Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2001-03-27
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S637000, C024S641000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205627
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a belt buckle for vehicle safety belts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Belt buckles generally have a load bearing frame attached to the vehicle floor or the like by means of a suitable attachment fitting, a locking mechanism arranged at the frame, and a housing which encloses the frame and which has an insertion slot for an insert tongue acting in conjunction with the locking mechanism. This insertion slot must be free and open so as not to obstruct the insertion of the tongue into the belt buckle when the safety belt is to be used. The open and unobstructed insertion slot, however, also allows the entry of extraneous matter into the inner space of the belt buckle. Examples of such extraneous matter are liquids (drinks), glass splinters (accident, break-in), fruit pips, rice grains, fibres, grit, gravel and the like. Hard matter, in particular, but also sticky liquids can impair or even impede the function of the locking mechanism. If proper locking is not achieved, the safety belt is not capable of fulfilling its protective function. Incomplete locking, also known as “pseudo-locking”, is particularly dangerous, since the vehicle occupants are unable to detect this condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention eliminates this safety deficiency inherent in all known belt buckles.
According to the invention, at least one channel leads from the insertion slot for the insert tongue through the housing and out of it in such a way that any extraneous matter which may have entered through the insertion slot is guided out of the housing along the channel as assisted by gravity. Whilst with conventional embodiments of belt buckles the aim was to close the insertion slot through the insert tongue ejector as completely as possible, the invention follows the opposite strategy: Having realized that it is not possible in practice to prevent the entry of extraneous matter through the insertion slot for the insert tongue, the invention makes a point of even favoring such entry of such grit particles and foreign bodies through the channel formed within the belt buckle, so that these may leave the belt buckle housing on a direct route through the channel. It is, in fact, the agglomeration of dirt and other foreign matter in the area of the insertion slot for the insert tongue that will find its way into the interior of the belt buckle housing when the tongue is inserted or the release button is pressed.
In the preferred embodiment of the belt buckle, the insert tongue ejector, as opposed to known embodiments where its width coincides with that of the front end of the insert tongue in order to close up the insertion slot as much as possible when the insert tongue is released, is of reduced width so as to obtain free space on both sides of the ejector for a channel for the elimination of dirt and other foreign matter. The ejector is furthermore provided with guide surfaces at its outer end in order to favor the entry of foreign matter into the two channels.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4163128 (1979-07-01), Miskowicz
patent: 4542563 (1985-09-01), Befort
patent: 4677715 (1987-07-01), Escaravage
patent: 4677716 (1987-07-01), Monsigny
patent: 4685177 (1987-08-01), Escaravage
patent: 4703542 (1987-11-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 5123147 (1992-06-01), Blair
patent: 5784766 (1998-07-01), Downie et al.
patent: 90034422 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 0131255 (1985-01-01), None
patent: 0318031 (1989-05-01), None
patent: 2211242 (1989-06-01), None
Sakran Victor N.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
LandOfFree
Safety belt buckle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Safety belt buckle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Safety belt buckle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474009