Seat belt buckle guard

A seat belt buckle guard for a seat belt buckle having an exposed release mechanism comprising:

• in combination, a seat belt means including a segmented belt, a buckle and buckle tongue connected, respectively, to first and second ends of the segmented seat belt, and an exposed release mechanism connected to the buckle;
• a flexible plastic box like means connected to the buckle for protecting the buckle's exposed release mechanism against unintentional actuation, said box like means having first and second portions, each portion including first and second pairs of opposing sides, the first pair of opposing sides of the first and second portions being shaped to form apertures for a portion of the seat belt adjacent to the buckle and for passing the tongue portion into the box like means for attachment to the buckle, the second pair of opposing sides each having first and second sides aligned to abut the first and second portions;
• a hinge means connecting the first sides of the second pairs of opposing sides together for forming a pivotal top;
• a seat belt buckle positioning means including an inwardly extending recess formed in a first one of the second sides of second pairs of opposing sides for coacting with the buckle for positioning the buckle within the box like means and providing rigidity to the first and second portions thereof;
• and
• a latching means connected exteriorly of the second sides of the second pair of opposing sides for latching the first and second portions of the box like means together when closed, said latching means including a latching lug means mounted in the recess for receiving a latching means, and a latch means formed on the second one of the second pair of opposing sides, said latching lug means for retaining the latch within the recess for protection against unintentional opening of the box like means.

A seat belt buckle guard for a segmented seat belt having a buckle carrying segment and corresponding buckle tongue carrying segment and a buckle with an exposed release mechanism comprising:

• in combination, means for forming a box like device having first and second portions having opposing side means forming first and second apertures for providing passages, respectively, for a belt of a seat belt buckle carrying segment and tongue of a seat belt tongue carrying segment;
• a seat belt buckle positioning means integrally formed within the box like device for receiving and positioning a belt buckle segment with respect to the second aperture of the opposing side means apertured side for receiving a belt buckle tongue, said positioning means formed integrally with at least one of the first and second portions;
• a convex hinge means for integrally connecting the first and second portions of the box like device;
• and
• a latching means connected to sides of the first and second portions opposite the hinged sides of the first and second portions and adjacent to the buckle positioning means for securing the first and second portions of the box like device together, said latching means responsive to the seat belt buckle positioning means and belt buckle for enhancing the latching strength of the latching means.