1 BUCKLE GUARD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to guards for seat belt buckles. More particularly the 5 invention is directed to buckle guards capable of inhibiting the accidental or deliberate unbuckling of a seat belt by a child (or an adult of diminished responsibility) while remaining simple for a supervising adult to release the seat belt. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION .0 Seat belts (also known safety belts), have been standard equipment on automobiles for more than a generation. Seat belts are also commonly found in aircraft, buses, boats, amusement rides and the like. Typically, seat belts are fastened and unfastened using a buckle mechanism comprising a first male part which releasably engages with a second female part. Fastening normally occurs automatically when the male component is inserted .5 into the female component, however an active step is required to release the buckle. Release of the seat belt is normally achieved by the user depressing a button on the female component of the seat belt buckle leading to disengagement of the male component. In many countries, seat belts must be worn by every driver and passenger of a vehicle by 0 law, regardless of age. Where the passenger is very young, a special safety seat or capsule may be installed in the vehicle which is in turn secured by the vehicle's seat belt. The rationale for such laws has been repeatedly proven by statistics. It is beyond any doubt that the introduction of safety belts in automobiles and other forms of transport has lead to significant reductions in morbidity and mortality across the globe. However, safety belts are 25 only effective at preventing injury and death so long as they remain fastened. . When travelling, the attentions of many children are drawn to the eye-catching buckle engaged around their waists, or around the safety seats in which they ride. For many safety seat designs, the belt buckle release mechanism is within easy reach of the child and is often 30 of a bright colour. So often, a child's hands naturally rest on or about the safety belt buckle assembly. Such hands will quickly learn how to disengage a seat belt buckle without ever once witnessing another perform the same task.
2 Although children as old as one or two have sufficient strength and dexterity to operate the 15 release mechanisms of most safety belts, they are not old enough to appreciate the importance of remaining fastened at all times. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death and crippling injury for young children in many first world countries. For example, in the United States as many as 700 children under five years of age die each year from injuries sustained as motor vehicle passengers. Adults cannot always maintain 0 constant supervision over their young passengers to assure that they remained fastened in appropriate safety restraints. To do so would be a greater distraction to drivers causing even more accidents, injuries and deaths. Hence, there exists a clear need for preventing babies, toddlers and other young children from unfastening or unbuckling themselves from such safety devices. 15 Seat belt disengagement is also a problem with persons of diminished responsibility such as some elderly persons and the mentally incapacitated. Accidental seat belt unfastening by adults, siblings, pets and knocking by inanimate objects ;0 is a further problem. Seat belt release buttons are fairly large and it is not uncommon for movement by persons, animals or objects within the cabin of a vehicle to result in the accidental disengagement of the buckle. The prior art discloses a number of devices capable of inhibiting a child from unbuckling a 55 safety belt, with examples being Australian Patent Application No. 199712380 (to SHAW and GRECH), United States Patent Application No 2006/0096069 (to HOFFMAN), and also United States Patent Nos 5442840 (to EWALD), 6769157 (to MEAL), 5307544 (to QUARBERG), 6041480 (to WHITE), and 4731912 (to BORISKIE and EMMER). All have problems, with an important one being that they are difficult or require considerable dexterity to operate. 60 This can cause significant difficulty for persons assisting a child to exit from a vehicle, and even more seriously can inhibit the rapid release of a child after an accident. For example, the cover disclosed in Australian Patent Application No. 199712380 relies on the release of a very small clip to expose the seat belt release button. Release of the clip requires pressure to be applied by the fingers on two members. While this arrangement makes it difficult for 3 is a child to release the seat belt, it is also overly difficult to release by a parent. Such difficulty would be compounded where the user has an infirmity of the hand such as arthritis or Parkinson's disease. Another problem is exemplified by the device disclosed in United States Patent Application 'O 2006/009609 which relies on a curved guard disposed over the buckle release mechanism, this being adapted to allow insertion of a finger to facilitate the release. While this is simply to use, there is very little stopping a child from operating the release. Another problem is that many guards of the prior art are only useful for certain types of seat '5 belt buckles. For example, the device described in United States Patent No. 5442840 relies on the frictional fitting of a resilient material over a release button on the broad face of the female part of a seat belt buckle. However, it will be clear that this device is not useful where the release button is located on a different part of the female part such as on the face directed toward the male part of the buckle. 10 The problem of broad applicability is lessened with the device disclosed in United States Patent No 6769157, however this device would be difficult and time consuming to release given the necessity to continuously feed the seat belt webbing into the device in order to expose the release button. 15 Accessibility to adults is also a problem with the device of United States Patent No 5307544 which requires the user to insert a flat object (such as a key) through an aperture in the device in order to depress the release button of the buckle. A child with an ice cream stick could easily activate the release mechanism. Another device disclosed in this patent 90 document incorporates a mechanism similar to that on child-proof medicine bottles in order to open an aperture thereby exposing the release button. Many parents understand that these mechanisms can be difficult for adults to open, and even more difficult for the elderly. Many buckle guard devices of the prior art are of a complex design, and are therefore 95 expensive to construct and often prone to failure. Examples are the bipartite device shown in United States Patent Nos. 6040480 and 4731912 both having a hinged cover that can 4 pivot to expose the release button on the female portion of the buckle. While undoubtedly providing a greater level of security than that afforded by the device of United States Patent Application No 2006/009609, these devices would be expensive and prone to failure in the Q0 hinges. Problems inherent in other devices of the prior art include (but are not limited to) general unwieldiness, inconvenience of use, aesthetically unpleasing, cumbersome, excessive size, or that they require special dispensation from an authority for use. 15 It is an aspect of the present invention to overcome or alleviate a problem of the prior art, or to provide an alternative buckle guard to those known at the filing date of this application. .0 The discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in this specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. .5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is predicated at least in part on the finding that a child's access to a release button of a seat belt buckle may be inhibited by the placing of a flexible guard over the buckle release button. Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention provides a 20 buckle guard comprising a substantially planar member having a size and/or shape allowing it to be disposed between the male and female components of a seat belt buckle when engaged, and also to cover the release button of the seat belt buckle, wherein the member has sufficient flexibility to allow a mature person to bend a portion of the member away from the release button thereby allowing actuation, but insufficient flexibility to allow an 25 immature person to do the same. It has been surprisingly found that a child is substantially inhibited from accidentally or deliberately releasing a seat belt where a simple flexible physical barrier is placed over the release button of a seat belt buckle while an adult is able 5 to bend the guard away from release button to unfasten the seat belt with little effort or trouble. As used herein, the term "mature person" is intended to mean a human being who is capable of understanding the negative consequences of unbuckling a seat belt. In the context of the present invention a mature person is typically an adult person of the type typically charged with the care of a child (such as a parent or a child carer), or an adult 5 person typically charged with care of the mentally infirm (such as the adult offspring of an elderly person or an aged care worker). As used herein, the term "immature person" is intended to mean a human being who is incapable of understanding the negative consequences of unbuckling a seat belt. In the 0 context of the present invention an immature person is typically a child, and particularly a child under 5 years of age. The term is also intended to include a mentally immature person who for reasons of illness, age or genetics is unable to understand the negative consequences of unbuckling a seat belt. In the context of the present invention the mentally immature person is also physically impaired such that they posses less physical 5 strength and/or dexterity in the hand. Accordingly, the buckle guards of the present invention may be useful for protecting not only children, but also adults such as those afflicted with dementia and mental retardation. Given any given combination of immature person and immature person, the skilled artisan 50 is capable of providing a member having a flexibility capable of inhibiting the former from exposing a release button while allowing the latter to do the same. Further discussion relating to flexibility is provided infra. The present invention is particularly applicable to seat belt buckles of the type having a 55 release button at the distal face of the female component of the buckle, i.e. the face abutting the male component of the buckle when fastened (this type of buckle is used in more modern vehicles and is distinct from those having the release button on the broad, outer face of the female component). When used in these more modern type of buckle, the 6 member is disposed between the engaged male and female components such that it i0 naturally covers the release button. The substantially planar member may be of any shape providing for effective coverage of the release button. Because both the female component of the buckle is typically substantially rectangular in cross section and the release button typically has a substantially i5 rectangular face, the substantially planar member is preferably substantially rectangular. The dimensions of the rectangle will be typically selected according to the dimensions of the release button, with the length being at least about 30, 40, 50, 50, 60, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 mm. In a preferred form of the guard, the length is about 65 mm. The width of the substantially planar member may be at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 mm. O In a preferred form of the guard, the width of the substantially planar member is about 38 mm. It is to be understood that the planar member is to be retained sufficiently proximal to the release button to prevent a child from inserting a finger between the member and the '5 button surface. This may be accomplished by a number of means, with one embodiment being the inclusion of an elongate aperture in the member capable of receiving the tongue portion of the male component of the buckle. In this embodiment, when the buckle is engaged the member is sandwiched between the male and female components thereby preventing excessive movement of the member. In one embodiment, the shorter 80 dimension is selected according to the thickness of the tongue portion of the male component. In some forms of the invention the shorter dimension of the aperture is about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 mm. Preferably the shorter dimension it is about 4 mm. Similarly, the longer dimension of the aperture is chosen to accommodate the width of the tongue portion of the male component, and may be about 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 85 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or 60 mm. Preferably the longer dimension of the aperture is about 40 mm. The elongate aperture is positioned within the substantially planar member so as to allow 90 for effective coverage of the release button by the member when the tongue portion is 7 inserted and the buckle engaged. The elongate aperture may be located a distance of about 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 mm from the long edge of the elongate aperture to the closest edge of the member. In one embodiment of the buckle guard, the distance is about 11 mm. 15 Other more complex means of ensuring that the member is retained close to the surface of the release button will be immediately apparent including fixing the member to the female component, or fixing the member to the male component. The skilled person is capable of arriving at other means by routine experimentation with all being included within the scope Q0 of this invention. The planar member of the present buckle guard is of a size and/or shape so as to effectively cover the release button and prevent a child's fingers from actuating the release button. Typically the member covers the entire face of the button and in some cases extends 15 beyond the periphery to facilitate engagement with the finger. In some embodiments of the guard, there is a second member extending substantially perpendicularly from the main (first) member described supra. When the first member is positioned over or on the release button, this second member extends along the broad face .0 of the female component of the buckle, the broad face being adjacent to the release button. This face typically faces outwards (i.e. away from the seat) and is typically the side of the buckle from where a child will attempt to access the release button. A function of this second member is to provide further security in that the child needs to flex the member a greater distance in order to gain access to the release button. The longer the second 15 member, the more difficult it is for the child to flex the main member sufficiently such that the second member is moved sufficiently to allow the insertion of a finger under the guard. The second member may also assist in locating the guard about the female component of the buckle. By placing the second member flush against the broad face of the female 20 component, the first member properly locates over or on the release button. The second member may be at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,41, 42, 43, 44, 8 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 or 50 mm in length, this measurement taken from the intersection with the first member to the distal edge of the second member. In one embodiment, the second .5 member is about 15 mm in length. In some embodiments, the buckle guard comprises a third member extending substantially perpendicularly from the main (first) member described supra. Typically, the third member is substantially parallel to the second member. When the first member is positioned over or 0 on the release button, this third member extends along a broad face of the female component of the buckle, this broad face being adjacent the entry point for the tongue portion of the male component. As for the second member, the third member may also assist in locating the guard about the 5 female component of the buckle. The third member may be at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 or 50 mm in length, this measurement taken from the intersection with the first member to the distal edge of the third member. In one embodiment, the third member is about 11 mm in length. O In certain embodiments of the buckle guard the second and/or third members are substantially planar. The present buckle guard is of significantly greater simplicity than the buckle guards of the 45 prior art that rely on various means such as the complete encasing of the entire female part of the buckle, hinged covers over the release button, the strapping of shields over the release button etc. Furthermore, prior art devices are typically composed of rigid materials Furthermore, the present buckle cover does not rely on being closely engaged with the male 50 or female component in some embodiments meaning that it may be used for virtually any type of buckle. At least the first member of the guard is composed of material having sufficiently flexibility to allow an adult to access the release button, but at the same time sufficient rigidity (or to 9 i5 put it another way insufficient flexibility) to prevent a child from doing the same. In some embodiments of the invention, the buckle guard is composed of a thermoplastic polymer such as a polycarbonate. Polycarbonate exhibits the requisite strength, flexibility and resilience required for a buckle guard of the present invention. i0 Alternatively, the buckle guard may be composed of a composite of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene such as Bayblend* or Triax* (Bayer), Cycoloy* (Sabin Innovative Plastics), Pulse® (Dow), Staroy* (Samsung Cheil Industries), or a polycarbonate/polyester composite. i5 A polycarbonate product suitable for use in manufacturing the present buckle guards is Panlite* (Teijin Kasei America Inc). The flexibility of a plastic (and conversely the rigidity) may be controlled by varying the thickness of the plastic. Alternatively, the type of plastic and the addition of plasticisers and O fillers can be important. For example, potentially useful plastics include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyamides (PA), polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene oxide, polysulphone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyimides, polyphenylene sulfide, polyoxymethylene plastic, polypropylene and polyethylene. '5 A plasticizer may be added to a plastic to alter flexibility of a plastic. Compounds contemplated to be useful in this regard include adipate, citrate, epoxy, phosphate esters, phthalate, polymeric, sebacate, azelate, trimellitiates. The properties of phthalates are particularly well known to the skilled artisan, with exemplary species being di-isononyl 80 phthalate, di-isodecyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, di-isobutyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate and diisoheptyl phthalate, diisoundecyl phthalate and di isotridecyl phthalate. While flexibility of the member may be adjusted by varying the type of material used in 85 construction of the guard, another method is adjusting the thickness of the member. The guard device is typically substantially planar, and of even thickness. The thickness may be at 10 least about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6. 5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5 and 10 10 mm. The thickness is to be such that the member provides no substantial interference or inhibition to the engagement of the male and female components. In a preferred form of the invention the first and/or second and/or third member is composed of a polycarbonate (such as Panlite*) having a uniform thickness of from about 1 15 mm to about 1.2 mm. In other embodiments of the invention the thickness of the first and/or second and/or third substantially planar member is not uniform. For example, certain regions of a member may be thinner to enhance flexibility or certain regions may be thicker than the surrounding material. In certain forms of the invention the first and/or second and/or third members may comprise one or more ribs having a great thickness than Q0 the surrounding region. In a preferred form of the invention two ribs are disposed on either side of the elongate aperture, running across the shorter dimension of the first substantially planar member. The ribs may be about 0.5 to 1.0 mm thicker than the surrounding material, and may be positioned about 10 to 15 mm from the edge of the elongate aperture. Typically, the ribs are positioned on the inner surface of the member (i.e. the 15 surface facing toward the female component of the buckle). Ribbing may be included for the purpose of strengthening the area of planar member disposed immediately above the buckle release button. This may prevent actuation of the button by a force exerted on the face of the member by a finger, object or an animal. 10 The material from which the member is composed is to be substantially resilient such that any deformation of the member is automatically reversed. Thus, after the user deforms the member to access the release button the member returns to the original position to afford effective coverage of the button. 15 The skilled person is familiar with industrial design and manufacture and is able to identify materials and thicknesses having the requisite flexibility to allow a mature person to deform the substantially planar member of the buckle guard, while preventing an immature person from doing the same. No more than routine experimentation will be required to assess any 11 proposed material for suitability. For example where the buckle device is for the purpose of .0 inhibiting a child from releasing a seat belt buckle, a buckle cover according to the present invention could be fabricated from the material and tested for efficacy by asking a series of children of, say, 5 years of age to attempt to overcome the guard when installed. If most or all children are unable to overcome the guard, then a similar trial is run to assess whether an adult is able to easily deform the substantially planar member to access the release .5 button. If this second test is successful then a further test to assess resilience is undertaken. The resilience test may be executed by an automated device that repeatedly deforms the substantially planar member a number of times (say, 500) and then assessing whether the substantially planar member returns to the original position to substantially cover the release button. O It is to be understood that it is not necessary for the buckle guards of the present invention to absolutely prevent an immature person from activating the buckle release button. Even where the guard is less than completely effective against an immature person the guard still provides an advantage in so far as the button is protected to some extent against accidental 5 activation by a person accidently leaning on the button or an object within the vehicle cabin contacting the button. In certain embodiments of the invention the first member may be only partially composed of a material having the requisite flexibility. For example, it is contemplated that the 40 advantages of the present invention may be achieved where only a hinged region of the member is composed of a flexible material with the remainder of the member being composed of a substantially inflexible or rigid material. Where further security is desired, the buckle guard may comprise a second member 45 disposed substantially normal to the first member to at least partially extend over a broad face of the buckle. This second member may make it more difficult for a child to gain access to the release button. Advantageously, the buckle guard of the present invention may be simply constructed, and 50 is preferably of a unitary construction. In certain embodiments the buckle guard is devoid 12 of a hinge, a lid, a fastening device, a clip, a lock, a key, means for frictional engagement to set belt webbing, a belt, a strap, or a fabric. The buckle guard of the present invention may be provided as an "after market" product. i5 Accordingly, in a further aspect the present invention provides a kit of parts comprising a buckle guard as described herein in combination with instructions for use. The instructions may be embodied in the form of written, verbal or visual instructions. Such instructions may be in the form of a paper instruction manual, and in some embodiments are printed onto a packaging of a buckle guard as described herein. io It is further contemplated that a buckle guard of the present invention may be incorporated into seat belts as provided in new vehicles. To that end, the buckle guard may be fixed by a short length of yarn to the seat belt webbing or even completely incorporated into the design and manufacture of the male or female component of a seat belt buckle. i5 Accordingly, in another aspect the present invention provides a seat belt comprising webbing, a male buckle component, a female buckle component, and a buckle guard as described herein. Seat belts come in a number of different types, and it is anticipated that the present invention is applicable to any one or all types. '0 In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for inhibiting a child from pressing the release button of a seat belt buckle, the method comprising the step of providing a buckle guard as described herein, disposing the buckle guard between the male and female component of the seat belt buckle and fastening the seat belt. 75 BRIEF DECSCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred from of the invention will be described in reference to the accompanying drawings, and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buckle guard of the present invention having a first and 80 second substantially planar member, and an elongate aperture.
13 Figure 2A is a first perspective view of a buckle guard of the present invention having a first, second and third planar member and an elongate aperture. 5 Figure 2B is a second perspective view of the buckle guard shown in Figure 1. Figure 2C is a plan view of a buckle guard of the buckle guard shown in Figure 1. Figure 2D is cross-sectional view through the line A-A marked on the plan view of Figure 2C. 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT. In a preferred embodiment, the buckle guard comprises a first main member 2 having an elongate aperture 4 for accepting the tongue portion of the male component of the buckle (not shown). The main member 2 further comprises a smaller circular aperture 6 for the 15 attachment to the seat belt webbing (not shown) by a short length of yarn (not shown). This embodiment of the buckle guard further comprises a second member 8 and a third member 10, these second and third members assisting in correctly locating the buckle guard over the release button (not shown) and also correctly locating the elongate aperture 4 over the portion of the female component of the buckle that accepts the male component. The Q0 longer second member 10 has the further function of providing a greater barrier to the intrusion of a child's finger attempting to access the release button. The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, 05 intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.