Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-08
2004-04-27
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06725509
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat belt buckle, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a sliding button type seat belt buckle installed on a seat belt of a motor vehicle seat, wherein a release button is pressed in a direction parallel to an inserting direction of a tongue into the seat belt buckle and thereby the tongue is unlatched from the seat belt buckle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a deluxe car has basic natures such as superior running capability, comfortable on-board feeling, high running speed and the like, and at the same time, is provided with a variety of safety measures capable of ensuring safety of an occupant.
Such safety measures include a seat belt, an airbag system, a safety steering column, a pyrotechnical seat belt retractor, and so forth. These safety measures are designed in a manner such that they can be automatically actuated upon heavy impact loading, to maximally protect an occupant.
Specifically, a seat belt is provided to a front seat or a rear seat of a motor vehicle and functions to prevent an occupant from being expelled out of the vehicle due to shock which is induced upon abrupt deceleration (for example, when the motor vehicle comes into collision).
A seat belt comprises a first belt part and a second belt part. Both ends of the first belt part are secured to upper and lower ends of a pillar panel of a vehicle. One end of the second belt part is secured to a bottom surface of the vehicle. A tongue is movably coupled to the first belt part. A seat belt buckle is fastened to the other end of the second belt part.
The tongue is of a metal plate-shaped contour and has a first aperture through which the first belt part passes and a second aperture into which a lock bar of the seat belt buckle can be inserted.
Seat belt buckles are divided into push button type seat belt buckles and sliding button type seat belt buckles depending upon a manner by which a release button is pressed.
First, the push button type seat belt buckle is generally applied to a rear seat of a motor vehicle, and a tongue is latched to or unlatched from the seat belt buckle by a lock bar which is moved in a vertical direction by virtue of a thin plate-shaped spring. Such push button type seat belt buckles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,127,922, 4,064,603 and 4,998,328.
The sliding button type seat belt buckle is generally applied to a front seat of a motor vehicle. In the sliding button type seat belt buckle, a release button is pressed in the same direction as an inserting direction of a tongue into the seat belt buckle, and the tongue is latched to and unlatched from the seat belt buckle by a slider and a lock bar. Such sliding button type seat belt buckles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,718,020, 5,271,129 and 4,899,424.
In the sliding button type seat belt buckle, a of longitudinal direction means a lengthwise direction of a body frame, a transverse direction means a widthwise direction of the body frame, and a vertical direction means a heightwise direction of the body frame.
In the sliding button type seat belt buckle, the tongue is latched to the seat belt buckle in a manner as described below. That is, as the tongue is inserted into the buckle, an ejector is moved rearward in the longitudinal direction, and an upper end of a locking lever is pivotally rotated downward by a predetermined angle about wings of the locking lever. Then, at the same time when the lock bar of the locking lever is inserted into an aperture which is defined in the tongue, the slider is fitted into a space which is defined between a lock pin and the body frame, whereby upward pivoting rotation of the locking lever is restricted by the slider.
Further, in the sliding button type seat belt buckle, the tongue is unlatched from the seat belt buckle in a manner as described below. By pressing the release button, the slider is removed from the space which is defined between the lock pin and the body frame, and then, the upper end of the locking lever is pivotally rotated upward by the predetermined angle by means of elastic force of a first spring. Thereafter, as the ejector is moved forward in the longitudinal direction by elastic force of a second spring, the tongue is discharged out of the buckle.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the conventional seat belt buckle comprises a body frame
10
which is fastened inside a casing (not shown) of the seat belt buckle, an ejector
60
which is capable of forcing a seat belt tongue (not shown) to be discharged out of the body frame
10
, a locking lever
20
is having integrally formed therewith a lock bar
22
, a slider
40
which slides on the locking lever
20
, and a release button
50
which can push rearward the slider
40
to remove the slider
40
from a space defined between a lock pin
13
and the body frame
10
, thereby enabling the lock bar
22
of the locking lever
20
to be released from an aperture defined in the tongue.
In the conventional seat belt buckle, the body frame
10
has a base plate
16
and upstanding side walls
17
which are bent upward from respective longitudinal edges (that is, longitudinally extending edges) of the base plate
16
. An ejector sliding opening
12
is defined in the base plate
16
of the body frame
10
, and hinge grooves
19
are formed at upper and substantially rear ends of the upstanding side walls
17
of the body frame
10
. The lock pin
13
is fitted through trapezium-shaped holes
14
which are respectively defined in the upstanding side walls
17
of the body frame
10
.
The lock pin
13
which is fitted through the trapezium-shaped holes
14
, functions to retain the slider
40
in the space which is defined between the lock pin
13
and the body frame
10
, and support the slider
40
in the heightwise direction of the body frame
10
.
Moreover, the ejector
60
has a recessed portion which is formed at a front end of the ejector
60
to be brought into contact with the tongue. The ejector
60
is formed at both sides thereof with guide wings which slide on the base plate
16
along the ejector sliding opening
12
of the body frame
10
. One end of a second spring
61
is secured to a rear end of the ejector
60
. The other end of the second spring
61
is secured to a first projection
15
which is formed on a rear edge of the ejector sliding opening
12
of the base plate
16
. Hence, the ejector
60
can be moved along the ejector sliding opening
12
in the longitudinal direction by elastic force of the second spring
61
.
Also, the release button
50
is formed, at a center portion thereof, with a release projection
53
and, at both widthwise ends thereof, with two elongate portions
51
. The release projection
53
projects from the center portion of an inner surface of the release button
50
to extend in the longitudinal direction. When the release button
50
is pressed, the release projection
53
functions to remove the slider
40
from the space which is defined between the lock pin
13
and the body frame
10
. To this end, the release projection
53
is formed, at a rear free end thereof, with an inclined surface. In addition, the two elongate portions
51
also extend in the longitudinal direction from both widthwise ends of the inner surface of the release button
50
, so that they are perpendicular to a plane of the release button
50
. Each of the two elongate portions
51
is formed, at an upper end thereof, with a slit
52
.
The two elongate portions
51
of the release button
50
which is configured in the above-described way, are respectively coupled to guide rails
11
of the upstanding side walls
17
of the body frame
10
in a manner such that the two elongate portions
51
can slide on the guide rails
11
in the longitudinal direction. The two elongate portions
51
cause the release projection
53
to push rearward the slider
40
in the longitudinal direction which slider
40
is interposed between the lock pin
13
and the locking lever
20
, when the release button
50
Lee Jae-ho
Lee Jong-hoon
Brittain James R.
Delphi Automotive Systems Sungwoo Corporation
LandOfFree
Seat 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 Seat belt buckle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Seat belt buckle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3221802