Tongue assembly

Claim 2

A tongue assembly for use in a vehicle safety apparatus in which a first length of belt webbing restrains movement of a vehicle occupant or a child seat when said tongue assembly is engaged with a seat belt buckle, said tongue assembly comprising: a latching portion for engagement with the seat belt buckle; means for defining a first path along which the first length of belt webbing is selectively extensible through said tongue assembly, said means for defining a first path including means for defining first and second webbing openings in said tongue assembly through which the first length of belt webbing is extensible and slidable when the safety apparatus is used to restrain movement of a vehicle occupant, said first path including said first and second webbing openings; and means for defining a second path different from said first path along which the first length of belt webbing is selectively extensible through said tongue assembly, said means for defining a second path including said means for defining said first and second webbing openings in said tongue assembly, said second path including said first and second webbing openings, said means for defining a second path further including means for blocking sliding movement of the first length of belt webbing through said tongue assembly when the safety apparatus is used to restrain movement of a child seat.

Claim 3

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for blocking sliding movement of the first length of belt webbing includes means for defining a third webbing opening in said tongue assembly through which the first length of belt webbing is selectively extended when the safety apparatus is used to restrain movement of a child seat, said second path including said third webbing opening.

Claim 4

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 2 having a leading end portion including said latching portion of said tongue assembly and a trailing end portion including said means for defining a third webbing opening in said tongue assembly.

Claim 5

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said first webbing opening and said second webbing opening and said third webbing opening are each disposed in separate planes.

Claim 6

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for defining a third webbing opening in said tongue assembly comprises a pair of locking fingers spaced from each other to define a passage through which the belt webbing may be threaded into said third webbing opening.

Claim 7

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said tongue assembly comprises a metal base and a plastic portion fixed to said base, said plastic portion including said pair of locking fingers.

Claim 8

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for blocking movement comprises a pair of locking fingers on said tongue assembly.

Claim 9

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said tongue assembly comprises a metal base and a plastic body molded on said metal base, said plastic body including said locking fingers.

Claim 10

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said locking fingers at least partially define a locking opening in said tongue assembly through which the belt webbing is selectively threaded to block movement of the belt webbing through said tongue assembly, said second path including said locking opening.

Claim 11

A safety apparatus for use in restraining a child seat or an occupant of a vehicle against movement relative to a vehicle seat, said safety apparatus comprising: a belt webbing having a first portion extensible across the lap of the vehicle occupant and a second portion extensible across the torso of the vehicle occupant; and a tongue assembly slidably mounted on said belt webbing and connectable with a buckle fixed to the vehicle adjacent the vehicle seat, said tongue assembly comprising: a first generally planar portion including a latching portion for engagement with the buckle, said first planar portion including means for defining a first webbing opening through which a single thickness of said belt webbing extends; a connector portion extending at an angle from said first planar portion, said connector portion including means for defining a second webbing opening through which a single thickness of said belt webbing extends; and a second generally planar portion extending from said angled connector portion generally parallel to and offset from said first planar portion, said second planar portion including means for defining a third webbing opening through which said belt webbing is selectively extensible; said second webbing opening being offset from the plane of said first webbing opening to permit said first and second portions of said belt webbing to remain spaced from each other and thereby permit sliding movement of said belt webbing through said tongue assembly when said belt webbing extends through said first and second webbing openings but not through said third webbing opening; said third webbing opening being formed to receive both said first portion and said second portion of said belt webbing, said third webbing opening being offset from the planes of said first and second webbing openings whereby said first and second portion of said belt webbing cinch against each other to block sliding movement of said belt webbing through said tongue assembly when said belt webbing extends through said first and second and third webbing openings.

Claim 12

A safety apparatus for use in restraining a child seat or an occupant of a vehicle against movement relative to a vehicle seat, said safety apparatus comprising: a belt webbing having a first portion extensible across the lap of the vehicle occupant and a second portion extensible across the torso of the vehicle occupant; and a tongue assembly slidably mounted on said belt webbing and connectable with a buckle fixed to the vehicle adjacent the vehicle seat, said tongue assembly comprising: a first generally planar portion including a latching portion for engagement with the buckle, said first planar portion including means for defining a first webbing opening through which a single thickness of said belt webbing extends; a connector portion extending at an angle from said first planar portion, said connector portion including means for defining a second webbing opening through which a single thickness of said belt webbing extends; and a second generally planar portion extending from said angled connector portion generally parallel to and offset from said first planar portion, said second planar portion including means for defining a third webbing opening through which said belt webbing is selectively extensible; said second webbing opening being offset from the plane of said first webbing opening to permit said first and second portions of said belt webbing to remain spaced from each other and thereby permit sliding movement of said belt webbing through said tongue assembly when said belt webbing extends through said first and second webbing openings but not through said third webbing opening; said third webbing opening being formed to receive both said first portion and said second portion of said belt webbing, said third webbing opening being offset from the planes of said first and second webbing openings whereby said first and second portion of said belt webbing cinch against each other to block sliding movement of said belt webbing through said tongue assembly when said belt webbing extends through said first and second and third webbing openings.

Claim 13

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 10 comprising a pair of spaced locking fingers partially defining said third webbing opening and defining between them a passage through which said first and second portions of said belt webbing is manually inserted into said third opening.

Claim 14

A tongue assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said tongue assembly includes a metal base and a plastic member fixed to said base, said plastic member including said locking fingers.