Illuminated seat belt buckle

• US 10,080,401 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Effenberger, Witali
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US15/626,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2565 Illuminated buckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/242 Safety belts; Body harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/60 characterised by optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt. The seat belt buckle has a buckle housing, a locking mechanism, an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt, an actuating button for release purposes, and an illuminating device which has at least one light source and is arranged in the seat belt buckle. The buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges. The light outlet opening surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot in an encircling manner.

Claims

1. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:

a buckle housing;

a locking mechanism;

an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;

an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and

an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,

wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,

wherein the buckle housing includes side walls that form side surfaces of the illuminated seat belt buckle and an annularly closed cover shell that covers distal end faces of the side walls, such that the cover shell forms an end face of the buckle housing, the cover shell having an opening for the actuating button and/or the insertion slot, and the light outlet opening being arranged in the cover shell, and

wherein the cover shell is detachably connected to the side walls of the buckle housing.

2. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the light outlet opening is formed by a light-diffusing element arranged in the cover shell.

3. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 2, wherein the light-diffusing element and the cover shell are connected to each other in a form-fitting or integral manner.

4. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 2, wherein the light-diffusing element and the cover shell are a single piece.

5. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source of the illuminating device is formed by at least one LED or an LED module.

6. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening.

7. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6, wherein the light conductor and the at least one light source comprise a circuit board and at least one LED to form an integral structural unit.

8. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6, wherein the light conductor has an annularly closed ring section, which is arranged congruently with the light outlet opening.

9. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6, wherein the light conductor has a light-deflecting structure, at least in sections, on an underside facing away from the light outlet opening.

10. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 9, wherein the light-deflecting structure is formed of multiple prisms.

11. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein the cover shell is formed of a material that is impermeable to light.

12. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:

a buckle housing;

a locking mechanism;

an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;

an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and

an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,

wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,

wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening,

wherein the light conductor has an annularly closed ring section, which is arranged congruently with the light outlet opening,

wherein the buckle housing includes a cover shell that forms and end face of the buckle housing, wherein the light outlet opening is arranged in the cover shell, the light outlet opening being formed by a light-diffusing element arranged in the cover shell, and

wherein the ring section of the light conductor at least partially abuts a back side of the light-diffusing element facing away from a visible side and/or a back side of the cover shell facing away from the visible side.

13. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 12, wherein the ring section of the light conductor is injection-molded onto the light-diffusing element or the cover shell.

14. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:

a buckle housing;

a locking mechanism;

an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;

an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and

an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,

wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,

wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening, and

wherein a light-impermeable partition wall is provided, at least in sections, between the at least one light source and the locking mechanism and/or between the light conductor and the locking mechanism.

15. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 14, wherein the at least one light source is arranged and fixed between the partition wall and the buckle housing, and wherein a ring section of the light conductor is arranged and fixed between the partition wall and a cover shell of the buckle housing.

16. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 15, wherein the partition wall is connected to the cover shell or the buckle housing to form a single piece.