GB2455131A

GB2455131A - An anti-tamper device

Info

Publication number: GB2455131A
Application number: GB0723423A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Sinclair Hanks; Kevin James Phelps
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-30
Filing date: 2007-11-30
Publication date: 2009-06-03
Also published as: GB0723423D0; WO2009068903A1

Abstract

An anti-tamper device 26 is described for use with a seat-belt clasp (18) and buckle (14) of the type in which the buckle has a narrowed tongue (16) projecting from a belt loop (12) and the clasp has an opening 22 into which the tongue can be lockably inserted and a release element 24 that is manually operable to unlock the buckle from the clasp. A first portion 28 of the device has an aperture (58) through which the tongue can be inserted into the opening in the clasp to that, when the tongue is locked in the clasp, the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop of the buckle. A second portion 30 is mounted relative to the first portion for movement between a closed position in which, when the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop, the second portion covers the release element, and an open position in which the release element is accessible.

Description

TITLE

Anti-tamper device for automobile seat-belts

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to anti-tamper devices for automobile seat-belts.

Seat-belts are employed in automobiles both for directly restraining an occupant in their seat and also for restraining a baby- seat on the automobile seat, the baby then being restrained in the baby-seat by the baby-seat's own restraint system. Problems can arise with children playing with seat-belts and undoing them. A child might undo their own seat-belt. If sitting on the back-seat alongside a baby-seat, they might undo the seat-belt restraining the baby-seat.

Obviously, driving with unrestrained children is dangerous, and driving with a baby in an unrestrained baby-seat is even more dangerous because in the event of an impact the baby is subjected to the dissipation of not only their own kinetic energy but also that of the baby-seat.

Furthermore, in many countries driving with unrestrained children and baby-seats leaves the driver open to criminal prosecution.

It is known to provide an anti-tamper device for a seat-belt clasp. Patent document US4987662 describes such a device in the form of hinged housing. One half of the housing is permanently fixed to the clasp. The other half of the housing can be moved between an open position in which it provides access to the release button of the clasp, and a closed position in which it covers the release button to prevent access to it. The device is held in the closed position by a child-proof locking arrangement.

A problem with the device of US4987662 is that it needs to be permanently attached to the clasp. Accordingly, the device gets in the way when child-proofmg of the seat-belt is not required. Also, there is a risk of unnecessary damage to the device when it is installed on the seat-belt clasp but not required.

The anti-tamper device of the present invention is intended for use with a seat-belt clasp and buckle of the type in which the buckle has a narrowed tongue projecting from a belt loop and the clasp has an opening into which the tongue can be lockably inserted and a release element that is manually operable to unlock the buckle from the clasp. In accordance with the present invention, the anti-tamper device comprises: a first portion having an aperture through which the tongue can be inserted into the opening in the clasp to that, when the tongue is locked in the clasp, the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop of the buckle; a second portion mounted relative to the first portion for movement between a closed position in which, when the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop, the second portion covers the release element, and an open position in which the release element is accessible; and a child-proof locking arrangement for releasably locking the first and second portions in the closed position. The device therefore fulfils the object of making the seat-belt tamper-proof by a child who is unable to operate the child-proof locking arrangement, but when the device is no longer required, it can simply be removed, when the seat-belt is undone, because the device is no longer trapped between the clasp and the belt loop, and the device can then be stored in a safe place.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second portions, when in the closed position, form an open-bottomed box having side-walls that surround the clasp and a top-wall in which the aperture is provided for receiving the tongue of the buckle. Nowadays, it is conventional for the release element of the clasp to be operable by manual depression in the direction in which the tongue is insertable into the clasp. In this case, in the preferred embodiment, the top-wall has first and second parts provided by the first and second portions, respectively; and upon movement from the closed position to the open position, the first and second parts of the top-wall separate to provide access to the release element.

The first and second portions are preferably mounted for relative translational movement between the open and closed positions.

The child-proof locking arrangement is preferably arranged to require concerted operation of at least two manually-operable elements to release the locking arrangement. The two manually-operable elements are preferably provided on the second portion, so that, in a single action they can be operated and the second portion can be moved relative to the first portion while the first portion is still trapped by the clasp and belt loop. The two manually-operable elements are preferably provided on opposite sides of the anti-tamper device and are arranged to be operated by mutual squeezing together.

As will be appreciated from the following detailed description, the anti-tamper device may be provided in its entirety by the first and second portions, each of which may be formed in its entirety by iijection moulding. A simple and inexpensive construction is therefore provided.

The invention also extends to an automobile having a seat-belt with a clasp and buckle of the type in which the buckle has a narrowed tongue projecting from a belt loop and the clasp has an opening into which the tongue can be lockably inserted and a release element that is manually operable to unlock the buckle from the clasp, and an anti-tamper device according to the invention.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1A&B are isometric views of first and second parts, respectively, of an anti-tamper device of the embodiment of the invention; Figure 2A-C are isometric views of the assembled device in, respectively, its open position, its closed position, and its closed position but with its locking arrangement unlocked; Figure 3A-3C are plan views of the device positioned over a seat-belt clasp with the device in, respectively, its open position, its closed position, and its closed position but with its locking arrangement unlocked, in Figures 3B and 3C the device being partly sectioned on the section line 3-3 shown in Figure 4; Figure 4 is a front view of the arrangement of Figure 3B and with a seat-belt buckle fitted to the clasp; and Figure 5 is a side view of the arrangement of Figure 4, with the device sectioned on the section line 5- 5 shown in Figure 3B.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, a conventional automobile seat-belt 10 has webbing 11 that passes through a loop 12 of a buckle 14 having a tongue 16 that can be locked into a clasp 18 attached to an anchor cable 20 fixed to the automobile structure. The buckle 14 is locked to the clasp 18 by inserting the tongue 16 into an opening 22 (Figure 3A) in the clasp 18, and the buckle 14 is released from the clasp 18 by manually depressing a release button 24 of the clasp 18 in the same direction as the direction of insertion of the tongue 16 into the opening 22.

Referring to Figures 1A to 2C, an anti-tamper device 26 for the seat-belt 10 is formed in its entirety by first and second parts 28,30 of injection-moulded plastics material. The first part 28 has a front-wall 32, a top-wall 33 projecting from the top of the front-wall 32, and a -4.

pair of guides 34 projecting from the sides of the front-wall 32. The second part 30 has a rear-wall 36, a top-wall 38 projecting from the top of the rear-wall 36, and a pair of side-walls 40 projecting from the sides of the rear-wall 36. Each side-wall 40 is formed with a guideway 42 in which a respective one of the guides 34 of the first part 28 can slide.

Referring for a moment to Figure 5, the distal end of each guide 34 is formed with a pair of pawis 44 which can engage with respective steps 46 in the respective guideway 42 to limit the separation of the first and second parts 28,30; due to the resilience of the plastics material of the first part 28, the pawls 44 can be forced past the steps 46 during assembly of the first and second parts 28,30, but thereafter the pawis 44 and steps 46 prevent the first and second parts 28,30 becoming completely separated during normal use.

Referring again to Figures 1A to 2C, each side-wall 40 of the second part 30 is fonned with a slot having a rectilinear U-shape so that a tab 48 is formed pointing towards the distal end of the side-wall 40 and a latching edge 50 is provided in the side-wall 40 opposite the distal end of the tab 48. Each guide 34 of the first part 28 is bifurcated, and a respective finger 52 extends from the front wall 32 between the bifurcations. Partway along each finger 52, an outwardly extending ramp 54 is formed having a sheer edge 56 facing towards the front wall 32. Accordingly, when the first and second parts 28,30 are assembled, they can be slid between an open position (Figure 2A) limited by the pawls 44 and steps 46, and a closed position (Figures 2B and 3B) in which the sheer edge 56 of each ramp 54 engages the latching edge 50 of the side-wall 40 so as to lock the device 26 automatically in the closed position. In order to return the device 26 to the open position, it is then necessary to squeeze the two tabs 48 in the side-walls 40 together against their natural resilience, which in turn bends the two fingers 52 towards each other against their natural resilience to that the sheer edges 56 of the ramp 54 clear the latching edges 50 of the side-wall 40 (Figures 2C and 3C). While squeezing the tabs 48, the second part 30 can be pulled away from the first part 28 so as to return to the open position (Figure 2A).

The top-wall 33 of the first part 28 is formed with a slot 58 of sufficient size to receive the tongue 16 of the seat-belt buckle 14. Also, the top-walls 33,38 of the first and second parts 28,30 are complementarily sized and shaped so that, when the device 26 is in its closed position, the distal edges of the top-walls 33,38 abut.

Referring to Figures 3A to 5, the device 26 is fitted to the seat-belt clasp 18 simply by slipping the device 26, in its closed position, over the clasp 18 so that the slot 58 in the top-wall 33 of the first part 28 is aligned with the opening 22 in the clasp 18 (Figure 3B) and so that the 5.

front-, rear-and side-walls 32,36,40 surround the upper portion of the clasp 18. The buckle 14 can then be locked to the clasp 18 by inserting the tongue 16 of the buckle 14 through the slot 58 into the opening 22 in the clasp 18. It should be noted that the slot 58 is only slightly longer than the width of the tongue 16 of the buckle 14 and is substantially shorter then the overall width of the buckle 14, so that the device 26 becomes trapped. It should also be noted that, with the device 26, in its closed position, trapped by the buckle 14 and clasp 18, the top-walls 33,38 of the first and second parts 28,30 and the rear-wall 36 of the second part 30 hide the release button 24 of the clasp 18 so that the seat-belt 10 cannot be undone (Figure 3B). In order to undo the seat-belt 10, it is first necessary to squeeze the tabs 48 of the second part 30 together simultaneously (Figures 2C and 3C), and simultaneously pull the second part 30 away from the first part 28 to place the device 26 in its the open position and produce a gap 60 between the top-walls 33,38 of the first and second parts 28,30 (Figure 3A). The release button 24 of the clasp 18 is then accessible and can be pressed in order to undo the seat-belt 10.

It should be noted that the embodiment of the invention has been described above purely by way of example and that many modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

(The reference numerals in the cLaims are not intended w limit the scope of the claims.) 1. An anti-tamper device (26) for use with a seat-belt clasp (18) and buckle (14) of the type in which the buckle has a narrowed tongue (16) projecting from a belt loop (12) and the clasp has an opening (22) into which the tongue can be lockably inserted and a release element (24) that is manually operable to unlock the buckle from the clasp, the anti-tamper device comprising: a first portion (28) having an aperture (58) through which the tongue can be inserted into the opening in the clasp to that, when the tongue is locked in the clasp, the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop of the buckle; a second portion (30) mounted relative to the first portion for movement between a cLosed position in which, when the first portion is trapped between the clasp and the belt loop, the second portion covers the release element, and an open position in which the release element is accessible; and a child-proof locking arrangement (48,50,54) for releasably locking the first and second portions in the closed position.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second portions, when in the closed position, form an open-bottomed box having side-walls (32,36,40) that surround the clasp and a top-wall (33,38) in which the aperture is provided.
3. A device as claimed in claim 2, and for use with such a clasp and buckle in which the release element is operable by manual depression in the direction in which the tongue is insertable into the clasp, wherein: the top-wall has first and second parts (33,38) provided by the first and second portions, respectively; and upon movement from the closed position to the open position, the first and second parts of the top-wall separate to provide access to the release element.
4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second portions are mounted for relative translational movement between the open and closed positions. -7.
5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the child-proof locking arrangement is arranged to require concerted operation of at least two manually-operable elements (48) to release the locking arrangement.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the two manually-operable elements are provided on the second portion.
7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the two manually-operable elements are provided on opposite sides of the anti-tamper device and are arranged to be operated by mutual squeezing together.
8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anti-tamper device is provided in its entirety by the first and second portions.
9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second portions are each formed in their entirety by injection moulding.
10. An anti-tamper device, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
11. An automobile having: a seat-belt (10) with a clasp (18) and buckle (14) of the type in which the buckle has a narrowed tongue (16) projecting from a belt loop (12) and the clasp has an opening (22) into which the tongue can be lockably inserted and a release element (24) that is manually operable to unlock the buckle from the clasp; and an anti-tamper device (26) as claimed in any preceding claim.