SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

• US 3,648,333 A
• Filed: 10/20/1969
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert W. Stoffel
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Stoffel
• Inventors: Stoffel, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelak, Bernard A.
• Application Number:
  US04/867,584
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 24/23AT,230.1
• US Class Current: 24/635
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2511 acting perpendicularly to the main plane of the buckle, e.g. placed on the front face of the buckle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45634 Operator includes camming or wedging element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45644 for shifting pivotally connected interlocking component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45686 and position locking-means therefor

Abstract

A seat belt assembly including a support means with a pair of latch members rotatably supported by the support means for movement between latched and unlatched positions. Each latch member includes a pair of interconnected parallel and spaced plates with pins extending between the plates. The pins have a circular portion and a planar portion as viewed in cross section and are disposed in holes in the latch plate, the holes in the latch plate having circular portions contiguous with but longer than the circular portions of the pin for allowing the pins to rotate a limited amount relative to the latch plates. A tongue plate having slots extending laterally thereinto to define planar surfaces is insertable into the assembly to engage the pin for moving the latch plates to the latched position where the planar surfaces of the pins engage the planar surfaces of the tongue plate. Because of the limited rotatability of the pins, the planar surfaces thereof remain in sliding contact with the planar surfaces of the tongue plate. There is also included a manually operatable locking means including a pair of cylindrical roller elements engageable with the latch plates for retaining the latch plates in the latched position.

Claims

1. A buckle assembly comprising;

latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions for retaining connector means when in said latched position and for allowing reception and removal of the connector means when in said unlatched position, said latch means including at least one pin partially rotatably supported thereon having a planar surface for engaging a planar surface on said connector means, said pin having a cross section with a circular portion extending between the edges of said planar surface; and

locking means movable between locked and unlocked positions for retaining said latch means in said latched position when in said locked position and for allowing said latch means to move to said unlatched position when in said unlocked position.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch means includes a hole in which said pin is rotatably disposed.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said hole includes a circular portion matingly engaging said circular portion of said pin, the length of said circular portion of said hole being longer than the length of said circular portion of said pin.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hole includes a straight portion extending between the ends of said circular portion thereof, said straight portion being of a shorter length than the distance between said edges of said planar surface so that the rotation of said pin in said hole is limited.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 including support means and wherein said latch means includes a pair of latch members movably supported by said support means, each of said latch members including one of said holes, a pair of said pins with each of said pins disposed in one of said holes whereby said pins may engage opposite sides of the connector means.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each latch member comprises a pair of spaced parallel interconnected plates with each plate having one of said holes therein, one of said pins being disposed in the holes of one pair of plates and the other pin being disposed in the holes of the other pair of plates.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein each pair of said plates are rotatably connected adjacent the first ends thereof to said support structure for movement between said latched and unlatched positions, said locking means being engageable with the second ends of said plates.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 including the connector means, said connector means comprising a tongue plate which is symmetrical and has a pair of inwardly inclined planar surfaces extending inwardly from the opposite sides thereof for engaging said planar surfaces on said pins when in said latched position.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said support means includes a housing with a base, upstanding side walls, top wall means and end wall means at a first end thereof having an opening through which said connector means is inserted and guided between said plates of each of said latch members.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said planar surfaces on said pins and on said tongue plate are disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said housing and extend away from and outwardly from the central portion of said housing adjacent the first end thereof.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said latch members are identical and are disposed oppositely to one another, gear teeth means operatively interconnecting said latch members so that said latch members rotate in unison, a spring disposed over said top wall means with the ends thereof extending downwardly through slots in said top wall means to engage said latch members for urging the latter toward said unlatched position, a cover disposed over said top wall means and including posts extending downwardly therefrom and through said top wall means and into apertures in one plate of each pair of latch plates.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said second ends of said latch plates include cam surfaces and adjacent hook portions which recede from said cam surfaces;

and wherein said locking means includes a positioning plate having a pair of elongated slots therein, a roller element movably disposed in each of said slots for engaging said cam surface and said hook portion of one of said latch members, biasing means reacting between said positioning plate and said housing for urging said positioning plate toward said first end of said housing to bias said roller elements against said cam surfaces and into said hook portions, said cam surfaces being oppositely disposed and disposed outwardly of said roller elements when said latch members are in said unlatched position, said positioning plate being disposed between the plates of each latch member, said cover having an opening therein, a push button disposed in said opening, concave saddle means extending upwardly from said top wall means, link means supported by said saddle means for operatively interconnecting said button and said positioning plate for moving said positioning plate away from said first end of said housing upon depression of said button, said link means including a convex portion movably supported in said saddle means and a first arm extending downwardly through an opening in said top wall means to operatively engage said positioning plate and a second arm extending over said top wall means to engage said push button, said push button including a rearward extension pivotally supported by said top wall means and a forward extension engaging said second arm of said link means, a spring biasing means reacting between said push button and said top wall means for urging said push button into engagement with said cover.

13. A seat belt assembly comprising;

support means, a pair of latch members rotatably supported by said support means for movement between latched and unlatched positions, pins having a circular portion and a planar portion as viewed in cross section disposed in holes in said latch members, said holes having circular portions contiguous with and longer than said circular portions of said pins for supporting said pins for limited rotary movement relative to said latch members, a tongue plate having cam edges for engaging said pins to move said latch members from said unlatched position to said latched position in response to movement of said tongue plate in a first direction, said tongue plate including planar surfaces engageable with said planar surfaces of said pins when said latch members are in said latched position to limit movement of said tongue plate in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and locking means engageable with said latch members to prevent movement of said latch members from said latched position and operable to allow such movement to the unlatched position whereby said tongue plate may be moved in said second direction.