Seat belt buckle assembly

Claim 2

A buckle assembly comprising: a support structure, latching means movably supported by said support structure for latching engagement with a tongue in a latched position and movable to a release position for releasing the tongue; and control means reacting with said latching means for preventing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a predetermined force and for allowing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a lesser force having less magnitude than said predetermined force, said control means including a fluid chamber and fluid flow control means for limiting fluid communication with the interior of said chamber in response to the application of said predetermined force and for allowing sufficient fluid communication with said chamber in response to the application of said lesser force to allow said latching means to move to said release position.

Claim 3

A buckle assembly comprising: a support structure, latching means movably supported by said support structure for latching engagement with a tongue in a latched position and movable to a release position for releasing the tongue; and control means reacting with said latching means for preventing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a predetermined force and for allowing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a lesser force having less magnitude than said predetermined force, said control means including a fluid chamber and fluid flow control means for limiting fluid communication with the interior of said chamber in response to the application of said predetermined force and for allowing sufficient fluid communication with said chamber in response to the application of said lesser force to allow said latching means to move to said release position, said fluid flow control means including an opening in said chamber and a flap normally disposed over said opening for sealing said opening in response to a sudden rise in pressure in said chamber resulting from the application of said predetermined force and for allowing fluid flow through said opening during the application of said lesser force.

Claim 4

A buckle assembly comprising: a support structure, latching means movably supported by said support structure for latching engagement with a tongue in a latched position and movable to a release position for releasing the tongue; and control means reacting with said latching means for preventing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a predetermined force and for allowing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a lesser force having less magnitude than said predetermined force, said control means including a fluid chamber and fluid flow control means for limiting fluid communication with the interior of said chamber in response to the application of said predetermined force and for allowing sufficient fluid communication with said chamber in response to the application of said lesser force to allow said latching means to move to said release position, said fluid flow control means including an opening in said chamber and a flap normally disposed over said opening for sealing said opening in response to a sudden rise in pressure in said chamber resulting from the application of said predetermined force and for allowing fluid flow through said opening during the application of said lesser force.

Claim 5

An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support means includes a wall, said wall having said opening therein, a diaphragm disposed in sealing engagement with said wall, said wall and said diaphragm defining said chamber.

Claim 6

A buckle assembly comprising: a support structure, latching means movably supported by said support structure for latching engagement with a tongue in a latched position and movable to a release position for releasing the tongue; and control means reacting with said laTching means for preventing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a predetermined force and for allowing movement of said latching means to release position upon the application thereto of a lesser force having less magnitude than said predetermined force, said control means including a fluid chamber and fluid flow control means for limiting fluid communication with the interior of said chamber in response to the application of said predetermined force and for allowing sufficient fluid communication with said chamber in response to the application of said lesser force to allow said latching means to move to said release position, said latching means including a latch member and manually actuated means operatively connected to said latch member for moving said latch member to said release position.

Claim 7

A buckle assembly comprising: a support structure, latching means movably supported by said support structure for latching engagement with a tongue in a latched position and movable to a release position for releasing the tongue; and control means reacting with said laTching means for preventing movement of said latching means to said release position upon the application thereto of a predetermined force and for allowing movement of said latching means to release position upon the application thereto of a lesser force having less magnitude than said predetermined force, said control means including a fluid chamber and fluid flow control means for limiting fluid communication with the interior of said chamber in response to the application of said predetermined force and for allowing sufficient fluid communication with said chamber in response to the application of said lesser force to allow said latching means to move to said release position, said latching means including a latch member and manually actuated means operatively connected to said latch member for moving said latch member to said release position.

Claim 8

An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said latching means further includes biasing means reacting between said support means and said latch member for urging the latter toward said latched position.

Claim 9

An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said manually actuated means includes a push button movably supported by said support means.

Claim 10

An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said support means comprises a housing having an aperture thereinto, a cavity extending into said housing from said aperture to a wall opposite said aperture, a slot extending thereinto from the exterior thereof to said cavity for receiving a tongue, and means for attachment to a seat belt or the like; said latch member comprises an elongated latch bar disposed in said cavity; said housing including surfaces in said cavity extending from said wall toward said aperture for limiting movement of said latch bar to movement substantially parallel to said surfaces; said push button being positioned in said cavity for moving said latch bar between said latched position for engaging and retaining a tongue in said cavity and said release position for allowing the tongue to be removed from said cavity; said biasing means comprises a biasing member urging said latch bar to move to said latched position; said biasing member being positioned on one side of said latch bar and said push button being positioned on the other side of said latch bar; and a cap connected to said housing and disposed over said aperture; one of said cap and said wall having an aperture therein overlying said push button for access to said push button and said biasing member reacting against the other of said cap and said wall.

Claim 11

An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the side of said latch bar on which said push button is positioned includes an inclined ramp extending upwardly in a direction away from said slot in said housing whereby a tongue having a recess to define a shoulder may be inserted through said slot to engage said ramp to move said latch bar toward the release position until the shoulder passes thereover and the latch bar moves to the latched position where the shoulder is disposed behind said ramp to retain the tongue in said housing.