Belt buckle with fastener fitting

• US 5,855,047 A
• Filed: 01/14/1998
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Haas, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDY, ROBERT JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/006,940
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 24/684, 24/682.2, 24/323, 24/639, 297/482, 297/473, 297/468, 297/481, 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 280/808
• US Class Current: 24/684
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1806 for buckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/22 secured to the vehicle floor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4589 About pivotal connection

Abstract

A belt buckle with a fastener fitting for vehicle-fixed mounting comprising a carrier plate fixedly connected to the belt buckle. The carrier plate being connected to the fastener fitting. The carrier plate includes an opening by which the carrier plate is mounted rotatably on a pin extending through the opening and fixed to the fastener fitting. A return element is provided which urges the belt buckle relative to the fastener fitting rotationally about the centerline of the pin and rotationally about an axis perpendicular to the centerline of the pin and to the longitudinal axis of the belt buckle into a resting position. For the belt buckle being, for one thing, movable with respect to the fastener fitting, so that it can either be oriented at any time in a position optimal for the function or it permits being moved from a temporarily unwanted position, and for another, the belt buckle automatically returned after such a maladjustment into a resting position which is optimal for introducing the insert tongue into the belt buckle, the opening in the carrier plate is an elongated hole, the longitudinal axis which is roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt buckle, and the return element further urges the belt buckle into a resting position relative to the fastener fitting translationally in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt buckle.

Claims

1. A belt buckle with a fastener fitting for vehicle-fixed mounting, comprising a carrier plate fixedly connected to said belt buckle, said carrier plate being connected to said fastener fitting, wherein said carrier plate includes an opening by which said carrier plate is mounted rotatably on a pin extending through said opening and fixed to said fastener fitting, wherein a return means is provided which urges said belt buckle relative to said fastener fitting rotationally about a centerline of said pin and rotationally about an axis perpendicular to the centerline of said pin and to a longitudinal axis of said belt buckle into a resting position, wherein said opening in said carrier plate is an elongated hole, having a longitudinal axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said belt buckle and wherein said return means urges said belt buckle into a resting position relative to said fastener fitting translationally in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said belt buckle.

2. The belt buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said return means is a wire spring.

3. The belt buckle as set forth in claim 2, wherein said wire spring comprises a first spiral portion arranged on said pin, and a second spiral portion arranged between said first spiral portion and one end of said wire spring, said one end being supported by said belt buckle.

4. The belt buckle according to claim 3, wherein said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by one end of said elongated hole with respect to translational movement of said belt buckle.

5. The belt buckle according to claim 4, wherein said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by a stop on said fastener fitting with respect to rotational movement about the centerline of said pin.

6. The belt buckle according to claim 5, wherein with respect to rotational movement about the axis perpendicular to the centerline of said pin and to the longitudinal axis of said belt buckle, said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by surface area contact of a portion of said carrier plate surrounding said elongated hole with said fastener fitting.

7. The belt buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by one end of said elongated hole with respect to translational movement of said belt buckle.

8. The belt buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by a stop on said fastener fitting with respect to rotational movement about the centerline of said pin.

9. The belt buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein with respect to rotational movement about the axis perpendicular to the centerline of said pin and to the longitudinal axis of said belt buckle, said resting position of said belt buckle is defined by surface area contact of a portion of said carrier plate surrounding said elongated hole with said fastener fitting.