EP0519296A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Belt buckle with interlocking dual tongue and floating peg
Assignee: Indiana Mills and Manufacturing Inc
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Filing: 1992-06-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-06-09
Abstract
Abstract A seat belt buckle with a pair of buckle tongues (101,102). The buckle includes a spring mechanism movable within the buckle housing from a position blocking engagement of a latch (17) when a single tongue is inserted to a position away from the latch when both tongues (101,102) are inserted allowing the latch (17) to engage the tongues. In one embodiment, a latch indicator is slidably mounted to the buckle push button in the buckle cover and includes a lower end contacting the latch. The indicator (172) is movable from a position flush with the buckle push button (32) when the latch is not engaged with the tongues to an upraised position over the button when the latch moves up and engages the tongues (101,102). The tongues have mating portions, but are separable.
Inventors
- 👤 James R. Anthony
- 👤 Michael A. Wiseman
- 👤 Allan R. Lortz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:40
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44B; A44B11/00; A44B11/25; A44B11/2503; A44B11/2546; A44B11/2549; A44B11/2507; A44B11/2511; A44B11/2561; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S24/00; Y10S24/30; Y10S24/31; Y10S24/35; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45005; Y10T24/45079; Y10T24/45084; Y10T24/45225; Y10T24/45602; Y10T24/45607; Y10T24/45613; Y10T24/45618; Y10T24/45623; Y10T24/4566; Y10T24/4567; Y10T24/45675
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A belt buckle-tongue combination comprising: a buckle main body; tongue means insertable along a plane into said buckle main body with said tongue means releasable lockable with said buckle main body; a latch positioned in said main body and held captive therein, said latch movable in a linear direction between a latched position with said tongue means and an unlatched position; a floating peg slidably mounted to said main body and oriented so that the axis of said peg is aligned with the direction of linear motion of said latch when said latch moves between said latched and said unlatched position; first means operably associated with said peg and said latch to move said peg to move said said latch back and forth between said latched position and said unlatched position; and guide means mounted within said main body for defining an axis of movement for said peg and limiting movement of said latch, said guide means receiving said peg therein to confine movement of said peg along a single axis and limit said latch from assuming a position askew to said plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
The combination of claim 1 including false latching means movably mounted in said body and contactable and moved by said tongue means when inserted into said body, said false latching means being operable to allow said latch to lockingly engage said tongue means when said tongue means is in a first condition and inserted into said body and further operable to hold said latch from locking engagement with said tongue means when said tongue means is in a second condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
258 words
A belt buckle-tongue combination comprising: buckle tongue means of elongate shape extending in a plane; a buckle main body having a cavity therein to slidably receive said tongue means; a movable latch mounted in said body and movable in a linear direction for engaging said tongue means inserted in the body; a peg slidably mounted in said main body; manual operating means accessible at the exterior of the body and engagable with said peg being movable to move said peg and said latch in said linear direction and relative to said tongue means; bushing means within said main body for defining an axis of movement in said linear direction for said peg, said bushing means receiving said peg to confine movement of said peg along a single axis to limit motion of said latch relative to said plane; first spring means being operable to normally apply force against said movable latch to move same into engagement with said tongue means when inserted into the body in a first condition but yieldable to allow movement of said movable latch away from said tongue means; and, false latching means movably mounted in said body and contactable and moved by said tongue means when inserted into said body, said false latching means being operable to allow said latch to lockingly engage said tongue means when said tongue means is in a first condition and inserted into said body and further operable to hold said latch from locking engagement with said tongue means when said tongue means is in a second condition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The combination of claim 3 wherein: said peg includes a longitudinal axis extending upwardly from said plane with said peg resting atop but being separate from said latch, said peg extending to a position beneath but spaced apart from said manual operating means when said tongue means is located external of said main body, said manual operating means operable to contact said peg when depressed and force said peg downwardly to move said latch downwardly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The combination of claim 4 wherein: said false latching means includes a first member and a second member pivotally and slidably mounted within said main body, said false latching means further including a plurality of springs located between said main body and said first member and said second member which are in a side by side relationship.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
321 words
A belt buckle tongue combination comprising: buckle tongue means of elongate shape; a buckle main body having a cavity therein to slidably receive said tongue means; a movable latch mounted in said body for engaging said tongue means inserted in the body; manual operating means accessible at the exterior of the body and being movable to move said latch relative to said tongue means; first spring means being operable to normally apply force against said movable latch to move same into engagement with said tongue means when inserted into the body in a first condition but yieldable to allow movement of said movable latch away from said tongue means; and, false latching means movably mounted in said body and contactable and moved by said tongue means when inserted into said body, said false latching means being operable to allow said latch to lockingly engage said tongue means when said tongue means is in a first condition and inserted into said body and further operable to hold said latch from locking engagement with said tongue means when said tongue means is in a second condition and wherein: said tongue means includes a pair of tongues; said false latching means contacts and holds said latch from locking engagement when only one of said tongues is inserted into said main body; and said false latching means includes a first member, a second member, and member spring means with said member spring means normally urging said first member and said second member against said latch but yieldable to allow said first member to pivotally and slidably move away from said latch when contacted and moved by one of said tongues while said second member remains against said latch holding same away from locking engagement until contacted and pivotally and slidably moved by the other of said tongues away from said latch allowing said latching means to move into locking engagement with said pair of tongues.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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