Buckle

• US 6,463,639 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Mori, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, ANDRE L
• Application Number:
  US09/719,371
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 246/11, 246/13, 246/25, 246/29, 246/33, 246/41, 246/42, 246/36
• 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: A44B 11/2573 Locking means preventing an unauthorised opening, e.g. by children
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45602 Receiving member includes either movable connection between interlocking components or variable configuration cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45639 including pivotally connected element on receiving member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4567 for shifting slidably connected and guided, nonself-biasing, interlocking component

Abstract

A buckle that can be manufactured at lower cost and is not unlocked even when a tongue plate is pushed in a locked state is obtained.

An intermediate arm 60 is fixed to a lock spring 54 attached to a button 28. Facing walls 68 of leg portions 66 of the intermediate arm 60 face distal ends of horn pieces 26 of an ejector 22. In the locked state, a predetermined clearance 72 is formed between the facing walls 68 and protrusions 70 of the horn pieces 26. Accordingly, even if a tongue plate 20 is moved further in the direction of the arrow A, the facing walls 68 are not moved in the direction of the arrow A. The button 28 is not moved in an unlocking direction (the direction of the arrow A), either, and movement of a latch 48 in a disengaging direction (the direction opposite to the arrow B) is certainly prevented. As protrusions 38 can be formed in a small size, a buckle 10 is formed in a small size, and the buckle 10 can be manufactured at lower cost.

Claims

1. A buckle comprising:

an engaging member, which can engage with a tongue plate inserted into an insertion portion up to a predetermined position;

an operating member, which maintains the engaging member in an engaged state with respect to the tongue plate, and which moves the engaging member in a disengaging direction from the tongue plate by a predetermined operation; and

an intermediate member, which forms at least one clearance between the intermediate member and a portion from the tongue plate to the operating member in the engaged state of the engaging member,

wherein the intermediate member is a swinging member, which is swingably attached to a supporting plate supporting the engaging member and the operating member or to the operating member, and which is pushed to the tongue plate so as to swing during the tongue plate is inserted into the insertion portion, and which forms the clearance in the engaged state of the engaging member with respect to the tongue plate.

2. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the buckle includes an urging means which urges the engaging member to the engaged state, and the swinging member is formed integrally with the urging means.

3. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the swinging member is attached to the operating member, and includes a weighting body which moves inertially by an inertial force of a predetermined value or more in an unlocking direction applied to the operating member, and an engaging portion which engages with an engaged portion and prevents the swinging member from moving in the unlocking direction when the swinging member swings by an inertial movement of the weighting body.

4. A buckle comprising:

an engaging member, which can engage with a tongue plate inserted into an insertion portion up to a predetermined position;

an operating member, which maintains the engaging member in an engaged state with respect to the tongue plate, and which moves the engaging member in a disengaging direction from the tongue plate by a predetermined operation; and

an intermediate member, which forms at least one clearance between the intermediate member and a portion from the tongue plate to the operating member in the engaged state of the engaging member,

wherein the intermediate member is a moving member, which is provided at the operating member, and which moves the operating member by insertion of the tongue plate into the insertion portion and moves in a direction orthogonal to an intersecting direction of the tongue plate so as to form the clearance.

5. A buckle comprising:

an engaging member, which can engage with a tongue plate inserted into an insertion portion up to a predetermined position;

an operating member, which maintains the engaging member in an engaged state with respect to the tongue plate, and which moves the engaging member in a disengaging direction from the tongue plate by a predetermined operation; and

an intermediate member, which forms at least one clearance between the intermediate member and a portion from the tongue plate to the operating member in the engaged state of the engaging member,

wherein the buckle further comprises a moving member which moves on the basis of a movement of the tongue plate, and the intermediate member forms a predetermined clearance between the intermediate member and one of the moving member or the engaging member in the engaged state of the engaging member.

6. A buckle comprising:

an engaging member, which can engage with a tongue plate inserted into an insertion portion up to a predetermined position;

an operating member, which maintains the engaging member in an engaged state with respect to the tongue plate, and which moves the engaging member in a disengaging direction from the tongue plate by a predetermined operation;

a movable intermediate member, which forms at least one clearance between the intermediate member and a portion from the tongue plate to the operating member in the engaged state of the engaging member; and

an urging member operatively connected to said intermediate member which urges the engaging member to the engaged state.