US20240180299A1

US20240180299A1 - Seat belt locking buckle

Info

Publication number: US20240180299A1
Application number: US18/239,877
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-yuan Wu
Original assignee: Taiwan Racing Products Co Ltd
Current assignee: Taiwan Racing Products Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-01
Filing date: 2023-08-30
Publication date: 2024-06-06
Also published as: TWM639815U

Abstract

A seat belt locking buckle may include a locking buckle and a buckle clip. The locking buckle has a connecting hole at one end to be inserted by the buckle clip; the locking buckle is pivotally connected to a pulling member which is adapted to engage with and secure the buckle clip, and the buckle clip comprises a first penetrated portion at one end, and an elongated tongue portion at the other end to form a horizontal T-shape. Two sides of the tongue are non-parallel to form two sloping edges respectively, and two sloping edges taper gradually from the first penetrated portion toward the end of the tongue to form the tongue in tapered shape, and a hook hole is formed on the narrow end of the tongue to fasten the pulling member thereon.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a seat belt and more particularly to a seat belt locking buckle for racing cars with quick insertion and release.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Seat belts are used to prevent passengers and drivers of vehicles, such as cars, from being thrown off their seats during collisions or impacts. They secure individuals in place and help minimize the risk of rejection, reducing the potential for secondary injuries. Different types of seat belts are available to meet various requirements for user protection. Common designs include lap belts, which fasten across the waist, as well as other types like three-point, four-point and five-point harness, and the five-point harness is commonly used in motorsports vehicles for enhanced safety. Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 , the seat belt locking buckle comprises a tongue (50) and an engaging member (not shown in FIGS.), and the tongue (50) has an engaging portion (51). The sides of the engaging portion (51) are parallel to each other, forming an evenly spaced structure. The five-point harness also links to two upper engaging pieces (60) of two upper seat belts (not shown in FIGS.) and to two lower engaging pieces (70) of two lower seat belts (not shown in FIGS.). The engaging portion (51) of the tongue (50) is adapted to pass through the through holes of the upper engaging pieces (60) and the lower engaging pieces (70), and to engage with the engaging member, so as to connect the five straps from the shoulders, around the hips, and both sides of the abdomen to the position near the user's abdomen, thereby tightening the body and offering the protection and cushioning for the user.
However, the conventional seat belt locking buckle has following disadvantages: (i) due to the opposing pulling forces of the upper and the lower engaging pieces (60)(70), their predetermined holes will not align completely, and the design of the latch (51) having its parallel and equally spaced sides, lacks guiding effect, which makes it prone to collision between the upper and lower engaging pieces (60)(70), thus losing the effect of quick fastening; (ii) when releasing the seat belt, due to the parallel and equally spaced design, it can still easily interfere between the upper and the lower engaging pieces (60)(70), so that the latch (51) cannot be easily pulled out, significantly prolonging the release time of the seatbelt in emergency situations such as collisions or serious accidents like vehicle rollovers. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a seat belt locking buckle to overcome the problems presented above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a seat belt locking buckle comprising a locking buckle and a buckle clip. The locking buckle has a first long hole at one end thereof to secure a first horizontal safety belt, and a connecting hole is formed at the other end of the locking buckle to be inserted by the buckle clip. The locking buckle is pivotally connected to a pulling member which is adapted to engage with and secure the buckle clip. The buckle clip comprises a first penetrated portion at one end, and an elongated tongue portion at the other end to form a horizontal T-shape. The first penetrated portion has a third long hole to position a second horizontal safety belt, and two sides of the tongue are non-parallel to form two sloping edges respectively. The two sloping edges taper gradually from the first penetrated portion toward the end of the tongue to form the tongue in tapered shape, and a hook hole is formed on the narrow end of the tongue to fasten the pulling member thereon.
In one embodiment, a lower belt buckle formed in an inverted T-shape comprises a lower penetrated portion at the lower end and an engaging portion at the upper end, and a fifth long hole is formed on the lower penetrated portion to securely attach to a crotch safety belt thereon; the engaging portion is rotated 90 degrees from the surface of lower penetrated portion to be perpendicular each other, and a sixth long hole axially penetrating through the engaging portion is adapted to be penetrated through by the tongue of the buckle clip, and the lower belt buckle is securely fastened on the locking buckle through the buckle clip.
In another embodiment, each of two upper belt buckles formed in L-shape comprises an upper penetrated portion and a second penetrated portion, and the upper penetrated portion has a seventh long hole to secure a chest belt; the surface of the second penetrated portion is formed perpendicular to the surface of the upper penetrated portion, and an eighth long hole axially penetrating through the second penetrated portion is configured to be penetrated through by the tongue of the buckle clip; and the upper belt buckle is securely fastened on the locking buckle through the buckle clip.
In still another embodiment, both of the sloping edges of the tongue are formed with a symmetrical taper within a range of 5 to 8 degrees.
Comparing with conventional seat belt locking buckle, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) with the design of the sloping edges of the tongue, when the buckle clip is engaged with the locking buckle to secure the safety belts, the sloping edges are adapted to smoothly penetrate through the cooperating long holes, which enhances the convenience of fastening the safety belt; and (ii) when releasing the buckle clip from the locking buckle, the sloping edges are configured to utilize in guiding the tongue out of the long holes, so as to achieve the quick-releasing effect and increase the escape time after the accident.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional assembly view of a seat belt locking buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a buckle clip of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the buckle clip is not engaged with a locking buckle of the seat belt locking buckle in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the buckle clip sequentially penetrates through a plurality of long holes of the seat belt locking buckle in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the buckle clip passes through the long holes of the seat belt locking buckle in the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the buckle clip is not engaged with the locking buckle in the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the buckle clip is engaged with the locking buckle in the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a five-point safety belt of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention is fastened.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a three-dimensional view of the second embodiment of the buckle clip of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the second embedment illustrating the five-point safety belt of the seat belt locking buckle of the present invention is fastened.

FIG. 13 is a prior.

FIG. 14 is a prior.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.
All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
In order to further understand the goal, characteristics and effect of the present invention, a number of embodiments along with the drawings are illustrated as following:
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 , the present invention provides a seat belt locking buckle comprising a locking buckle (10) and a buckle clip (20). The locking buckle (10) has a first long hole (11) at one end thereof to secure a first horizontal safety belt (111), and a connecting hole (12) is formed at the other end of the locking buckle (10) to be inserted by the buckle clip (20). The locking buckle (10) is pivotally connected to a pulling member (13) which is adapted to engage with and secure the buckle clip (20). The buckle clip (20) comprises a first penetrated portion (21) at one end, and an elongated tongue portion (22) at the other end to form a horizontal T-shape. The first penetrated portion (21) has a third long hole (211) to position a second horizontal safety belt (212), and two sides of the tongue (22) are non-parallel to form two sloping edges (221) respectively. The two sloping edges (221) taper gradually from the first penetrated portion (21) toward the end of the tongue (22) to form the tongue (22) in tapered shape, and a hook hole (222) is formed on the narrow end of the tongue (22) to fasten the pulling member (13) thereon.
Referring to FIG. 3 , both sloping edges (221) of the tongue (22) are formed with a symmetrical taper within a range of 5 to 8 degrees, with an optimal incline angle of 6 degrees.
In actual application, referring to FIGS. 4 to 9 , the locking buckle (10) and the buckle clip (20) are securely attached to the first horizontal safety belt (111) and the second horizontal safety belt (212) thereon respectively, forming a two-point type safety belt, and it can also be combined with a lower belt buckle (30) to form a three-point safety belt, and further complemented with two upper belt buckles (40) to form a five-point safety belt. This embodiment utilizes a five-point safety belt as a practical usage pattern, but it should be considered as a limitation. There are possibilities for various configurations beyond this example. The lower belt buckle (30) of the five-point safety belt formed in an inverted T-shape comprises a lower penetrated portion (31) at the lower end and an engaging portion (32) at the upper end, and a fifth long hole (311) is formed on the lower penetrated portion (31) to securely attach to a crotch safety belt (312) thereon. The engaging portion (32) is rotated 90 degrees from the surface of lower penetrated portion (31) to be perpendicular each other, and a sixth long hole (321) axially penetrating through the engaging portion (32) is adapted to be penetrated through by the tongue (22) of the buckle clip (20). Each of the upper belt buckles (40) formed in L-shape comprises an upper penetrated portion (41) and a second penetrated portion (42), and the upper penetrated portion (41) has a seventh long hole (411) to secure a chest belt (412). The surface of the second penetrated portion (42) is formed perpendicular to the surface of the upper penetrated portion (41), and an eighth long hole (421) axially penetrating through the second penetrated portion (42) is configured to be penetrated through by the tongue (22) of the buckle clip (20). When the safety belt is actually worn and tightened, the tongue (22) of the buckle clip (20) is secured by sequentially passing the sixth long hole (321) of the lower belt buckle (30), the eighth long holes (421) of the two upper belt buckles (40) and inserting into the connecting hole (12) of the locking buckle (10), and the pulling member (13) is engaged with the hook hole (222), so that the lower belt buckle (30) and the upper belt buckles (40) are secured with the locking buckle (10), so as to achieve the buckle-tightened state of the five-point safety belt, thereby ensuring the safety of the driver during driving.
In one embodiment, with the two sloping edges (221) taper gradually from the first penetrated portion (21) toward the end of the tongue (22) to form the tongue (22) in tapered shape, when the tongue (22) is effectively guided by the sloping edges (221) to complete the inserting process, thereby enhancing the convenience of fastening the safety belt. Also, before the safety belt is fastened, the gaps are formed between the sixth long hole (321) and the eighth long holes (421), and the sloping edges (221), so as to allow for slight adjustments to the tightness of the safety belt, thereby enhancing the comfort of wearing.
Moreover, the first horizontal safety belt (111), the second horizontal safety belt (212), the crotch safety belt (312), and two chest belts (412) are fastened through the buckle clip (20) and the locking buckle (10) to tightly secure the user, which effectively enhancing the stability of the user during driving. The locking buckle (10) and the buckle clip (20) have pulling force in opposite horizontal direction, and the upper edge of the sixth long hole (321) of the lower belt buckle (30) is abutted against one sloping edge (221) of the tongue (22) to create a downward force, while the lower edges of the eighth long holes (421) of the upper belt buckles (40) are pressed against the other sloping edge (221) of the tongue (22) to generate an upward force, so that the buckle clip (20) are pulled from at least three directions, leading to interference among the buckle clip (20), the lower belt buckle (30), and the two upper belt buckles (40). However, with the design of the sloping edges (221) of the tongue (22), when the locking buckle (10) releases the fastening state of the buckle clip (20) through loosening the pulling member (13), the interference between the sloping edge (221) and the sixth long hole (321) and between the sloping edge (221) and the eighth long holes (421) are released to form the gaps, and the sloping edges (221) have guiding effect so that the tongue (22) is easily pulled out from the sixth long hole (321) and the eighth long holes (421) by the horizontal force of the safety belt, thereby achieving the quick-releasing effect of the safety belt. Thus, it helps to increase the escape time after the accident and greatly improve the safety of the use of the seat belts.
In another embodiment, referring to FIGS. 10 to 12 , two ends of the locking buckle (10) are respectively bent to form two first side plates (14) on the upper and lower ends of the first long hole (11) at symmetric positions, and each of the two first side plates (14) has a second long hole (141) thereon which are located symmetrically. Also, a first engaging rod (15) installed between the two second long holes (141) of the first side plates (14) is slidable along the second long holes (141), and the first engaging rod (15) is cooperated with the first long hole (11) to adjust and secure the first horizontal safety belt (111). Two ends of the buckle clip (20) are respectively bent to form two second side plates (23) on the upper and lower ends of the first penetrated portion (21) at symmetric positions, and each of the second side plates (23) has a fourth long hole (231) thereon which are located symmetrically. A second engaging rod (24) installed between the two fourth long holes (231) of the second side plates (23) is slidable along the fourth long holes (231), and the second engaging rod (24) is cooperated with the third long hole (211) to adjust and secure the second horizontal safety belt (212).
Comparing with conventional seat belt locking buckle, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) with the design of the sloping edges (221) of the tongue (22), when the buckle clip (20) is engaged with the locking buckle (10) to secure the safety belts, the sloping edges (221) are adapted to smoothly penetrate through the cooperating long holes, which enhances the convenience of fastening the safety belt; and (ii) when releasing the buckle clip (20) from the locking buckle (10), the sloping edges (221) are configured to utilize in guiding the tongue (22) out of the long holes, so as to achieve the quick-releasing effect and increase the escape time after the accident.
Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A seat belt locking buckle comprising a locking buckle and a buckle clip;

wherein the locking buckle has a connecting hole at one end to be inserted by the buckle clip; the locking buckle is pivotally connected to a pulling member which is adapted to engage with and secure the buckle clip; the buckle clip comprises a first penetrated portion at one end, and an elongated tongue portion at the other end to form a horizontal T-shape; two sides of the tongue are non-parallel to form two sloping edges respectively, and two sloping edges taper gradually from the first penetrated portion toward the end of the tongue to form the tongue in tapered shape, and a hook hole is formed on the narrow end of the tongue to fasten the pulling member thereon.

2. The seat belt locking buckle of claim 1, wherein a lower belt buckle formed in an inverted T-shape comprises a lower penetrated portion at the lower end and an engaging portion at the upper end, and a fifth long hole is formed on the lower penetrated portion to securely attach to a crotch safety belt thereon; the engaging portion is rotated 90 degrees from the surface of lower penetrated portion to be perpendicular each other, and a sixth long hole axially penetrating through the engaging portion is adapted to be penetrated through by the tongue of the buckle clip, and the lower belt buckle is securely fastened on the locking buckle through the buckle clip.

3. The seat belt locking buckle of claim 1, wherein each of two upper belt buckles formed in L-shape comprises an upper penetrated portion and a second penetrated portion, and the upper penetrated portion has a seventh long hole to secure a chest belt; the surface of the second penetrated portion is formed perpendicular to the surface of the upper penetrated portion, and an eighth long hole axially penetrating through the second penetrated portion is configured to be penetrated through by the tongue of the buckle clip; and the upper belt buckle is securely fastened on the locking buckle through the buckle clip.

4. The seat belt locking buckle of claim 1, wherein both of the sloping edges of the tongue are formed with a symmetrical taper within a range of 5 to 8 degrees.