WO1980002227A1

WO1980002227A1 - Belt lock for safety belts for vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO1980002227A1
Application number: PCT/SE1980/000117
Authority: WO
Inventors: M Karlin
Original assignee: Autoliv Ab; M Karlin
Priority date: 1979-04-23
Filing date: 1980-04-22
Publication date: 1980-10-30
Also published as: ES8100865A1; GB2059494A; SE419028B; JPS56500483A; IT1141308B; SE7903527L; GB2059494B; EP0028230A1; IT8021595A0; ES490808A0

Abstract

The lock comprises a female part and a male part, which can be inserted into the female part, the female part exhibiting locking elements, which can be actuated by means of push button elements, the lock being of such a design that the locking elements remain in a position, in which they are moved out of the passage of the insertion tongue, when said insertion tongue is extracted. The push button element according to the invention comprises two in between them movable parts, viz. one part cooperating with the locking elements and one part constituting a push button. The push button is spring-loaded in such a manner that it tends to occupy its starting position irrespective of which position the second part occupies.

Description

Belt lock for safety belts for vehicles

The present invention relates to a belt lock intended for safety belts for vehicles and comprising a male part and a female part, the male part comprising an insertion tongue and the female part forming a slide cooperating with the insertion tongue and provided with locking elements movable in crosswise direction to the insertion tongue, said locking elements being arranged in a first position to permit passage^"of the insertion tongue into and out of the slide and in a second position in a 'cooperating way to engage stops provided on the insertion tongue and to retain the same in a condition, in which it is coupled together with the female part, the locking elements being spring- loaded towards the position of engagement, from which they can be removed by means of a push button element, means being provided for the retention of the locking elements in open condition after the insertion tongue has been dis¬ engaged.

In means of the above described kind known in the prior arts the push button remains in pushed-in condition after the insertion tongue has been extracted from the female part. This means that the opening, in which the push button is movable, is exposed. For reasons of safety it is required that all objects, against which a person travelling in the vehicle can strike, shall exhibit well rounded-off edges and corners. In order to comply with this requisite, the portion of the casing surrounding the female part of a buckle of known type located round the push button opening must be designed with comparatively great radii, which results in a very unwieldy design. It is an object of the invention to eliminate this drawback. The object desired is as a matter of fact to be able to keep the outer dimensions of the casing surrounding the locking mechanism as small as possible also in connection with belt locks, in which the position of the operating means depends upon the position of

~~ KE ζj O PI the locking elements, and the locking elements are retained in their disengaging position, when the insertion tongue is extracted.

Said object is obtained by means, of a belt lock made according to the invention, and which is substant ially characterized by the push button element comprising two parts, which relative to the slide and to each other ar movable, and of which the position of the first part is dependent upon and determines the position of the locking elements, and the second part, which also forms an operatin button, in pressed-in condition in connection with the stop cooperates with said first portion, in relation to which it is spring-loaded, in such a manner that it constantly tends to occupy its starting position, i.e. the position of the push button, when it is returned, irrespective of what position said first part is occupying.

An example of an embodiment of the invention is described in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view of a longitudinal cross- section through a belt lock with the insertion tongue belon thereto in extracted condition and designed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of a longitud inal cross-section through the belt lock with the insertion tongue in inserted condition.

Fig. 3 is a view as seen from below accordin to Fig. 1, the lower portion of the casing surrounding the locking mechanism being removed, Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to the one of

Fig. 3 showing .the belt lock with the insertion part in inserted condition.

Fig. 5 is a top view according to Fig. 1 showing the belt lock with the upper portion of the casing removed and certain parts cut off, and

Fig. 6 is a top view corresponding to the on

OMPI of Fig. 5 and showing the belt lock with the insertion tongue inserted.

The belt lock illustrated in the drawings comprises a male part 1, which is designed in the form of an insertion tongue and exhibiting an arrow-shaped nose portion 2, which at the rear is limited by the backwards pointing stopping edges 3, and a female part 4, which forms a slide corresponding to the insertion tongue. In an in itself known manner the slide is substantially formed by two long tinplate pieces 5 and 6 arranged at a distance in between them, said tinplates at one end by means of a rivet 7 being connected with an anchoring element 8, which also serves as a spacer element between the two tinplates. The distance between the tinplates is adjusted in such a manner that it slightly exceeds the thickness of -the insertion tongue 1. Both tinplate are surrounded by a sleeve-shaped runner 9, the lower mantle portion of which exhibits two oblique slits 10, and the upper mantle portion of which exhibits two corresponding grooves. The two tinplates exhibit corresponding transversal - slits 12. The slits and grooves respectively of the sleeve and the tinplates 5, 6 are traversed by locking pins 13, - which extend in the cross-direction of the insertion tongue 1 and consequently also of the tinplates 5, 6. When the runner 9 is displaced along the tinplates 5, 6, the crossing point between the slits 12 and the respective slits and respective grooves of the runner is displaced, which also brings in its train that the two locking pins 13 are dis¬ placed in crosswise direction. A yoke-shaped spring 14 rests against the end surface of the anchoring element 8, and the legs of said spring are in springing action abutting against the outside of ^"the locking pins 13 and consequently tend to move these pins towards each other. A pressure spring is indicated with 15, which with one of its ends rests against the yoke-shaped spring 14 and, thus, keeps the same in a position pressed against the anchoring element 8, its other end resting against a displaceable ejector element 16, which with spring force abuts against the point 2 of the inserti tongue, when the same is inserted into the female part. In the central portion of the upper mantle portion of the runner 9 a groove 28 is made, which at one of its ends terminates with an oblique surface 17. A plate spring is indicated with 18, one of its end portions being riveted t the tinplate 6 by means of the rivet 7, and its other end portion 18a being bent into a shape forming a hook. The ho 18a exhibits such a shape that in the displaced position o the runner shown in Fig. 1 it grips over the front termina edge of the runner, and in connection with the displacemen of the runner from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 slid along the oblique surface until it snaps in over the forwa end surface. The runner on its top side exhibits projectin fingers 19, which are attached to the runner at their rear left end according to Fig. 1, and which in their front portion, i.e. to the right according to Fig. 1, terminate with a hook-shaped portion. The fingers 19 extend into a corresponding cavity of a push button element 20, which at its rear exhibits a shoulder, past which the hook-shaped e portion of the fingers 19 making use of the springing prop of the material of the fingers can be moved and behind whi shoulder they can snap-in, when the push button portion 20 during the mounting operation is brought together with the runner. The push button portion 20 can thereafter be dis¬ placed relative to the runner between the positions illu¬ strated in Figs. 1 and 2. A leg-spring is indicated with 2 one leg 21a of which being attached in a hole 22 of the tinplate 6 and the other leg 21b of which being laid again the rear end of the push button portion 20. The spring 21 tensioned in such a degree that it constantly tends to mov the push button portion 20 to its^' advanced position illu¬ strated in Fig. 1 as well as in Fig. 2. The locking mechan is enclosed in a casing 23, which is divided up in an uppe half 23a and a lower half 23b. The insertion tongue 1 comp rises a tinplate, of which one end portion is enclosed in moulded plastic material forming a thickened portion la. In the thickened portion la two slits 24 and 25 are made, through which the band of the safety belt, in which the device shall be mounted, is intended to be threaded. The anchoring element 8 is by way of example intended to be attached to the framing of the vehicle.

When the insertion tongue 1 from the position shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 is inserted into the female part, it will move the ejector element 16 in inwards direction. The ejector element, which exhibits a projection 16a, which extends in upwards direction through a siit-shaped opening 26 of the tinplate 6, strikes against the underside of the portion 18b of the plate spring 18, which brings in its train that its free end portion is lifted up and releases its grip of the front edge of the runner. The locking pins 13 subjected to the influence of the force from the yoke- spring 14 can then move in direction towards each other, while on account of the oblique position of the slits 10 of the runner they move the same in forwards direction to the position shown in Figs. 2, 4, 6, in which the locking pins 13 have engaged the insertion tongue 1 behind the edges 3.of the shoulder of the same. The push button portion 20 is unaffected during the insertion of the insertion tongue. The distance between the projection 16a of the ejector means and the spring portion 18b is adjusted in such a manner that the snapping-in of the locking pins 13 does take place only, when the nose portion 2 of the insertion tongue has safely passed said locking pins in order to impede a partial lock. The insertion tongue is released by the push button portion 20 being pressed in to the left according to the Figs. 1, 3, 5 against bias-of the spring 21. The push button portion 20 then strikes against a stop of the runner 9 and carries along the same in the displacing movement, while the end portion 18a of the plate spring 18 slides up the oblique surface 17 and snaps in in front of the forward end of the runner, as is shown in Fig. 1. During this- displacing move-

"£BR£_A . O PI ment of the runner 9 the locking pins 13 are urged to move themselves in direction away from each other and leave the engagement to the insertion tongue 1, which then is ejecte by the springing means on account of the bias of the press spring 15. The runner 9 remains in the position now occupi while the push button portion* 20 returns to its starting position, when it is released under the bias of the spring 21, which constantly tends to move the push button part ba to its starting position, in which the opening 27 of the casing, in which the push button portion is located, is filled.

The invention is not limited to the embodi¬ ment described above and illustrated in the drawings by wa of example only, but can be varied as to its details withi the scope of the following claims without therefore depart ing from the fundamental idea of the invention. Thus, it i imagined that the invention also can find an application i connection with belt locks, which exhibit an operating means, which is pivotable round a shaft, and which can be designed by two in between them pivotable parts, between which a torsion spring can be stretched. The number of _. locking elements are of no importance for the invention. Thus, also constructions with one locking element operatin at one lateral edge of the insertion tongue or has its movement in transverse direction to the plane of the.tongu - are meant to be covered by the indicated protection of the following claims.

OMPi

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Belt lock intended for safety belts for vehicles and comprising a male part (1) and a female part (4) , the male part comprising an insertion tongue and the female part forming a slide cooperating with the insertion tongue and provided with locking elements (13) movable in crosswise direction^' to the insertion tongue, said locking elements being arranged in a first position to permit passage of the insertion tongue into and out of the slide and in a second position in a cooperating way to engage stops (3) provided on the insertion tongue and to retain the same in a condition, in which it is coupled together with the female part, the locking elements being spring-loaded towards the position of engagement, from which they can be removed by means of a push button element (9, 20), means being provided for the retention of the locking elements in open condition after the insertion tongue has been disengaged, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the push button element comprising two parts, which relative to the slide and to each other are movable, and of which the position of the first part (9) is dependent upon and determines the position of the locking elements (13) , and the second part (20) , which also forms an operating button, in pressed-in condition in connection with the stop cooperates with said first portion, in relation to which it is spring-loaded, in such a manner that it constantly tends to occupy its starting position, i.e. the position of the push button (20) , when it is returned, irrespective of what position said first part is occupying.

2. Belt lock according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e^' d b y said first part (9) of the push button element comprising a runner, which is displaceable along the slide with operative control of the locking elements (13) and by said second part being connected with said first part

O PI IPO by means of guiding portions, which with respect to their engagement cooperate with each other, said two parts also exhibiting in between them cooperating terminal stops for limiting the displacing movement in between said parts.

3. Belt lock according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y the runner (9) comprising a sleeve gripping around the guiding slide (5, 6) , the walls of said sleeve opposing each other exhibiting oblique grooves (10) , in which the end portions of locking pins (13) are penetrat said locking pins also extending through slits (12) in the wall of the slide, which slits extend in crosswise directio to the direction of insertion of the insertion tongue (1) , whereby the position of the locking elements is determined by the position of the crossing-point between said groove and said slits, which in their turn are dependent of the position of displacement of the runner.

4. Belt lock according to claim 2 or 3, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d b y the two parts of the push button element being coupled together with each other by a snap-in action, one part being designed with snap-in hooks, which i snapped-in condition cooperate with terminal stops provided on the second part.

O PI