Patent ID: 6205628
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: A44B,Y10T

Abstract:
A buckle for a vehicle safety restraint seat belt comprising:a housing,a buckle part connected to one end of a seat belt and having a passage for receiving an interlocking tongue part connected to another end of a seat belt,a pivoting carrier element carrying a latching element arranged to engage with the tongue part to lock the tongue part in the passage,a release button operatively coupled via a ramp surface to move the latching element from an engaging position in which the buckle is fastened to the tongue, to a release position in which the buckle is unfastened,a counterbalance mass slidably mounted in the housing so that its inertia acts on the latching element to keep the latching element in the tongue engaging position under forces of acceleration and of deceleration acting on the buckle, the inertia acting in a first direction under acceleration and in a second direction under deceleration thereby substantially counteracting the effects of button inertia on the operation of the buckle.