Buckle apparatus for safety belt

• US 4,181,832 A
• Filed: 03/13/1978
• Issued: 01/01/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nsk-Warner Kabushiki Kaisha (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nsk-Warner Kabushiki Kaisha (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ueda, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelak, Bernard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/886,052
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 24/230 AL, 200/61.58 B
• US Class Current: 200/61.58B
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45634 Operator includes camming or wedging element

Abstract

A buckle apparatus for safety belt assembly, comprises a tongue member provided on opposed side edges with notches, a base plate member having a portion where said tongue member is inserted and being formed on the opposed sides thereof with guide grooves substantially perpendicular to the direction of the tongue insertion, a tongue latching means including a pair of tongue latching members, the tongue latching members being slidable along the respective guide grooves of the base plate member in a direction to substantially perpendicular to the direction of the tongue insertion, means for biasing said tongue latching members so that the tongue latching members may engage the respective notches of the tongue member, when the tongue member is inserted into the base plate member, to latch the tongue member, and operable means including cam portions for moving said tongue latching members against the force of said biasing means to unlatch the tongue member.

Claims

1. A buckle apparatus for safety belt assembly, comprising:

a tongue member having notches on opposite side edges;

a base plate member having a portion of substantially rectangular C-shaped cross section for insertion of the tongue member, and being formed on opposite sides thereof with guide grooves each having supporting surfaces substantially perpendicular to the direction of tongue insertion;

a pair of tongue latching plate members each having a flat surface and being slidable along the respective guide grooves of the base member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of tongue insertion;

biasing means for resiliently urging the tongue latching plate members so that the tongue latching plate members may engage the respective notches of the tongue member and be supported at their said flat surfaces by said supporting surfaces of the guide grooves, when the tongue member is inserted into the base member, to latch the tongue member; and

operable means including cam portions for moving the tongue latching plate members against the force of said biasing means in the direction of disengagement from said notches of the tongue member.

2. A buckle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises a U-shaped spring whose ends are in contact with said respective latching members.

3. A buckle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operable means is slidable in a direction substantially the same as the direction of the tongue insertion.

4. A buckle apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for biasing said operable means to a position where said tongue latching members are in the tongue latching position.

5. A buckle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base plate member includes an upper plate portion and a lower plate portion.

6. A buckle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said upper plate portion and lower plate portion are spaced from each other so that said tongue member may be inserted therebetween.

7. A buckle apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 wherein said base plate member is formed of a single metal plate including said upper plate portion and said lower plate portion.

8. A buckle apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said base plate is formed by stamping and forming.

9. A buckle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an illuminating means which includes an illuminating lamps and switch means which includes a on-off contact controlled by the insertion of the tongue member.

10. A buckle apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said illuminating lamp is turned on when said tongue member is not inserted and is turned off when said tongue member is inserted.

11. A buckle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for ejecting the tongue member when said tongue member is disengaged from said tongue latching members.