Apparatus for use with a safety belt
AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
InventorsWendell C. Lane, Jr., Kevin M. Gillis, Bob L. McFalls
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved apparatus for interconnecting safety belts includes a buckle member which receives a tongue member to interconnect the safety belts. An indicator and ejector assembly has a visually readable indicia which changes from red to green as the tongue and buckle members are interconnected. As the tongue and buckle members are disconnected, the indicia changes from green back to red. The indicia is disposed on an indicator member which transmits force to eject the tongue member at least partially from the buckle member as the tongue and buckle members are disconnected.
Claims26
An apparatus for use with a safety belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a tongue member;
- a buckle member for receiving said tongue member to interconnect said buckle member and tongue member;
- and
- indicator means on at least one of said members for indicating when said buckle member and tongue member have been interconnected by changing a visually readable indicia from a first color to a second color, said indicator means includes means for forming an opening on one of said members, a surface area of the first color, and a surface area of the second color, said surface area of a first color being viewable through said opening when said tongue member is less than fully inserted into said buckle member, only said surface area of a second color being viewable through said opening when said tongue member is fully inserted into said buckle member.
An apparatus for use with a safety belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a tongue member;
- a buckle member for receiving said tongue member to interconnect said buckle member and tongue member;
- and
- indicator means on at least one of said members for indicating when said buckle member and tongue member have been interconnected by changing a visually readable indicia from a first color to a second color, said indicator means includes means for forming an opening on a first one of said members, and an indicator member having a surface area of a first color and a surface area of a second color, said indicator member being movable relative to said first one of said members from a first position in which said surface area of a first color is visible through said opening to a second position in which said surface area of a second color is visible through said opening as said tongue member is inserted into said buckle member.
An apparatus for use with a safety belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a tongue member;
- a buckle member for receiving said tongue member to interconnect said buckle member and tongue member;
- and
- indicator means on at least one of said members for indicating when said buckle member and tongue member have been interconnected by changing a visually readable indicia from a first color to a second color, said indicator means including a housing disposed on said tongue member, said housing having a first opening at one end and a second opening formed in a side wall of said housing, an indicator member disposed in said housing, said indicator member having a first portion which extends through said first opening and is engageable by said buckle member as said tongue and buckle members are interconnected to move said indicator member relative to said housing from an extended condition to a retracted condition, said indicator member having a second portion upon which said first and second colors are disposed, said first color on said indicator member being visible through the second opening when said indicator member is in the extended condition and said second color on said indicator member being visible through said second opening when said indicator member is in the retracted condition.
An apparatus for use with a safety belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a tongue member;
- a buckle member for receiving said tongue member to interconnect said buckle member and tongue member;
- and
- indicator means for indicating when said buckle and tongue members have been interconnected by changing a visually readable indicia from a first condition to a second condition, said indicator means including an indicator member which is disposed on said tongue member and is movable relative to said tongue member from a first position to a second position to change said visually readable indicia from the first condition to the second condition as said buckle and tongue members are interconnected.
An apparatus for use with a safety belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a tongue member;
- a buckle member for receiving said tongue member to interconnect said buckle member and tongue member;
- and
- indicator means on at least one of said buckle and tongue members for indicating when said buckle member and tongue member have been interconnected, said indicator means including an indicator member which is disposed on and is movable relative to said one of said buckle and tongue members from a first position in which first indicia is exposed to view and second indicia is covered to a second position in which the first indicia is covered and the second indicia is exposed to view as said buckle and tongue members are interconnected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.