Buckle for a safety belt

• US 4,622,727 A
• Filed: 08/24/1984
• Issued: 11/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Inventors: Wier, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US06/644,049
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 24/633, 24/639, 24/642
• US Class Current: 24/642
• 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 24/45665 for shifting pivotally connected interlocking component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4567 for shifting slidably connected and guided, nonself-biasing, interlocking component

Abstract

A buckle fastener for a safety belt including a housing having a guiding channel for guiding a tongue into and from the housing, a latching member movable transversely to the insertion channel for selective engagement and disengagement with a recess formed in the tongue, a leaf spring member biasing the latching member into engagement with the recess in the tongue, and a pressure key slidably guided in the housing in a direction parallel to the guiding channel. The pressure key is provided with ramp means engaging the latching member for pushing the latching member out of engagement with the recess in the tongue when said pressure key is depressed. The leaf spring has one end secured to said pressure key and its opposed free end bearing on the latching member. The leaf spring moves simultaneously with the pressure key when it is depressed. An abutment member is connected with the housing and has an edge extending transversely relative to said leaf spring and is positioned in such a manner in relative to said leaf spring that, upon partial depression of said pressure key, an intermediate portion of said leaf spring abuts against the edge and upon further depression of said pressure key the free end of said leaf spring is lifted off the latching member.

Claims

1. In a buckle fastener for a safety belt comprising a housing having a guiding channel for guiding a tongue into and from said housing, a latching member movable transversely to said insertion channel for selective engagement and disengagement with a recess formed in the tongue, a leaf spring member biasing said latching member into engagement with the recess in the tongue, and a pressure key slidably guided in said housing in a direction parallel to said guiding channel, said pressure key being provided with ramp means engaging said latching member for pushing said latching member out of engagement with the recess in the tongue when said pressure key is depressed, the improvement wherein said leaf spring has one end secured to said pressure key and its opposed free end bearing on said latching member, said leaf spring moving simultaneously with said pressure key when it is depressed, an abutment member connected with said housing and having an edge extending transversely relative to said leaf spring and being positioned in such a manner in relation to said leaf spring that, upon partial depression of said pressure key, an intermediate portion of said leaf spring abuts against said edge and upon further depression of said pressure key said free end of said leaf spring is lifted off said latching member.

2. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the spring is bent in an arcuate configuration and curves over said abutment member.

3. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said abutment member is part of a guide for said latching member.

4. A seat belt buckle comprising a base having an opening into which a tongue is insertable, a latch member movable between an engaged position blocking withdrawal of the tongue from said buckle and a release position in which said latch member is ineffective to block withdrawal of the tongue from said buckle, a slide member movable along said base from an extended position to a retracted position to move said latch member to the release position, a leaf spring having a first end portion connected to said slide member for movement therewith and a second end portion which engages said latch member and applies a biasing force to said latch member urging said latch member toward the engaged position when said slide member is in the extended position, said second end portion of said leaf spring being spaced from said latch member during at least a portion of the movement of said slide mebmer from the extended position to the retracted position to eliminate the biasing force urging said latch member toward the engaged position.

5. A buckle as set forth in claim 4 further including ejector means for moving the tongue in the direction of withdrawal of the tongue from said buckle during movement of said slide member from the extended position to the retracted position, said ejector means including surface means for holding said latch member in engagement with the second end portion of said leaf spring when said slide member is in the extended position with the tongue withdrawn from said buckle.

6. A buckle as set forth in claim 4 further including surface means connected with said base for applying force to said leaf spring to move said second end portion of said leaf spring out of engagement with said latch member during movement of said slide member relative to said base.