Seat belt with a buckle tongue stop

• US 6,666,519 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bell, John F., Park, Andrew, Palliser, Martyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US09/904,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 297/468, 297/481, 297/483, 280/801.1, 280/808
• US Class Current: 297/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/021 Means for holding the tongue or buckle in a non-use position, e.g. for easy access by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/025 Adaptations for use with children seats or luggages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/023 Three-point seat belt systems comprising two side lower and one side upper anchoring devices B60R22/022, B60R22/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005

Abstract

A seat belt has a buckle tongue stop that is resiliently deformable. The buckle tongue stop may be deformable laterally or in its width and may be formed of compressible bumps. The seat belt allows a child seat to be secured in a vehicle according to European regulations yet still enables the buckle tongue to be supported on the belt webbing at a convenient location for an adult vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A seat belt comprising seat belt webbing in combination with a buckle tongue stop in the form of a button embedded in, or embossed on, the belt webbing, said button being resiliently deformable and comprising at least two laterally spaced raised portions that may be displaced toward each other by a predetermined force.

2. The seat belt according to claim 1 wherein the laterally spaced raised portions of the buckle tongue stop are deformable laterally.

3. The seat belt according to claim 2 wherein the buckle tongue stop is made of rubber.

4. The seat belt according to claim 1 wherein the buckle tongue stop is made of rubber.

5. The seat belt according to claim 1 further comprising a buckle tongue that has a slot therethrough, the belt webbing passing through said slot, said buckle tongue being free to lode on the belt webbing with movement of the buckle tongue limited by the buckle tongue stop.

6. The seat belt according to claim 5 wherein the buckle tongue stop can be forced through the slot in the buckle tongue to fasten a child seat in place.

7. The seat belt according to claim 1 wherein the raised portions of the buckle tongue stop are semi-circular.

8. The seat belt according to claim 1 wherein the buckle tongue stop comprises an elastically and resiliently deformable material that has a generally circular shape with two opposed semi-circular raised portions.