WO2002060293A1

WO2002060293A1 - Lockable belt lock

Info

Publication number: WO2002060293A1
Application number: PCT/EP2002/000943
Authority: WO
Inventors: José H. SÁNCHEZ GIRALDEZ
Original assignee: Sanchez Giraldez Jose H
Priority date: 2001-02-01
Filing date: 2002-01-30
Publication date: 2002-08-08
Also published as: ATE357161T1; EP1365668A1; DE50209774D1; DE10104832A1; EP1365668B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a belt lock (100), wherein a housing (18) is pivotally connected to an opening key (10). Locking can be achieved between the housing (18) and opening key (10) by means of a magnetic lock. The lock can only be opened by means of a key magnet. At least one end of a belt is fixed on the belt lock (100) by a belt clamping device (13), whereby the belt is prevented from slipping when the lock is in a closed state. The belt can be clamped, for example, by means of a zigzag shaped belt channel (14).

Description

description

Lockable buckle

Technical field

The invention relates to a belt buckle according to the preamble of claim 1.

State of the art

When using belt buckles, e.g. are known from safety systems in motor vehicles or aircraft, as fastening means for safety bandages which are intended to restrict the mobility of the patient, the problem arises that the belt buckles can also be opened by the patient at any time. This is particularly undesirable for mentally confused people or criminals, as opening them in such a way can cause themselves or other great harm.

Belt buckles are known from DE 299 03 507.7 and DE 299 03 508.5, which consist of a housing and an opening button, which can be locked together via a magnetic lock. This means that these locks can only be opened by authorized persons.

Presentation of the invention. Task. Solution. benefits

Against this background, it was an object of the present invention to further improve a belt buckle of the type mentioned at the outset, so that, in particular, it offers greater locking security.

This object is achieved by a belt buckle with the features of claim 1 and a belt buckle with the features of claim 8. Advantageous refinements are contained in the subclaims. The belt buckle according to the invention is characterized in that in at least one of the belt ends the belt is looped through a belt clamp on the belt buckle, the belt being fixed in the belt clamp in the locked state of the belt buckle. While in many conventional belt buckles the length of the belt can still be changed even after the belt buckle has been closed by pulling or pulling the relatively loose and loop-shaped belt end through the belt buckle, this is different with the present belt buckle. Here the length of the belt is fixed after locking and can no longer be changed. However, since the corresponding end of the belt is looped through the belt buckle, length adjustment is possible in principle, but only in the unlocked state. This has the advantage that the length of the belt can be individually adjusted when it is put on, but is then fixed after locking. Therefore, not only an unauthorized opening of the belt is excluded, but also an unauthorized change in length. Under certain circumstances, the latter can have the same negative consequences as opening the belt completely. By preventing such an unauthorized change in length according to the invention, the safety of the belt buckle can thus be increased considerably.

According to a first embodiment of the belt clamp, this is realized by the housing and the opening button of the belt buckle. In the locked state of the belt buckle, these form between them a belt channel which has at least two changes in direction of strong curvature, i.e. kinking by at least 90 °. If the belt is guided through this belt channel, it must follow the changes in direction. There is a large amount of friction at the kinks, which is further increased, particularly when the belt is under tensile load, and is sufficiently large to prevent the belt from sliding.

According to an alternative realization of the belt clamp, the housing and the opening button form in the locked state of the belt buckle. ses a belt channel between them, the height of which is smaller than the thickness of the belt. The resulting compression of the belt holds it with a correspondingly high static friction between the housing and the opening button.

According to another realization of the belt clamping, the belt is guided around a cross bar which is mounted so movably in the housing that it is pressed against a support by tensile loading on the belt and thereby clamps the belt between itself and the support. In this construction, the belt is subject to self-locking, since the greater the tensile load, the more firmly it is fixed.

The support can in particular be a second crossbar mounted in the housing. The resulting construction can be implemented particularly easily in various ways.

The movable cross bar, around which the belt is guided, and / or the cross bar forming the support can be mounted on both sides in an elongated hole, so that they can be moved in the direction of the elongated hole. To carry out the belt, they can then be easily pushed apart while in the locked state they lie against each other and clamp the belt between them. The belt clamp is designed in such a way that when the opening button (10) is closed, it is possible to retighten the end of the belt, but loosening is significantly increased. In the known belt buckles, the belt can be released even when the opening button is closed.

The movable crossbar can also be formed by a preferably U-shaped, O-shaped or rectangular bracket which is connected to a second similar bracket forming the support by a sleeve or the like. Such brackets connected by a sleeve do not require attachment in the housing. Rather, they clamp on the belt by self-locking at a set position and prevent the belt from leaving the housing. The belt buckle according to the invention contains a housing, an opening button pivotally connected to the housing and a magnetic lock with a head part. One or more locking elements are movably mounted in the head part between a so-called locking position and a so-called opening position. In the following, a number of locking elements is assumed in the formulation, but within the scope of the invention, an embodiment with only one locking element is also possible. The belt buckle also includes a base part which is attached to the housing, points towards the head part and has a radial recess into which the locking elements of the head part can engage when they are in their locking position. The engagement of the locking elements in the recess of the base part locks the base part in the head part, that is to say that in this state the plug connection between the head part and the base part does not come loose by itself. The radii of the base part are by definition perpendicular to the body axis of the base part, which lies in the direction of insertion. As a rule, the base part will be designed in the form of a pin, the direction of insertion coinciding with the pin axis and the radii being the radii of the pin. In this context, however, a "radial depression" is to be understood in general as any return of the radius below its maximum value. A "radial depression" on a cylinder can therefore be formed both by an annular groove and by the area behind an annular projection. It is important that the recess forms an undercut on the base part, in which the locking elements of the head part can engage in order to prevent the base part from being pulled back against the direction of insertion.

The locking elements of the head part are set up in the head part such that they can be moved into their open position by a magnetic force originating from the outside, that is, from outside the head part, whereby by definition they do not engage in the recess on the base part in the open position. In the open position, the base part can therefore counter the direction of insertion is withdrawn from the head part and the belt buckle is thereby opened.

According to a development of the invention, which is also of independent importance, the magnetic opening mechanism is achieved in that the head part has a rotatably mounted magnet with at least two poles acting outwards, that is to say with those poles whose magnetic field is sufficiently strong in the space outside of the belt buckle penetrates so that an interaction between a key magnet located outside the head part and the magnet located in the head part is possible. The magnet located in the head part is also coupled to the locking elements in such a way that the locking elements are transferred from their locking position into their opening position by a rotary movement of the magnet. The opening button opens automatically by spring force after the locking elements have been released. This is not the case with the known belt buckles, the opening button must be opened against spring pressure.

In contrast to magnetic closures known from the prior art, the locking elements are not transferred from the locking position into the opening position by a simple magnetic attraction acting from the outside. Rather, there must be a certain rotational movement of the magnet located in the head part, so that the locking elements move into the opening position and the magnetic closure thereby opens. Such a rotary movement is not generated by any impact on the magnetic lock, since an impact can only generate linear forces, but no torques. The buckle according to the invention thus offers a very high level of security against unintentional opening. The opening button is only opened using a special magnetic key, which is magnetized bipolar on at least one surface, by rotating around the base axis. This is not possible with any axially magnetized magnet. It is also important that the magnet located in the head part has at least two poles acting outwards. A key magnet located outside the head part can interact with these poles in order to transmit a torque required for the rotation of the magnet. Each pole of the head part magnet is coupled to an opposite pole of the key magnet, i.e. a north pole with a south pole and vice versa. In order to be able to open the belt buckle, the key magnet must therefore be designed as a mirror image of the head part magnet, that is to say have north poles where the head part magnet has a south pole and vice versa. These special requirements for the geometry of the key magnet make it difficult, if not impossible, to unauthorized opening of the buckle using any magnet. This aspect also contributes to increased security of the belt buckle according to the invention. A special feature of this buckle is that a magnetic lock with very little play in the locking elements is used as a lock, which makes it possible for the opening button to close without play, which is not the case with the known belt closures.

According to a preferred embodiment of the belt buckle, the locking elements are mounted in the head part such that they can be moved transversely to the plug-in direction of the base part between the locking position and the opening position. Since the movement of the locking elements takes place transversely to the direction of insertion, the head part can be formed with a relatively short overall length in the direction of insertion. Furthermore, the transverse displacement of the ring elements has the advantage that they move radially with respect to the base part and can therefore engage particularly effectively in the radial recess of the base part. A special feature is that the magnetic locking means that unintentional opening due to impacts or blows is no longer possible, as in the known systems. While the head part can in principle be designed with one, with two or with a plurality of locking elements, an arrangement is preferred in which there are two locking elements which are arranged in mirror image to one another. With such an arrangement, the two locking elements can accommodate the base part between them and engage symmetrically from two sides in the radial recess of the base part. This leads to a particularly safe and balanced locking of the base part in the head part. The two locking elements themselves can be designed identically, which reduces the manufacturing effort for the belt buckle.

According to another preferred embodiment of the belt buckle, the head part has at least one spring element which interacts with the locking elements in such a way that it pretensions them into the locking position. Without the action of an external (magnetic) force, the locking elements will assume their locking position. When the belt buckle is closed by inserting the base part into the head part, the locking elements therefore automatically move into their locking position after retreating or evading, in which they lock the base part in the head part. The buckle can therefore be closed without any additional aids.

The magnet located in the head part is preferably designed as a ring magnet which has at least one north pole and at least one south pole distributed over the ring surface. The ring magnet is rotatably mounted in the head part with respect to the ring axis and has drivers via which it is mechanically coupled to the locking elements. Typically, the drivers are designed as projections projecting vertically (directly or indirectly) from the ring magnet. The locking elements can be made of a non-magnetizable material such as aluminum so that they are not influenced by the magnetic forces of the head part magnet or a key magnet. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the locking elements are made specifically from a magnetic or magnetizable material, and the magnet is arranged between them. This has the effect that the magnet attracts the locking elements so that they always try to be as close to it as possible. The return of the locking elements into the locking position can then be brought about by these magnetic forces, and it is not necessary to provide a spring.

The radial recess of the base part is preferably formed by an annular groove running around the base part, which allows the engagement of a locking element from all sides.

According to a particularly suitable embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a belt buckle of the generic type is designed in such a way that the opening button is spring-loaded in the opening direction and can be closed against the spring force. This configuration has the result that the belt buckle opens automatically when the actuation button is pressed, the opening button moving upwards or outwards. The flap is then closed against the spring force. This configuration is not found in any other known belt buckle.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is explained below by way of example with the aid of the figures. It shows:

1 shows a cross section through a first variant of the belt buckle.

2 shows a top view of the belt buckle according to FIG. 1;

3 shows a cross section through a second variant of the belt clamping;

4 shows a cross section through a third variant of the belt clamping; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the magnetic closure.

Best way to carry out the invention

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the belt buckle 100 according to the invention in a cross section and a top view. The belt buckle essentially consists of a housing 18 and an opening button 10 which is pivotally attached to it about the axis 21. The housing 18 has the shape of an approximately rectangular base plate with slightly curved outward longitudinal sides with upstanding edges thereon.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1, the left side of the belt buckle there has a gap through which the locking tongue 20 attached to the end of a belt can be inserted. The latch tongue 20 has an opening in the center into which the latch 19 can snap in order to fix the latch tongue 20 in the buckle. The bolt 19 is connected to the opening button 10 via a spring (not shown), so that it can be removed from the locking tongue 20 by a pivoting movement of the opening button 10 about the axis 21 and releases its latching in the belt buckle. Further typical design features of the belt buckle can in particular be as shown in DE 299 03 507 and DE 299 03 508.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, the opening button 10 is locked to the housing 18 by a magnetic lock and a bolt 17. The head part of the magnetic fastener is pushed onto the bolt 17 when the belt buckle is closed, a locking mechanism then locking the head part onto the bolt. The lock between the head part and the bolt 17 can only be released and the belt buckle 100 can thus be opened by using a special key magnet. The bolt 17 is essentially pin-shaped with a round or elongated cross section and with a mushroom head at the upper end, an annular groove running directly below the mushroom head. The head part contains a guide recess 31, which can essentially be described as a butterfly. In the two symmetrical halves of the guide recess 31, the locking elements 32a and 32b are arranged in mirror image to one another. The locking elements 32a and 32b are designed so that they engage in the locking groove in the annular groove of the bolt 17. A retraction of the bolt 17 is therefore only possible again when the locking elements 32a and 32b have been moved to the side by a lateral displacement so that they leave the annular groove and no longer engage behind the mushroom head.

The recess 31 is designed such that it enables the described displacement of the locking elements 32a and 32b between the locking position and an opening position. Two compressible rubber rings 30 are provided between the locking elements 32a and 32b and the edge of the recess 31, which prestress the locking elements into their respective locking position. When the bolt 17 is inserted, the mushroom head pushes the locking elements 32a and 32b aside against the elastic force of the rubber rings 30 until the annular groove reaches the height of the locking elements. As soon as the latter is the case, the locking elements 32a and 32b, following the force of the rubber rings 30, can again engage in the annular groove on the bolt 17 and thereby lock the bolt 17 in the head part.

In order to be able to release the locking of the bolt 17 in the head part as described, a magnetic mechanism with the ring magnet 11 and the driver 12 is provided. The driver 12 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the ring magnet 11 and has on its underside two pins or projections which project downwards and which engage in the gap between the two locking elements 32a and 32b. When the driver rotates about its ring axis, one of the pins presses the locking element 32a on one side and the other pin the other locking element 32b on the opposite side. The locking elements 32a and 32b are thus pressed diagonally apart when the driver 12 rotates and are moved into their respective open positions. By rotating the driver 12, an existing locking of the bolt 17 in the head part can be released and the belt buckle 100 can be opened.

The rotation of the driver 12, which typically consists of a non-magnetic metal such as aluminum, takes place with the aid of the ring magnet 11. The ring magnet 11 has at least two magnetic poles N and S, whose magnetic fields penetrate into the area outside the belt buckle, so that external interaction with these poles is possible. Such an interaction takes place with the help of a key magnet (not shown). Such a magnet is preferably located at the end of a manageable stamp or pin (not shown). It is important that the key magnet has a south pole where the ring magnet 11 has a north pole and vice versa. If the key magnet is then brought into the vicinity of the ring magnet 11 in such a way that unequal magnetic poles face each other, a contactless force coupling takes place between the ring magnet 11 and the key magnet, via which torque can be exerted in particular with respect to the ring axis of the ring magnet 11. This means that the ring magnet 11 is also rotated by a rotation of the key magnet, the ring magnet 11 in turn transmitting this rotation to the driver 12. The pins of the driver 12 then push the locking elements 32a and 32b to the side and into their open position in the manner described above. As a result, the belt buckle 100 can therefore be opened from the outside by rotating the key magnet, the direction of rotation being arbitrary.

Furthermore, a belt clamp 13 can be seen on the right edge of FIG. This consists of two slots 15 and 16 in the base plate of the housing 18 through which a belt can be fed in or out. Between these slots 15, 16, the belt runs in the interior of the buckle through a belt channel 14, which is formed between a sawtooth-shaped elevation in cross section on the base plate and the complementarily shaped underside of the opening button 10. Due to the multiple change in direction of the zigzag-shaped belt channel 14, a belt running through the channel (not shown) is securely clamped in the belt buckle. However, if the belt buckle is opened and the opening button 10 is lifted from the housing 18, the belt channel 14 is released and the belt is freely movable and accessible.

Figure 3 shows an alternative belt clamp 13 '. In this case, only a slot 15 'is provided in the base plate of the housing 18', through which a loop of the belt 22 is guided into the interior of the belt buckle. Two brackets 23, 25 are arranged in the buckle, e.g. Can be U-shaped or rectangular. The long legs of this U then form cross bars recognizable in cross section in FIG. 3, the belt loop running through the interior of the lower bracket 25 and around one leg of the upper bracket 23. The free legs of the bracket are coupled to a sleeve 24 so that the bracket remains connected. In the event of a tensile load on the belt 22, the brackets 23, 25 are pulled in the direction of the slot 15 ', which, however, cannot pass because of their size. This also retains the belt loop in the belt buckle. Furthermore, the belt 22 is clamped between the two brackets 23, 25 when there is a train, which results in self-locking.

4 shows a further type of belt clamp 13 ". The housing 18 'and the opening button 10' are designed similarly to that in FIG. 3, the base plate in particular having a slot 15 '. Through this slot 15', the loop is in turn one Belt 22 guided, which wraps around a cross bar 26. The cross bar 26 is supported with its lateral ends in elongated holes 27 which are formed in the side walls of the housing 18 ' stored in a similar manner, but it is located below the first cross bar 26, ie between this and the slot 15 '. When there is a tensile load on the belt 22, the crossbars move down to the lower end of the elongated hole 27, clamping the belt 22 between them in a self-locking manner.

In Figure 5, the head part of an alternative magnetic fastener is shown in an exploded view, which is also in a buckle such as which can be used according to Figure 1. The head part consists of a cuboid base body 43, which has a rectangular depression on its upper side. In the middle of this depression, the floor is lowered by another step. Furthermore, there is an elongated slot 44 in the center of the base body 43, through which a bolt (not shown) which is also elongate in cross section can be inserted.

In the recess of the base body 43, two locking elements 42a, 42b arranged in mirror image to one another are arranged. These each have a step-shaped edge pointing towards the slot 44, which engages in an annular groove on a bolt and can thus lock the latter in the head part. Furthermore, the locking elements 42a, 42b are shaped such that they can accommodate a circular or elliptical driver 41 with two projections 45 pointing downwards between them. When this driver 41 rotates about its vertical axis, the locking elements 42a, 42b are pressed apart by the extensions 45. A ring magnet 40 is mounted on the driver 41, which is also located in the middle between the locking elements 42a, 42b.

The locking elements 42a, 42b and the driver 41, but not the base body 43, are preferably produced from a magnetizable material. This has the effect that the locking elements 42a, 42b are attracted by the magnet 40 and thus tend towards the center without spring elements having to be provided for this. Reference numerals:

100 buckle

10 opening button

10a headboard

11 ring magnet

12 carriers

13, 13 ', 13 "belt clamp

14 belt channel

15, 16 slot

17 bolts

18 housing

19 bars

20 latch tongue

21 axis

22 strap

23 bracket

24 sleeve

25 brackets

26 crossbar

27 slot

28 crossbar

30 spring element

31 deepening

32a, 32b locking elements

40 ring magnet

41 drivers 2a, 42b locking elements

43 base body 4 slot

45 head start

Claims

Expectations

1. Lockable belt buckle (100) for connecting two belt ends (20, 22), comprising: a) a housing (18); b) an opening button (10) pivotally connected to the housing; c) a magnetic closure with a head part (10a) which is arranged on the opening button (10) and has one or more locking elements (32a, 32b; 42a, 42b) movable between a locking position and an opening position, and d) one from the housing in Base part (17) pointing towards the head part with a radial recess into which the locking elements can engage in the locking position in order to lock the base part in the head part, the locking elements being able to be moved into the open position by an external magnetic force in which they do not engage in the recess, characterized in that in at least one of the belt ends (22) the belt is looped through a belt clamp (13, 13 ', 13 ") on the belt buckle (100), the belt being in the locked state of the belt buckle is fixed in the belt clamp.

2. Belt buckle according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (18) and the opening button (10) form a belt channel (14) between them, which has at least two changes in direction.

Belt buckle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (18) and the opening button (10) form a belt channel (14) between them, the height of which is smaller than the thickness of the belt.

Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the belt (22) is guided around a crossbar (23; 26) which is mounted so as to be movable in the housing (18 ') in such a way that it is counteracted by tensile load on the belt a support (25; 28) is pressed and thereby clamps the belt between itself and the support.

Belt buckle according to claim 4, characterized in that the support is a second crossbar (25; 28) mounted in the housing (18 ').

6. Belt buckle according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the cross bars (26; 28) is mounted on both sides in an elongated hole (27).

7. Belt buckle according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the crossbar is formed by a bracket (23) which is connected to a second bracket (25) forming the support by a sleeve (24).

8. Lockable belt buckle (100) for connecting two belt ends (20, 22), in particular according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: a) a housing (18); b) an opening button (10) pivotally connected to the housing; c) a magnetic closure with a head part which is arranged on the opening button (10) and has one or more locking elements (32a, 32b; 42a, 42b) movable between a locking position and an opening position, and d) one from the housing in the direction of the Head part (10a) facing base part (17) with a radial recess into which the locking elements can engage in the locking position in order to lock the base part in the head part, wherein the locking elements can be moved into the open position by an external magnetic force in the they do not engage in the recess, characterized in that the head part (10a) has a rotatably mounted magnet (11; 40) with at least two poles (N, S) which act opposite one another and which is coupled to the locking elements in such a way that by rotating the magnet, the locking elements from the locking position to the open position be carried.

Belt buckle according to claim 8, characterized in that the locking elements (32a, 32b; 42a, 42b) are movably mounted transversely to the direction of insertion of the base part (17).

10. Belt buckle according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the head part two mirror images has mutually arranged locking elements (32a, 32b; 42a, 42b).

11. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the head part has at least one spring element (30) for biasing the locking elements (32a, 32b) in the locking position.

12. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the magnet is a ring magnet (11; 40) which is rotatably mounted with respect to its ring axis and via drivers (12; 41) to the locking elements (32a, 32b; 42a , 42b) is coupled.

13. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the locking elements (42a, 42b) consist of a magnetic or magnetizable material and the magnet (40) is arranged between them.

14. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the locking elements (42a, 42b) consist of a magnetic or magnetizable material and are shaped such that they bear with the radius on the ring magnet and the magnet (40) between them is arranged so that the ring elements attract by the magnetic force and thus an additional spring element can be omitted.

15. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the radial recess of the base part (17) is formed by an annular groove.

16. Belt buckle according to at least one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that at least one of the belt ends is formed by a latch tongue (20) with an opening into which a latch (19) connected to the opening button (10) engages.

17. Lockable belt buckle (100) for connecting two belt ends (20, 22), comprising: a) a housing (18); b) an opening button (10) pivotally connected to the housing between a locking position and an opening position; characterized in that the opening button (10) is spring-loaded in the opening direction and can be closed against the spring force.