Ejection tongue for buckle

• US 3,897,611 A
• Filed: 10/02/1972
• Issued: 08/05/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick C. Booth, Robert L. Stephenson
• Original Assignee: Frederick C. Booth, Robert L. Stephenson
• Inventors: Stephenson, Robert L., Booth, Frederick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marquette, Darrell
• Application Number:
  US05/294,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 24/23NP,23SL,23AK,23AL,23AN,77,239,196,205.17
• US Class Current: 24/628
• 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 24/45597 Projection member including noninserted spring for engaging and pushing against receiving member

Abstract

A tongue assembly for locking engagement with a seat belt buckle wherein the act of manually inserting the tongue into the buckle places tension on biasing means attached to the tongue, which tension is relieved by ejecting the tongue from the buckle when the latch retaining the tongue is released.

Claims

1. A tongue assembly for locking engagement with a seat belt buckle comprising:

a tongue and a biased tongue-ejecting movable member attached thereto which is placed under tension with respect to the buckle by the act of inserting and latching the tongue within the buckle, whereby, when the tongue is released, it is forceably ejected therefrom;

wherein the biased tongue ejecting member is slideably attached to the tongue for limited travel thereon in a direction parallel to the motion of the tongue on insertion into the buckle, said movable member extending from at least one side of the tongue so that said member contacts the buckle when the tongue is inserted therein, but before it has been intrOduced a sufficient distance for locking engagement therewith, whereby when the tongue is inserted a sufficient additional distance for locking engagement, it is inserted in opposition to the bias of the movable member, thus leaving the movable member stationary with respect to the buckle throughout the remaining insertion operation, while maintaining a bias against the buckle in a direction to eject the tongue from the buckle when the tongue is released from locking engagement therewith;

wherein the movable member extends through a substantially rectangular opening in the tongue, and is slideably arranged within said opening for limited travel in a direction parallel to the motion of the tongue on insertion into the buckle; and

wherein the movable member extends from both faces of the tongue, and comprises two portions equipped for substantially permanent attachment one with the other through the opening in the tongue with which it cooperates, each portion having a surface in slideable contact with its respective face of the tongue, the contacting surface of these portions being of a somewhat greater length and width than the length and width of the opening.

2. The tongue of claim 1 wherein said tongue assembly has a tip at one end for insertion into the buckle and one portion of the movable member has an extending part projecting from its contacting face and integrated therewith, said part being adjacent to the end nearest the tip of the tongue, said part extending through the opening in the tongue to form a connecting bridge between the two portions comprising the movable member, by means of which they may be attached, said part having parallel sides for slideable lengthwise travel, guided by the parallel walls of the rectangular opening with which it cooperates.

3. The tongue of claim 2 wherein said tongue assembly has a biasing means for said tongue-ejecting movable member and each portion of the movable member has a centrally located recess which, together with the opening in the tongue with which it cooperates to form a cavity for totally enclosing the biasing means, and wherein said recess in the portion of the movable member containing the projecting part, extends partially through said projecting part thereby forming an end wall to the cavity for containing the biasing means.

4. The tongue assembly of claim 1 wherein means for the substantially permanent attachment of the two portions constituting the movable member comprise male structures in one portion and mating female structures in the other portion for engagement therewith.

5. The tongue assembly of claim 3 wherein the biasing means comprises a coiled spring having cylindrical outside dimensions such as to fit within the cavity formed by the opening in the tongue and recesses in the movable member so that by forcing the movable member, in a direction away from the tip of the tongue, the spiral spring is compressed between the end wall of the cavity, and the edge of the opening in the tongue most distant from the tip of the tongue.

6. The tongue assembly of claim 5 wherein the opening for the movable member is rectangular except for a protuberance, centrally located in the edge of the opening most distant from the tip of the tongue, of such size as to fit within one end of the spiral spring and of such length as to extend no more than about one-third of the length of the cavity.

7. A tongue assembly for locking engagement with a seat belt buckle comprising:

a tongue and a biased tongue-ejecting movable member attached thereto which is placed under tension with respect to the buckle by the act of inserting and latching the tongue within the buckle, whereby, when the tongue is released, it is forceably ejected therefrom;

wherein the biased tongue ejecting member is slideably attached to the tongue for limited travel thereon in a direction parallel to the motion of the tongue on insertion into the buckle, said movable member extending from at least one side of the tongUe so that said member contacts the buckle when the tongue is inserted therein, but before it has been introduced a sufficient distance for locking engagement therewith, whereby when the tongue is inserted a sufficient additional distance for locking engagement, it is inserted in opposition to the bias of the movable member, thus leaving the movable member stationary with respect to the buckle throughout the remaining insertion operation, while maintaining a bias against the buckle in a direction to eject the tongue from the buckle when the tongue is released from locking engagement therewith;

wherein the movable member extends through an opening in the tongue and is slideably arranged within said opening for limited travel in a direction parallel to the motion of the tongue on insertion into the buckle; and

wherein the movable member extends from both faces of the tongue, and comprises two portions equipped for substantially permanent attachment one with the other through the opening in the tongue with which it cooperates, each portion having a surface in slideable contact with its respective face of the tongue, the contacting surface of these portions being of a somewhat greater length and width than the length and width of the opening.

8. The tongue assembly of claim 7 wherein said tongue has a tip at one end for insertion into the buckle and one portion of the movable member has an extending part projecting from its contacting face and integrated therewith, said part being adjacent to the end nearest the tip of the tongue, said part extending through the opening in the tongue to form a connecting bridge between the two portions comprising the movable member, by means of which they may be attached, said part having parallel sides for slideable lengthwise travel, guided by the parallel walls of the rectangular opening with which it cooperates.

9. The tongue assembly of claim 8 wherein said tongue has a biasing means for said tongue-ejecting movable member and each portion of the movable member has a centrally located recess which, together with the opening in the tongue with which it cooperates to form a cavity for totally enclosing the biasing means, and wherein said recess in the portion of the movable member containing the projecting part, extends partially through said projecting part thereby forming an end wall to the cavity for containing the biasing means.

10. The tongue assembly of claim 7 wherein means for the substantially permanent attachment of the two portions constituting the movable member comprise male structures in one portion and mating female structures in the other portion for engagement therewith.

11. The tongue assembly of claim 9 wherein the biasing means comprises a coiled spring having cylindrical outside dimensions such as to fit within the cavity formed by the opening in the tongue and recesses in the movable member so that by forcing the movable member, in a direction away from the tip of the tongue, the spiral spring is compressed between the end wall of the cavity, and the edge of the opening in the tongue most distant from the tip of the tongue.

12. The tongue assembly of claim 11 wherein the opening for the movable member is rectangular except for a protuberance, centrally located in the edge of the opening most distant from the tip of the tongue, of such size as to fit within one end of the spiral spring and of such length as to extend no more than one-third of the length of the cavity.