Abstract:
A buckle for a safety belt or harness for a vehicle. The buckle comprises a plate having an aperture defined therein and a casing which separably receives the plate through an entrance slot in the casing. A latch mechanism positioned within the casing releasably latches the plate to the casing. A spring mounted in the casing has one end located closely adjacent the entrance slot and is compressed by the plate when that plate is inserted into the casing. The spring urges the plate outwardly and applies  outward force thereto in an essentially continuous manner until the plate is nearly completely ejected from the casing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to buckles for use with safety belts and harnesses such as are used on road vehicles and aircraft and specifically to such buckles of the type having two separable parts held together by co-operating aperture and latch or notch and latch means provided by the two parts, the latch being controlled by a spring pressed element. 
     The invention consists of a buckle of the type defined in which one part comprises a plate having one or more apertures to which one or more strap end portions can be fitted, and the second part, which includes the latch and spring pressed element, has means by which the second part can be connected to a road vehicle or aircraft, a mouth into which a portion of the plate can be placed, and one or more springs or spring controlled units, which extend to, or almost to, the mouth. 
     The spring, springs or units can be used to eject the plate from the buckle when the spring pressed element is operated to unlatch the two parts and/or to control means to give an indication and/or to prevent operation of the vehicle or aircraft when the two parts of the buckle are not connected together. 
     The invention also consists of a buckle of the type defined in which one part comprises a plate having one or more apertures to which one or more strap end portions can be fitted, and the second part, which includes the latch and spring pressed element, has means by which the second part can be connected to a road vehicle or aircraft, a mouth into which part of the plate can be placed, and means for ejecting the plate from the said mouth which means is operative on the plate during the whole or the major part of its journey from its position latched within the second part to the mouth of the said second part. 
     The invention also consists of a buckle of the type defined in which one part comprises a plate havng one or more apertures to which one or more strap end portions can be fitted, and the second part, which includes the latch and spring pressed element, has means by which the second part can be connected to a road vehicle or aircraft, a mouth into which part of the plate can be placed, and means, including equipment at or near the mouth, which is operated when the end of the said plate is inserted into the said mouth to give an indiction and/or to prevent operation of the vehicle or aircraft when the two parts of the buckle are not connected together. 
     The plate can carry one or more projections to close any gap or gaps that might exist between the plate and the lips of the mouth, and can be cranked so that, when it is in position in the second part, it closes the whole, or the major part of the mouth. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of buckles according to the invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a section through one part of the buckle which includes the latch and spring pressed element and the switch in the position to activate auxiliary equipment. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan on the line II--II of FIG. 1 with part of the latch and lever removed and with the other part of the buckle latched in position and with the switch in the position in which the auxiliary equipment is not activated. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan of the said other part of the buckle. 
     FIG. 4 shows part of the buckle part shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 5 shows two views of a unit which can be used in the buckle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative form of the part of the buckle shown in FIG. 3 and. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show this alternative second part of FIG. 6 correctly and incorrectly inserted into the buckle part of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The buckle shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises two parts namely a plate 28 to which a safety strap or harness 31 can be attached and a casing 13 enclosing a channel 11 which carries a slider 12, a lever 15 and a latch 14. 
     Plate 28 has an aperture 29 which can be engaged by tooth 38 of latch 14 and a slot 30 by means of which a safety belt or harness 31 is connected to the plate by stitching or any other suitable means. 
     Slider 12 is provided with grooves, not shown, which slide on flanges 48, 49 of channel 11, cam surface 39 which co-operates with lever 15 to release latch 14 when the slider 12 is pressed into the casing, a vertical face 40 which holds the slider in the channel 11, and an aperture 41 to hold the spring 18 which pressed slider 12 into its normal position shown in FIG. 1. The spring 18 is located around a spigot 42 carried by casing 13. 
     Channel 11 is provided with a mouth 27, flared as shown, aligned apertures 45, 44 in which the pivots of lever 15 and latch 14 are mounted, a slot 46 through which one end 47 of latch spring 16 is passed to hold the latch spring in position within the buckle, a projection 43 and a spigot 26 around which spring 19 is located. 
     Channel 11 is connected to the cable 24 by swaged-on sleeve 25 and plate 17, the plate 17 being connected to the channel by rivets 23. 
     Spring 19 can be compressed along spigot 26, one end being held on projection 43 on channel 11 and the other end 34 being engaged by the end 32 of plate 28 when the plate end is inserted into the mouth 27 of the channel 11. The end 34 of the spring 19 moves almost to the mouth of the channel 11 as shown in FIG. 1 and the end of the spring can be extended if desired to reach the mouth of the channel. Alternatively, if it is desired to ensure that the spring acts on the plate 28 until the plate is clear of the mouth 27 of the channel 11, a unit 35, as shown in FIG. 5 can be provided. 
     Unit 35 has a slot 36 which slides on spigot 26 and a projecting tongue 37 which is of sufficient length to reach the mouth of the channel when the unit 35 is pressed by the spring 19. The tongue 37 can be made of sufficient width to close the opening in the mouth of the buckle if desired. 
     A switch housing 20, which could be made from any suitable insulating material, for example, nylon, is mounted on the channel 11 near its mouth. The housing carries a contact arm 21, which is in the path of the end 34 of spring 19, the contact arm being connected to the conducting wire of a cable 22, for example by crimping the end 33 of the contact arm 21 to the wire. As shown in the Figures, the housing comprises a block of material to enable the contact arm to flex within a channel defined in that housing to receive the contact arm and a layer of material located above the contact arm to properly position the elements within the channel. The crimped end 33 of the contact arm is also housed in the channel. Cable 22 passes between channel 11 and casing 13 and passes out of the buckle within the casing of cable 24, which is provided to connect the buckle to the floor or other rigid part of the vehicle or aircraft. Cable 24 is preferably a semi rigid cable. Accordingly, the circuit path to ground includes spring 19, channel 11, the rivet 23, the plate 17, and the cable 24 connected to the floor or other rigid part of the vehicle. 
     Cable 22 is connected to suitable indicating or control means. These could comprise an indicating lamp or buzzer, or means to immobilise the vehicle when the two parts of the buckle are not connected, such as, for example, the ignition circuit could be broken, a plate could cover the keyhole for the ignition key, or the gear lever, steering wheel or some other part of the vehicle could be locked. 
     To fasten the two parts of the buckle together, the end 32 of the plate 28 is pressed into the mouth 27 of the channel 11. The end 32 of the plate contacts either the end 34 of spring 19, or tongue 37 of unit 35 and the spring 19 is compressed. The end 32 of plate 28 passes under tooth 38 of latch 14 and the tooth 38 drops into the aperture 29 in the plate under the action of spring 16 to hold the plate within the casing. When the end 34 of spring 19 breaks contact with contact arm 21 circuits controlled through cable 22 function to indicate that the plate is within the casing and/or to render inoperative any means provided to immobilise the vehicle. If the plate is not pressed fully into the casing, spring 19 ejects the plate as soon as pressure on the plate is removed. 
     To release the plate, the slider 12 is pressed into the casing. Cam surface 39 rides along the bridge 50 of lever 15 so that the lever is depressed to lift latch 14 moving tooth 38 out of aperture 29. Spring 19 forces plate 28 from the casing, the spring acting on the plate until the plate is out of, or almost out of, the mouth 27 of the channel 11. The spring end 34, or the unit 35 if provided, makes contact with contact arm 21 to complete the circuit through cable 22 to indicate that the parts of the buckle are separated, and any means provided to prevent operation of the vehicle become operative, to prevent further operation of the vehicle until the parts of the buckle are again united. 
     Slider 12, when released, is returned to its normal position by spring 18. 
     In the example described above a gap can exist in the mouth of the buckle between the surface of the plate 28 and the underside of the slider 12 through which extraneous matter, such as, for example, small pieces of glass from a shattered wind screen, could enter the buckle which might clog the mechanism of the buckle and hamper, or prevent, the efficient release of the buckle parts. 
     Such a gap, or gaps, can be closed by providing one or more suitable projections on the plate 28 in positions to fill the gaps when the plate is locked in the channel 11, for example if a central gap exists where the slider 12 is cut away to avoid the latch 14, the heart shaped aperture 57 of plate 28 as shown in FIG. 3 could be replaced by a projection, which would be made from metal or a plastics material. 
     If a gap exists across the whole of the mouth this can be closed by suitably cranking the plate, and any additional gaps could be closed by projections. A plate suitably cranked and provided with a central projection is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. 
     In FIGS. 7 and 8 parts of the buckle are given the same reference numerals as the same parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The plate 28 is however replaced by a plate 51 which has an aperture 55 which can be engaged by tooth 38 of latch 14 and a slot 56 by means of which a safety belt or harness can be connected to the plate. The plate is cranked as shown at 52 and 53 and carries a projection 54 which is of such a size that it almost fills the slot in the underside of the slider 12. 
     If the plate 51 is inserted into the mouth 27 of channel 11 with the projection 54 towards the slider 12, as shown in FIG. 7, the plate can be slid into the channel 11 so that the tooth 38 of latch 14 drops into the aperture 55 to hold the plate within the channel. The cranked part of the plate fills the mouth of the channel and the gap on the underside of the slider is blocked by projection 54. No extraneous matter can enter the buckle when the parts are connected. 
     If the plate 51 is inserted into the mouth of the channel 11 with the projection 54 on the side of the plate remote from the slider 12, as shown in FIG. 8, the projection 54 engages the lower lip of the mouth 27 before aperture 55 reaches tooth 38. The tooth cannot drop into the aperture, and as soon as the plate is released it is ejected by spring 19 from the channel. 
     The plates 28 and 51 are described above as having one aperture 29 or 55. More than one aperture could be provided if desired to co-operate with a similar number of teeth carried by the latch 14, or the plates could be provided with notches or teeth on their sides in addition to or instead of the aperture or apertures referred to above, the notches or teeth being engaged by suitably shaped teeth carried by the latch 14. 
     The plates 28 and 51 are described as having a single slot 30 or 56 by means of which a safety belt or harness is connected to the plates. More than one slot could be provided, or the slot or slots could be replaced by snubbing buckles so that the effective lengths of the straps of the belt or harness can be adjusted. The straps of the belt or harness remote from the buckle can be connected to fixed or adjustable points on the vehicle or aircraft, or could be connected to suitable retracting means if desired. 
     The latch and lever need not be pivoted in the channel as described above. Either or both could be pivoted in plates at one or both sides of the channel, which plates could be held within the casing in any suitable way. 
     The channel 11 is held within the casing by one or more projections on the channel which fit into a hole or holes in the casing, and slider 12 is held within the casing by the bridge 50 and the vertical face 40 on the slider at the end of the cam surface 39. Any other suitable means can be provided for holding either the channel or the slider, or both of them, within the casing. 
     The means for connecting the buckle to a vehicle or aircraft as described above comprises a cable 24. The cable 24 could be rigid or flexible or could be replaced by an extension piece attached to the vehicle directly or via a bracket or other suitable connecting means. When the buckle is used with an adjustable seat the cable, bracket or other fixing means should be such that the buckle is, or can be, moved as the seat is moved so that the safety belt or harness is correctly positioned on the wearer in all positions of the seat. Suitable weak or deformable parts can be provided in the cable, brackets or other fixing means, or in the straps of the safety belt or harness, if desired to absorb part of the stress which occurs when the belt or harness is subjected to severe strain, as might occur in an accident. 
     Release of the two parts of the buckle described above is controlled by a slider 12, but the invention is not restricted to use in such buckles. The invention can be applied to a buckle in which the releasing element is a press button acting on a lever as 15, or acting directly onto the latch. 
     One spring 19 mounted on one side of the channel 11 is described above. The spring could be centrally mounted if desired, or more than one spring could be provided, for example springs could be provided on either side of the latch tooth 38. 
     One contact arm 21 only is shown, the electrical circuit being completed through the metal of the vehicle, but a completely insulated circuit could be used, the contact arm closing or opening contacts in the circuit when it is contacted by the end 34 of spring 19 or by the unit 35.