Illuminated seat belt buckle

Apparatus comprising:

• a seat belt buckle having a light-transmitting portion which is visible to a vehicle occupant;
• said buckle including a housing containing a latch mechanism which releasably locks a seat belt tongue in said housing;
• said housing further containing a light source and optical fibers which conduct light from said source to said light-transmitting portion of said buckle;
• said buckle further including a pushbutton which actuates said latch mechanism, said light-transmitting portion of said buckle having frame portions extending alongside corresponding sides of said pushbutton, said optical fibers being arranged side-by-side in an array extending along said frame portions;
• said housing further containing an illuminating panel structure, said illuminating panel structure comprising a panel with a reflective surface oriented to reflect light from said optical fibers to said light-transmitting portion of said buckle.

Apparatus comprising:

• a seat belt buckle containing a latch mechanism which releasably locks a seat belt tongue in said buckle, said buckle having a light-transmitting portion which is visible to a vehicle occupant;
• an illuminating assembly including a source of light which illuminates said light-transmitting portion of said buckle from within said buckle;
• first electrical circuit means for causing said source of light to flash in response to a predetermined vehicle condition;
• and
• second electrical circuit means for causing said source of light to stop flashing in response to locking of said tongue in said buckle;
• said buckle including a housing containing said latch mechanism, said housing further containing said source of light, optical fibers, and an illuminating panel structure, said illuminating panel structure comprising a panel with a reflective surface oriented to reflect said light from said optical fibers to said light-transmitting portion of said buckle.