GB1229454A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,229,454. Buckles. BRITAX (LONDON) Ltd. 24 March, 1969 [4 April, 1968], No.5812/ 68. Heading E2A. A safety belt buckle comprises a housing 1, a latch 6 movably mounted in the housing, a tongue 2 insertable into the housing for engagement by the latch, spring means 9 biassing the latch into its tongue engaging position, whereby when the tongue is inserted into the housing, it is automatically engaged by the latch, and latch release means 16 carried by the tongue to move the latch into a position of the disengagement with the tongue. In the construction shown the housing 1 has a base plate 3 with upstanding integral side walls 4 both of which are inturned and downturned over a portion of their length adjacent the end of the housing into which the tongue enters to provide channels into which lugs 19, 19' of the tongue enter so that the tongue can only be disposed in the housing in one orientation. Near the rear end the base plate has an aperture 5 for engagement by a belt length. The latch 6 is spaced above the base plate 3 so that the tongue 2 can be accommodated between the latch and the base plate and for this purpose the latch is provided with feet 7 which bear against the base plate 3 and which also act as fulcrums for pivotal movement of the latch plate; the latch is also provided with pressed out portions which provide latching surfaces 8 and which in the latching condition enter an aperture 10 in the tongue and engage an edge 11. The spring means 9 is secured to the latch and engages the underface of a cover plate which extends across the top of the housing between the side walls 4 to bias the latch to the latching position. The release means is a lever 15 pivotally mounted on the tongue 2 with one arm 16 inclined upwardly and away from the tongue and the other arm 17 terminating in a foot 18 which projects into the aperture 10. Suitable spring means (not shown) are provided to bias the lever 15 into the position shown. When the tongue is inserted into the housing the foot 18 is disposed underneath the latch so that pivoting the lever 15 pivots the latch away from the base 3 so that the surfaces 8 become disengaged from the edge 11 of the aperture 10. The lugs 19, 19' can be omitted if desired.