GB2120598A - Encapsulating seat belt buckle - Google Patents

Encapsulating seat belt buckle Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2120598A
GB2120598A GB08314208A GB8314208A GB2120598A GB 2120598 A GB2120598 A GB 2120598A GB 08314208 A GB08314208 A GB 08314208A GB 8314208 A GB8314208 A GB 8314208A GB 2120598 A GB2120598 A GB 2120598A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
casing
article
casing part
parts
plastics material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08314208A
Other versions
GB2120598B (en
GB8314208D0 (en
Inventor
James Reginald Dalton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kangol Magnet Ltd
Original Assignee
Kangol Magnet Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kangol Magnet Ltd filed Critical Kangol Magnet Ltd
Priority to GB08314208A priority Critical patent/GB2120598B/en
Publication of GB8314208D0 publication Critical patent/GB8314208D0/en
Publication of GB2120598A publication Critical patent/GB2120598A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2120598B publication Critical patent/GB2120598B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/08—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using ultrasonic vibrations
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
    • A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
    • A44B11/00—Buckles; Similar fasteners for interconnecting straps or the like, e.g. for safety belts
    • A44B11/25—Buckles; Similar fasteners for interconnecting straps or the like, e.g. for safety belts with two or more separable parts
    • A44B11/2503—Safety buckles
    • A44B11/2546—Details
    • A44B11/2561—Tongue elements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/302—Particular design of joint configurations the area to be joined comprising melt initiators
    • B29C66/3022—Particular design of joint configurations the area to be joined comprising melt initiators said melt initiators being integral with at least one of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/30223—Particular design of joint configurations the area to be joined comprising melt initiators said melt initiators being integral with at least one of the parts to be joined said melt initiators being rib-like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/54—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/54—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
    • B29C66/541—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles a substantially flat extra element being placed between and clamped by the joined hollow-preforms
    • B29C66/5416—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles a substantially flat extra element being placed between and clamped by the joined hollow-preforms said substantially flat extra element being perforated, e.g. a screen
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/112—Single lapped joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/114—Single butt joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2705/00—Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/727—Fastening elements
    • B29L2031/7272—Fastening elements for haberdashery
    • B29L2031/7274—Buckles

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

The tongue part of a buckle of a vehicle seat belt system has a portion, providing an aperture for the seat belt, encapsulated in weldable plastics material by the provision of two preformed casing parts (10) arranged to be welded together at positions located on one side of the tongue part only to simplify the welding operation. To simplify assembly, the one casing part (10) makes a friction fit with the tongue part, and a snap fit with the other casing part. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Encapsulation technique The invention relates to the encapsulation in plastics material of an object, for example the metal tongue of a vehicle seat belt buckle.
A vehicle seat belt buckle conventionally comprises a socket member in which a flat metal tongue member can be releasably retained. The tongue member has a generally rectangular portion including an elongate aperture with the actual tongue projecting from one of the longer sides. A seat belt is received through the aperture and to reduce wear on the belt and to improve the handling of the tongue member by the user, the generally rectangular portions of the tongue member can be encased in plastics material. The present invention is concerned with the provision of an improved technique for applying such a casing to the metal tongue member.
The invention accordingly provides casing parts of weldable material shaped to be assembled together with an object or article to be at least partially encased by the casing parts received between them, the assembled casing parts being arranged to be welded together, as by ultrasonic welding, at one or more co-operating surface portions.
The two casing parts or components can be so arranged that a plurality of the welding positions are accessible to welding on one side only of the article, to limit the relative movement of the assembly and the welding means needed to complete the operation.
To facilitate assembly of the components or casing parts and the article, at least one of the casing parts can be arranged to be assembled with the article and/or another casing part so as to be in a predetermined relation therewith, as by a snap or friction fit. Where appropriate, a line along which the casing parts abut can be matched by a groove formed in one of them for decorative effect.
Where the article is a metal article on part of which a belt or the like will bear, for example, the tongue part of a seat belt buckle, the welding position is preferably located remotely from the belt engagement position.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following illustrative description and the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the metal tongue to be encapsulated in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a first encapsulation component for use in an encapsulating tongue of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of a second encapsulation component for use with that of Figure 2; and Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views on the lines V-V and VI-VI of Figure 4 respectively.
The metal tongue 1 shown in Figure 1 is a flat metal stamping having a tongue portion 4 provided with latching edges 5 by which it may releasably retained by a latching element in a cooperating socket part of a vehicle seat belt buckle.
The socket part and the latching arrangements form no part of the present invention which is concerned with the encapsulation in plastics material of a belt attachment portion 6 of the tongue. The belt attachment portion 6 is of generally rectangular form, with rounded corners, the tongue portion 4 projecting centrally from one of the longer sides. An elongate slot 8 extends generally centrally lengthwise of the attachment portion.
In accordance with the invention, the attachment portion of the tongue of Figure 1 is encapsulated within two weldable casing parts or encapsulation components of appropriate plastics material, for example, A.B.S. (acryionitrilebutadiene-styrene copolymer), shown in Figures 2 and 3 and Figures 21 6 respectively. The component 10 of Figures 2 and 3 is roughly rectangular in plan, having a generally flat floor 1 1 with a narrow elongate slot 12 extending lengthwise. A raised external rim 14 extends around one longer side and the two shorter sides, and extends from them short distances along the other longer side, which is recessed along the major part of its length. An inner rim 15 surrounds the slot 12. As shown in Figure 2, the inner surface of the outer rim 14 provides a step at 16 parallel to the floor 11.
As a first step of the encapsulation procedure, the tongue attachment portion 6 is placed within the encapsulation component 10. The attachment portion 6 makes a friction fit in the component, enhanced by the resilience of a ridge 18 upstanding from the floor 1 1 and spaced between withe inner rim 15 and the recessed longer edge of the component. The ridge 18 is received in a recess 19 in the appropriate longer side of the tongue aperture 8.
The second encapsulation component 20 of Figures 4, 5 and 6 is substantially flat, and shaped tto be received within the rim 14 of the component 10. The component 20 has an aperture 21 for reception of the inner rim 12. To further facilitate assembly the component 20 makes a snap fit within the component 10. There is consequently no possibility of accidental displacement of the attachment portion 6 and components 10, 20 between assembly and the final welding step. The tongue attachment portion 6, when received in the component 10 has its exposed major surface substantially flush with the step 16, so the edge of the component 20 engages this when assembly is completed.
The component 20 is also formed with a pointed ridge 22 which is received in the slot formed between the ridge 18 and the adjacent portion of the rim 1 5 of the component 10.
Additionally the component 20 has pointed ridges 24 spaced around the aperture 21 for bearing on the attachment portion 6. A raised area 23 functions as an interchangeable height insert to allow for varying gauge thickness of material. With the encapsulation components 10. 20 assembled together with the tongue 1, the components are ultrasonically welded together, welding beads 25 being provided adjacent the inner edge of the rim 14 of the component 10 for this purpose. It will be noted that the welding, which is conveniently carried out ultrasonically, is effected on one side only of the assembled tongue and components.
Also, the weld lines are spaced away from the slot 12 on which the seat belt will bear in use.
Moreover, it will be seen that the adjacent edges of the components 10, 20 are chamfered so that a groove is formed between them which is unchanged by the welding step. So that the two sides of the completed encapsulated tongue may be identical in appearance, matching grooves 26 are formed in the underside of the component 20 as it appears in Figure 3.
The invention is not limited to the partial encapsulation of metal articles but can be applied to partial or complete encapsulation of any article in suitable encapsulation components. The article need not be flat, and the number of encapsulation components can be more than two. The invention can accordingly be embodied in a variety of ways other than as specifically described.

Claims (20)

1. A method of at least partially encapsulating an object in a casing of weldable plastics material, the method comprising the steps of assembling together the object and two or more preformed casing parts of weldable plastics material, and welding together the casing parts at a plurality of positions, the plurality of positions being located at the same side of the assembly comprising the object and the casing parts.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one casing part is arranged to be assembled with the object and/or the other casing part so as to be retained in a predetermined relation therewith.
3. A method of at least partially encapsulating an object in weldable plastics material, the method comprising the steps of assembling together the object and two or more preformed casing parts of weldable plastics material, and welding the casing parts together at one or more co-operating surface portions thereof, at least one casing part being arranged to be assembled with the object and/or the other casing part so as to be retained in a predetermined relation therewith.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3 comprising the step of assembling the at least one casing part with the object and/or the other casing part by way of a snap-fit assembly.
5. A method as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 comprising the step of assembling the at least one casing part with the object and/or the other casing part by way of a friction fit assembly.
6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the welding step is effected by ultrasonic welding.
7. A method of at least partially encapsulating an object in a casing of weldable plastics material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. An object at least partially encased in a casing of weldable plastics material by the method of any preceding claim.
9. An article at least partially encapsulated in a casing a weldable plastics material, the casing comprising a plurality of parts welded together at a plurality of positions located on a single side of the article.
10. An article as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of the casing parts is shaped so as to be retained in engagement with the article and/or the other casing part independently of the welding together of the casing parts.
11. An article at least partially encased in a casing of weldable plastics material, the casing comprising a plurality of parts welded together, at least one of the casing parts being retained in the final position relative to the article and/or another casing part by means other than the welding together of the casing parts.
12. An article as claimed in claim 11 wherein the casing parts are welded together at a plurality of positions all located on one side of the object.
13. An article as claimed in claim 10 or 12 having a flat surface at which the plurality of positions is located.
14. An article as claimed in claim 13, the article being a flat metal object, and the flat surface being one of its major surfaces.
15. An article as claimed in claim 14 wherein the positions are located around a rim on one casing part extending around the edge of the article, the other casing part being received within the rim.
16. An article as claimed in claim 15 wherein the join of the two casing parts forms a groove and a like groove is formed on the side of the one casing part remote from the other casing part.
17. An article as claimed in claim 13, 14, 1 5 or 16, the article being a tongue part of a vehicle seat belt buckle, and the plurality of positions are located remotely from the region at which the seat belt will bear on the casing parts.
18. An article as claimed in claim 10, 1 1 or 12, wherein the at least one casing part is snap-fitted to the article and/or the other casing part.
19. An article as claimed in claim 10, 1 1 or 12 wherein the at least one casing part makes a friction fit with the article and/or the other casing part.
20. An encapsulated metal tongue substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB08314208A 1982-05-24 1983-05-23 Encapsulating seat belt buckle Expired GB2120598B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08314208A GB2120598B (en) 1982-05-24 1983-05-23 Encapsulating seat belt buckle

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8215112 1982-05-24
GB08314208A GB2120598B (en) 1982-05-24 1983-05-23 Encapsulating seat belt buckle

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8314208D0 GB8314208D0 (en) 1983-06-29
GB2120598A true GB2120598A (en) 1983-12-07
GB2120598B GB2120598B (en) 1986-04-16

Family

ID=26282926

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08314208A Expired GB2120598B (en) 1982-05-24 1983-05-23 Encapsulating seat belt buckle

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2120598B (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1172473A (en) * 1967-04-24 1969-12-03 Teleflex Inc Remote Control Assembly
GB1324978A (en) * 1970-07-01 1973-07-25 Gaf Corp Film roll magazine cartridges
GB1352642A (en) * 1971-04-03 1974-05-08 Kabel Metallwerke Ghh Production of composite articles from ultrasonically weldable polyvinyl chloride compositions
GB1492416A (en) * 1975-07-17 1977-11-16 Reliance Electric Co Shaft bearing and method of assembling the same
GB1549864A (en) * 1975-09-12 1979-08-08 Dynamit Nobel Ag Method for manufacturing cartridge cases
GB1566531A (en) * 1977-01-17 1980-04-30 Polyplastics Co Ultrasonic welding
GB1584480A (en) * 1977-01-12 1981-02-11 Polyplastics Co Method of forming an assembly using ultrasonic welding

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1172473A (en) * 1967-04-24 1969-12-03 Teleflex Inc Remote Control Assembly
GB1324978A (en) * 1970-07-01 1973-07-25 Gaf Corp Film roll magazine cartridges
GB1352642A (en) * 1971-04-03 1974-05-08 Kabel Metallwerke Ghh Production of composite articles from ultrasonically weldable polyvinyl chloride compositions
GB1492416A (en) * 1975-07-17 1977-11-16 Reliance Electric Co Shaft bearing and method of assembling the same
GB1549864A (en) * 1975-09-12 1979-08-08 Dynamit Nobel Ag Method for manufacturing cartridge cases
GB1584480A (en) * 1977-01-12 1981-02-11 Polyplastics Co Method of forming an assembly using ultrasonic welding
GB1566531A (en) * 1977-01-17 1980-04-30 Polyplastics Co Ultrasonic welding

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2120598B (en) 1986-04-16
GB8314208D0 (en) 1983-06-29

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Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee