Belt lock for a belt strap safety system

• US 4,809,410 A
• Filed: 07/24/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Van Riesen GmbH U Company KG
• Original Assignee: Van Risen & Company
• Inventors: Van Riesen, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/077,376
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 24/573, 24/574, 24/633, 24/588, 24/572, 297/468, 297/483, 297/484, 280/801, 280/808
• US Class Current: 24/579.11
• 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: A44B 11/2561 Tongue elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/36 for parachute harness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45084 for safety belt buckle, strap, harness, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor

Abstract

A belt lock for a belt strap safety system comprising a lock case incorporating a detent mechanism, a lock tongue insertible into the lock case and engageable with the detent mechanism, one or two shoulder strap end pieces each having a carrier element for a shoulder strap to be fastened thereto and a crotch strap end piece for attachment to a crotch strap. Each of the end pieces has an attachment element for retention on the lock tongue and the attachment elements have complimentarily shaped free ends by which the shoulder and crotch strap end pieces can engage and fit together independently of the lock tongue. The lock is assembled by fitting together the attachment elements and then passing the lock tongue through the assembled elements and into the lock case.

Claims

1. A belt lock for a belt strap safety system, comprising a lock case incorporating a detent mechanism, a lock tongue insertible into the lock case and engageable with said detent mechanism, a shoulder strap end piece having means for fastening a shoulder strap thereto and a crotch strap end piece having means for fastening a crotch strap thereto, said end pieces each having further an attachment element for their retention on the lock tongue, said attachment element of said shoulder strap end piece has a complementarily-shaped free end to enable said shoulder and crotch strap end pieces to engage and fit together, the means for fastening a crotch strap of said crotch strap end piece is provided at a peripheral portion thereof facing towards its attachment element with an excision in which said free end of the attachment element of said shoulder strap end piece engages, and said excision of the strap fastening means of the crotch strap end piece is positioned adjacent to the attachment element of this end piece, in order to minimize the distance between the attachment elements to each other.

2. A belt lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said excision is in the form of a transverse groove.

3. A belt lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove is of semi-circular cross-section.

4. A belt lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock tongue is provided with a rapid shift system and the attachment element of said crotch strap end piece stems from the end portion facing towards the lock tongue of the strap fastening means of said end piece, to allow said system to be positioned near to the attachment element opposite to it.

5. A belt lock for a belt strap safety system, comprising a lock case incorporating a detent mechanism, a lock tongue insertible into the lock case and engageable with said detent mechanism, two shoulder strap end pieces having means for fastening a shoulder strap thereto and a crotch strap end piece having means for fastening a crotch strap thereto, said end pieces each having further an attachment element for their retention on the lock tongue, said attachment elements of said shoulder strap end pieces have complementarily-shaped free ends to enable said shoulder and crotch strap end pieces to engage and fit together, the means for fastening a crotch strap of said crotch strap end piece is provided at both peripheral portions thereof facing toward its attachment element with one excision on each peripheral portion in which excisions said free end of the attachment elements of said two shoulder strap end pieces engages, the excisions being positioned adjacent to the attachment element of this end piece, and the attachment element of the crotch strap end piece being arranged between the attachment elements of the two shoulder strap end pieces, and said shoulder strap attachment elements each have a recess means for receiving the crotch strap end piece and which define walls set back from mutually contacting faces of the shoulder strap fastening means in order to give a compact overall structure of the strap fastening means of the shoulder strap end pieces.

6. A belt lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein said excisions are in the form of a transverse groove.

7. A belt lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein said grooves are of semi-circular cross-section.

8. A belt lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lock tongue is provided with a rapid shift system and the attachment element of said crotch strap end piece stems from the end portion facing towards the lock tongue of the strap fastening means of said end piece to allow said system to be positioned near to the attachment element opposite to it.