Seat belt buckle switch with knife and clip contact assembly

Claim 2

A switch for seat belt buckles, said buckles having a buckle housing, a latch element pivotal in said housing and a belt tongue insertable and removable from said housing, said switch comprising: a switch case insertable in said buckle housing; leads in said switch case; knife type switch elements, one male and one female secured to said leads and extending transversely across said switch case and one of said switch elements being movable; an actuator arm secured in said buckle housing bifurcated at one end and by said bifurcations being connected to the movable of said switch elements; a sensor element pivotally extending from said actuator arm; spring bias means beneath said arm and selectively acting on said arm; and a latch structure also acted upon by said spring and actUating said arm only when said sensor element is moved.

Claim 3

A switch for seat belt buckles of the push button type having a latch pivotal at one end of said buckle and a spring biasing said latch toward closure on a belt tongue plate comprising: a switch case secured to said buckle and enclosing electrical leads and having a portion defining a transverse cavity protruding into said buckle; a male and a female switch element, the male element having a blade end and the female element having blade receiving cheeks and one of said switch elements being movable toward and away from closure on the other of said elements and said switch elements being located, retained and oriented in said transverse cavity of said case and each connected to one of said leads in said case; an actuator arm extending longitudinally from said buckle and into said transverse cavity of said case and connected to said movable of said switch elements; a sensor pivotally on said arm and requiring displacement before said actuator arm is movable; and spring means acting on said arm to selectively move said switch when said sensor has been displaced.

Claim 4

A switch for seat belt buckles of the push button type having a latch pivotal at one end of said buckle and a spring biasing said latch toward closure on a belt tongue plate comprising: a switch case secured to said buckle and enclosing electrical leads and having a portion defining a transverse cavity protruding into said buckle; a male and a female switch element, the male element having a blade end and the female element having blade receiving cheeks and one of said switch elements being movable toward and away from closure on the other of said elements and said switch elements being located, retained and oriented in said transverse cavity of said case and each connected to one of said leads in said case; an actuator arm extending longitudinally from said buckle and into said transverse cavity of said case and connected to said movable of said switch elements; a sensor pivotally on said arm and requiring displacement before said actuator arm is movable; and spring means acting on said arm to selectively move said switch when said sensor has been displaced.

Claim 5

A switch for seat belt buckles of the push button type having a latch pivotal at one end comprising: a buckle housing; a switch case secured to said buckle housing and containing leads and said switch case closing one end of said buckle and extending thereinto; a spring in said buckle housing; a latch in said buckle housing acted upon by said spring; a resilient actuator arm overlaying said spring and extending into said switch case; switch elements of the knife type transversely across said buckle and one of said switch elements connected to said actuator arm; and a sensor secured to said actuator arm and extending upwardly therefrom in said buckle, said sensor requiring displacement before said latch displaces said actuator arm.

Claim 6

A switch for seat belt buckles of the push button type having a latch pivotal at one end comprising: a buckle housing; a switch case secured to said buckle housing and containing leads and said switch case closing one end of said buckle and extending thereinto; a spring in said buckle housing; a latch in said buckle housing acted upon by said spring; a resilient actuator arm overlaying said spring and extending into said switch case; switch elements of the knife type transversely across said buckle and one of said switch elements connected to said actuator arm; and a sensor secured to said actuator arm and extending upwardly therefrom in said buckle, said sensor requiring displacement before said latch displaces said actuator arm.

Claim 7

A safety belt buckle and switch combination comprising: a channel shaped buckle case open at the ends; a latch element in said buckle case and pivoted thereto at one end; a spring urging said latch upwardly in said buckle case in a bias toward locking; a tongue plate entrant to said buckle case above said latch element and having an opening into which said latch protrudes when said opening is in registry with said latch element; a switch case closing said buckle case at one end thereof opposite said latch pivotal end and said switch case extending into said buckle case and defining therein a transverse switch cavity into which electrical leads extend; a fixed and a movable switch element in said cavity and each operably connected to one of said leads, the movable of said switch elements including a blade insertable and removable from receiving cheeks in the fixed of said switch elements; an actuator arm beneath said latch and acted upon by said spring and extending into said cavity and connected to the movable of said switch elements, said arm including trunnion extensions midway of its ends; and a sensor block pivotally secured to said actuator arm at said trunnions and in an interference path with said tongue plate, said sensor block requiring displacement whereupon said spring in closing said latch actuates the movable of said switch elements by movement of said arm.

Claim 8

A safety belt buckle and switch combination comprising: a channel shaped buckle case open at the ends; a latch element in said buckle case and pivoted thereto at one end; a spring urging said latch upwardly in said buckle case in a bias toward locking; a tongue plate entrant to said buckle case above said latch element and having an opening into which said latch protrudes when said opening is in registry with said latch element; a switch case closing said buckle case at one end thereof opposite said latch pivotal end and said switch case extending into said buckle case and defining therein a transverse switch cavity into which electrical leads extend; a fixed and a movable switch element in said cavity and each operably connected to one of said leads, the movable of said switch elements including a blade insertable and removable from receiving cheeks in the fixed of said switch elements; an actuator arm beneath said latch and acted upon by said spring and extending into said cavity and connected to the movable of said switch elements, said arm including trunnion extensions midway of its ends; and a sensor block pivotally secured to said actuator arm at said trunnions and in an interference path with said tongue plate, said sensor block requiring displacement whereupon said spring in closing said latch actuates the movable of said switch elements by movement of said arm.