Patent ID: 11969059
Assignee: INDIANA MILLS & MANUFACTURING, INC.
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. An electrically releasable buckle assembly for a motor vehicle restraint, the buckle assembly comprising:
a housing,
latch components mounted in the housing and configured to releasably engage a tongue member of the motor vehicle restraint,
a release button carried by the housing and operatively coupled to the latch components, the release button having a latched position in which the latching components engage the tongue member and a release position in which the latch components release the tongue member,
a release button actuator having a first end operatively coupled to the release button and a second end opposite the first end, the release button actuator pivotably coupled, between the first and second ends thereof, to the housing, and
at least one shape memory alloy component affixed to and between the housing and the second end of the release button actuator, the at least one shape memory alloy component responsive to heating thereof by a source of electrical energy to a temperature at or above a transition temperature to exert a force on the second end of the release button actuator to cause the release button actuator to pivot relative to the housing such that the first end of the release button actuator forces the release button from the latched position to the release position.