GB1582973A - Buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements - Google Patents

Description

(54) A BUCKLE FOR A MULTIPLE ARRAY OF SAFETY BELT ELEMENTS (71) We, SABELT S.p.A., an Italian company of Via G. di Vittorio, Reg. Sanda Vado - MONCALIERI (Turin) Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment:- The present invention relates to a safety buckle of the type having multiple latching means for safety belts having a multiple array of suspenders and jambs as used on sports cars, particularly on racing cars, and provided with a device for the simultaneous opening of the latching means by a rotational movement.

The invention provides a buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements comprising a buckle body formed by a base and a superimposed bell-shaped housing, a plurality of engagement seats, for receiving respective terminal tongues of the belts, formed at spaced locations around said base, a plurality of latches each located opposite a corresponding one of said seats and slidable perpendicular to its respective seat against the action of resilient means to enable a snap engagement thereof with a hole of a corresponding terminal tongue, a dial plate having a plurality of forked arms each pair of arms embracing positively the collar of a corresponding latch so that the latches can be simultaneously displaced against the action of said resilient means when the plate is moved in a direction axially of the buckle body in order in use to disengage the tongues, cam means adapted to be actuated by operation of a rotatable operating lever to lift the plate and cause the displacement of the latches, and means located in the thickness of said base and correspondingly to each seat for a tongue, to expel, in use, the tongue from the seat when the latches are moved to disengage from the tongues.

The invention makes it possible to provide a safety buckle of the specified type having a relatively simple structure but of high strength and having a high use reliability, whose operation is simple but is suitable to avert any unintentional opening of the buckle, due to accidental movements of the arms of the driver or similar causes.

The invention also makes it possible to provide a buckle suitable to assure complete release of the belt end tongues when an operating device is actuated, so as to avoid any of the belt elements remaining latched in the buckle, which could compromise eventual emergency rapid release operations.

The invention further makes it possible to provide a buckle formed by the minimum number of parts which may be made each by simple machining operations and can be easily assembled with one another so as to assure a correct actuation of the buckle without requiring any labourious adjustments and/or finishing.

Said dial plate may be provided with a central hub axially slidable on a rotary shaft integral with the rotatable operating lever; the shaft carrying a transverse through pin having projecting ends which engage respective arcuate cam surfaces formed at diametrically opposite positions on said hub; a spring acting on the plate to maintain the plate in a normally lowered position and to produce a return movement of the operating lever through the mutual and reversible engagement of the pin and the cams.

Advantageously, the expelling means may be formed each by a slide which is movable in a corresponding seat formed in the thickness of the base, against the action of resilient means and provided with an "L" shaped projection to positively engage an end of a tongue and suitable to produce a snap ejection of the tongue when the tongue is disengaged from the latch.

One embodiment of a buckle according to the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the buckle with the tongues in the extracted positions, Figure 2 is an axial section along line II-II of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a transversal section along line III-III of Figure 2, Figures 4 and 5, also, are transversal sections along respective lines IV-IV and V-V of Figure 2, Figure 6 is a partial axial section along line VI-VI of Figure 2, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a detail of Figure 2.

In said drawings, 10 indicates the circular base of the buckle and 11 the bell which is superimposed on the base to form the buckle body; said base and bell being connected by means of through screws 12.

In the base 10, there are formed by founding and/or processing, a plurality of engagement seats 13 for corresponding terminal tongues 14 carried each at an end of a corresponding belt, (not shown in the drawings). As clearly shown by the Figures, the sets 13 are arranged as a dial, their upper ends being delimited by plate 15 and the seats being separated by raised sectors 16 formed as part of the base 10.

The plate 15 has a plurality of holes 17 formed therein corresponding to each seat 13, and corresponding cylindrical latches 19 are located within said holes to be axially slidable against the action of respective springs 18.

Each latch has its end facing the respective seat 13 formed as a slanting plane to provide a snap engagement in a corresponding hole 20 formed in the respective terminal tongue 13.

The other end of each latch has a substantially greater diameter to form a stop shoulder for engaging plate 15 and has further two opposed flats 21 intermediate its length, to form an undercut collar. The flats 21 of each latch are engaged with corresponding forked arm 22 of a dial plate 23. The arms 22 have the double function of preventing rotation of the latches and positively engaging their undercut collars to displace the latches simultaneously against the action of springs 18 to cause disengagement of the tongues 14 when the plate 23 is lifted. To this end, cam means are provided which may be actuated by rotation of an operating lever 24, provided with two opposed wing portions 24a, 24b, the lever being located on top of the bell 11.

More precisely and, as shown in Figure 2, the plate 23 is provided with a hollow hub 25 which is freely slidable on a rotary shaft 26 integral with the operating lever 24. The shaft is supported at its upper part in a hole in the bell 11 and at its lower end in a seat in the base 10 with the interposition of a thrust ball 27.

The hub 25 is formed with two cam surfaces 28 formed at diametrically opposed locations at one end of the annular hub, the surfaces having substantially arcuate profiles, the cam surfaces are engaged by respective end portions of a transverse through pin 29 located in and projecting from a corresponding hole in the shaft 26. A spring 30 of the conical spiral type, acts on plate 23 normally to keep it in a lowered position and further to produce an angular return movement of the operating lever due to the mutual and reversible engagement of said pin and cams.

Advantageously, the two cam surfaces 28 are separated by diametrically opposed cuts 31 (see Figure 7), capable of engaging pin 29 to keep the buckle in a stable open position.

According to the invention, there are further so that, during lifting, the plate moves relative provided means located in the thickness of base 10 and corresponding with each engagement seat 13 to expel the respective tongue 14 when the latches 19 are moved into a disengagement position. These means are formed by a plurality of slides 32, advantageously made of a polymeric material, each slide being movable within a corresponding seat 33, formed in the thickness of base, against the action of a spring 34, a pin 35 which extends into a hole 36 in the slide being provided for centering the slide.

Each slide comprising further an "L" shaped projection 37 passing through a corresponding slit 38 formed in the base 10 in positions corresponding to each seat 13 to engage positively the end of the tongue and produce its snap ejection, the springs being loaded by the engagement of the tongue.

Preferably the "L" shaped projection 37 is connected to the slide body by means of an inclined plane in order to avoid false engagements of the tongue when it is engaged in its corresponding seat.

Furthermore, one seat 33 is left devoid of a relative slide, such seat being engaged by the prismatic end of a fixed latch 19a which retains a corresponding fixed tongue 14a, which is not to be disconnectable from the buckle, and to which is joined the belt portion which is to be firnlly connected to the buckle. It is important to note that the seat 33a, which is intended to engage the end of the fixed latch 19a, may be selected from any of the base seats 33. This permits the mounting of same buckle as "right-hand" or "left-hand" attachment in two-seater cars with the belts fixed to the floor at right hand and left hand side respectively and permits also the use as the fixed belt any of the belts since all the belts are provided with a similar end tongue 14.

Particularly, a cuisse may be used fixed to the floor and in case of an emergency rapid release it allows the buckle to fall forwardly facilitating the freeing of the driver.

Another advantage deriving from the arrangement according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, as described in relation to the drawings, is that when the tongues 14 are extracted from their respective seats 13, the "L" shaped projection 37 of their respective expelling means, engages the raised latch, keeping it in a lifted position, and this maintains the open position of the buckle and moreover makes easier the re-insertion of the tongues as well as assuring their release.

Another advantage derives from the simplicity with which an initial idle portion is provided of the rotational movement of the operating lever 24 is attained in order to avoid the involuntary opening of said lever consequent on accidental actuations. To this end, the prismatic portion of each latch 19, delimited by the flats 21, is formed with an extension greater than the thickness of the plate 23, advantageously at least double such thickness, to the latch before positive engagement with the undercut collar thereof.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements comprising a buckle body formed by a base and a superimposed bell-shaped housing, a plurality of engagement seats, for receiving respective terminal tongues of the belts, formed at spaced locations around said base, a plurality of latches, each located opposite a corresponding one of said seats and slidable perpendicularly to its respective seat against the action of resilient means to enable a snap engagement thereof with a hole of a corresponding terminal tongue, a dial plate having a plurality of forked arms each pair of arms embracing positively the collar of a corresponding latch so that the latches can be simultaneously displaced against the action of said resilient means when the plate is moved in a direction axially of the buckle body in order in use to disengage the tongues, cam means adapted to be actuated by operation of a rotatable operating lever to lift the plate and cause the displacement ot the latches and means located in the thickness of said base and correspondingly to each seat for a tongue, to expel, in use, the tongue from the seat when the latches are moved to disengage from the tongues.

2. A buckle according to Claim 1, wherein the dial plate is provided with a central hub axially slidable on a rotary shaft integral with the rotatable operating lever, the shaft carrying a transverse through pin having projecting ends with engage respective arcuate cam surfaces formed at diametrically opposite positions on said hub, a spring acting on the plate to maintain the plate in a normally lowered position and to produce a return movement of the operating lever through to the mutual and reversible engagement of said pin and cam surfaces.

3. A buckle according to Claim 2, wherein between the cam surfaces on the plate hub there are provided diametrically opposite recesses in the hub serving to engage the projecting ends of the pin to keep the buckle in a stable open position.

4. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the expelling means are formed each by a slide, which is movable in a corresponding seat formed within the thickness of base, against the action of resilient means, said slide being provided with an "L" shaped projection extending into the respective engagement seat and located to positively engage in use the end of a tongue engaged in such seat whereby the slide can snap expel the tongue when it is disengaged by the respective latch.

5 A buckle according to Claim 4, wherein each slide is made of polymeric material.

6. A buckle according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein each slide engages the end of a raised latch after expelling in use a tongue as aforesaid, to maintain said latch in its raised, disengaged position in order to maintain the buckle in an open position.

7. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the dial plate moves from an initial position relative to the latches for a limited idle lifting movement of the plate before positively engaging the latches so as to allow a limited amount of rotation of the operating lever before the latches are displaced.

8. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the operating lever is provided with two opposed wing portions facilitating rotation of the lever.

9. A buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements, as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to the latch before positive engagement with the undercut collar thereof. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements comprising a buckle body formed by a base and a superimposed bell-shaped housing, a plurality of engagement seats, for receiving respective terminal tongues of the belts, formed at spaced locations around said base, a plurality of latches, each located opposite a corresponding one of said seats and slidable perpendicularly to its respective seat against the action of resilient means to enable a snap engagement thereof with a hole of a corresponding terminal tongue, a dial plate having a plurality of forked arms each pair of arms embracing positively the collar of a corresponding latch so that the latches can be simultaneously displaced against the action of said resilient means when the plate is moved in a direction axially of the buckle body in order in use to disengage the tongues, cam means adapted to be actuated by operation of a rotatable operating lever to lift the plate and cause the displacement ot the latches and means located in the thickness of said base and correspondingly to each seat for a tongue, to expel, in use, the tongue from the seat when the latches are moved to disengage from the tongues.

2. A buckle according to Claim 1, wherein the dial plate is provided with a central hub axially slidable on a rotary shaft integral with the rotatable operating lever, the shaft carrying a transverse through pin having projecting ends with engage respective arcuate cam surfaces formed at diametrically opposite positions on said hub, a spring acting on the plate to maintain the plate in a normally lowered position and to produce a return movement of the operating lever through to the mutual and reversible engagement of said pin and cam surfaces.

3. A buckle according to Claim 2, wherein between the cam surfaces on the plate hub there are provided diametrically opposite recesses in the hub serving to engage the projecting ends of the pin to keep the buckle in a stable open position.

4. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the expelling means are formed each by a slide, which is movable in a corresponding seat formed within the thickness of base, against the action of resilient means, said slide being provided with an "L" shaped projection extending into the respective engagement seat and located to positively engage in use the end of a tongue engaged in such seat whereby the slide can snap expel the tongue when it is disengaged by the respective latch.

5 A buckle according to Claim 4, wherein each slide is made of polymeric material.

6. A buckle according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein each slide engages the end of a raised latch after expelling in use a tongue as aforesaid, to maintain said latch in its raised, disengaged position in order to maintain the buckle in an open position.

7. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the dial plate moves from an initial position relative to the latches for a limited idle lifting movement of the plate before positively engaging the latches so as to allow a limited amount of rotation of the operating lever before the latches are displaced.

8. A buckle according to any preceding Claim, wherein the operating lever is provided with two opposed wing portions facilitating rotation of the lever.

9. A buckle for a multiple array of safety belt elements, as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.