Seat belt buckle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
- a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; and
an ejector member supported for movement along said axis, said ejector member having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface spaced vertically from said upper horizontal surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, and a contact surface for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surface being located entirely between said upper and lower horizontal surfaces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seat belt buckle has a spring biased ejector member and a slidable pushbutton member. A coil spring biases both the pushbutton member and the ejector member. A secure connection between the ejector member and the pushbutton member is provided in a vertically compact structure. Contact surfaces on the ejector member and contact surfaces on the pushbutton member are all contained vertically within the confines of a track along which those members slide horizontally in the buckle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; and an ejector member supported for movement along said axis, said ejector member having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface spaced vertically from said upper horizontal surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, and a contact surface for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surface being located entirely between said upper and lower horizontal surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; a pair of guide surfaces having portions spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, said guide surfaces defining a track along which the tongue can move into and out of said buckle along said axis; an ejector member having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, and having a pair of contact surfaces for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surfaces being located on opposite sides of said axis and being spaced apart a distance in a direction perpendicular to said axis which is greater than the width of the tongue, said ejector member being supported for movement along said axis with said contact surfaces contained in said track between said portions of said guide surfaces; said pushbutton member having a pair of contact surfaces for moving in contact with said contact surfaces on said ejector member, said contact surfaces on said pushbutton member having positions contained in said track between said guide surfaces; and said pushbutton member having a pair of outer side walls and a pair of tabs extending inwardly from said side walls toward said axis, said contact surfaces on said pushbutton member being formed on said tabs.
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10. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; a pair of guide surfaces having portions spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, said guide surfaces defining a track along which the tongue can move into and out of said buckle along said axis, said guide surfaces having ridge portions extending in directions parallel to said axis, the ridge portions on one guide surface being spaced apart from the ridge portions on the other guide surface a distance less than the thickness of the tongue, said ridge portions defining a central region of said track extending laterally across said axis between said ridge portions, and defining outer edge regions of said track at positions laterally outward of said ridge portions; and an ejector member having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, and having a pair of contact surfaces for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surfaces being located on opposite sides of said axis, said ejector member being supported for movement along said axis with said contact surfaces contained in said track between said portions of said guide surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; and an ejector member supported for movement along said axis, said ejector member having a body portion and a pair of tabs projecting horizontally from said body portion in a direction transverse to said axis, said body portion having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, said tabs each having a contact surface for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surfaces being spaced apart from said ejector surface in said transverse direction; said tabs each having an upper horizontal surface and a lower horizontal surface spaced apart from said upper horizontal surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, said contact surfaces being located entirely between said upper and lower horizontal surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (14, 20)
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15. An ejector member for a seat belt buckle which releasably engages a seat belt locking tongue inserted into the buckle, and which has a slidable pushbutton member, said ejector member comprising:
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a body portion having an axis and an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, said ejector surface extending in a horizontal direction transverse to said axis; a pair of tabs projecting horizontally from said body portion in said transverse direction, said tabs each having a contact surface for engaging and moving the pushbutton member, said contact surfaces being spaced from said ejector surface in said transverse direction; and said tabs each having an upper horizontal surface and a lower horizontal surface spaced vertically from said upper horizontal surface a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, said contact surfaces being located entirely between said upper and lower horizontal surfaces.
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16. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; a pair of guide surfaces having tongue guide portions spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the tongue, said guide surfaces defining a track along which the tongue can move into and out of said buckle along said axis and between said tongue guide protons; and an ejector member having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, and having a pair of contact surfaces for engaging and moving said pushbutton member, said contact surfaces being located on opposite sides of said axis, said ejector member being supported for movement along said axis with said contact surfaces contained in said track between said guide surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A buckle for a seat belt locking tongue, said buckle comprising:
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a pushbutton member supported for movement along an axis; an ejector member supported for movement along said axis, said ejector member having a body portion and a pair of tabs projecting horizontally from said body portion in a direction transverse to said axis, said body portion having an ejector surface for engaging and moving the tongue, said tabs each having a contact surface for engaging and moving said pushbutton member.
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Specification