EP1618025A1

EP1618025A1 - Remotely lockable seat belt arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP1618025A1
Application number: EP04726389A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David O'brien
Original assignee: Eggshell Restraints Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Eggshell Restraints Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-04-09
Filing date: 2004-04-08
Publication date: 2006-01-25
Also published as: AU2003901686A0; WO2004089705A1; EP1618025A4

Abstract

A restraint comprising a buckle (200) configured to secure a latch (20) when the latch (20) is engaged with the buckle (200) is disclosed. The restraint comprises a release (210) associated with the buckle (200). The release (200) is configured to allow release of the latch (20) from engagement with the buckle (200) upon activation of the release (210). The restraint also comprises a lock (230) associated with the buckle (200) and the release (210); The lock (230) is configured to prevent activation of the release (210) in a first position and to allow activation of the release (210) in a second position. The first position is determined through activation of a remote activator. The restraint also comprises an override (250) configured to allow activation of the release (210) when the remote activator is activated.

Description

Remotely Lockable Seat Belt Arrangement

Field Of The Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of passenger restraints and, in particular, to a remotely lockable seat belt arrangement suitable for use in a passenger vehicle.

Background

Fig. 1 shows an example of a conventional seat belt arrangement (or passenger restraint) 10 having a latch in the form of a latch plate 20 and a buckle 30. The latch plate 20 and buckle 30 are typically configured such that the latch plate 20 is received in a recess 50 of the buckle 30 and engages therein to form a locking relationship with respect to the buckle 30. The latch may take many other forms such as a latch pin, for example.

A problem with the above arrangement is that a release button 40 of the buckle 30 can be easily pressed, for example, by a child, to disengage the latch plate 20 from the buckle 30. This can be dangerous if a vehicle, that such a child is travelling in, stops suddenly whilst the child is unsecured. Further, such a conventional arrangement can be dangerous if a child releases themselves and then exits the vehicle whilst the vehicle is moving or exits the vehicle when stationary, into the path of another vehicle passing by.

In order to address the above problem, one known seat belt arrangement comprises a buckle cover (not shown) that attaches to a buckle such as the buckle 30 and covers the release button 40 in order to prevent a passenger, such as a child, from pressing the release button 40 and disengaging the latch plate 20.

A problem with the above buckle cover, however, is that the cover can sometimes be removed from the buckle 40 by a child, allowing the child access to the buckle 30 and the release button 40. Another disadvantage of the above buckle cover is that the cover remains on the buckle such that the buckle is still locked when a car engine is turned off and thus, potentially can become an impediment to the passenger being released in the event of an accident.

Another known seat belt arrangement is disclosed in US Patent No. 6,431,652. The seat belt arrangement of US Patent No. 6,432,652 comprises a main body and a plate and is configured to attach to and to cover a traditional buckle. The plate can only be operated by compressing two locking cylinders located on the lateral sides of the main body. The locking cylinders can be electrically connected to the door locking system of a vehicle. Whilst the doors of the vehicle are locked the plate is unable to be released from the buckle. However, when a door of the vehicle is unlocked, the plate is able to be released. One disadvantage of an arrangement disclosed by US Patent No. 6,431,652 is that the main body and plate are configured to surround a traditional belt buckle and, are thus, cumbersome and bulky. Another disadvantage is that a second party or even the person restrained by the arrangement of US Patent No. 6,431,652 cannot release the latch plate whilst the doors are locked such that in the event that the car remains locked in an accident, for example, the person remains restrained. Still another disadvantage of the arrangement disclosed by US Patent No. 6,431,652 is that due to the configuration of the plate, a child may be injured by the plate if the plate remains undone and in a substantially upright position whilst the associated vehicle is in an accident, for example.

Another known seat belt arrangement comprises a buckle device that connects to the periphery of a conventional seat belt buckle such as the buckle 30 and provides a continuous alarm (e.g., visual and/or audible) if the buckle 30 is disconnected from the latch plate 20. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that the buckle device adds to the size of a traditional belt buckle and, is thus, cumbersome and bulky. Further, in recent times, some passenger vehicles provide a visual alarm to a driver if a passenger is sitting in a seat (e.g., the rear seat of a car) and a corresponding seat belt is disconnected. However, one disadvantage of both of these known arrangements is that if the alarm is overlooked by a driver, for example, the seat belt may still be disconnected without the driver being aware. Further, if the seat belt is disconnected (e.g., by a child), the driver must stop the vehicle and reconnect the seat belt. Stopping the vehicle may be difficult at times (e.g., on a freeway) and the passenger may remain unrestrained for some period of time. Still further, even if through such an alarm the driver is made aware that a seat belt has been disconnected but the driver is not able to reconnect the seat belt in a timely manner, the passenger (e.g., a child) may still exit the vehicle whilst the vehicle is moving or exit the vehicle when stationary, into the path of another vehicle passing by.

Thus a need clearly exists for an improved seat belt arrangement that disables a child or the like from removing the seat belt when such is not appropriate.

Summary It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a restraint comprising: buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat belt arrangement comprising: buckle means configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release means associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle means upon activation of said release means; locking means operatively associated with said buckle means and said release means, said locking means being configured to prevent activation of said release means in a first position and to allow activation of said release means in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activation means; and override means configured to allow activation of said release means when said remote activation means is activated.

According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat belt arrangement comprising: buckle means configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release means associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release means; and locking means substantially configured within a periphery of said buckle means, said locking means being operatively associated with said buckle means and said release means so as to prevent activation of said release means in a first position and to allow activation of said release means in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activation means. According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat belt arrangement comprising: a buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; a release button associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release button; a locking pin operatively associated with said buckle and said release button, said locking pin being configured to prevent activation of said release button in a first position and to allow activation of said release button in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote switch; and a manual override button configured to allow activation of said release button when said remote switch is activated.

According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a restraint system comprising: buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock operatively associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and remote activator for determining said first position upon activation of said remote activator; override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated. According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of locking a restraint buckle, said method comprising: securing a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle, said buckle comprising an associated release configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; and activating a remote activator to determine a first position for a lock associated with said buckle, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in said first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, wherein an override associated with said buckle is selectable to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle, said buckle comprising: release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated. Brief Description of the Drawings

Some aspects of the prior art and one or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a prior art seat belt arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a remotely lockable seat belt buckle; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the seat belt buckle of Fig. 2 in a released condition; Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the seat belt buckle of Fig- 2 in a Locked condition;

Fig. 5 is an electrical schematic diagram showing a control circuit; and Fig. 6 is an electrical schematic diagram showing another implementation of the control circuit of Fig. 5.

Detailed Description including Best Mode

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a buckle means in the form of a buckle 200 comprising a release means or release in the form of a release button 210, a magnetic projection in the form of a locking pin 230 and an override in the form of a manual override switch 250. A plastic casing 297, as shown by dashed lines, may be used to conceal any moving components of the buckle 200, including the locking pin 230. The buckle 200 further comprises a belt connecting piece 285 interposing a top plate 240 and a bottom plate 350, so as to form an opening 302 for accepting a latch plate such as the latch plate 20. The top and bottom plates 240, 350 and the connecting piece 285 are secured together by a pressed rivet 275. The connecting piece 285 is adapted to connect the buckle 200 to a portion of belt (not shown in Figs 2 and 3).

Preferably, a support member 270 is located adjacent to the pressed rivet 275 and is secured to the top plate 240.

A resilient plate 235 is attached to the support member 270 at one end and to a retention block 380 at the other so as to force the retention block 380 downwards onto a latch plate guide 310 when the buckle 200 is in a released condition (i.e., when the latch plate 20 is not inserted into the buckle 200), as shown in Fig. 2.

The latch plate guide 310 is attached to a latch spring 320 and is configured to slide along a substantial length of the opening 302 of the buckle 200. The latch spring 320 forms a biasing means for biasing the latch plate guide 310 to a position substantially underneath the retention block 380 when the buckle 200 is in the released condition, so as to prevent the retention block 380 from plunging into bottom plate openings 372 formed in the bottom plate 350.

As seen in Fig. 4, a latch plate, such as the latch plate 20, may be inserted into the buckle 200 thus forcing the latch plate guide 310 along the opening 302 against the extended direction of the latch spring 320. Once the latch plate opening 25 of the latch plate 20 is substantially under the retention block 380, the resilient plate 235 forces the retention block 380 downwards such that at least a lower portion of the retention block 380 engages with the bottom plate openings 372, so as to secure the latch plate 20 in the buckle 200. The release button 210 is configured to slide along a button guide 265, which is surrounded by a return spring 260 and is attached to the support member 270. The return spring 260 forms a biasing means for biasing the release button 210 away from the support member 270. The release button 210 is inter-connected to the retention block 380 such that by pressing the release button 210 in the direction of the dashed arrows 211 of Fig. 2, the retention block 380 disengages. Disengaging the retention block 380 allows the latch plate 20 to be removed from the buckle 200.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a magnet or magnetic means in the form of a magnetic coil 395 is configured within a recess 396 of the top plate 240. A further biasing means in the form of a retaining spring 390 is attached to the magnetic coil 395 at one end and to a magnetic locking pin 230 at the other, such that the magnetic locking pin 230 may move up and down within the recess 396 through operation of the retaining spring 390, as will be explained in detail below. A person skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the magnetic locking pin 230 may be any suitable shape, depending on the shape of the recess 396 of the top plate 240. The magnetic coil 395, locking pin 230 and spring 290 together form a locking means or lock. The retaining spring 390 is configured to prevent the magnetic locking pin 230 from being removed from the recess 396 of the top plate 240.

As seen in Fig. 3, the retaining spring 390 biases the locking pin towards the magnetic coil 395 such that when the spring 390 is in a normal retracted state, the locking pin 230 is totally within the periphery of the recess 396 and the release button 210 may be moved in the direction of the arrows 211 so as to allow the latch 20 to be removed from the buckle 200. Conversely, as shown in Fig. 4, when the spring 390 is extended in a direction opposed to the bias of the retaining spring 390, the locking pin 230 projects out from the top plate 240. In this position, the locking pin 230 substantially inhibits movement of the release button 210 in the direction of the arrows 211 so as to stop the release button 210 from being operated and thus to stop the latch 20 from being removed.

As shown in Fig. 2, the manual override switch 250 is preferably an electrical spring return button switch that is located adjacent the pressed rivet 275, which is configured to de-energise the magnetic coil 395 when pressed, as will be explained in detail below. Alternatively, the manual override switch 250 may be configured as a mechanical switch suitable for forcing the locking pin 230 within the recess 396 so as to allow the release button 210 to be operated.

As described above, the plastic casing 297 may be used to conceal the moving components of the buckle 200, including the locking pin 230. Thus, the locking pin 230 does not protrude from the periphery of the casing 297. As such, the buckle 200 does not appear from the outside to be any different than a conventional buckle and is of a similar size.

Fig. 5 shows a control circuit 500 for controlling the buckle 200 according one implementation of the invention. The circuit 500 comprises a battery 510 (e.g., the battery of a vehicle) an ignition switch 520, a remote activator in the form of a remote switch 530, the manual override switch 250, an open contact 580, a close contact 560, an "ON" indication light (or indicator) 550, an "OFF" indication light (or indicator) 570 and the magnetic coil 395. The battery 510 may be a 12 Volt battery. Alternatively, the battery 510 may be a 6 Volt, 24 Volt or any other suitable voltage battery. The battery voltage may be dictated by the implementation of the buckle 200. For example, if the buckle 200 is implemented in a passenger vehicle such as a car then battery 510 may be a

12 Volt battery. However, any other power source other than a battery (e.g., mains power) may also be used to supply power to the circuit 500.

A positive terminal of the battery 510 is electrically connected to the ignition switch

520 via a junction 511. The ignition switch 520 also connects via junction 521 to the remote switch 530. The remote switch 530 is also connected via junction 531 to the manual override switch 250 which in turn is connected to the magnetic coil 395 via junction 541. The magnetic coil 395 connects to a negative terminal of the battery 510 via junction 551.

Preferably, as indicated by the dashed arrows of Fig. 5, the open contact 580 is electrically connected to the ignition switch 520 via the junction 521 and to the "ON" indication light 550 via junction 581. The open contact 580 is operatively associated with the magnetic coil 395 such that the open contact 580 closes when the magnetic coil 395 is energised.

The closed contact 560 is connected to both the ignition switch 520 via junction 521 and the "OFF" indication light 570 via junction 561. The closed contact 560 is operatively associated with the magnetic coil 395 such that the closed contact 560 opens when the magnetic coil 395 is energised.

As shown in Fig. 5, closing the ignition switch 520 and the remote switch 530 energises the magnetic coil 395, thus causing the open contact 580 to close and the "ON" indication light 550 to illuminate. The "OFF" indication light is deactivated at this point.

The magnetic locking pin 230 is configured to have a polarity arrangement so that when the magnetic coil 395 is energised the pole at the bottom face 397 of the pin 230 is the same as the pole at the top face 398 of the magnetic coil 395. Thus, in this energised state, the magnetic locking pin 230 is forced out of the recess 396 and the spring 390 extends. In this position, the locking pin 230 substantially inhibits movement of the release button 210 in the direction of the arrows 211 so as to stop the release button 210 from being operated and thus stopping the latch 20 from being removed, as described above.

Conversely, when the remote switch 530 is opened the spring retracts to its normal relaxed state and the locking pin 230 is retracted so as to be totally within the periphery of the recess 396. In this position, the release button 210 may be moved in the direction of the arrows 211 so as to allow the latch 20 to be removed from the buckle 200.

Preferably, the manual override switch 250 is located on the buckle 200 and opening the manual override switch 250 deactivates the magnetic coil 395. The manual override switch 250 is spring loaded so that the manual override switch 250 will close upon release by a person operating the manual override switch 250. When pressed the manual override switch 250 is configured to de-energise the magnetic coil 395 so as to retract the spring to its normal relaxed state and the locking pin 230 is retracted so as to be totally within the periphery of the recess 396. Thus, the manual override switch 250 acts as an advantageous safety device since, when the magnetic coil 395 is energised, a person is required to simultaneously press the manual override switch 250 and the release button 210 so as to allow the latch 20 to be removed. This arrangement provides some difficulty, particularly to a small child, in relation to removing the latch 30. However, an adult or the like may release the latch 20 by simultaneously operating the manual override switch 250 and the release button 210 in the case of an emergency. As a secondary safety feature, if a small child or the like was able to simultaneously operate the manual override switch 250 and the release button 210 when not appropriate, such will be indicated to a second party (such as the driver of the vehicle) by the "OFF" indication light 570. The "OFF" indication light will operate when the closed contact 560 opens in response to de-energising the magnetic coil 395. The difficulty of simultaneously operating the manual override switch 250 and the release button 210 may be increased by adjusting the spring force constant within the manual override switch 250.

The remote switch 530 is preferably located in a driving console of a vehicle in which the buckle 200 is installed. A further switch similar to the remote switch 530 may be located near the buckle 200 such as on a door. However, in this instance the further remote switch may be positioned out of reach of any passenger restrained by a seat belt arrangement or restraint device utilising the buckle 200. The remote switch 530 allows a person within the vehicle to choose when the release button 210 is to be locked.

Preferably, the magnetic coil 395 is deactivated when the ignition switch 520 is turned off or a further sensor mounted in the vehicle detects that the vehicle has crashed. Both the "ON" and "OFF" indication lights 550, 570 will deactivate in this instance. The buckle 200 may also be configured so that the manual override switch 250 does not deactivate the locking pin 230 and allow the release button 210 to be pressed. This configuration is to prevent an adult, such as a prisoner or an unstable person, secured in the belt from operating the release button 210. Alternatively, the manual override button 250 may be removed. In one implementation, the locking means may be configured as a solenoid (not shown). Such a solenoid operates in substantially the same manner as the magnetic coil 395, retaining spring 390 and locking pin 230 described above. When the solenoid is energised a magnetic projection in the form of a solenoid pin, is forced out of a body of the solenoid. In this position, the solenoid pin substantially inhibits movement of the release button 210 in the direction of the arrows 211 so as to stop the release button 210 from being operated and thus stopping the latch 20 from being removed, as described above. Conversely, when the remote switch 530 is opened the solenoid is de-energised and the solenoid pin retracts so as to be substantially within a periphery of the solenoid body allowing the release button 210 to be operated.

In another implementation, the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid may be a two-stage device. In this instance, closing the ignition switch 520 and the remote switch 530 energises the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid with full battery voltage (e.g., 12 Volts) being seen across the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid. After a predetermined time (e.g., set by a user or installer of the control circuit), which allows the locking pin 230 to magnetic locking pin 230 or solenoid pin to be forced out of the recess 396, the amount of voltage seen across the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid is reduced (e.g., halved). Reducing the amount of voltage seen across the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid whilst the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid remains energised stops the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid from heating up too much, when the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid is energised for a long period of time. This allows the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid to be housed within the buckle 200. Such two stage magnetic coils or solenoids typically comprise an internal resistor/capacitor timing circuit which dictates the time that the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid will be energised with full battery voltage.

In one implementation, as shown in Fig. 6, the control circuit 500 may comprise two mechanically associated conventional delay contacts 610 and 620, and a series resistor 630. In this implementation, closing the ignition switch 520 and the remote switch 530 energises the magnetic coil 395, thus causing the magnetic locking pin 230 or solenoid pin to be forced out of the recess 396 and the spring 390 to be extended. As such the full battery voltage (e.g., 12 Volts) is seen across the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid. After a predetermined time, the delay contact 610 opens and the delay contact 620 closes such that the resistor 630 is switched into series with the magnetic coil 395. The circuit 500 is configured so that the magnetic coil 395 is not de-energised at any point during the switching of the contacts 610 and 620. The resistor 630 therefore reduces (e.g., halves to 6 Volts) the amount of voltage seen across the magnetic coil 395 or solenoid whilst still allowing the magnetic coil 395 to remain energised. The circuit 500 may also include one or more further electronic components (e.g., capacitors) to ensure that the magnetic coil 395 does not de-energise, whilst the delay contacts 610 and 620 are switching.

In one implementation, the circuit 500 may be implemented using one or more integrated circuits. Such integrated circuits may include processors (e.g., digital signal processors), or one or more microprocessors and associated memories. In such an implementation, the delay contacts 610 and 620 may be implemented using a resistor/capacitor circuit or the like in order to provide the timing function in order to reduce the voltage across the magnetic coil 395 whilst the coil is energised.

In another implementation, the remote switch 530 may be operated by an infrared remote control (not shown). In this implementation, the circuit 500 operates substantially as described above with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. However, in this implementation, the circuit 500 comprises an infrared receiver (not shown), such that the remote switch 530, infrared remote control and infrared receiver form a remote activator. The infrared receiver may be located in a driving console of a vehicle in which the buckle 200 is installed, in the buckle 500 itself or any other suitable position. Using such an infra-red receiver, the remote switch 530 may be operated using a remote control (i.e., infra-red transmitter) such as a conventional remote control contained on a key-fob or the like. Upon receiving an infrared signal, the remote switch 530 may be opened or closed by a user in order to choose when the release button 210 is to be unlocked or locked.

Where reference is made in any one or more of the accompanying drawings to steps and/or features, which have the same reference numerals, those steps and/or features have for the purposes of this description the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention appears.

Industrial Applicability

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive. For example, different types of vehicles may be suitable for installation of the seat belt arrangement described above, such as cars, buses, trucks, trains, and aeroplanes.

Alternatively, the seat belt arrangement described above may be in a variety of shapes and have a number of configurations.

In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including principally but not necessarily solely" or "having" or "including", and not "consisting only of. Variations of the word "comprising", such as "comprise" and "comprises" have correspondingly varied meanings.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A restraint comprising: buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

2. A restraint according to claim 1, said lock comprising at least one magnet being operatively associated with at least one magnetic projection, such that upon activation of said remote activator, said magnet is energised/de-energised such that said magnetic projection configures said magnetic projection in said first position.

3. A restraint according to claim 2, wherein a biasing means is configured to locate the magnetic projection to the second position upon energising/de-energising said magnet.

4. A restraint according to claim 3, wherein said remote activator is in the form of a remote switch configured within a vehicle that has the seat belt arrangement installed.

5. A restraint according to claim 4, wherein one or more indicators indicate whether said lock is in said first position or second position.

6. A restraint according to claim 5, wherein said magnetic projection moves to said second position upon opening an ignition switch of said vehicle.

7. A restraint according to claim 1, wherein said release comprises a retention block.

8. A restraint according to claim 1, wherein said lock is a solenoid.

9. A restraint according to claim 1, wherein said remote activator is operated using infrared transmission.

10. A seat belt arrangement comprising: buckle means configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release means associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle means upon activation of said release means; locking means operatively associated with said buckle means and said release means, said locking means being configured to prevent activation of said release means in a first position and to allow activation of said release means in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activation means; and override means configured to allow activation of said release means when said remote activation means is activated.

11. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 10, said locking means comprising at least one magnetising means being operatively associated with at least one magnetic projection, such that upon activation of said remote activation means, said magnetising means is energised/de-energised such that said magnetic projection configures said locking means in said first position.

12. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a biasing means is configured to locate the magnetic projection to the second position upon energising/de- energising said magnetising means.

13. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said remote activation means is in the form of a remote switch configured within a vehicle that has the seat belt arrangement installed.

14. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 13, wherein indication means indicates whether said locking means is in said first position or second position.

15. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said magnetic projection moves to said second position upon opening an ignition switch of said vehicle.

16. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said locking means is a solenoid.

17. A seat belt arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said remote activation means is operated using infrared transmission.

18. A seat belt arrangement comprising: buckle means configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release means associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release means; and locking means substantially configured within a periphery of said buckle means, said locking means being operatively associated with said buckle means and said release means so as to prevent activation of said release means in a first position and to allow activation of said release means in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activation means.

19. A seat belt arrangement comprising: a buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; a release button associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release button; a locking pin operatively associated with said buckle and said release button, said locking pin being configured to prevent activation of said release button in a first position and to allow activation of said release button in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote switch; and a manual override button configured to allow activation of said release button when said remote switch is activated.

20. A restraint system comprising: buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle; release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock operatively associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and remote activator for determining said first position upon activation of said remote activator; override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

21. A method of locking a restraint buckle, said method comprising: securing a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle, said buckle comprising an associated release configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; and activating a remote activator to determine a first position for a lock associated with said buckle, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in said first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, wherein an override associated with said buckle is selectable to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein upon activation of said remote activator a magnet operatively associated with at least one magnetic projection is energised/de- energised such that said magnetic projection configures said magnetic projection in said first position.

23. A buckle configured to secure a latch when said latch is engaged with said buckle, said buckle comprising: release associated with said buckle and being configured to allow release of said latch from engagement with said buckle upon activation of said release; lock associated with said buckle and said release, said lock being configured to prevent activation of said release in a first position and to allow activation of said release in a second position, said first position being determined through activation of a remote activator; and override configured to allow activation of said release when said remote activator is activated.

24. A buckle according to claim 23, said lock comprising at least one magnet being operatively associated with at least one magnetic projection, such that upon activation of said remote activator, said magnet is energised/de-energised such that said magnetic projection configures said magnetic projection in said first position.

25. A buckle according to claim 24, wherein a biasing means is configured to locate the magnetic projection to the second position upon energising/de-energising said magnet.

26. A buckle according to claim 25, wherein said remote activator is in the form of a remote switch configured within a vehicle that has the buckle installed.

27. A buckle according to claim 26, wherein one or more indicators indicate whether said lock is in said first position or second position.

28. A buckle according to claim 27, wherein said magnetic projection moves to said second position upon opening an ignition switch of said vehicle.

29. A buckle according to claim 23, wherein said release comprises a retention block.

30. A buckle according to claim 23, wherein said lock is a solenoid.

31. A buckle according to claim 23, wherein said remote activator is operated using infrared transmission.