Seat belt apparatus and buckle
First Claim
1. A buckle, comprising:
- a base having side walls;
a latch member supported by the side walls so that the latch member can pivot between an unlatching position and a latching position, wherein the latch member includes a latching portion which is configured to engage with a tongue when the tongue is inserted into a predetermined position within the buckle and the latch member pivots to the latching position;
a slider that is configured to prevent said latch member from moving in the unlatching direction when the tongue and the latch member are latched;
a slider spring which is disposed between the slider and the latch member and is configured to be compressed by the slider and the latch member;
an operation member which is attached to said side walls of the base such that the operation member can move in the longitudinal direction of the buckle, and is configured to cause said slider to move in the unlatching direction of said latch member by an unlatching operation;
an ejector for releasing said tongue;
an ejector spring for biasing said ejector in a direction to release the tongue; and
wherein said slider is supported to said latch member so as to allow relative movement, and said ejector includes an unlatching force applying portion that is configured to apply the unlatching force to said slider by directly contacting the slider when said latch member is caused to move in the unlatching direction by the movement of said slider relative to said latch member due to the unlatching operation of said operation member.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A buckle that is compact in a longitudinal direction and uses an unlatching force that may be effectively applied to a latch member when releasing a tongue from a buckle. The buckle is configured so that as an operation button is manipulated in the unlatching direction from a state in which a tongue and a latching portion of a latch member are latched, the slider moves so that the inclined face of a pressed portion of the slider comes in contact with the inclined face of a pressing portion of an ejector and presses the ejector. Then, the ejector is spaced from the tongue and the biasing force of an ejector spring is effectively applied to the latch member via the ejector and the slider in the unlatching direction. An unlatching force is thereby applied to the latch member so that the latch member pivots in the unlatching direction, causing release of the tongue.
19 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A buckle, comprising:
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a base having side walls; a latch member supported by the side walls so that the latch member can pivot between an unlatching position and a latching position, wherein the latch member includes a latching portion which is configured to engage with a tongue when the tongue is inserted into a predetermined position within the buckle and the latch member pivots to the latching position; a slider that is configured to prevent said latch member from moving in the unlatching direction when the tongue and the latch member are latched; a slider spring which is disposed between the slider and the latch member and is configured to be compressed by the slider and the latch member; an operation member which is attached to said side walls of the base such that the operation member can move in the longitudinal direction of the buckle, and is configured to cause said slider to move in the unlatching direction of said latch member by an unlatching operation; an ejector for releasing said tongue; an ejector spring for biasing said ejector in a direction to release the tongue; and wherein said slider is supported to said latch member so as to allow relative movement, and said ejector includes an unlatching force applying portion that is configured to apply the unlatching force to said slider by directly contacting the slider when said latch member is caused to move in the unlatching direction by the movement of said slider relative to said latch member due to the unlatching operation of said operation member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A seat belt device, comprising:
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a seat belt to be worn by an occupant; a tongue movably supported to the seat belt; a buckle to which the tongue is latched, in which the tongue is latched to the buckle whereby the seat belt is fastened to the occupant; wherein the buckle includes;
a base having side walls;a latch member supported by the side walls so that the latch member can pivot between an unlatching position and a latching position, wherein the latch member includes a latching portion which is configured to engage with a tongue when the tongue is inserted into a predetermined position within the buckle and the latch member pivots to the latching position; a slider that is configured to prevent said latch member from moving in the unlatching direction when the tongue and the latch member are latched; a slider spring which is disposed between the slider and the latch member and is configured to be compressed by the slider and the latch member; an operation member which is attached to said side walls of the base such that the operation member can move in the longitudinal direction of the buckle, and is configured to cause said slider to move in the unlatching direction of said latch member by an unlatching operation; an ejector for releasing said tongue; an ejector spring for biasing said ejector in a direction to release the tongue; and wherein said slider is supported to said latch member so as to allow relative movement, and said ejector includes an unlatching force applying portion that is configured to apply the unlatching force to said slider by directly contactinu the slider when said latch member is caused to move in the unlatching direction by the movement of said slider relative to said latch member due to the unlatching operation of said operation member. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification