Anti-roping latch plate

Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Buckles – One-piece

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C024S633000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06490764

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to safety restraint devices and more particularly to an anti-roping latch plate.
Reference is made to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, which illustrate a prior art latch plate
20
. The latch plate comprises a tongue portion
22
having a first latching feature
24
such as an opening, which is engageable by a locking mechanism of a buckle. The latch plate
20
further includes a rear or plate portion
26
having an oblong opening
28
of sufficient size to permit the seat belt
30
to extend therethrough. The rearward end
26
a
of plate
26
is often bent away from the plane of the tongue as illustrated in FIG.
2
. While not illustrated, to reduce the wear on the seat belt
30
, the latch plate
20
in the vicinity of opening
28
may be covered by a low-friction plastic coating.
Over time as the vehicle occupant buckles and unbuckles the seat belt about his or her body, the seat belt often curls upon itself or otherwise twists in the opening
28
. In the industry, this curling, twisting, or folding of the seat belt is called “roping.”
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat belt that is less prone to roping.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a latch plate for use with a seat belt and seat belt buckle, comprising: a metal load-bearing plate including a tongue engageable with a locking feature of the seat belt buckle, the load-bearing plate also defining a belt receiving opening located between first and second generally parallel surfaces, the first and second parallel surfaces defining a channel to guide the seat belt as it exits the belt receiving opening.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3941419 (1976-03-01), Blom
patent: 3982769 (1976-09-01), Farlind
patent: 4023826 (1977-05-01), Kokubo et al.
patent: 4527313 (1985-07-01), Sylven et al.
patent: 4935994 (1990-06-01), Boone et al.
patent: 5050274 (1991-09-01), Staniszewski et al.
patent: 5222278 (1993-06-01), Ball et al.
patent: 5548874 (1996-08-01), Mishina et al.
patent: 5908223 (1999-06-01), Miller
patent: 5984358 (1999-11-01), Mar et al.

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