GB2368093A

GB2368093A - Cover for a seat belt buckle

Info

Publication number: GB2368093A
Application number: GB0124374A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Lamb
Original assignee: R J A Lamb & Co Ltd
Current assignee: R J A Lamb & Co Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-11
Filing date: 2001-10-11
Publication date: 2002-04-24
Also published as: GB0124374D0; GB0024947D0

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a cover (10) for selectively covering a release means (20) of a seatbelt, the cover (10) comprising: first and second cover parts (22,24) capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the release means (20); and cover release means (28) for securing the first cover part (22) to the second cover part (24), the cover release means (28) including a first release member (30) associated with the first cover part (22) and a second release member (32) associated with the second cover part (24); wherein the first and second release members (30,32) are adapted to be operated by respective at least first and second digits of a user to release the cover release means (28) and uncover the release means (20). The cover (10) may also be attached to the seat belt.

Description

COVER

The present invention relates to a cover for seatbelt release means.

Conventional vehicle seatbelts, such as car seatbelts, include a female housing in the form of a buckle which carries a latch mechanism and a male tongue which engages the buckle and is latched to restrain a wearer of the seatbelt. The latch mechanism is released by depressing a release button, typically provided on the top or front of the buckle, as is well known in the art.

A significant disadvantage occurs when a child is secured using such a seatbelt. The release button is relatively large and easily depressed by a child who may accidentally become released from the seatbelt by depressing the button. This places the child in severe danger in the event of a crash situation occurring and further may increase the likelihood of an accident occurring by distracting the driver.

It is amongst the objects of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the foregoing disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover for selectively covering a release means of a seatbelt, the cover comprising: first and second cover parts capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the release means; and

cover release means for securing the first cover part to the second cover part, the cover release means including a first release member associated with the first cover part and a second release member associated with the second cover part; wherein the first and second release members are adapted to be operated by respective at least first and second digits of a user to release the cover release means and uncover the release means.

The cover is particularly advantageous in that it may be provided for a seatbelt used for restraining a child; the cover then acts to releasably cover the release means of the seatbelt to prevent the child from releasing itself from the seatbelt by releasing the release means. It will be understood that the release means typically comprises a release button which is depressed to release a male tongue of a seatbelt from a female housing such as a buckle.

The cover is further particularly advantageous in that the release means is readily released by operation of the first and second release members. Preferably, the first and second release members are adapted to be operated by at least first and second digits of a single hand of a user. Thus the release means may advantageously be uncovered in a single-handed operation.

The seatbelt may comprise a seatbelt of a vehicle such as a car, bus, minibus or the like, but may also be a

seatbelt for, for example, an aircraft seat or the seat of a fairground attraction.

The cover may comprise a cover for a lap-type seatbelt, a lap and diagonal restraint type seatbelt and/or a"five-point"harness type seatbelt, including two shoulder straps and a crotch strap, such as the type provided on child car seats.

The first and second cover parts, when secured together, may define a cover including an aperture for receiving a male tongue part of a seatbelt. The cover may therefore be located on a female housing part of a seatbelt prior to insertion of the male tongue part, or may be secured around the female housing part following insertion of the male tongue part.

Preferably, the first and second release members are formed integrally with the respective first and second cover parts. The first and second release members may each comprise a loop or a lever. Preferably, the first release member comprises a loop and the second release member comprises a lever. This may advantageously assist in one handed operation of the cover, the loop being for receiving a finger of a user whilst the lever may be pushed away from the loop by a users thumb.

The cover release means may further comprise a ratchet assembly comprising ratchet teeth provided on the first and second cover parts. The ratchet teeth may be engageable to

secure the first cover part to the second cover part. Preferably, ratchet teeth of the first cover part are provided on the first release member whilst the ratchet teeth of the second cover part are provided on a body of the second cover part. Release of the cover release means may be assisted by movement of the first release member relative to the first cover part whilst exerting a force upon the second release member to urge the ratchet teeth of the second cover part out of engagement with the ratchet teeth of the first cover part. Accordingly, the cover is preferably made of a resilient material. The cover may be of a plastics material such as ABS and may be moulded.

Conveniently, the cover further comprises means for preventing lateral movement of the cover along a strap of the seatbelt in at least one direction. The means for preventing lateral movement may comprise shoulders formed on one of the first and second cover parts for engaging a male tongue part of the seatbelt when the first and second cover parts are secured together.

The cover may further comprise means for preventing lateral movement of the first and second cover parts with respect to each other, which may comprise one or more flanges or shoulders formed on one or both of the first and second cover parts, said flanges or shoulders being adapted to abut part of the respective other one of the first and second cover parts to prevent lateral movement.

The first and second parts may be securable releasably to each other by means of a hinge, which may form at least part of the means to prevent lateral movement of the first and second parts relative to each other. The hinge may allow one of the first and second cover parts to be released from the other. This may be advantageous in allowing normal use of the seatbelt without the cover whilst retaining part of the cover on the seatbelt.

Alternatively, the first and second cover parts may be formed in one piece and joined by a living hinge.

Preferably, one of the first and second cover parts are releasably securable to part of the seatbelt, for example, a female housing buckle of the seatbelt. The cover part may be secured by, for example, hook and loop type fasteners (eg, VELCRO TM), adhesive or the like.

The cover may include a frangible portion provided on/in one of the first and second cover parts, which frangible portion may be broken in the event of an emergency to allow access to the release means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover for selectively covering a release means of a seatbelt, the cover comprising: first and second cover parts capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the release means; and cover release means for securing the first cover part to the second cover part, the cover release means including

a first release member associated with the first cover part and a second release member associated with the second cover part; wherein one of the first and second cover parts is releasably securable to the seatbelt.

The one of the first and second cover parts may be releasably securable to a housing of the seatbelt by, for example, hook and loop fasteners (eg, VELCRO TM), adhesive or the like.

Preferably, the first and second cover parts are securable releasably to each other by means of a hinge or are formed as one piece moulding connected by a living hinge.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figs. 1A and 1B are perspective illustrations of a cover for a seatbelt release means in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the cover in open and closed positions, respectively; Fig. 1C is a view of the cover in the open position of Fig. 1A, showing its relationships with a buckle and tongue of a conventional seatbelt; Figs. 2A and 2B are front and back views, respectively, of the cover of Figs 1A and 1B, shown in the closed position;

Figs. 3A and 3B are bottom and top views, respectively, of the cover of Figs. 1A and 1B, shown in the closed position; Figs. 4A and 4B are left and right side views. respectively, of the cover of Figs. 1A and 1B, shown in the closed position ; and Figs. SA and 5B are perspective views of a cover for a seatbelt release means in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, showing the cover in open and closed positions, respectively.

Referring initially to Figs. 1A and 1B, there are shown perspective illustrations of a cover, indicated generally by reference numeral 10, for a seatbelt release means, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cover is shown in Fig. 1A in an open position and in Fig. 1B in a closed position.

Referring now also to Fig. 1C, there is shown an illustration of the cover 10 in the open position of Fig. 1A, illustrating its relationship with a female housing in the form of a buckle 12 of a seatbelt and a male portion in the form of a tongue 14 of a seatbelt. It will be noted that the cover 10 may either be located around the buckle 12 prior to insertion of the tongue 14, or may be coupled to the buckle 12 following insertion of a latch 16 of the tongue 14 through an aperture 15 of the cover 10 and into a receiving slot 18 of the buckle 12. The buckle 12 is

mounted by a strap 13 whilst the tongue 14 is coupled to a seatbelt strap 15. The seatbelt is of a conventional type known in the art, and its operation will not be described in more detail herein.

When the cover 10 is located in the buckle 12 with the tongue 14 engaged in the receiving slot 18, the cover 10 acts to cover release means in the form of a release button 20 of a release mechanism housed within the buckle 12.

This is shown in particular in Fig 2A. Normally, the release button 20 is depressed to release the tongue 14.

It will be understood that the invention is therefore particularly advantageous in preventing a small child, restrained by the seatbelt, from depressing the release button 20 and becoming released from the seatbelt.

The cover 10 will now be described in more detail with reference also to Figs. 2A-4B, which are front, back, bottom, top, left side and right side views, respectively, of the cover 10 in the closed position of Fig. 1B.

The cover 10 is typically of a resilient, moulded plastics material such as ABS. The cover 10, as best shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, generally comprises first and second cover parts 22 and 24 which are pivotally connected through a hinge 26, for movement between the open and closed positions. As noted above, in the closed position of Fig. 1B, the cover 10 covers the release button 20 of the seatbelt. Cover release means, generally indicated by

reference numeral 28, are provided for securing the first cover part 22 to the second cover part 24, and in the closed position, the cover parts 22 and 24 together define a housing which partly surround the buckle 12 of the seatbelt.

The cover release means 28 includes a first release member 30 formed integrally with the first cover part 22 and a second release member 32 formed integrally with the second cover part 24. The release members 30 and 32 are adapted to be operated by first and second digits of a user to release or engage the cover release means 28, to move the cover 10 between the open and closed positions of Figs. 1A and 1B. The first release member 30 comprises a loop for receiving, typically, a finger of a user whilst the second release member 32 comprises a lever. It will be noted that both the first and second release members 30 and 32 extend away from the cover parts 22 and 24. This provides a lever action to assist in opening of the cover 10. To assist the user in gripping the release members, ridges 34 are provided on surfaces of the loop 30 and the lever 32.

A ratchet assembly 36 secures the first cover part 22 to the second cover part 24 when in the closed position of Fig. 1B, and locks the cover 10 in the closed position. The ratchet assembly 36 includes oppositely directed ratchet teeth 38 and 40 formed on the cover parts 22 and

24, respectively. The ratchet teeth 38 are carried by a body 42 of the loop 30, whilst the ratchet teeth 40 are provided on a lower edge 44 of the second cover part 24.

This arrangement advantageously allows the user to move the cover 10 from the closed position of Fig. 1B to the open position of Fig. 1A in a one-handed operation.

This is achieved by the user locating a finger in the loop 30 and pushing against the lever 34 with his/her thumb.

This tends to cause the ratchet teeth 38/40 to move out of engagement, allowing the second cover part 24 to be rotated about the hinge 26 in the direction of the arrow A (Fig.

1A). Construction of the cover from a resilient material allows repeated movement of the cover 10 between the open and closed positions, as desired.

The hinge 26 is shown in more detail in Figs. 2A and 2B. The hinge 26 includes a sleeve 46 formed on the first cover part 22 and a sleeve 48 formed on the second cover part 24. A pin 50 (Fig. 1A) is located within the sleeves 46 and 48 to locate the cover parts 22 and 24 relative to one another and to allow rotation between the open and closed positions. The hinge 26 is separable, to allow the second cover part 24 to be removed from engagement with the first cover part 22, when the cover 10 is in the open position of Fig. 1A. This is simply achieved by sliding the second cover part 24 laterally in the direction of the arrow C (Fig. 2A) with respect to the first cover part 22.

Furthermore, the first cover part 22 may, if desired, be secured to the buckle 12 of the seatbelt, for example by hook and loop fasteners, adhesive or by other suitable means, such that the first cover part 22 is retained on the seatbelt following removal of the second cover part 24.

This may allow the seatbelt to be used in a normal fashion, for example when an adult wishes to wear the seatbelt.

To prevent lateral movement of the first cover part 22 relative to the second cover part 24, in the direction of the arrow B (Fig. 1A) a tongue 52 is formed on the first cover part 22 which, when the cover 10 is in the closed position, locates under a side wall 54 of the second cover part 24, as shown in particular in Figs. 3A and 3B. In addition, a small flange 53 is provided lowermost on the edge 44 of the second cover part 24. This both assists in preventing such lateral movement and provides torsional stiffness for the cover when in the closed position.

Also, shoulders 56 and 58 are formed on the second cover part 24, for abutting a flange 60 (Fig. 1C) of the tongue 14, to prevent the entire cover 10 from being moved laterally along the seatbelt after it has been closed around the buckle 12.

Referring now to Figs. 5A and 5B, there is shown a cover 100 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Like components with the cover 10 share the same reference numerals incremented by 100. The

cover 100 is substantially the same as the cover 10 of Figs. 1A to 4A. However, a second cover part 124 of the cover 100 includes a frangible wall portion 62. A loop 64 is provided at a lower end of the wall portion 62 which may be gripped by the user. This frangible portion, defined by lines of weakness 66 in the second cover part 124, may be broken away in the event of an emergency, by grasping the loop 64 and ripping or tearing the portion 62 away from the second cover part 124. This allows access to a release button covered by the cover 100 for emergency release.

Various modifications may be made to the foregoing within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the cover may be of an alternative plastics, resilient metal, composite or other material. The release members 30/32 may be of other suitable form and/or may be provided in alternative locations on the cover 10. The cover 10 may be operated in a two-handed operation. Means other than a hinge may be provided for coupling the cover parts 22/24 together, for example, male/female pins/sockets, engaging teeth or the like. The cover may be one-piece, for example, a one-piece plastics moulding including a living hinge.

Claims

1. A cover for selectively covering a release means of a seatbelt, the cover comprising: first and second cover parts capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the seatbelt release means; and cover release means for securing the first cover part to the second cover part, the cover release means including a first release member associated with the first cover part and a second release member associated with the second cover part ; wherein the first and second release members are adapted to be operated by respective at least first and second digits of a user to release the cover release means and uncover the seatbelt release means.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second release members are adapted to be operated by at least first and second digits of a single hand of a user.

3. A cover as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first and second cover parts, when secured together, define a cover including an aperture for receiving a male tongue part of a seatbelt.

4. A cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover is adapted to be located on a female housing part of the seatbelt prior to insertion of the male tongue part.

5. A cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover is adapted to be secured around a female housing part of the seatbelt following insertion of the male tongue part.

6. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second release members are formed integrally with the respective first and second cover parts.

7. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first release member comprises a loop and the second release member comprises a lever.

8. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover release means further comprises a ratchet assembly comprising ratchet teeth provided on the first and second cover parts, which ratchet teeth are engageable to secure the first cover part to the second cover part.

9. A cover as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ratchet teeth of the first cover part are provided on the first release member whilst the ratchet teeth of the second cover part are provided on a body of the second cover part.

10. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover is made of a resilient material.

11. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first release member is movable relative to the first cover part, and the second release member is movable to urge the ratchet teeth of the second cover part out of engagement with the ratchet teeth of the first cover part.

12. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover further comprises means for preventing lateral movement of the cover along a strap of the seatbelt in at least one direction.

13. A cover as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for preventing lateral movement comprises shoulders formed on one of the first and second cover parts for engaging a male tongue part of the seatbelt when the first and second cover parts are secured together.

14. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover further comprises means for preventing lateral movement of the first and second cover parts with respect to each other, which means comprises one or more flanges or shoulders formed on one or both of the first and second cover parts, said flanges or shoulders being adapted to

abut part of the respective other one of the first and second cover parts to prevent lateral movement.

15. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second cover parts are securable releasably to each other by means of a hinge, to allow one of the first and second cover parts to be released from the other.

16. A cover as claimed in claim 15, when dependent upon claim 14, wherein the hinge forms at least part of the means to prevent lateral movement of the first and second parts relative to each other.

17. A cover as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the first and second cover parts are formed in one piece and joined by a living hinge.

18. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one of the first and second cover parts are releasably securable to part of the seatbelt.

19. A cover as claimed in claim 18, wherein the cover part is adapted to be secured to part of the seatbelt by means selected from the group comprising hook and loop type fasteners, adhesive, and one or more mechanical fasteners.

20. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover includes a frangible portion provided in one of the first and second cover parts, which frangible portion is breakable in the event of an emergency to allow access to the release means.

21. A cover for selectively covering a release means of a seatbelt, the cover comprising: first and second cover parts capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the release means; and cover release means for securing the first cover part to the second cover part, the cover release means including a first release member associated with the first cover part and a second release member associated with the second cover part; wherein one of the first and second cover parts is releasably securable to the seatbelt.

22. A seatbelt assembly comprising: a seatbelt having seatbelt release means; and a cover for selectively covering the release means, the cover comprising first and second cover parts capable of being coupled together to selectively cover the release means; and cover release means for securing the first cover part to the second cover part, the cover release means including a first release member associated with the first

cover part and a second release member associated with the second cover part ; wherein the first and second release members are adapted to be operated by respective at least first and second digits of a user to release the cover release means and uncover the release means.

23. A cover substantially as described herein, with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1A to 4B.

24. A cover substantially as described herein, with reference to and as shown in Figs. 5A and 5B.