IP Library Granted Patent US 10,189,436
Granted Patent B2
US 10,189,436 · App. 15/229,605 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Ergonomic safety belt latch plate

Inventors: Benjamin Yilma (Canton, MI); Travis Justin Raines (Grosse Ile, MI); Edwin C. Chiu (Livonia, MI); Christopher Donald Schop (Chelsea, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
B60R22/18B60R2022/1812B60R2022/1818
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,189,436
App. No.
15/229,605
Granted
Jan 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A latch plate for a vehicle safety belt includes a latch plate tongue element and a grip element. The grip element includes a gripping portion that is held on a plane that is offset from a plane defined by the latch plate tongue element. The gripping portion plane may be parallel to the plane defined by the latch plate tongue element. The gripping portion may be held at a plane defining an included angle to a plane defined by an associated safety belt webbing element when the latch plate tongue element is secured to a safety belt buckle element.

Claims (29)

1. A latch plate for a vehicle safety belt, comprising:

a latch plate tongue element; and

a grip element comprising a gripping portion that is held on a plane that is offset from a plane defined by the latch plate tongue element;

wherein the grip element is configured whereby the gripping portion is held at a plane defining an included angle to a plane defined by an associated safety belt webbing element when the latch plate tongue element is secured to a safety belt buckle element.

2. The latch plate of claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion plane is parallel to the plane defined by the latch plate tongue element.

3. The latch plate of claim 1 , wherein the grip element comprises a first safety belt webbing guide slot and a second safety belt webbing guide slot.

4. The latch plate of claim 3 , wherein the second safety belt webbing guide slot defines an internal area that is greater than an internal area defined by the first safety belt webbing guide slot.

5. A vehicle safety belt assembly including the latch plate of claim 1 .

6. A vehicle including the vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 5 .

7. A vehicle safety belt assembly, comprising:

a safety belt webbing element;

a safety belt buckle element; and

a latch plate slidingly associated with the safety belt webbing element and comprising:

a latch plate tongue element; and

a grip element comprising a grip element comprising a gripping portion that is held on a plane that is offset from a plane defined by the latch plate tongue element;

wherein the grip element is configured whereby the gripping portion is held at a plane defining an included angle to a plane defined by an associated safety belt webbing element when the latch plate tongue element is secured to a safety belt buckle element.

8. The vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 7 , wherein the gripping portion plane is parallel to the plane defined by the latch plate tongue element.

9. The vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 7 , wherein the grip element comprises a first safety belt webbing guide slot and a second safety belt webbing guide slot.

10. The vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 9 , wherein the second safety belt webbing guide slot defines an internal area that is greater than an internal area defined by the first safety belt webbing guide slot.

11. A vehicle including the vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 7 .

12. A latch plate for a vehicle safety belt, comprising:

a latch plate tongue element; and

a grip element having a body defining a first safety belt webbing guide slot and a second safety belt webbing guide slot, the portion of the body defining the second safety belt webbing slot providing a grip element comprising a gripping portion that is held on a plane that is offset from a plane defined by the latch plate tongue element;

wherein the grip element is configured whereby the gripping portion is held at a plane defining an included angle to a plane defined by an associated safety belt webbing element when the latch plate tongue element is secured to a safety belt buckle element.

13. The latch plate of claim 12 , wherein the gripping portion plane is parallel to the plane defined by the latch plate tongue element.

14. The latch plate of claim 12 , wherein the grip element comprises a first safety belt webbing guide slot and a second safety belt webbing guide slot.

15. The latch plate of claim 12 , wherein the second safety belt webbing guide slot defines an internal area that is greater than an internal area defined by the first safety belt webbing guide slot.

16. A vehicle safety belt assembly including the latch plate of claim 12 .

17. A vehicle including the vehicle safety belt assembly of claim 16 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2016
From: YILMA, BENJAMIN; RAINES, TRAVIS JUSTIN; CHIU, EDWIN C.; SCHOP, CHRISTOPHER DONALD
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 039354/0830 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180037189A1 · Feb 8, 2018