US3514821A - Buckles for safety belts - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1970 o. P. SAXMARK I 3,

BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS Filed Feb. 4, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PIC-3.2

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June 2, 1970 o. P. SAXMARK 3,514,821

BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS Filed Feb. 4, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 States Patent 3,514,821 BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS Olov Pontus Saxmark, Skarhamm, Sweden, assignor to AB Industrifjadrar, Monsteras, Sweden Filed Feb. 4, 1969, Ser. No. 796,331

Int. Cl. A44b 11/25 U.S. Cl. 24-230 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A buckle for safety seat belts comprises a locking tongue and a buckle body having a space for insertion of the locking tongue thereinto. The buckle body has a latch member pivoted thereto, and for retaining the locking tongue in the buckle body the latch member 1s adapted to engage in a recess in the locking tongue at one longitudinal edge thereof. The latch member has cam means with which a projection provided in a sleeve which is slidably mounted on the buckle body, is adapted to coact for moving the latch member out of latching position when the sleeve is slid along the buckle body.

This invention relates to a buckle for safety belts for use in landcraft, aircraft and seacraft, comprising one member in the form of a locking tongue and another member in the form of a buckle body having a space for insertion of the locking tongue thereinto, said space being defined by two fixed plane surfaces spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the locking tongue, and by guides extending between said plane surfaces for guiding the longitudinal edges of the locking tongue, and a latch member pivoted to the buckle body and adapted, for retaining the locking tongue to said body, to engage in a recess in the locking tongue at one longitudinal edge thereof. Characteristic of the buckle accord ing to the present invention is that the latch member has cam means with which a projection provided in a sleeve which is slidably mounted on the buckle body, is adapted to coact, and that the cam means of the latch member is so formed that the latch member is swung out of latching position when the sleeve is slid in one direction along the buckle body.

For greater clarity, the buckle will be more fully described in the following with reference to the accompany drawings which schematically illustrate two embodiments, chosen by way of example, of the buckle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the buckle in one embodiment thereof, with the sleeve removed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the buckle with the sleeve in position thereon;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the buckle in the other embodiment thereof, with the sleeve removed; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the buckle, with the sleeve shown in section.

The buckle comprises a locking tongue 1 and a body 2. The locking tongue 1 is adapted for insertion into the buckle body 2 for retention of the tongue to the body 2 in the position fully inserted into the body.

The body 2 has a space 3 for the insertion of the locking tongue 1 thereinto. Said space 3 is defined by two fixed plane surfaces 4 and 5 spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the locking tongue 1, and by guides 6 extending between the plane surfaces 4 and 5 for guiding the longitudinal edges of the locking tongue 1. The fixed plane surfaces 4 and 5 of the body 2 are preferably formed by a pair of plates which are held spaced by spacing members. The plates 4 and 5 are interconnected by rivets 6 or like connecting means which directly or indirectly form the guides for the longitudinal 3,514,821 Patented June 2, 1970 I CC edges of the locking tongue 1. The connecting means designated 6 also forms the pivot axis for a latch member 7 which is pivoted to the buckle body 2 and adapted, for retaining the locking tongue 1 to the body 2, to engage in a recess 8 of the locking tongue 1 at one longitudinal edge of the latter. Said retention is brought about only when the locking tongue 1 has reached the position in which it is fully inserted into the buckle body 2. Said fully inserted position of the locking tongue is determined by the outermost connecting means 6 with which an enlarged portion 9 of the locking tongue 1 is adapted to coact.

In practice the locking tongue 1 is symmetrical with respect to its center line as counted in the direction of insertion so that it has one recess 8 in each of its longitudinal edges. However the locking tongue 1 is inserted into the space of the body 2 one recess 8 wi l always coact with the latch member 7.

The latch member 7 has cam means 10 and 11, respectively, with which a projection 13 provided in a sleeve 12 which is slidably mounted on the buckle body 2, is adapted to coact. The cam means 10 and 11, respectively, is so formed that the latch member 7 is swung out of latching position when the sleeve 12 is slid in one direction along the body 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the cam means 10 is so formed that the latch member 7 is swung out of latching position when the sleeve 12 is slid along the body 2 towards the opening of the space 3 receiving the locking tongue 1. In this buckle the locking tongue 1 is primarily intended for connection with one or more straps of the safety belt, while the body 2 is to be secured to the floor structure of the vehicle. When the seat occupant pull the sleeve 12 towards himself the buckle is thus released, which is important from the viewpoint of safety.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 the cam means 11 is so formed that the latch member 7 is swung out of latching position when the sleeve 12 is slid along the body 2 away from the opening of the space 3 receiving the locking tongue 1. In this buckle the body 2 is primarily intended for connection with one or more straps of the safety belt, while the locking tongue 1 is to be secured to the floor structure of the vehicle. Also in this case the buckle is thus released when the seat occupant pulls the sleeve 12 towards himself.

The pivotally mounted latch member 7 cooperates with a spring 14 which tends to swing the latch member into latching position. Against the action of the spring, however, the latch member 7 is adapted to be swung out of latching position when the sleeve 12 is slid along the body 2. Of course, the latch member 7 can also be moved aside against the action of the spring 14 by the locking tongue 1 when the latter is inserted into the space 3 for retaining said tongue in the body 2.

The latch member 7 and the recess 8 of the locking tongue 1 are so conformed to each other that the latch member 7 tends to move in the latching direction when the buckle is subjected to pull. Thus there is no risk that the buckle will open when the safety belt is subjected to load. On the other hand, the latch member 7 and the recess 8 are of such a form that no large force is required for opening of the buckle although the safety belt is under load, eg when the seat occupant is suspended therein.

In the embodiments illustrated the portion 15 of the latch member 7 which engages in the recess 8 of the locking tongue is curved and has its center of curvature situated in the pivot axis 6' of the latch member 7, while the part of the recess 8 in which the curved portion 15 of the latch member 7 engages, is straight. The straight part makes an angle of somewhat more than 45 with the direction of insertion.

The plates 4 and 5 constituting the two plane surfaces of the space 3 receiving the locking tongue 1 are provided with registering longitudinal slots 16 for the projection which is provided in the sleeve 2 and formed by a pin 13 extending through the buckle body 2. The pin will thus be guided in a reliable manner, and at the same time the ends of the slots 16 or one slot 16 will define at least to a certain extent the extreme positions for the pivot movement of the latch member 7.

Modifications are possible within the scope of the ap pended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A buckle for safety belts for use in landcraft, aircraft and seacraft, comprising one member in the form of a locking tongue and another member in the form of a buckle body having a space for insertion of the locking tongue there-into, said space being defined by two fixed plane surfaces spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the locking tongue, and by guides extending between said plane surfaces for guiding the longitudinal edges of the locking tongue, and a latch member pivoted to the buckle body and adapted, for retaining the locking tongue to said body, to engage in a recess in the locking tongue at one longitudinal edge thereof, wherein the latch member has cam means with which a projection provided in a sleeve which is slidably mounted on the buckle body, is adapted to coact, and the cam means of the latch member is so formed that the latch member is swung out of latching position when the sleeve is slid in one direction along the buckle body.

2. A buckle as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam means is so formed that the latch member is swung out of latching position when the sleeve is slid along the buckle body towards the opening of the space receiving the locking tonage.

3. A buckle as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam means is so formed that the latch member is swung out of latching position when the sleeve is slid along the buckle body away from the opening of the space receiving the locking tongue.

4. A buckle as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivotally mounted latch member cooperates with a spring which tends to swing the latch member to latching position, but the latch member is adapted to be swung out of latching position against the action of the spring when the sleeve is slid along the buckle body.

5. A buckle as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixed plane surfaces of the buckle body are formed by a pair of spaced plates which are interconnected by rivets or like connecting means, said connecting means forming guides for the longitudinal edges of the locking tongue and for the pivot axis of the pivotally mounted latch member.

6. A buckle as defined in claim 5, wherein the plates are provided with registering longitudinal slots for the projection provided in the sleeve and formed by a pin extending through the buckle body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,867,024 1/1959 Sepe.

FOREIGN PATENTS 11,820 5/1910 France.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner

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