GB2104141A

GB2104141A - Seat belt buckle

Info

Publication number: GB2104141A
Application number: GB08218044A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Takashi Kawaharazaki; Kohbun Tanaka
Original assignee: Tokai Rika Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tokai Rika Co Ltd
Priority date: 1981-06-22
Filing date: 1982-06-22
Publication date: 1983-03-02
Also published as: GB2104141B; JPS57203812U; JPS6228890Y2

Abstract

A seat belt buckle has a buckle body (1) and a manually operable member (13) for disengaging a tongue (16) from the buckle body (1). The manually operable member (13) includes a stop member (17) which engages in a recess (21) of the buckle body (11) to lock the manually operable member (13) in a predetermined position: the manually operable member (13) further includes a releasing member (14), movably mounted thereto, for disengaging the stop member (17) from the recess (21), thereby to unlock the manually operable member (13). This operation prevents accidental disengagement of the tongue (6) from the buckle body (1) in the event of the seat belt buckle being struck by an object with a high impact force. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Seat belt buckle The present invention relates to a seat belt buckle which has a manually operable member for disengaging a tongue from a buckle body when manually operated.

The conventional buckle of this type comprises a buckle body and a locking member movably attached to the buckle body. In order to lock a tongue to the buckle body, the tongue is inserted into the buckle body and then the locking member is moved and fit into an engagement hole cut in the tongue. In order to release the tongue from the buckle body, a manually operable member which is, like the locking member, movably attached to the buckle body is moved in such a direction that the locking member is disengaged from the tongue. The conventional buckle has at least one drawback, however. For instance, a force may be applied to the manually operable member portion of the buckle body by an object in the interior of an automobile. In such a case the manually operable member may move relative to the buckle body.As a result, the locking member may move in the lock releasing direction, allowing the tongue to slip out of the buckle body.

Therefore, the seat belt would become unfastened.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat belt buckle which protects the seat belt from being released, when unnecessary, and which can thus protect the driver.

In order to accomplish the aforementioned object the present invention provides a seat belt buckle comprising a buckle body and a manually operable member for disengaging a tongue from the buckle body. The manually operable member includes a stop member which engages with a recess of the buckle body to lock the manually operable member in a predetermined position.

The manually operable member further includes a releasing member, movably mounted thereto, for disengaging the stop member from the recess, thereby to unclock the manually operable member. Therefore, an accidental disengagement of the tongue is prevented.

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes between understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a seat belt buckle of one embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the seat belt buckle; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the bottom plate and frame of the seat belt buckle partially broken; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the seat belt buckle with the tongue portion removed; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seat belt buckle showing the releasing member in the non-released position;; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seat belt buckle showing the releasing member in a partially depressed position; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seat belt buckle showing the releasing member in the released position.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings, a seat belt buckle of one embodiment according to the present invention will be described hereinafter. A buckle body 1 includes a frame 3 and a cover 4 fixed thereto. The left end of the cover 4 includes a tongue insertion port 2 for receiving a tongue 6. The right end of the frame 3 is fixed in a conventional manner to one seat belt 5 which is coupled to the chassis of an automobile. The tongue 6 is attached to the other seat belt (not shown). One end portion of the tongue 6 may be inserted into the buckle body 1 through the tongue insertion portion 2. The end portion of the tongue 6 includes an engagement aperture 7. A lock member 8 is disposed in the buckle body 1 as will be more fully described herebelow.The intermediate portion of the lock member 8 bulges upwards, thus forming a lock portion 9 which may engage with the engagement aperture 7 of the tongue 6. The lock member 8 has a pair of projections 10 which extend from both sides of the lock portion 9 and whose distal end portions are curved upwardly, thus forming hooks 1 0a. The lock member 8 has its left end fitted into and held in place by a retaining portion 11 of the buckle body 1, which is defined by the left end portion of the frame 3.

The lock member 8 can therefore pivot at the retaining portion 1 A leaf spring 12 is interposed between the frame 3 and the lock member 8 and urges the lock member 8 towards the plane of the tongue. A manually operable member 13 is slidably connected to the buckle body 1 and may be pushed to release the tongue 6 from the buckle body 1. The member 13 is located below the top of the cover 4 and can slide either to the left or the right. The left end portion 1 3a of the member 13 extends upwardly, thus forming a pressing portion 1 3a. The pressing portion 1 3a extends upwardly through a rectangular notch 4a cut in the left end portion of the top of the cover 4. The right end portion of the member 13 has a pair of slanted right end faces 1 3b. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 the slanted end faces 1 3b abut the respective hooks 1 0a of the lock member 8.A releasing member 14 is a hollow parallelepiped. The releasing member 14 is fit in a guide groove 1 5 cut in the lower surface of the member 13 and extending substantially parallel to the axis of the button 13. The release member 14 also may slide to the left or the right.

The release member 14 has an elongated through hole 1 6 cut in each longitudinal walls, respectively. Both elongated holes 1 6 extend slantwise. A stopper pin 1 7 serves as an engagement member. The pin 1 7 extends through a through hole 1 8 formed in the upper wall of the member 13 and has its lower end portion inserted in the hollow of the release member 14. The lower end of the pin 1 7 is connected to a sliding shaft 1 9 which extends through both elongated holes 1 6 of the release member 14. The member 13 also includes guide grooves 20 on the lateral side faces defining the guide groove 15, extending perpendicularly therefrom.The guide grooves 20 are sized to allow the sliding shaft 1 9 to slide therein, thus enabling the stopper pin 1 7 to move up and down in the member 13. A recess 21 is cut in the lower surface of the top of the cover 4 and is positioned to receive the upper end of the stopper pin 17 protruding from the upper surface of the member 1 3. A compression spring 22 is placed in the guide groove 1 5 of the member 1 3 and urges the release member 14 away from the right end of the member 13 all of the time. A bottom plate 23 is attached to the lower surface of the member 13, thus closing the guide groove 1 5.

Referring now to Figs. 5 through 7, the operation of the above-mentioned buckle will be described. In order to couple the tongue 6 with the buckle body 1 the tongue 6 is inserted into the body 1 through the tongue insertion port 2.

When the end of the tongue 6 comes into contact with the lock portion 9 of the lock member 8, it forces the lock member 8 down. The tongue 6 is further pushed until the lock position 9 slips into the engagement aperture 7 (see Fig. 5), whereby the tongue 6 is held in engagement with the buckle body 1. Under this condition, the release member 14 lies in its leftmost position because it is urged by the compression spring 22 to the left.

The sliding shaft 19 is therefore positioned in the right most portion of both of the elongated holes 1 6 and the sliding shaft 19 and the stopper pin 1 7 are in their highest positions. The upper end portion of the pin 17 therefore protrudes from the upper surface of the member 1 3 and engages with the recess 21 of the cover 4. The member 13 is therefore prevented from sliding. Thus, if the buckle body 1 is struck by an object with a high impact force, because of a traffic accident or some other inadvertent reason, the member 13 would not move to the right and release the buckle body 1 from the tongue 6. When an impact force is exerted on the buckle body 1, an inertial force will be applied on the release member 14 indeed.However, such an inertial force is small because the release member 14 is relatively light. Further, even if an inertial force is directly applied to the release member 14, the force which intends to push down the stopper pin 1 7 is a small component of force because the elongated holes 1 6 are slanted downwardly. Such an inertial force is therefore too small to move the pin 1 7 down thereby to disengage the member 13 from the buckle body 1.

In order to release the tongue 6 from the buckle body 1, the user merely pushes the release member 14 with his finger against the compression spring 22 until the sliding shaft 1 9 moves to its lowest position and abuts with the lower end portions of the elongated holes 16. In accordance with the sliding shaft 19, the stopper pin 1 7 is also moved to its lowermost position. As a result, the pin 1 7 is disengaged from the recess 21 (see Fig. 6) and the member 13 may be moved to the right. The end faces 1 3b of the member 13 push the hooks 1 Oa of the lock member 8 downward, thus allowing the lock portion 9 of the lock member 6 to be disengaged from the engagement aperture 7 of the tongue 6 (see Fig.

7). In consequence, the tongue 6 is released from the buckle body 1. In releasing the tongue 6 from the buckle body 1, the release member 14 is moved in the same direction as the member 13.

Hence, a so-called "one touch" operation, i.e.

moving only the member 13 in one direction, can be used to release the stopper pin 1 7 from the cover 4 and then the tongue 6 from the buckle body 1. The buckle is therefore as easy to operate as the conventional buckle.

As mentioned above, the present device can provide a seat belt buckle which would not release a seat belt even if an object strikes the buckle body with a high impact force.

Obviously, numerous (additional) modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A seat belt buckle for removably connecting at least a first belt portion to at least a second belt portion, comprising: a tongue connected to the first belt portion; a buckle body connected to the second belt portion for receiving said tongue; a first locking member operable connected to said buckle body and moved for engaging and disengaging said tongue; first manual means operably connected to said buckle body and moved for controlling the movement of said first locking member; and second manual means operably connected to said first means, for controlling the movement of said first manual means relative to said buckle body.

2. A seat belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein said tongue includes an engagement aperture formed therein, and said First locking member includes a locking portion for engaging the engagement aperture in said tongue and a distal end portion.

3. A seat belt buckle according to claim 2, further including: first biasing means operably positioned in said buckle body for urging said first locking member towards said tongue.

4. A seat belt buckle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said first manual means includes a first member slidably connected to said buckle body, said first member having an end portion abutting the distal portion of said first locking member, whereby said locking member is urged away from said tongue when said first member is moved in a predetermined direction.

5. A seat belt buckle according to claim 4, wherein said first member including a grooved portion; and said second manual means includes a second member slidably mounted in said groove portion and a second locking member for releasably engaging said buckle body to prevent mount of said first member.

6. A seat belt buckle according to claim 5, wherein said second locking member includes a locking pin movably mounted thereto; said first member includes an aperture for receiving said locking pin; said buckle body includes a recessed portion for receiving at least a portion of said locking pin; and second biasing means is operably positioned in said buckle body, for normally urging said locking pin into said recessed portion thereby locking said first member, said first member being unlocked whenever said second member is moved in a predetermined direction.

7. A seat belt buckle according to claim 2, wherein said locking member has a provisional end pivotally connected to said buckle body.

8. A seat belt buckle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.