WO1998052437A1

WO1998052437A1 - Buckle shielding means

Info

Publication number: WO1998052437A1
Application number: PCT/AU1998/000378
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donna Elaine Quigley; Cameron Michael Kent
Original assignee: Donna Elaine Quigley; Cameron Michael Kent
Priority date: 1997-05-21
Filing date: 1998-05-21
Publication date: 1998-11-26
Also published as: AU694401B3

Abstract

Buckle shielding means (14) is provided for shielding the release member (12) of a seat belt buckle (16). The buckle shielding means (14) includes a resilient sleeve (15) which engages tightly about the buckle (16) for fixed retention thereon. The resilient sleeve (15) supports an integral transparent shielding part (17) formed to cover the release member (12). This arrangement secures the buckle shielding means (14) to the buckle (16) and increases the external pressure which must be applied for release of the buckle (16).

Description

"BUCKLE SHIELDING MEANS" —BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIO — This invention relates to buckle shielding means- Buckles and other fasteners are often used to secure young children and people requiring supervision so that they can be safeguarded, either by direct supervision or by the securing device, such as a car seat belt. Mostly seat belts are provided with buckles adapted for ease of use by adults. This often leads to the release latch being made to visibly stand out from the outer casing of the buckle. Accordingly there is always the risk that young children in particular will be attracted to the release latch and cause release of th buckle, either purposely or accidentally.

Attempts have been made to provide suitable safety locks for preventing such occurrences, however these, such as disclosed in Australian patent application No. 16422/95 and US Patent No. 4675954, have been not been suitable.

—SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIO — The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantage and to provide buckle shielding means which will operate efficiently in use.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in buckle shielding means for shielding the release member of a seat belt buckle of the type adapted for securing a supervised infant user, including: - a resilient sleeve which engages tightly about the buckle for fixed retention thereon, and said resilient sleeve supporting a transparent shielding part formed to cover the release member so as to increases the external pressure which must be applied by a user for actuation of the covered release member.

Preferably the transparent shielding part is formed of resilient material and more preferably it is formed integrally with the resilient sleeve. If desired the resilient sleeve may support a non-resilient shielding part. Suitably the buckle shielding means increases the external pressure which must be applied by a user is beyond that which may be readily applied by the secured user. Preferably the shielding member is resilient and transparent and is relatively thick so as to achieve the shielding qualities required. For this purpose it is envisaged that the shielding member may provide the desired result either by being sufficiently stiff to add directly to the force which must be applied to the release member for release thereof, or by being sufficiently spongy so as to increase the difficulty of operating the release member, suc as by increasing the difficulty of gaining access to the release member or dissipating much of the user's operating energy radially or away from the release member. Suitably resilient sleeve includes a resilient portion which must be stretched for placement of the sleeve over the buckle whereby the sleeve is retained on the buckle. The sleeve may be in the form of or include a resilient band or it may be in the form of a cover substantially covering the buckle body. In the latter case it is preferred that the sleeve be transparent so than any operating markings or the like on the buckle body remain visible through the sleeve.

Such resilient sleeve mountings have the advantage that they may fit a variety of sizes and shape of buckle bodies. Preferably the mounting and the shielding member are formed as an integral unit, such as by being moulded as a on piece plastics material and more preferably as a one piece clear plastics member.

The shielding member may be a disc-like form for covering a release button disposed medially in the upper fac of the buckle. Alternatively, the shielding member may be o U-shaped form and extend about the end of a buckle body for covering a plunger release member of the type which pushes i for release from one end of the buckle adjacent the complementary buckle clasp. In a further aspect of this invention, there is provided buckle shielding means for shielding the release member of a seat belt buckle and including: - a mounting adapted for retention on the buckle; a resilient shielding part supported by the mounting and formed to cover the release member, wherein said resilient shielding part, in use, increases the difficulty of actuating the release member. Suitably the resilient shielding part has a manner of operation which must be observed for successful operation of the release member and in one simple form is formed as a sealable cavity which must be finger sealed to enable finger pressure to be applied to the release member. For example the resilient shielding part may be a in the form an cavity having an upwardly domed upper wall provided with a central bleed aperture which must be closed by finger pressure to enable the cavity to be pressurised by depressing the upper wall and resulting in actuation of the release member by the lower wall of the cavity. —BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS—

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate typical embodiments of this invention and wherein: - FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are typical end views illustrating variations of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to

4;

FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention, and

Figs. 8 to ?? illustrate further embodiments of the invention. ^' Jl t J/jt?e rs 3 -3.0) —DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT— Referring initially to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 which are adapted for use with a seat belt buckle 10 or a booster buckle 11, formed with a press to release member 12 disposed substantially centrally in the top surface thereof.

The present invention provides buckle shielding means 14 in the form of a resilient sleeve 15 which may be stretched to extend about the buckle body 16 so that a thickened portion 17 of the sleeve 15 overlies the press release button 12.

The resilient sleeve 15 is so formed that it engages tightly about the buckle body 16 so that it would be relatively difficult to be removed by persons under the age of five, being the users requiring safeguard by being secured in a vehicle by a seat belt. In this embodiment the resilient sleeve 15 as well as the thickened covering section 15 are formed of clear UV resistent resilient material such as a plastics material and preferably a silicone rubber sleeve such that the components and any nomenclature on the buckle are not disguised by the sleeve.

Thus the press to release button 12 is clearly visible through the transparent thickened section 17 when the sleeve 15 is stretched about the belt buckle 16. In use it will be seen that the thickened section 17 extends beyond the press to release button 12 and will thus serve to shed finger loads applied to the thickened section over the press button 12 into the supporting body 16.

Thus a greater effort will be required to release the buckle than for an unmodified buckle, and suitably the characteristics of the thickened section are such that it would be very difficult for a child under the age of five to release the press button 12, inadvertently or purposely, to cause separation of the complementary buckle components illustrated at 18 in FIG. 2 from the main buckle 11. In the embodiments in FIGS. 1 to 6, the sleeve 15 is formed as a member which engages tightly about the body 16 and which relies on its stretching to accommodate different size buckle bodies 16. As a variation on this arrangement, the embodiments in FIGS. 5 and 6 are also adapted to engage tightly about a belt buckle body 16 but do so in different manners. For example in FIG. 5 the continuous sleeve portion 20 does not incorporate a thickened section over the press button area 12 but is of substantially uniform thickness and is provided with internal fingers 21 which extend inwardly from the inside face of the sleeve 20 over the complete area of the sleeve, other than in zone 22 which is adapted to overly the release button 12. In this embodiment the resilient fingers 21 can be compressed resiliently so as to retain the sleeve 20 on different size buckle bodies such that the sleeve 20 is held in spaced relationship with the buckle body.

Thus the portion 22 above the release button 12 is held tightly above the release button and must be stretched by downward finger pressure prior to the users finger making contact with the button 12. This will add to the effort required to release the button 12 to the desired extent.

A further variation of this embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6 where the sleeve 24 is held from the buckle body 16 by a series of longitudinal ridges 25 which extend along the length of the sleeve. Again a free portion is left at 26 which is adapted to overlie the release button and which must be stretched to enable a persons finger to apply pressure to the button 12.

In both these cases it is preferred that the sleeves 20, 24, as well as the fingers 21 and ridges 25 are formed integrally of transparent resilient plastics material which provides the required properties for increasing the pressure needed to be applied to the button 12 for release of the buckle 16.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention and adapted for use with a seat belt buckle 30 of the type used in conventional modern vehicles and formed with a press to release button 31 in one end wall 32 adjacent the slot 33 for the complementary tongue portion. Also illustrated are alternate positions 34 for release buttons which may be utilised in some forms of buckles.

It will be seen that in this embodiment the buckle shielding means 35 is formed as an open ended resilient enclosure, again formed of transparent UV resistent resilient plastics material and having a substantially rectangular main body portion 36 closed by an end wall 37 at one end formed with a slot 38 through which the tongue of the complementary buckle portion may be passed to into the slot 33.

In this embodiment the thickened portion 38 is T-shaped and extends along the top wall 39 and therebeyond to extend partway across the end wall 37. This provides a thickened portion 38 which has a longitudinal portion 39 which when secured about the buckle body 30 extends over any buttons at positions 34 and a transversely extending end portion 40 which extends over and beyond the button 31. If desired the thickened portion 40 may also extend around the corners to the side walls. The body portion 36 is so formed that it must be stretched to engage over the buckle body 30 so that it will be retained firmly thereon, once in position, by the resilient nature of the body 36. When in position the thickened portion 39 will act to increase the pressure which must be applied to any buttons located in position 34 along the transverse thickened end portion 40 will provide the same affect in relation to the button 31 located at the end of the buckle 30.

In use any of the embodiments described above may be specifically formed to suit particular buckles or a range of buckles and can be inserted on existing seat belt buckles in vehicles in which passengers requiring supervision are secured by the seat belts.

In such instances, provision of the shielding means in their operative positions on the buckles will serve to make the release of the buckles more difficult so as to minimise accidental release of the buckle and decrease the likelihood of release by supervised persons retained by the seat belt. This will result as the actuation will be more difficult and the visual obviousness of the release buckle will be diminished.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as claimed.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THIS INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

1. Buckle shielding means for shielding the release member of a seat belt buckle, including: - a resilient sleeve which engages tightly about the buckle for fixed retention thereon, and said resilient sleeve supporting an integral transparent shielding part formed to cover the release member so as to increases the external pressure which must be applied by a user for actuation of the covered release member.

2. Buckle shielding means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient sleeve is formed so as to maintain the transparent shielding part above the release member and in spaced relationship therewith.

3. Buckle shielding means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 and adapted for securing a supervised infant, wherein the shielding means is formed integrally as a one piece resilient plastics member and wherein the external pressure which must be applied by a user for actuation of the covered release member is resisted by tension in the transparent shielding part induced by stretching of the sleeve over the buckle.

4. Buckle shielding means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shielding part extends beyond the release member for additional support by the buckle body.

5. Buckle shielding means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and adapted for use on a seat belt buckle adapted for securing a supervised infant user and said resilient shielding part increases the external pressure which must be applied by a user for actuation of the release member beyond that which may be readily applied by the secured user.

6. Buckle shielding means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting is a sleeve formed of resilient material or includes a resilient portion which must be stretched for placement of the sleeve over the buckle whereby the sleeve is retained on the buckle.

7. Buckle shielding means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings .