Belt lock for a safety belt

• US 4,597,141 A
• Filed: 09/21/1984
• Issued: 07/01/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Inventors: Wier, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): Sakran, Victor N.
• Application Number:
  US06/653,956
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 24/633, 24/634, 24/635, 24/639, 24/640, 24/641, 24/642, 24/643, 24/644, 24/645, 24/646, 24/647, 24/651
• US Class Current: 24/633
• 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: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45654 for shifting slidably connected and guided, nonself-biasing interlocking component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4567 for shifting slidably connected and guided, nonself-biasing, interlocking component

Abstract

A safety belt lock has a lock housing with an insertion path for an insertion tongue of a safety belt. The insertion opening of the insertion path is defined between opposed resilient flange members bearing on surface portions of the insertion tongue to generate mutually perpendicular clamping forces whereby any rattling noises are avoided.

Claims

1. A safety belt lock having a lock housing forming an insertion path for a cooperating insertion tongue movable along said insertion path in opposite insertion and withdrawal directions, and a locking bar movable into said insertion path for engaging said insertion tongue, said lock housing being surrounded by a shell and having an insertion opening aligned with said insertion path, said insertion opening being at least partially defined by a flange which partially extends into said insertion path when said insertion tongue is not inserted, and which resiliently bears on said insertion tongue when said insertion tongue is inserted into said insertion opening, and said flange when resiliently bearing on said insertion tongue applying to said insertion tongue a clamping force component in said withdrawal direction and a clamping force component perpendicular to said insertion direction.

2. The safety belt lock of claim 1, wherein said locking bar is actuatable by a manually operated pressure key and said flange comprises an integral part of said pressure key.

3. The safety belt lock of claim 1, wherein said flange inclined includes a portion at about 45°

to said insertion direction.

4. The safety belt lock of claim 2, wherein said pressure key is spring biased in said withdrawal direction by spring means generating a biasing force exceeding said clamping force component in to said withdrawal direction.

5. The safety belt buckle of claim 1, wherein said flange comprises first and second cooperating flange portions, said first flange portion forming an integral part of a manually actuatable pressure key for disengaging said locking bar from said insertion tongue, and said second flange portion forming an integral part of said shell.

6. The safety belt lock of claim 1, wherein said insertion tongue is provided with a jacketing of plastic material, said jacketing having surface portions whereupon said flange bears when said insertion tongue is inserted into said insertion path.

7. A buckle and tongue assembly for use with a safety belt, said buckle and tongue assembly comprising a buckle, a tongue having a leading end portion which is insertable into said buckle and a trailing end portion which is spaced from said buckle when said tongue is inserted into said buckle, said buckle including latch means for engaging the leading end portion of said tongue when said tongue is inserted into said buckle to block withdrawal of said tongue from said buckle, and rattle preventing means for holding said tongue against sidewise movement relative to said buckle when said tongue is inserted into said buckle, said rattle preventing means including means for applying force to said tongue in a direction transverse to the direction of insertion of said tongue into said buckle at a location between the location where said latch means engages said tongue and the trailing end portion of said tongue.

8. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said buckle includes an actuator member which is movable relative to said housing from an extended position to a retracted position to operate said latch means from an engaged condition in which said latch means blocks withdrawal of said tongue from said housing to a disengaged condition in which said latch means is ineffective to block withdrawal of said tongue from said housing and spring means for urging said actuator member toward the extended position, said rattle preventing means including a surface area on said actuator member, said spring means being effective to press said surface area on said actuator member against said tongue when said tongue is inserted into said buckle to apply the force to said tongue in a direction transverse to the direction of insertion of said tongue into said buckle.

9. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said buckle includes a housing, said rattle preventing means includes a resiliently deflectable portion of said housing, said tongue including surface means disposed between the location where said latch means engages said tongue and the trailing end portion of said tongue for deflecting said resiliently deflectable portion of said housing upon insertion of said tongue into said housing.

10. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said tongue includes a base and a plastic jacket disposed over said base, said plastic jacket having an end surface disposed at a location between the location where said latch means engages said tongue and the trailing end portion of said tongue, said rattle preventing means including surface means for applying force against the end surface of said jacket.

11. A buckle and tongue assembly for use with a safety belt, said buckle and tongue assembly comprising a buckle, a tongue insertable into said buckle, said tongue including a base and a jacket which at least partially covers said base, said buckle including latch means for engaging said base of said tongue to block withdrawal of said tongue from said buckle, and rattle preventing means for holding said tongue against sidewise movement relative to said buckle, said rattle preventing means including means for applying against said jacket a force having a first component extending generally parallel to the direction of insertion of said tongue into said buckle and a second force component extending transversely to the direction of insertion of said tongue into said buckle.

12. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said buckle includes an actuator member which is movable relative to said housing from an extended position to a retracted position to operate said latch means from an engaged condition in which said latch means blocks withdrawal of said tongue from said housing to a disengaged condition in which said latch means is ineffective to block withdrawl of said tongue from said housing and spring means for urging said actuator member toward the extended position, said rattle preventing means including a surface area on said actuator member, said spring means being effective to press said surface area on said actuator member against said jacket when said tongue is inserted into said buckle to apply the force to said jacket.

13. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said buckle includes a housing, said rattle preventing means includes a resiliently deflectable portion of said housing, said jacket including surface means for deflecting said resiliently deflectable portion of said housing upon insertion of said tongue into said housing.

14. A buckle and tongue assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said jacket has an end surface disposed in a central portion of said tongue, said rattle preventing means including means for applying said first and second force components against said end surface of said jacket.