GB1391816A - Buckles - Google Patents

Abstract

1391816 Safety belt buckles HOWARD WALL Ltd 19 Nov 1973 [30 Nov 1972] 55317/72 Heading E2A In a buckle for use with safety belts and harnesses such as are used on road vehicles and aircraft and of the type comprising two separable parts held together by co-operating aperture and latch or notch and latch means provided by the two parts, the latch 17 being controlled by a spring-pressed, slidable element 14, one of the parts comprises a plate 12 having one or more apertures 31 to which one or more strap end portions 13 can be fitted, and the second part 11, which includes the slidable element 14 and the latch, has means such as a rigid or flexible cable 22 or an extension piece, by which the part 11 can be connected to a road vehicle or aircraft and a mouth 28 into which part of the plate 12 can be placed. The element 14, when in the position in which the two parts are latched together, forms part of the surface of the buckle adjacent the mouth 28 such that the element can be moved by hand from that position into a position in which the two parts can be separated, the element 14 having a cam surface 25 which co-operates with a lever 18 carried by the part 11 to unlatch the two parts. As shown, the element 14 is biassed outwardly by a spring 26 and is provided with grooves which slide on flanges 41 of the channel-shaped part 16. the latter having pivoted therein the latch 17 and the lever 18 which is pressed by a spring 19 aeainst the cam surface 25. Pushing the plate 12 into part 16 allows the tooth 37 of the latch to engage in an aperture of the plate and a micro-switch 44 to be operated which opens or closes an electric circuit to indicate that the two parts of the buckle have been connected or controls means to immobilise the vehicle such as by opening the ignition circuit as well of, or instead of, indicating when the buckle parts have been connected. Pushing in of the slider 14 depresses the lever 18 by interaction of the latter with the cam surface 25 whereby the tooth 37 of the latch 17 is lifted from the aperture in the plate 12 and the ejector spring 20 forces the plate out of the casing. The plate 12 may have number of slots 31 or the slot may be replaced by a snubbing buckle and more than one to co-operate with a corresponding number of teeth 37 on the latch, or the plate may have notches or teeth on its sides in addition to or instead of the aperture or apertures and which are engageable by teeth, carried by the latch 17. The latch and lever may alternatively, be pivoted in plates at one or both sides of the part 16.