Seat belt arrangements for child safety seats

• US 7,159,285 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Holmbergs Childsafety Holding AB
• Original Assignee: Kendrion Holmbergs
• Inventors: Karlsson, Rojel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder; Jack W.
• Application Number:
  US10/969,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20050115035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 24D/IG.31, 24D/IG.32, 24DIG 35-DIG 37, 24DIG 43-DIG 48, 24D/IG.51, 24D/IG.52, 245/730.9, 245/731.1, 245/791.1, 245/931, 246/28, 246/84, 24630-632, 246/50, 246/47, 246/43, 246/64, 297/468, 280/801.1
• US Class Current: 24/650
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2549 Fastening of other buckle elements to the main buckle buckles with several tongues released by the same mechanism A44B11/2507 - A44B11/2542
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/35 Third member includes relatively movable, separate components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45084 for safety belt buckle, strap, harness, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45623 and operator therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45712 having interlocking portion thereof housed continuously within cavity

Abstract

A buckle mechanism for a seat belt arrangement of a child safety seat comprises a guiding member forming at least one internal cavity for guiding and receiving at least one tongue of a tongue member, at least one latch for engaging with and locking the at least one tongue and disengaging means for disengaging the at least one latch from the at least one tongue. The buckle mechanism further has the at least one latch pivotably secured and connected with an anchor pin, to which webbing of a seat belt is attached, the other webbing being attached in a way known per se to the at least one tongue member. The at least one latch engages with the at least one tongue and the force transmission from the webbings through the mechanism only consists of the at least one tongue, the at least one latch and the anchor pin.

Claims

1. A buckle mechanism for a seat belt arrangement of a child safety seat comprising a guiding member forming at least one internal cavity for guiding and receiving at least one tongue of a tongue member, at least one latch for engaging with and locking the at least one tongue and disengaging means for disengaging the at least one latch from the at least one tongue, wherein the at least one latch is pivotable and connected with an anchor pin, to which webbing of a seat belt is attached, the other webbing being attached to the at least one tongue member, and the at least one latch engages with the at least one tongue, the force transmission from the webbings through the mechanism only consisting of the at least one tongue, the at least one latch and the anchor pin.

2. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one latch is pivotally connected with the anchor pin.

3. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buckle mechanism has at least two latches.

4. A buckle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the at least two latches are independently pivotable about the anchor pin.

5. A buckle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the at least two latches are rigidly secured to the anchor pin.

6. A buckle mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the anchor pin is divided into at least two parts, where each anchor-pin part is rigidly secured to each of the at least two latches, and the thus formed at least two parts are pivotable about an outer or inner pivot.

7. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guiding member comprises a lower and an upper plate.

8. A buckle mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the guiding member has sidewalls for providing, together with the lower and upper plate, at least one internal cavity for guiding at least one tongue of at least one tongue member.

9. A buckle mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the guiding member has internal guiding sidewalls, for providing at least two internal cavities together with the sidewalls for guiding at least two tongues of at least one tongue member.

10. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guiding member is constructed in one piece from die-cast metal or polymeric material.

11. A buckle mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the guiding member has at least one internal cavity for guiding at least one tongue of at least one tongue member.

12. A buckle mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the guiding member has internal guiding sidewalls for providing at least two internal cavities for guiding at least two tongues of at least one tongue member.

13. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein disengaging means comprising a button for disengaging the at least one latch from the at least one tongue.

14. A buckle mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the button is pivotally connected with the anchor pin.

15. A buckle mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the button is equipped with an external return spring.

16. A buckle mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the button has both an integrated return spring and an external button return spring.

17. A buckle mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the button has an integrated return spring.

18. A buckle mechanism according to claim 17, wherein the integral return spring of the button is formed by at least one springing leg which abuts the guiding member or on a housing for containing the buckle mechanism.

19. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buckle mechanism has at least one latch spring means for biasing the at least one latch to a locking position when the at least one tongue is pushed into its locked position.

20. A buckle mechanism according to claim 19, wherein the buckle mechanism has at least one independent spring means for biasing each of the at least two latches to a locking position when the at least one tongue is pushed into its locked position.

21. A buckle mechanism according to claim 19, wherein the buckle mechanism has a latch spring means acting only on internal metal parts of the buckle mechanism.

22. A buckle mechanism according to claim 19, wherein the latch spring means are wire springs.

23. A buckle mechanism according to claim 22, wherein the latch spring means are conical wire springs.

24. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, whereby being self-contained with only the anchor pin, the at least one latch, the latch spring means, the guiding member and the disengaging means.

25. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising ejector springs for biasing the at least one tongue out of the at least one internal cavity when the at least one latch is disengaged from the at least one tongue.

26. A buckle mechanism according to claim 25, further comprising at least one ejector spring spacer, being interposed between the at least one ejector spring and the at least one tongue during locking operation.

27. A buckle mechanism according to claim 26, wherein the at least one ejector spring spacer is guided by grooves in the guiding member.

28. A buckle mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a housing comprising an upper and lower casing and containing the buckle mechanism, the housing and the buckle mechanism together forming a buckle.