Multiple point buckle

Claim 2

A safety belt buckle for releasably receiving and securing a plurality of safety belt end connectors in random sequence, comprising a plurality of movable latch means, each pivotally mounted to said buckle and normally biased therein to locking position and independently movable to unlocked position by the receipt of an associated end connector, whereupon the latching means each returns to the locked position under the urging of the bias thereon to hold the associated end connector until released through the operation of a unitary actuating means; a tab extending from each of a plurality of said movable latch means for use in moving the associated latch means between locking and unlocked positions, and means for moveably mounting said unitary actuating means and said movable latch means relative to each other in said buckle so that said unitary actuating means is manually movable from an initial non-tab engaging position through a first tab engaging position wherein the tab of a first movable latching means is moved to release a first associated belt end connector and thereafter through a second tab engaging position wherein a tab of a second movable latch means is moved to release an associated second belt end connector to thereby cause a sequential release of the associated first and second releasably secured belt end connectors.

Claim 3

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein the tabs of two of the movable latch means are in overlying relationship, engagement of one of said tabs in overlying relationship by the actuating means moving both of said tabs in overlying relationship simultaneously to the unlocked position to simultaneously move the associated movable latch means to the unlocked position thereby simultaneously releasing the two associated end connectors and belts secured thereto from the housing.

Claim 4

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein the release means includes a shoe having a ramp surface, and a flat surface, said ramp surface engaging the tabs to move them between the positions, and said flat surface engaging the tabs after they have been moved to the unlocked position by the ramp surface, to maintain the tabs in the unlocked position.

Claim 5

The improvement as in claim 3 wherein the actuating means includes a knob slideably mounted to the buckle housing for manual movement between several positions, and means are provided for operably connecting the knob to the shoe to move the shoe between the positions when the knob is manually moved between its positions.

Claim 6

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein: detent means are additionally provided for indicating the position of the actuating means to facilitate the release of one or more of the connectors without the release of all of the connectors.

Claim 7

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein blocking means are provided at one oR more desired openings of the buckle for blocking such openings and therefore the insertion of a respective connector therethrough to change the five-point buckle to a four or three-point buckle when desired.

Claim 8

The improvement as in claim 6 wherein the associated blocking means includes a plate in the buckle adjacent the desired opening, said plate having a protrusion sized to mate with the desired opening in the buckle and to close the same.

Claim 9

In a safety belt buckle adapted to receive a plurality of belt end connectors in random sequence and for releasably securing the connectors when received in random sequence, said buckle including a plurality of movable latch means normally biased to locking position and independently movable to unlock position by the receipt of an associated end connector whereupon the latch means each return to the locked position under the urging of said bias to hold the associated end connector, the improvement comprising: a pair of tabs in overlying relationship associated with a pair of said latch means for causing said pair of latch means to move together to the unlock position simultaneously, additional tabs associated with other of said latch means for release thereof, a unitary actuating means, and means for mounting said unitary actuating means relative to said pair of tabs and additional tabs for causing a sequential release of the end connectors associated with said pair of tabs in overlying relation relative to end connectors associated with other of said end connectors associated with said additional tabs upon movement of said actuating means relative thereto.

Claim 10

In a safety belt buckle adapted to receive a plurality of belt end connectors in random sequence and for releasably securing the connectors when received in random sequence, said buckle including a plurality of movable latch means normally biased to locking position and independently movable to unlock position by the receipt of an associated end connector whereupon the latch means each return to the locked position under the urging of said bias to hold the associated end connector, the improvement comprising: a pair of tabs in overlying relationship associated with a pair of said latch means for causing said pair of latch means to move together to the unlock position simultaneously, additional tabs associated with other of said latch means for release thereof, a unitary actuating means, and means for mounting said unitary actuating means relative to said pair of tabs and additional tabs for causing a sequential release of the end connectors associated with said pair of tabs in overlying relation relative to end connectors associated with other of said end connectors associated with said additional tabs upon movement of said actuating means relative thereto.

Claim 11

The improvement as in claim 8 wherein means are provided in association with said unitary actuating means and said latch means for providing a slight resistance to movement of said actuating means past a position in which the actuating means has moved said pair of latch means to their release position and prior to movement of said other of said latch means to their release positions.

Claim 12

In a safety belt buckle for releasably securing at least two belts having end connectors, said buckle including: a hollow housing having an opening for receiving a respective end connector of each one of the belts; movable latch means in the housing adjacent each opening for each end connector, each of said movable latch means being movable between an unlocked position and a locking position for lockingly engaging an end connector inserted into the opening to hold the end connector and the belt secured thereto to the housing, each of said movable latch means being biased towards said locking position, insertion of said end connector into said opening moving the associated movable latch means to the unlocked position until said end connector is fully inserted into the housing whereupon the biasing moves the associated movable latch means to the locked position to hold the end connector and belt secured thereto to the buckle thus permitting insertion of the end connectors in random sequence; and latch release means for moving the movable latch means between locked and unlocked positions upon movement of the latch release means, the improvement therein comprising the provision of: a unitary actuating means, for actuating the latch release means; and means for mounting said actuating means to said housing in association with each of said latch release means whereby manual movement of the actuating means to a first release position moves at least one latch release means and the associated movable latch means from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the respective end connector and belt associated therewith, and then manual movement of the actuating means thereafter to a second release position moves at least one other latch release means and the associated movable latch means from its locked position to its unlocked position to release the respective end connector and belt associated therewith, thereby proviDing sequential release of at least two of the belts from the buckle.

Claim 13

In a safety belt buckle for releasably securing at least two belts having end connectors, said buckle including: a hollow housing having an opening for receiving a respective end connector of each one of the belts; movable latch means in the housing adjacent each opening for each end connector, each of said movable latch means being movable between an unlocked position and a locking position for lockingly engaging an end connector inserted into the opening to hold the end connector and the belt secured thereto to the housing, each of said movable latch means being biased towards said locking position, insertion of said end connector into said opening moving the associated movable latch means to the unlocked position until said end connector is fully inserted into the housing whereupon the biasing moves the associated movable latch means to the locked position to hold the end connector and belt secured thereto to the buckle thus permitting insertion of the end connectors in random sequence; and latch release means for moving the movable latch means between locked and unlocked positions upon movement of the latch release means, the improvement therein comprising the provision of: a unitary actuating means, for actuating the latch release means; and means for mounting said actuating means to said housing in association with each of said latch release means whereby manual movement of the actuating means to a first release position moves at least one latch release means and the associated movable latch means from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the respective end connector and belt associated therewith, and then manual movement of the actuating means thereafter to a second release position moves at least one other latch release means and the associated movable latch means from its locked position to its unlocked position to release the respective end connector and belt associated therewith, thereby proviDing sequential release of at least two of the belts from the buckle.

Claim 14

The improvement as in claim 10 wherein each latch release means comprises a tab associated with a movable latch means and wherein: the unitary actuating means is manually movable from a non-tab engaging position through a first tab engaging position wherein the tab of the first movable latch means is moved, to a second tab engaging position where the tab of the second movable latch means is moved.

Claim 15

The improvement as in claim 10 wherein the actuating means includes a shoe having a sloping surface means for engaging and moving one or more of said latch means and flat surface means for maintaining said one or more latch means in a position to which it is moved by said sloping surface means.

Claim 16

The improvement as in claim 10 wherein: biasing means is provided in the housing for biasing the actuating means to the non-tab engaging position.

Claim 17

The improvement as in claim 10 additionally comprising the provision of: detent means for indicating the position of the unitary actuating means to facilitate the engaging and moving of at least a first latch release means and first movable latch means from the locked position to the unlocked position to release the end connector and the belt associated therewith without engaging or moving other latch release means and other movable latch means and thereby prevent the release of other belts from the buckle.

Claim 18

The improvement as in claim 10 wherein at least three belts are provided for being releasably secured to the buckle and additionally comprising the provision of: simultaneous latch release means for simultaneously releasing two of the latch means and the associated belts, said simultaneous latch release means being operated by the unitary actuating means in one of the release positions thereof to simultaneously release two belts.

Claim 19

The improvement as in claim 15 wherein the latch release means includes a tab associated with each movable latch means for engagement by the unitary actuating means, and the simultaneous latch release means includes the provision of a tab on each of two movable latch means associated with two belts to be simultaneously released, said tabs being in overlying relationship and being moved simultaneously by the actuating means to move the associated movable latch means to the unlocked position simultaneously.

Claim 20

The improvement as in claim 10 wherein at least four belts are provided for being releasably secured to the buckle, said four belts being grouped in two pairs, and wherein: simultaneous latch release means is provided for each of two pairs of latch means for simultaneous release of each pair of associated belts, and the unitary actuating means is adapted to sequentially release first one pair of latch means simultaneously and then the second pair of latch means simultaneously.

Claim 21

The improvement as in claim 17 wherein the latch release means includes tabs for engagement by the unitary actuating means, and wherein the simultaneous release means includes the provision of the tabs of the latch release means, associated with the connectors for each pair of belts, in pairs and the tabs of each pair being located in overlying relationship, said pairs of overlying tabs being located adjacent to each other for sequential engagement by the unitary actuating means.

Claim 22

In a safety belt buckle adapted to receive a plurality of belt end connectors in random sequence and for releasably securing the connectors when received in random sequence, said buckle including a plurality of movable latch means normally biased to locking position and independently movable to unlocked position by the receipt of an associated end connector whereupon the latch means each return to the locked position under the urging of the aforesaid bias to hold the associated end connectors, the improvement comprising: a unitary actuating means and means for mounting said Unitary actuating means for movement relative to said buckle; a tab portion on each of two or more of said movable latch means for use in moving the associated latch means between locking and unlocked positions; and means for mounting said latch means and their associated tab portions in said buckle with the tab portions of two or more of said plurality of movable latch means in overlying relationship, whereby engagement with one of said tab portions by movement of said actuating means relative to said buckle causes said tab portions to move the associated latching means simultaneously to unlocked positions thereby simultaneously releasing the associated belt end connectors from said buckle.

Claim 23

In a safety belt buckle adapted to receive a plurality of belt end connectors in random sequence and for releasably securing the connectors when received in random sequence, said buckle including a plurality of movable latch means normally biased to locking position and independently movable to unlocked position by the receipt of an associated end connector whereupon the latch means each return to the locked position under the urging of the aforesaid bias to hold the associated end connectors, the improvement comprising: a unitary actuating means and means for mounting said Unitary actuating means for movement relative to said buckle; a tab portion on each of two or more of said movable latch means for use in moving the associated latch means between locking and unlocked positions; and means for mounting said latch means and their associated tab portions in said buckle with the tab portions of two or more of said plurality of movable latch means in overlying relationship, whereby engagement with one of said tab portions by movement of said actuating means relative to said buckle causes said tab portions to move the associated latching means simultaneously to unlocked positions thereby simultaneously releasing the associated belt end connectors from said buckle.

Claim 24

The improvement in safety belt buckle of claim 19 wherein means are provided for mounting said unitary actuating means for movement in a plane generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of said movable latch means in causing release of the associated belt end connectors.

Claim 25

The improvement in safety belt buckle of claim 20 wherein the unitary actuating means comprises a shoe having a ramp surface and a flat surface, said ramp surface engaging at least one of said tab portions to move said portions to cause release of said belt end connectors with said flat surface thereafter engaging said portion to hold the associated movable latch means in unlocked position.

Claim 26

The improvement in safety belt buckle of claim 19 wherein said buckle comprises a five-point buckle for releasably securing two lap belts, two shoulder belts and a crotch belt, at least four of said belts having one of said belt end connectors secured thereto and wherein: the tab portions of movable latch means associated with the belt end connectors for the shoulder belts and lap belts are all in overlying relationship such that said movement of said unitary actuating means causes a simultaneous release of at least four of said belt end connectors.

Claim 27

The improvement in safety belt buckle of claim 19 wherein said means for mounting said unitary actuating means also comprises: means for mounting said unitary actuating means on said buckle for movement from an initial non-tab engaging position to a first tab engaging position to engage a first tab and thereby move its associated latch means to release an associated connector and for subsequent movement to a second release position to move a second tab and its associated latch means to release a second connector in a sequential release of said first and second connectors.

Claim 28

The improvement in safety belt buckle of claim 23 wherein said means for mounting said unitary actuating means comprises: means for mounting said actuating means for sliding movement along a cover portion of said buckle in a plane generally normal to the direction of movement of said latch means to release an associated connector, and said unitary actuating means includes a shoe having a ramp surface and a flat surface, said ramp surface engaging said tab portions in moving the same and said flat surface overlying said portions to hold the associated movable latch means in unlocked position when said unitary actuating means has been moved from said initial position.