U.S. patent number 3,713,192 [Application Number 05/230,285] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-30 for buckles for safety belts.
Invention is credited to Jan-Olof Raymond Wallin.
United States Patent |
3,713,192 |
Wallin |
January 30, 1973 |
BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS
Abstract
A buckle for safety belts for vehicles comprises a belt locking
member and a buckle body having an opening for the insertion of the
locking member. The insertion opening is defined by two stationary
side plates and two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body and
cooperating with the two longitudinal edges of the locking member,
which locking hooks are adapted to be swung against the action of a
spring mechanism into locking position by the locking member upon
insertion thereof in the buckle body, in which locking position the
locking hooks engage in recesses formed in the two longitudinal
edges of the locking member. The locking hooks, which under the
action of the spring mechanism tend to expel the locking member
inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body, cooperate
with a spring-loaded latch which in the locking position engages
the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon release of the buckle,
to be moved out of the engagement with the locking hooks by an
operating member against spring action. This latch is movable
substantially at right angles to the two side plates of the buckle,
extends between the side plates, and cooperates with recesses which
are formed in the side plates and serve as guides for the latch.
The operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one side plate
of the buckle body, is formed as a push button, and cooperates
laterally of the axis of pivotment with the latch to move it when
the arm is swung.
Inventors: |
Wallin; Jan-Olof Raymond
(Monsteras, SW) |
Family
ID: |
27432334 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/230,285 |
Filed: |
February 29, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/645;
24/634 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D
25/06 (20130101); A44B 11/2511 (20130101); Y10T
24/45644 (20150115); Y10T 24/45686 (20150115); Y10T
24/45293 (20150115); Y10T 24/45628 (20150115); Y10T
24/45634 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A44B
11/25 (20060101); B64D 25/06 (20060101); B64D
25/00 (20060101); A44b 011/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;24/23AT |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gelak; Bernard A.
Claims
What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A buckle for safety belts for vehicles, preferably automobiles,
aircraft and seacraft, one part of the buckle being a belt locking
member and the other part thereof being a buckle body having an
opening for the insertion of the locking member, said insertion
opening being defined by two stationary side plates spaced apart a
distance substantially equal to the thickness of the locking
member, as well as by two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body
and cooperating with the two longitudinal edges of the locking
member, said locking hooks being adapted to be swung against the
action of a spring mechanism into locking position by the locking
member upon insertion thereof in the buckle body, in which locking
position the locking hooks engage in recesses formed in the two
longitudinal edges of the locking member, and said locking hooks,
which under the action of the spring mechanism tend to expel the
locking member inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle
body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the locking
position engages the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon
release of the buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with the
locking hooks by an operating member against spring action, wherein
the latch is movable substantially at right angles to the two side
plates of the buckle, said latch extending between the side plates
and cooperating with recesses which are formed in said side plates
and serve as guides for the latch, and the operating member is an
arm which is pivoted to one side plate of the buckle body, is
formed as a push button, and cooperates laterally of the axis of
pivotment with the latch to move it when the arm is swung.
2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a push
button is pivoted between its ends to one side plate of the buckle
body, the latch being fixedly connected to said arm at one end
thereof.
3. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a push
button is accommodated within a casing surrounding the buckle body,
said casing engaging said arm and urging it into contact with the
side plate of the buckle body.
4. A buckle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axis of pivotment of
the arm formed as a push button is a cam which is formed on said
arm and is arranged to bear against one side plate of the buckle
body, and the cam is the center of curvature for that portion of
the arm which bears against the casing.
Description
This invention relates to a buckle for safety belts for vehicles,
preferably automobiles, aircraft and seacraft. One part of the
buckle is a belt locking member and the other part thereof is a
buckle body having an opening for the insertion of the locking
member, said insertion opening being defined by two stationary side
plates spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness
of the locking member, as well as by two locking hooks pivoted to
the buckle body and cooperating with the two longitudinal edges of
the locking member, said locking hooks being adapted to be swung
against the action of a spring mechanism into locking position by
the locking member upon insertion thereof in the buckle body, in
which locking position the locking hooks engage in recesses formed
in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member, and said
locking hooks, which under the action of the spring mechanism tend
to expel the locking member inserted in the insertion opening of
the buckle body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the
locking position engages the locking hooks and which is adapted,
upon release of the buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with
the locking hooks by an operating member against spring action.
According to the invention, the latch is movable substantially at
right angles to the two side plates of the buckle, said latch
extending between the side plates and cooperating with recesses
which are formed in said side plates and serve as guides for the
latch, and the operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one
side plate of the buckle body, is formed as a push button, and
cooperates laterally of the axis of pivotment with the latch to
move it when the arm is swung. The invention provides a buckle for
safety belts which is of simple construction and reliable function.
The buckle produces a favorable distribution of forces between the
two locking hooks and moreover a small force is required for
release of the buckle.
An embodiment of the invention will be more fully described
hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a side view and FIG. 2 a front view of the buckle in
releasing position;
FIG. 3 is a side view and FIG. 4 a front view of the buckle in
locking position;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of a detail of the buckle as seen in two
perpendicular directions;
FIG. 7 is a section on line VII--VII in FIG. 5.
The buckle comprises the locking member 1 and the buckle body 2.
The locking member 1 is so designed as to permit connection thereto
of one or more webs or bands of the safety belt while the buckle
body 2 is arranged for fixation to the floor structure of the
vehicle.
The buckle body 2 has an opening for the insertion of the locking
member 1. The insertion opening is defined by two stationary metal
sheets or like plates spaced apart a distance substantially equal
to the thickness of the locking member 1, as well as by two locking
hooks 4 pivoted to the buckle body 2 and cooperating with the two
longitudinal edges of the locking member 1.
The locking hooks 4 are mounted for pivotment on a pair of rivets 5
which interconnect the plates 3 of the buckle body 2. The locking
hooks 4 cooperate with a spring mechanism 6 which tends to move the
inner ends of the hooks 4 towards one another and as a result to
expel the locking member 1 from the insertion opening of the buckle
body 2 with the aid of abutments 7 formed on the locking hooks 4.
The hooks 4 are adapted to be swung into locking position against
the action of the spring mechanism 6 by the locking member 1 upon
insertion thereof in the buckle body 2. The pivotment of the hooks
4 is realized in that the front end of the locking member 1 engages
the abutments 7 of the hooks 4. In locking position the hook means
8 of the locking hooks 4 are engaged in recesses 9 formed in the
two longitudinal edges of the locking member 1. In locking position
the locking hooks 4 also cooperate with a spring-loaded latch 10
which prevents the spring mechanism 6 from expelling the locking
member 1 inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body 2. In
other words, the locking member 1 will be expelled from the
insertion opening of the buckle body 2 by the action of the spring
mechanism 6 when the latch 10 against the action of its spring 18
is moved out of latching position between the inner ends of the two
locking hooks 4 by an operating member 11.
According to the invention, the latch 10 is movable substantially
at right angles to the side plates 3 of the buckle body 2. The
latch extends between the side plates 3 and cooperates with
recesses therein, said recesses extending all through the side
plates and serving as guides for the latch 10. The operating member
11 is an arm formed as a push button and pivoted to one side plate
3 of the buckle body 2, said arm engaging the latch 10 laterally of
the axis of pivotment 12 to cause the latch to move when the arm 11
is swung.
As will appear from the drawing, the arm 11 is pivoted between its
ends to one side plate 3 of the buckle body 2, the latch 10 being
fixedly connected to the arm 11 at one end thereof. As shown in
FIG. 7, the latch 10 is substantially formed as a T, the web 13
being opposite the locking hooks 4 in the releasing position of the
buckle, while the stem 14 is adapted to engage the locking hooks 4
in the locking position. For guiding purposes, the recesses formed
in the side plates 3 have been adjusted to the width of the web 13
and stem 14, respectively.
The buckle body 2 is provided with a casing 15 of synthetic
plastics or like material, which surrounds the body and is
indicated by dash-and-dot lines. The casing 15 has a recess 16
opposite the arm 11 so that the latter can operate as a push
button. The casing 15 engages the arm 11 and urges it into contact
with the side plate 3 of the buckle body 2, so that there is no
need for any solid axis of pivotment 12. The casing 15 preferably
has guides for the longitudinal edges of the arm 11.
The axis of pivotment 12 of the arm 11 is a cam which is formed on
the arm 11 and is arranged to bear against the side plate 3 of the
buckle body 2. Said cam 12 is the center of curvature for that
portion 17 of the arm 11 which bears against the casing 15. Upon
pivotment of the arm 11 the curved portion 17 will thus slide under
unaltered pressure against the inner side of the casing 15.
When the locking member 1 reaches its locking position in the
buckle body 2 the locking hooks 4 have been swung into such a
position that the stem 14 of the latch 10 can be moved by the
action of the spring 18 from a lateral position to the latching
position between the inner ends of the locking hooks 4. When the
push button or operating member 11 is then subjected to pressure
the stem 14 of the latch 10 is moved back under the action of the
spring 18 to the lateral position from the position between the
inner ends of the locking hooks 4, which results in that the
locking member 1 is expelled from the insertion opening of the
buckle body 2 by the action of the spring mechanism 6.
* * * * *