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.

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.

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.