to third embodiments, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the buckle device 140. As shown in this figure,
The buckle device 140 is different from the buckle device 30 or the like in that the buckle device 140 includes a latch fitting 172 instead of the lock plate 50 or the like as a lock member. 14 to FIG.
In FIG. 6, illustration of covers corresponding to the upper cover 32A and the lower cover 32B is omitted.

The buckle device 140 includes a buckle main body 142 as a main body fixed to the stay 26 with rivets (not shown). The buckle body 142 is formed by bending a belt-shaped high-strength member at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction (the directions of arrows A and B), and includes an upper plate 144 and a lower plate 146 arranged in parallel with each other. An opening 148 for inserting the tongue plate 22 is formed at an end of the buckle body 142 on the bending side (opposite to the side where the stay 26 is fixed), and the tongue plate 22 is inserted from the opening 148 to form an upper plate. It is designed to be inserted between the lower plate 144 and the lower plate 146.

Further, in the vicinity of the bent side end of the buckle body 142, an opening 15 for inserting a latch metal 172, which will be described later, is provided.
0 is provided. The opening 150 is formed such that the opening 150A and the opening 150B provided in the upper plate 144 and the lower plate 146 communicate with each other in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the buckle body 142 (arrows P and Q directions in FIG. 14). ing. The opening 150B provided in the lower plate 146 has the same position as the arrow A side edge and the position of the arrow B side edge offset to the arrow B side with respect to the opening 150A provided in the upper plate 144. (The dimension in the longitudinal direction is increased).

An ejector 152 is provided inside the buckle body 142 so as to be slidable along the longitudinal direction of the buckle body 142. This ejector 152
Is fixed to one end of a coil spring 154, and the other end of the coil spring 154 is connected to the stay 2 of the buckle body 142.
6, the ejector 152 is urged in the detaching direction of the tongue plate 22 (the direction of the arrow B) by being locked to the fixed side.

Further, the outside of the upper plate 144 (FIG. 14)
A release button 156 is disposed on the upper side of the image. The release button 156 has a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal direction of the buckle main body 142, is formed to be longer than the buckle main body 142, and has a pressing portion 158 provided on a side (arrow B side) into which the tongue plate 22 is inserted. Release surface 16 as a lock release portion, which is an inclined surface formed in the intermediate portion
0, a projection 162 as a lock engagement portion formed on the arrow A side of the release surface 160, and a bridge-shaped spring mounting portion 164 provided near the end on the arrow A side. It is configured.

The release button 156 has a locking claw (not shown) engaged with the inner surface of the upper plate 144 to prevent the release button 156 from dropping off the buckle main body 142 and to slide along the longitudinal direction of the buckle main body 142. Attached to.

Further, the outside of the upper plate 144 (FIG. 1)
A holding block 166 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 150 (upper side of 4). The holding block 166
A latch holding portion 168 formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape corresponding to the opening 150, a mounting arm portion 170 extending from the latch holding portion 168 to the arrow A side, and provided on the arrow B side of the latch holding portion 168. And a leaf spring piece 171.

The holding block 166 is used to release the release button 1 so as not to move relative to the buckle body 142.
In this state, the release button 156 is urged in the direction of arrow B by the leaf spring piece 171 in a state of straddling the buckle 56.

The latch holding section 168 of the holding block 166
A latch metal 172 is accommodated therein so as to be movable in the directions of arrows P and Q. The latch fitting 172 has the opening 150.
(The engaging hole 22A of the tongue plate 22) and an engaging piece 174 that can be inserted into the tongue plate 22, and contact portions 176 protruding from both sides of the engaging piece 174.

The other end of the lock spring 178, which is an arcuate leaf spring, whose one end is inserted and locked in the spring mounting portion 164 of the release button 156, is in contact with the end surface of the latch fitting 172 on the arrow Q side. The latch 172 is always opened by the lock spring 178.
It is urged in the direction of approach to zero (the direction of arrow P).

When the tongue plate 22 is in the non-inserted state, the latch fitting 172 has the protrusion 1 of the release button 156.
62 is prevented from moving in the direction of arrow P by contacting the end of arrow 62 on the arrow Q side so as not to protrude into the insertion path of the tongue plate 22.

An end of the intermediate arm 180 is locked to an intermediate portion of the lock spring 178, and the other end of the intermediate arm 180 enters on the movement locus of the ejector 152 on the arrow A side.

Thus, when the tongue plate 22 is inserted and the ejector 152 moves in the direction of arrow A, the intermediate arm 180 is pressed in the direction of arrow A and the lock spring 178 slightly swings in the direction of arrow R (see FIG. 14). With this swing, the lock spring 178 presses the spring holding portion 164 of the release button 156 in the direction of arrow A to slightly move the release button 156 in the direction of arrow A. Contact part 1
76, the latch metal 172 is allowed to move in the direction of the arrow P by retreating from the contact position with the latch 76, and the latch metal 172 enters the opening 150 and the engaging hole 22A of the tongue plate 22 by the urging force of the lock spring 178. (See FIG. 15).

On the other hand, when releasing the tongue plate 22 from the disengagement prevention state, the pressing portion 15 of the release button 156 is required.
8 is pressed in the direction of arrow A, and the release button 156 is pressed.
Moves the latch fitting 172 in the arrow Q direction by moving (sliding) the latch P 172 in the direction of the arrow Q while engaging (sliding) the end on the arrow P side of the contact part 176 of the latch fitting 172 with the release part 160 that is the inclined surface. The ejector 152 is moved together with the tongue plate 22 in the direction of arrow B by the urging force of the coil spring 154 to eject the tongue plate 22, and the release button 156 released from the pressed state is moved by the urging force of the leaf spring piece 171 to the arrow. In the direction B, the protrusion 162 is brought into contact with the end on the arrow P side of the contact portion 176 of the latch 172 to return to a state where the latch 172 is prevented from moving in the direction of the arrow P (initial state). Configuration.

The buckle device 140 has a detection lever 190 as a detection member. Detection lever 190
Is formed in a substantially T-shape, and has a cylindrical shaft portion 1 provided on a convex portion.
12, a pressing arm 192 provided on one end side, and an engagement arm 194 provided on the other end side.

The detection lever 190 is connected to the holding block 1
When the support shaft (not shown) provided on the mounting arm portion 66 is inserted into the cylindrical shaft portion 112, the latch holding portion 1
In the vicinity of 68, it is swingably supported in the directions of arrows S and T. Further, the detection lever 190 has its pressing arm 192
One end of a coil spring 196 is locked at an intermediate portion of the mounting arm 17.
By being locked to 0, it is urged in the direction of arrow S.
In this state, the engagement arm 194 is engaged with the end of the engagement piece 174 of the latch 172 on the arrow A side in this state, and the swing in the direction of arrow S is regulated.

The engagement arm 194 of the detection lever 190
The latch fitting 172 abutted on the tongue plate 22
When the tongue plate 22 is pulled in the direction of arrow B, the arrow B side edge of the opening 150B inserted in the detachment preventing state is offset as described above.
5 and 16). That is, the latch metal 172 is pressed against the urging force of the coil spring 196 by the tension of the webbing 12, and the detection lever 19 is moved.
0 while swinging in the direction of arrow T,
It is configured to swing in the direction of arrow U around a contact portion with the side inner edge (hereinafter, referred to as the swing center of the latch fitting 172).

The buckle device 140 includes a contact switch 90.
90 at the arrow T side of the pressing arm 192.
92 are arranged substantially opposite to each other. The distance X between the contact switch 90 and the corresponding position of the pressing arm 192 is
The tip of the pressing arm 192 is set so as to swing in the direction of the arrow U by an amount corresponding to the distance d (see FIG. 17) in which the side of the arrow B of the arrow 50B is offset with respect to the opening 150A. I have.

That is, as shown in FIG. 17, the engagement arm 19 is moved from the axis of the cylindrical shaft portion 112 of the detection lever 190.
L1 is the distance to the engagement portion with the latch fitting 172, L1,
The distance from the axis of the cylindrical shaft portion 112 to the contact portion of the pressing arm 192 with the contact switch 90 is defined as L2 (> L1).
Assuming that the distance from the center of swing of the latch 172 to the engagement with the engagement arm 194 of the latch 172 is L4, X =
It is set to be d × L4 / L3 × L2 / L1. The dimensions of each part are (L3 / L4) <(L2 / L
1), and the distance X is amplified with respect to the distance d.

In the buckle device 140 having this configuration, the webbing 12 restrains the occupant P (the state shown in FIG. 6A).
Since the tension of the webbing 12 is small, the latch metal 172 is maintained in a substantially upright state along the arrows P and Q by the urging force of the coil spring 196 or slightly inclined in the direction of the arrow U as shown in FIG. are doing. Therefore, the swing amount of the latch metal 172 in the direction of the arrow U is equal to the distance d.
And the pressing arm 194 of the detection lever 190 is separated from the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 that is separated from the pressing arm 194 outputs an OFF signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94 to which the OFF signal has been input is conditioned on the condition that the operation of the airbag device 92 is not prohibited by another control parameter. The operation of the airbag device 92 is allowed. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the seat belt device 10 restrains the occupant P and the airbag device 9.
2 operates to protect the occupant P.

On the other hand, when the child seat 96 is mounted on the vehicle seat 24 (the state shown in FIG. 6B), the tension applied to the waist portion 12B of the webbing 12 is equal to or more than a predetermined value. Therefore, in this state, as shown in FIG. 16, the tongue plate 2 into which the webbing 12 has been inserted is provided.
The latch metal 172 engaged with the second engagement hole 22A is pressed (pulled) in the direction of arrow B by the tongue plate 22 and resists the urging force of the coil spring 196 in the direction of arrow U.
When the swing amount reaches the swing amount corresponding to the distance d, the engaging piece 174 is moved to the opening 15 of the buckle body 142.
Engagement with the arrow B side edge of 0B restricts further swinging.

With the swing of the latch 172 corresponding to the distance d in the direction of the arrow U, the engagement arm 194 of the detection lever 190 swings in the direction of the arrow T. As a result, the swing amount corresponding to the distance d of the latch fitting 172 is amplified by the detection lever 190 to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X, and the pressing arm 192 comes into contact with the contact switch 90.

The contact switch 90 that has come into contact with the pressing arm 192 outputs an ON signal to the CPU 94, and the CPU 94 to which the ON signal has been input prohibits the operation of the airbag device 92 regardless of other control parameters. So, for example,
Even when the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision or the like, the airbag device 92 is not operated, and the safety of the child occupant (not shown) is ensured.

The buckle device 1 according to the fourth embodiment
According to 40, similarly to the first embodiment, the presence or absence of the attachment of the child seat can be reliably detected without impairing the usability. Further, the presence or absence of the mounting of the child seat 96 can be reliably detected based on the tension of the webbing 12, and when the mounting of the child seat 96 is detected, this detection result is output to the CPU 94 and the airbag device 92 is output.
Can be reliably prohibited.

Further, the detection lever 190 is connected to the latch 1
In order to amplify the swing amount corresponding to the distance d in the direction of the arrow U of 72 to the swing amount corresponding to the distance X of the pressing arm 192,
As in the second and third embodiments, the buckle device 140 is prevented from being enlarged, and the contact switch 90 is prevented.
Erroneous detection due to variations in sensitivity and position of the image can be reliably prevented.

The latch 172 only needs to swing slightly in the direction of arrow U, and does not need to move (slide) in the directions of arrows A and B. Therefore, the buckle device 100 is prevented from being enlarged, and No special measures are required for sliding the latch 172 in the directions of the arrows A and B, so that the cost is reduced.

In the fourth embodiment, the coil spring 196 is connected to the latch 17 via the detection lever 190.
2 is urged in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow U,
The present invention is not limited to this.
A biasing means for directly biasing in a direction opposite to the direction may be provided. Therefore, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a leaf spring that urges the latch metal member 172 in the direction opposite to the arrow U direction is provided at the edge of the opening 150 on the arrow B side.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the contact switch 90 is provided as the detecting means. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
A proximity switch may be provided in place of the contact switch 90. The detection piece 88 and the pressing arms 114, 132, and 192 are used as one contact, and the other contact is provided at a position corresponding to the contact switch 90. It may be configured to detect that the tension of the webbing 12 is equal to or higher than a predetermined tension by separation. The detecting means includes a detecting piece 88 and a pressing arm 11.
The present invention is not limited to a configuration in which an ON-OFF signal is output in accordance with the contact / separation state between the detection means and the fourth unit and the like. Therefore, for example, a configuration may be employed in which a distance sensor is provided instead of the contact switch 90 as the detection means, and in the first embodiment, a configuration may be employed in which a strain gauge or the like provided on the leaf spring portion 86 is provided.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the buckle devices 30, 100, 120, 140 (contact switch 90) are electrically connected to the CPU 94 to determine whether or not the airbag device 92 can be operated. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
It is electrically connected to an indicator in the passenger compartment instead of the PU 94 to determine whether or not the child seat 96 is properly mounted (webbing 1).
(2) whether or not the vehicle is mounted with an appropriate tension).

In the first to fourth embodiments, the buckle devices 30, 100, 120, and 140 are applied to the three-point seat belt device 10.
The present invention is not limited to this.
Needless to say, the same may be applied to a two-point seat belt device.

Further, in the second to fourth embodiments, the detection levers 110, 130, and 190 have the engagement arm 116 and the pressing arm 114 with the cylindrical shaft 112 interposed therebetween.
And the like, but the present invention is not limited to this,
For example, the detection lever 130 includes the cylindrical shaft portion 112 and the pressing lever 132, and the root of the pressing lever 132 is pressed by the support portion 62 of the lock cam 60 and the pressing lever 1 is pressed.
A configuration may be employed in which the tip of the contact 32 contacts the contact switch 90. Further, the coil springs 118 and 196 for urging the detection levers 110, 130 and 190 have the pressing arms 114,
The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the coil springs 118 and 196 are engaged with the engagement arms 1 and 132, 192.
16, 134, 194, the cylindrical shaft 1
The detection lever 110 and the like may be biased by a torsion spring or a mainspring disposed around 12.

In the second to fourth embodiments, the detection levers 110, 130, and 190 are preferably configured to amplify the amount of movement or swing (displacement) of the lock plates 102, 122 and the latch 172. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that, for example, the contact switch 90 may be configured to directly detect the displacement of the lock plate 102, the lock cam 60, and the latch fitting 172.

[0141]

As described above, the buckle device according to the present invention has an excellent effect that the presence or absence of a child seat can be reliably detected without impairing usability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a buckle device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lock plate, a sublock plate, and a contact switch that constitute the buckle device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the occupant is restrained by the buckle device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the child seat is mounted by the buckle device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a seat belt device to which the buckle device according to each embodiment of the present invention is applied.

6A is a front view showing an occupant restrained state of a seat belt device to which the buckle device according to each embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 6B is a buckle device according to each embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view showing a child seat mounting state of the seat belt device to which is applied.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a buckle device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a lock plate, a detection lever, and a contact switch that constitute a buckle device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the occupant is restrained by the buckle device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the child seat is mounted by the buckle device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a buckle device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11 showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from coming off when the occupant is restrained by the buckle device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11 showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the child seat is mounted by the buckle device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a buckle device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view corresponding to FIG. 14 and showing a state in which the tongue plate is prevented from being detached when the occupant is restrained by the buckle device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view corresponding to FIG. 14 and showing a state in which a tongue plate is prevented from being detached when a child seat is mounted by a buckle device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a dimensional relationship among a latch fitting, a detection lever, and a contact switch which constitute a buckle device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 seat belt device 12 webbing 22 tongue plate 22A engagement hole 30 buckle device 34 buckle body (main body) 50 lock plate (lock member) 80 sublock plate (detection member) 90 contact switch (detection means) 92 airbag device 94 CPU (control means) 96 Child seat 100, 120, 140 Buckle device 102, 122 Lock plate (lock member) 110, 130, 190 Detection lever (detection member) 142 Buckle body (main body) 172 Latch fitting (lock member)

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshimasa Yamamoto 3-260 Toyota, Oguchi-machi, Niwa-gun, Aichi Prefecture Inside Tokai Rika Electric Works, Ltd. Inside Rika Electric Works (72) Inventor Satoshi Fujimoto 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation F term (reference) 3B090 BC05 BC22 BC27 3D018 BA12 3D054 EE09 EE13 EE14 EE31 FF16

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A buckle device for preventing the tongue plate from being detached from a main body portion in a state where a lock member is inserted into an engagement hole of a tongue plate provided at one end portion or an intermediate portion of an occupant restraining webbing. A detection member that is displaced relative to the main body in accordance with the tension of the webbing transmitted through the tongue plate; and a detection unit that detects a displacement of the detection member equal to or more than a predetermined value. A buckle device. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting member is provided so as to be relatively movable in the detaching direction with respect to the main body, and is urged in a direction opposite to the detaching direction. 2. The buckle device according to claim 1, wherein the buckle device moves into the detaching direction with respect to the main body while engaging with the edge of the engaging hole due to the tension while entering the engaging hole. 3. 3. The lock member is supported so as to be capable of being relatively displaced by less than the predetermined value with respect to the main body in accordance with the tension, and the detection member swings while interlocking with the relative displacement of the lock member. The buckle device according to claim 1, wherein the relative displacement amount of the lock member is amplified. 4. The predetermined value is set in accordance with the tension when the child seat is mounted, and the detection means is electrically connected to control means for inhibiting operation of an airbag device provided in the vehicle when the child seat is mounted. The buckle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: