# US 4,393,555 A · Belt lock for a safety belt

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- Number: US 4,393,555 A
- Document ID: US4393555A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/250,039
- Filed: 1981-04-01
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1980-04-02
- Assignees: Repa Feinstanzwerk GmbH
- Inventors: Fohl
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393555A

## CPC

- A44B 11/2515: {acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and perpendicularly to the direction of the fastening action}
- Y10T 24/45675: having pivotally connected interlocking component
- A44B: BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE (fastenings specially adapted for footwear A43C)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Belt lock for a safety belt with a plug-in guide provided in a lock-housing for a belt plug-in tongue. The tongue can be arrested in the plug-in guide by a latch mechanism, and can be unlocked by operation of a pressure element against the force of a spring. The plug-in tongue is provided at one side at a longitudinal edge with an engagement detent in which a latch of the locking mechanism can engage. The tongue has a guide profile at its forward end, seen in the plug-in direction which profile fits only at the correct insertion mode with a mating surface in the plug-in guide.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Lock for a safety belt comprising a belt lock having a lock-housing with an insertion path, a plug-in tongue with an engagement detent only at one side at a longitudinal edge for insertion in the insertion path of the lock-housing, a latch mechanism having a latch for engaging the detent of the plug-in tongue inserted in the insertion path, said tongue having a guide-profile at its forward end, seen in the profile direction, said insertion path having a mating surface which fits the guide-profile of said tongue only when correctly inserted, a pressure element movable against the force of a spring to move said latch out of engagement with said tongue to permit withdrawal of the tongue from the belt lock, and wherein the plug-in tongue is provided with a wart-like, stamped projection which is raised above the tongue's flat side, and which is guided loosely with play in a groove-like bulge in the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Belt lock according to claim 1, wherein the lock-housing is a U-shaped, bent part, with opposite disposed plates in which are wedge-shaped, support openings, in which is hingeably supported a wedge-shaped latch with a smaller wedge-angle, and wherein said latch is connected with said pressure element by a lever drive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

Belt lock according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the latch is rounded at the point of the wedge, and is hingeably supported in said correspondingly rounded wedge-shaped endings of the support openings, and wherein said latch is provided at the other side with a convexly arched support edge for the plug-in tongue.

### Claim 4

Lock for a safety belt comprising a belt lock having a lock-housing with an insertion path, a plug-in tongue with an engagement detent at one side at a longitudinal edge for insertion in the insertion path of the lock-housing, a latch mechanism having a latch for engaging the detent of the plug-in tongue inserted in the insertion path, said tongue having a guide-profile at its forward end, seen in the profile direction, said insertion path having a mating surface which fits the guide-profile of said tongue only when correctly inserted, and a pressure element movable against the force of a spring to move said latch out of engagement with said tongue to permit withdrawal of the tongue from the belt lock, wherein the lock-housing is a U-shaped, bent part, with opposite disposed plates in which are wedge-shaped, support openings, in which is hingeably supported a wedge-shaped latch with a smaller wedge-angle, and wherein said latch is connected with said pressure element by a lever drive and, wherein at both sides of said plates lever elements are connected with the latch, which lever elements are guided by means of formed lever pins in guide slots of the pressure element, which latter can be pressed on or snapped onto the lever pins of the lever elements.

### Claim 5

Lock for a safety belt comprising a belt lock having a lock-housing with an insertion path, a plug-in tongue with an engagement detent at one side at a longitudinal edge for insertion in the insertion path of the lock-housing, a latch mechanism having a latch for engaging the detent of the plug-in tongue inserted in the insertion path, said tongue having a guide-profile at its forward end, seen in the profile direction, said insertion path having a mating surface which fits the guide-profile of said tongue only when correctly inserted, and a pressure element movable against the force of a spring to move said latch out of engagement with said tongue to permit withdrawal of the tongue from the belt lock, wherein the plug-in tongue is provided with a wart-like, stamped projection which is raised above the tongue's flat side, and which is guided loosely with play in a groove-like bulge in the housing, wherein the lock-housing is a U-shaped, bent part, with opposite disposed plates in which are wedge-shaped, support openings, in which is hingeably supported a wedge-shaped latch with a smaller wedge-angle, and wherein said latch is connected with said pressure element by a lever drive, and wherein at both sides of said plates lever elements are connected with the latch, which lever elements are guided by means of formed lever pins in guide slots of the pressure element, which latter can be pressed on or snapped onto the lever pins of the lever elements.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Belt lock according to claim 5, wherein the U-shaped pressure element straddles the oppositely disposed plate, and is guided alongside of the latter, and wherein the bulge in one of the plates serves as stop for limiting the motion of the pressure element.