Buckles for vehicle seat belt system

A buckle for use in a vehicle seat belt system comprising tongue means and cooperating socket means;

• said tongue means having a tongue and a latch formation on the tongue, and said socket means having means providing a socket for receiving said tongue therein, latch means having a latching position extending into said socket for engagement with said latch formation to retain said tongue within said socket and a release position out of engagement with said latch formation to permit said tongue to enter and leave said socket, first guide means guiding said latch means for movement between said latching and said release positions in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said tongue into and out of said socket, manually movable release means, second guide means guiding said release means for movement in a direction substantially parallel to said direction of movement of said tongue into and out of said socket, pin and slot means operatively linking said latch means and said release means for movement thereof together, spring means urging said latch means to said latching position thereof, and anti-latching means adapted to retain said latch means in said release position thereof in absence of said tongue from said socket and to permit restoration of said latch means to said latching position in response to entry of said tongue into said socket, whereby said release means is held in the position thereof corresponding to said release position of said latch means in absence of said tongue from said socket.

A vehicle seat belt buckle comprising a tongue part and a socket part,

• said tongue part having a tongue provided with a latch formation, and
• said socket part having:
• means defining a socket within which said tongue can be received,
• a latch member having a guide portion and a latch portion, said latch member being non-rotationally movable between a latching position wherein said latch portion is within said socket to engage said latch formation to retain said tongue in said socket and a release position wherein said latch portion cannot engage said latch formation whereby said tongue can enter and leave said socket,
• release means manually operable to effect movement of said latch means from said latching to said release position, and
• support means fixedly located in said socket part, said support means engaging said latch member guide portion in said latching position of said latch member at a position spaced away from said socket to support said latch means against forces tending to withdraw said tongue from said socket.

A buckle for use in a vehicle seat belt system and comprising tongue means and cooperating socket means;

• said tongue means comprising a tongue and latch formation means on said tongue, and
• said socket means comprising a socket for receiving said tongue therein,
• a latch member having a guide portion and a latch portion, said latch member being movable between a latching position in which said latch portion extends into said socket for engagement with said latch formation means when said tongue is received within said socket, to thereby latch said tongue to said socket, and a release position in which said latch portion is positioned to allow movement of said tongue into and out of said socket,
• a release member manually movable to effect movement of said latch member from said latching position to said release position thereof, said release member having a center wall and side walls extending therefrom, said center wall overlying said latch member with said guide portion between said center wall and said socket and said side walls flanking said latch member, whereby said release member substantially encloses said latch member.

A vehicle seat belt buckle comprising a tongue part and a socket part,

• said tongue part having a tongue provided with a latch formation, and
• said socket part having:
• means defining a socket within which said tongue can be received,
• latch means, said latch means being movable between a latching position wherein said latch means engages said latch formation to retain said tongue in said socket and a release position wherein said latch means is disengaged from said latch formation to permit said tongue to enter and leave said socket, and
• release means, said release means being manually operable to effect movement of said latch means from said latching to said release position,
• said socket defining means comprising two plate means space depart to define said socket therebetween, one of said plate means having edge portions projecting outwardly of said socket, and said release means having opposed side portions and grooves in said side portions slidably receiving said outwardly projecting plate edge portions, whereby said release is slidably guided by said socket defining means.