Illuminated belt buckle for a seat belt device of a motor vehicle

• US 10,722,002 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harms, Fabian, Sohnchen, Arndt, Rotariu, Iulian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US16/087,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20190059521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2523 acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and in the same direction as the fastening action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2565 Illuminated buckles

Abstract

An illuminated belt buckle (1) for a seat belt device of a motor vehicle, having a housing (2), a push button (3) displaceable in the housing (2), an insertion slot (4) bounded by an edge section (21) of the housing (2). A light source (10) and the at least one light emission surface (12, 13, 38, 39) are connected via at least one optical waveguide (11), and wherein a deflecting element (14, 15, 16) is arranged or formed on at least one boundary surface (7) of the optical waveguide (11) and/or on at least one boundary surface (8, 9) of the light emission surface (12, 13, 38, 39). The deflecting element having a geometry that differs from the rest of the boundary surface (7, 8, 9).

Claims

1. An illuminated belt buckle for a seat belt device for a motor vehicle, comprising,

a housing,

a push button that is displaceable in the housing,

an insertion slot for inserting a belt latch that can be locked in the belt buckle,

the insertion slot bounded by an edge section of the housing,

at least one light source,

at least two light emission surfaces that are arranged at different, opposite edge sides of the push button wherein

the light source and the at least one light emission surface are connected via at least one optical waveguide, the optical waveguide includes a light entry surface associated with the light source and two separate light emission surfaces, wherein the optical waveguide branches from the light entry surface into two separate branches, wherein each one of the two separate light emission surfaces is associated with one of the two separate branches,

a deflecting element arranged or formed on at least one boundary surface end of the two separate branches of the optical waveguide or on at least one boundary surface of each of the two separate light emission surfaces,

the deflecting element having a geometry that differs from the rest of the boundary surface of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

2. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the deflecting element protrudes out or is recessed relative to the rest of the boundary surface of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

3. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the deflecting element is arranged or formed at an angle that differs from the rest of the boundary surface of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

4. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, a plurality of the deflecting elements are provided on at least one of the boundary surfaces of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

5. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, a plurality of identical or similar of the deflecting elements are combined in a cluster of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

6. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 5, further comprising, a plurality of the clusters of the deflecting elements are present on the boundary surfaces of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface.

7. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the deflecting elements are wedge-shaped or stair-shaped.

8. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the deflecting elements are configured as partially circular elevations.

9. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the light emission surface has a linear contour, having a shape adapted to a shaping of an edge side of the push button that is arranged laterally in a direction of view toward the insertion slot.

10. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the light emission surface is constituted of a surrounding light emission surface at an end face of the housing.

11. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 10, further comprising, the light emission surface is configured as a band that continuously surrounds the push button.

12. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the push button is arranged in an end face of the housing, and the optical waveguide has geometric interference at a side thereof that faces away from the end face.

13. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the light emission surface is configured as surrounding an opening in the housing which includes the insertion slot, the optical waveguide integrated into the light emission surface and the light entry surface lies in a corner of the optical waveguide and light is coupled in at the end of the two branches of the optical waveguide.

14. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the light emission surface is configured as continuously surrounding an opening in the cover which includes the insertion slot, with the light entry surface arranged substantially perpendicular to the light emission surface.

15. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, the light emission surface is configured as continuously surrounding an opening in the housing which includes the insertion slot, a pair of the light sources with a corresponding pair of the light entry surfaces arranged substantially perpendicular to the light emission surface.

16. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 1 further comprising, each of the two branches of the optical waveguide terminate at a first of the light emission surfaces which is closely positioned with a light entry surface of a light emission element, the light emission element forming a second of the light emission surfaces.

17. The illuminated belt buckle according to claim 16 further comprising the light emission element formed of a funnel shape such that it enlarges from the light entry surface to the second of the light emission surfaces.

18. An illuminated belt buckle for a seat belt device for a motor vehicle, comprising,

a housing,

a push button that is displaceable in the housing,

an insertion slot for inserting a belt latch that can be locked in the belt buckle,

the insertion slot bounded by an edge section of the housing,

at least one light source,

at least one light emission surface, wherein

the light source and the at least one light emission surface are connected via at least one optical waveguide,

a deflecting element arranged or formed on at least one boundary surface of the optical waveguide or on at least one boundary surface of the light emission surface,

the deflecting element having a geometry that differs from the rest of the boundary surface of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface further comprising, a plurality of identical or similar of the deflecting elements are combined in a cluster of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface and a plurality of the clusters of the deflecting elements are present on the boundary surfaces of the optical waveguide or the light emission surface, at least two of the clusters are arranged in such a manner that a plurality of light beams guided through the optical waveguide are deflected at a first cluster and aligned at a second cluster.