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US 6,141,840 AGranted
Buckle for retractable restraints
AssigneeArtisan Tool & Die Corporation
InventorJames R. Berkes
Life of this patent
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AssigneeArtisan Tool & Die Corporation
InventorJames R. Berkes
Estimating the term…
A buckle for releasably engaging a tongue of a restraint system and the like includes a housing containing a latch having a forward edge pivotally connected to a forward end of the housing. Overlying the latch is a lever that is pivotally connected to the housing intermediate opposite ends of the lever. Interposed between the housing and latch is a leaf spring that urges a back edge of the latch upwardly within the housing and into engagement with a rear end portion of the lever rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the lever and housing for urging a front end portion of the lever forwardly of the pivotal connection toward the housing. A raised rearwardly facing shoulder on the latch is engageable by a wall of a slot in the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the buckle between the lever and latch for retaining the tongue within the buckle. To release the tongue from the buckle, the front end portion of the lever is lifted upwardly to cause the rear end portion of the lever to press downwardly against the back edge of the latch, causing the back edge of the latch to move downwardly within the housing until upward projections on the housing disengage the tongue from the rearwardly facing shoulder.
A buckle for releasably engaging a tongue of a restraint system and the like comprising a housing having a bottom wall, a latch having a forward edge pivotally connected to a forward end of said bottom wall, a lever overlying said latch, said lever having a pivotal connection with said housing intermediate opposite ends of said lever, and a leaf spring between said bottom wall of said housing and said latch for urging a back edge of said latch away from said bottom wall and into engagement with a rear end portion of said lever rearwardly of said pivotal connection between said lever and said housing for urging a front end portion of said lever forwardly of said pivotal connection toward said bottom wall.
A buckle for releasably engaging a tongue of a restraint system and the like comprising a housing, a latch having a forward edge pivotally connected to said housing, a lever overlying said latch, said lever having a pivotal connection with said housing intermediate opposite ends of said lever, a spring for urging a back edge of said latch into engagement with a rear end portion of said lever rearwardly of said pivotal connection between said lever and said housing for urging a front end portion of said lever forwardly of said pivotal connection toward said housing, said forward end portion of said lever being manually movable away from said housing to cause said rear end portion of said lever to press downwardly against said back edge of said latch causing said back edge of said latch to move inwardly within said housing, said latch having a raised rearwardly facing shoulder engageable by a wall of a slot in the tongue when the tongue is inserted into said buckle between said lever and said latch for retaining the tongue within said buckle, and projections on said housing which push the tongue out of engagement with said shoulder on said latch during movement of said latch inwardly within said housing to release the tongue from said buckle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.