Belt Adjuster

Abstract

A belt adjusting and locking device has a channel shaped housing embodying a base web and upstanding sides. A spool-like belt bar has a rectangular central portion and end walls located above a rectangular aperture in the base web. An inverted channel shaped cover plate is forced down over the upstanding sides of the housing to enclose the bar and a belt loop extending through said aperture and about said bar.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reference may be had to applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,274,655 and 3,331,108 and the art cited therein for a disclosure of related structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to a belt adjusting and locking device to be employed within an anchorable housing or within the housing of a seat belt buckle. Belt bars have been employed in the past for adjustably supporting and locking the belt to permit the buckle or latching tongue to be shortened or lengthened to fit the user. The belt bar of the present invention is herein illustrated as being supported within an anchorable housing of channel cross section having a base web and two upstanding sides with a transverse aperture in the base web through which a loop of the belt extends. The loop of the belt is disposed over the belt bar and is confined between enlarged end walls, the outer faces of which are disposed adjacent to the upstanding sides. A cover element of channel shape is forced downwardly over the upstanding sides of the housing in fixed relation thereto. The cover element confines the belt bar within the housing for movement to positions at which the belt is released for shortening or lengthening and locked in adjusted position. While the device is illustrated as being mounted in an anchorable housing for securing one end of the belt or shoulder strap, it is also useable as an adjustable locking device within a belt buckle for adjustably securing the buckle to the belt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a broken plan view of the belt adjusting and locking device which embodies features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 3--3 thereof, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken on the line 4--4 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The belt adjusting and locking device 11 constructed in accordance with the present invention has a supporting member 12 of channel cross section which embodies a web 13 and upstanding sides 14. The web has a rectangular aperture 15 between the sides 14 through which a loop 16 of a belt 17 extends. A belt bar 18 has a rectangular bar portion 19 over which the loop 16 extends. The bar portion 19 is of rectangle section and has rectangular end walls 21 which confines the loop 16 of the belt 17 therebetween. The outer faces 22 of the end walls 21 are of flat pyramidal shape to form a point or line engagement with the inner surfaces of the upstanding sides 14 of the support member.

The forward and rearward ends of the upstanding sides 14 have notches 23 and 24 formed therein at the bottom at the junction with the web 13. This provides a forwardly extending end 25, a rearwardly extending end 26, a sloping top edge 27, an edge section 28 parallel to the web and a sloping cam edge portion 29 at the end 26. A cover plate 31 is made from spring material and has a shape conforming to the edge shape of the upstanding sides 14. The cover plate 31 has a downwardly extending forward side 32 with an inwardly directed flange 33 containing a notch 34 at each end and a downwardly extending rearward side 35 with an inwardly directed flange 36 containing a notch 37 at each end. The notches 34 and 37 provide inwardly directed edge portions 38 which extend between the upstanding sides 14 when the cover plate 31 is secured to the side walls.

After the loop 16 has been secured over the bar portion 19, the forward side 32 of the cover plate 31 is engaged over the ends 25 of the upstanding sides 14 in the position illustrated in dot and dash line 39 in FIG. 3. The end wall 35 is engaged with the sloping cam edge portions 29 of the upstanding sides 14 and a force applied to the cover plate 31 at the rearward edge will expand the end sides 32 and 35 thereof to permit the side 35 to pass down over the ends 26 of the upstanding sides 14 into fixed relation to the side walls 14, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The inwardly projecting portions 38 of the flanges 33 and 36 will extend between the upstanding sides 14 and prevent any relative lateral movement between the upstanding sides and the cover plate.

The belt is adjusted in the usual manner by pulling one or the other end to change the position of the loop 16 over the bar portion 19 and is locked thereafter in adjusted position when tension is applied to the belt end to be secured. The thickness of the belt material is preferably greater than the distance between the top and bottom of the rectangular bar portion 19 and the top and bottom of the end walls 21. This assures the clamping of the belt material without the cutting thereof due to the pull thereon. The belt bar is free to shift forwardly and rearwardly between the upstanding sides 14 to release or clamp the belt in the accepted manner.

The support member 12 has an attaching end 41 provided with an offset portion 42 which has an aperture therethrough containing a bolt 43 which secures the support member to the floor or other part of the vehicle where the belt, shoulder strap or the like is to be secured. It is to be understood that the belt bar 19 can be employed within a buckle or any other attaching device which is to be applied to a belt and be adjusted thereon.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a belt adjusting and locking device, a support member of channel cross section having a web and upstanding sides, said web having a transverse rectangular aperture therethrough located between said sides, a belt bar having a rectangular elongated body and enlarged end walls which extend beyond all four sides of the body, said end walls having an end face which converges outwardly toward the center to reduce the area of engagement of the faces with said upstanding sides, and a cover plate secured over said upstanding sides to confine said belt bar within said supporting member.

2. In a belt adjusting and locking device as recited in claim 1, wherein each end of the upstanding sides of the support member has a notch adjacent to the juncture with the web, and wherein said cover plate is of channel section following the shape of the upstanding sides to extend thereover into engagement with said notches, at least one side of said cover plate extending between the upstanding sides of the support member to locate the cover plate thereon.