# Patent

## Title
Dual release buckle assemblies and associated systems and methods

## Abstract

Buckle assemblies with dual release features and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a buckle assembly is configured to detachably engage latch plates. The buckle assembly can include a top cover and a bottom housing collectively defining an operation space; a load plate having a plurality of apertures, an actuator configured to connect with the top cover, a plurality of pawls configured to operably enter the corresponding apertures so as to secure a plurality of latch plates, a release ring positioned adjacent to the pawls and connected with a release cord. The latch plates can be released by rotating the top cover or pulling the release cord.

## Background
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/766,683 filed Feb. 19, 2013, titled “DUAL RELEASE BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS.” The above mentioned application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


TECHNICAL FIELD
The following disclosure relates generally to personal restraint systems for use in vehicles and, more particularly, to buckle assemblies having dual release features and associated methods and systems.
BACKGROUND
There are many types of personal restraint systems for use in automobiles, aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, and other vehicles. Such systems include, for example, seat belts for use by adults and children of sufficient sizes, and child seats with associated restraints for use by toddlers and small children. Methods of securing seat belts or webs around an occupant on a vehicle or an aircraft include releasably attaching an end portion of each of the belts or webs to a buckle assembly. The buckle assembly retains the belts or webs around the occupant so as to secure the occupant on a seat of the vehicle or aircraft. The occupant can release the belts or webs from the buckle assembly when he or she wants to leave the seat.
Conventional buckle assemblies for use in personal restraint systems typically connect with one or more webs or belts to restrain occupants or passengers in their seats. For example, a “three-point” harness system, as typically found in conventional automobiles, can include a shoulder web and a lap web that are releasably secured to a buckle assembly positioned proximate to the occupant's lower body. A “five-point” harness system can include a crotch web, first and second shoulder webs, and first and second lap webs that are releasably secured to a buckle assembly positioned proximate to the occupant's mid-section. Conventional buckle assemblies for such five-point harnesses include a push button or rotary-style release feature to disengage the webs from the buckle assembly. However, especially under certain emergency circumstances, releasing the buckle assembly by rotation or pushing buttons can be difficult for some occupants.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a personal restraint system having a buckle assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the buckle assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the buckle assembly FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the buckle assembly shown in FIG. 1.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following disclosure describes dual release buckle assemblies and associated systems and methods. Advantages of embodiments of the buckle assemblies described in the present disclosure include improving safety for occupants in vehicles by providing more than one way to release the buckle assemblies. Other advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure include providing a relatively easy and quick way to release the buckle assembly by a simple action of the occupant.
As described in greater detail below, a personal restraint system configured in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure can include a secondary or dual release buckle assembly. Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1-4 to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, other details describing well-known structures and systems often associated with buckle assemblies and/or other aspects of personal restraint systems are not set forth below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of various embodiments of the present disclosure.
Many of the details, dimensions, angles, and other features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles, and features without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that further embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without several of the details described below. In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical or at least generally similar elements.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a personal restraint system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the personal restraint system 100 includes a buckle assembly 102 and a plurality of (e.g., five) latch plates (or seat belt connectors) 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. The buckle assembly 102 can further include a release cord 104, a cable 106, a top cover 108, and a bottom housing 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle assembly 102 can receive and releasably engaged the latch plates 11-15, which further connect with suitable belts or webs of the personal restraint system 100. In other embodiments, the buckle assembly 102 can accommodate a different number of latch plates, depending on various designs and arrangements. One of ordinary skill in the art would know that the latch plates 11-15 can be inserted into the buckle assembly 102 in random order. In addition, the latch plates 11-15 can function independently without interfering with one another.
In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle assembly 102 includes a dual release feature. For example, an occupant in a vehicle can release the latch plates 11-15 from the buckle assembly 102 by either rotating the top cover 108 or by pulling the release cord 104 (see FIG. 4 below). In other embodiments, an occupant can release the latch plates 11-15 by either pushing a button located on the top cover 108 or by pulling the release cord 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the release cord 104 can include a gripping surface 1041 which provides sufficient contact area for the occupant to grasp and pull the release cord 104 during operation. In other embodiments, the release cord 104 can be formed in other suitable shapes, handles, features etc. or have certain surface treatments (e.g., increasing the surface friction), depending on the occupant's capability (e.g., a toddler occupant) or personal preference of holding the release cord 104.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the buckle assembly 102 of FIG. 1. The buckle assembly 102 can include a receiving component 202 to accommodate the cable 106, or more specifically the cable housing or sleeve. In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving component 202 can be formed as a part of the top cover 108. In other embodiments, the receiving component 202 can be independently formed and subsequently attached to the top cover 108. In certain embodiments, the receiving component 202 can be formed as a part of the bottom housing 110. When an occupant pulls the release cord 104 to release one or more of the latch plates 11-15 inserted in the buckle assembly 102, the cable 106 can move smoothly outward from the receiving component 202.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the buckle assembly 102 of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle assembly 102 can be formed with five openings 302 (not all openings are shown in FIG. 3) for receiving the inserted latch plates 11-15. In other embodiments, the buckle assembly 102 can have a different number of openings, for example, depending on the number of latch plates to be inserted. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings 302 can be defined collectively by the top cover 108 and the bottom housing 110. In certain embodiments, the openings 302 can be formed and located in the top cover 108. In other embodiments, the openings 302 can be formed and located in the bottom housing 110.
FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the buckle assembly 102 shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle assembly 102 includes an upper plate 401, a load plate 402, an actuator 404, a release ring 406, a cable spring 408, latch pawls 410, a pawl spring 412, a shoulder nut 414, a center screw 416, and a bushing 418. The top cover 108, the load plate 402, and the bottom housing 110 can be coupled together and secured by the center screw 416. The bushing 418 can be positioned between the center screw 416 and the top cover 108 and function as a cushion. In certain embodiments, the bushing 418 can be positioned at other suitable places. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper plate 401 can be used to couple the load plate 402 to other components, such as the bottom housing 110 or the top cover 108, by bolts/screws and nuts, glue, wedges, or other suitable means.
As shown in FIG. 4, the load plate 402 can be formed with multiple load-plate apertures 4021 for receiving the pawls 410. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch plates 11-15 can include latch openings or apertures 420 for receiving and engaging the paws 410. When occupants want to be secured in their seats, they can insert the latch plates 11-15 to the openings 302 (FIG. 3), and then the latch apertures 420 will be aligned with the corresponding load-plate apertures 4021 respectively. Then the pawl spring (or springs) 412 can provide resilient forces to push or bias the paws 410 upwardly through the corresponding latch apertures 420 and load-plate apertures 4021 respectively, to engage and secure the latch plates 11-15. As a result, the occupants can be restrained or secured on their seats. In the illustrated embodiment, the paw spring 412 can be spring steel and can be supported by the shoulder nut 414, which can be positioned between the pawl spring 412 and the bottom housing 110.
When occupants want to be released from their seats, the buckle assembly 102 of the present disclosure offers them two options. The first option is that the occupants can rotate the top cover 108, which is operably coupled to the actuator 404 (e.g., via the center screw 416). As shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 404 includes at least one protrusion 4041 configured to extend through a corresponding opening 4022 in the load plate 402 and cooperate with the top cover 108. When the occupant rotates the top cover 108, the actuator 404 pushes the pawls 410 back toward the bottom housing 110. As a result, the pawls 410 move out of the corresponding latch apertures 420 and load-plate apertures 4021, releasing the latch plates 11-15 and allowing them to be withdrawn from the buckle assembly 102. In other embodiments, the occupants in vehicles can push a bottom (not shown) on the top cover 108 to cause the same effect as discussed above to release the inserted latch plates 11-15.
The second option for releasing the latch plates is that the occupant can pull or move the release cord 104 away from the buckle assembly 102. As shown in FIG. 4, the release cord 104 is attached to the release ring 406 via the cable 106 and the cable spring 408. In the illustrated embodiment, the release ring 406 can include multiple angled cam surfaces on protrusions 4061 corresponding to individual pawls 410. When the occupants pull the release cord 104, the release ring 406 rotates so that the protrusions 4061 push all the pawls 410 back toward the bottom housing 110 at the same time. As a result, the pawls 410 retreat from the corresponding latch apertures 420 and load-plate apertures 4021, releasing the inserted latch plates 11-15. Once the occupant is released from his seat and lets go of the release cord 104, the cable spring 408 can provide a resilient force to bias the release cord 104 back to its initial position (as shown in FIGS. 1-3).
In the illustrated embodiment, the release ring 406 can include an attaching portion 4062 configured to attach to an end portion of the cable spring 408. In certain embodiments, the attaching portion 4062 can attach with the cable 106 directly. As shown in FIG. 4, the attaching portion 4062 can connect to the cable spring 408 by a bolt/screw and a nut. In other embodiments, the attaching component 4062 and the cable spring 408 can be connected by any other suitable means.
In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving component 202 receives the cable spring 408 and the cable 106 and protects the same from damages caused by accidental impacts. The receiving component 202 also provides a guide for the cable 106 and the cable spring 408 during their movement. In certain embodiments, the receiving component 202 can be attached to the bottom housing 110 by a bolt/screw and a nut. In other embodiments, the receiving component 202 can be formed as an integral with the bottom housing 110. In certain embodiments, the receiving component 202 can be attached to or integrally formed with the top cover 108.
The buckle assembly 102 described in the present disclosure can be connected with a computer system (not shown) of a vehicle. In certain embodiments, the computer system of the vehicle can monitor the status of the buckle assembly 102 (e.g., whether the inserted latch plates are secured properly) and takes actions accordingly. For example, when the computer system detects an abnormal situation (e.g., an unexpected impact), the system can notify the occupant who is currently using the buckle assembly, or alternatively, the system can automatically lock or release the buckle assembly. The computer system described in the present disclosure can include a center processing unit (CPU) configured to process a set of computer readable instructions, a memory configured to temporarily store the same instructions, and a storage device configured to store the same instructions and other related information.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure. Further, while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. The following examples are directed to embodiments of the present disclosure.

## Claims

1. A buckle assembly, comprising:
a top cover;
a bottom housing connected to the top cover, wherein the top cover and the bottom housing collectively define an internal space;
an actuator positioned in the internal space and operably coupled to the top cover;
a load plate positioned in the internal space and having a plurality of apertures;
a plurality of pawls, wherein each of the pawls is configured to operably extend through a corresponding one of the apertures so as to secure a corresponding latch plate coupled to a web of a personal restraint system;
a release ring rotatably positioned in the internal space adjacent to the pawls; and
a release cord positioned outside the internal space and coupled to the release ring, wherein the release cord includes a gripping surface providing a contact area for an occupant to grasp and pull the release cord;
wherein, when the top cover is rotated, the actuator moves the pawls out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates, and
wherein, when the release ring is rotated, the release ring moves the pawls out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates.

2. A buckle assembly, comprising:
a top cover;
a bottom housing connected to the top cover, wherein the top cover and the bottom housing collectively define an internal space;
an actuator positioned in the internal space and operably coupled to the top cover;
a load plate positioned in the internal space and having a plurality of apertures;
a plurality of pawls, wherein each of the pawls is configured to operably extend through a corresponding one of the apertures so as to secure a corresponding latch plate coupled to a web of a personal restraint system;
a release ring rotatably positioned in the internal space adjacent to the pawls; and
a pawl spring including a base portion and a plurality of end portions, wherein the end portions extend radially outward from the base portion, and wherein each of the end portions biases a corresponding one of the pawls toward the corresponding one of the apertures;
wherein, when the top cover is rotated, the actuator moves the pawls out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates; and
wherein, when the release ring is rotated, the release ring moves the pawls out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates.

3. The buckle assembly of claim 2, wherein the actuator includes a protrusion, and wherein the load plate includes an opening configured to operably receive at least a portion of the protrusion.

4. The buckle assembly of claim 2, wherein the release ring includes an attaching portion configured to attach to a release cord positioned outside the internal space.

5. The buckle assembly of claim 4, wherein the attaching portion is attached to the release cord via a cable spring and a cable.

6. A buckle assembly, comprising:
a top cover;
a bottom housing connected to the top cover, wherein the top cover and the bottom housing collectively define an internal space;
a load plate positioned in the internal space and having a plurality of apertures;
a plurality of pawls positioned in the internal space, wherein each of the pawls is configured to operably extend through a corresponding one of the apertures so as to secure a corresponding latch plate coupled to a web of a personal restraint system;
a release ring rotatably positioned in the internal space adjacent to the pawls; and
a release cord positioned outside the internal space and coupled to the release ring;
wherein, when the top cover is rotated, the pawls are moved out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates; and
wherein, when the release cord is pulled, the release ring moves the pawls out from the corresponding apertures, so as to release the corresponding latch plates.

7. The buckle assembly of claim 6, wherein the apertures are positioned circumferentially around the load plate.

8. The buckle assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a receiving component positioned adjacent to the bottom housing and configured to receive a cable; and
a cable spring positioned inside the receiving component and coupled to the cable, wherein the cable spring provides a biasing force to maintain the release cord at an initial position.

9. The buckle assembly of claim 8, wherein the cable spring includes an end portion, and wherein the release ring includes an attaching portion configured to couple to the end portion.

10. The buckle assembly of claim 8, wherein the receiving component is formed as a part of the top cover.

11. The buckle assembly of claim 8, wherein the receiving component is independently formed and attached to the top cover.

12. The buckle assembly of claim 6, wherein the release ring includes a plurality of protrusions corresponding to the pawls, wherein the protrusions are configured to operably push the pawls toward the bottom housing when the top cover is rotated or when the release cord is pulled.