A pair of interactive tongues are for latching to a dual-tongue belt buckle. The belt buckle includes false latching features that only permits the latching mechanism to trigger when both of the tongues are fully inserted into the buckle. The contact surfaces of the first and second tongues include interactive features that prevent the tongues from sliding past one another in the direction of the tongue bars when the contact surfaces are meshed. The interactive features of the contact surfaces are shaped and configured so that the contact surfaces can be meshed by moving the tongues toward each other in a plurality of different directions that are perpendicular to the direction defined by the tongue bars.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of our allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/896,208, filed on Jun. 10, 1992 entitled BELT BUCKLE WITH EJECTOR MODULE AND TONGUE STOP (now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,837), which is continuation-in-part of our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/714,712, filed on Jun. 13, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,748, in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/536,170, filed on Jun. 11, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,446, in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/370,240, filed on Jun. 22, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,981.
A buckle device for an infant restraining seat of the present invention includes: a frame member which has a base plate and side plates; an engaging member which is pivotally supported by supporting members formed in the side plates of the frame member and is capable of engaging a pair of tongue plates inserted into the buckle; and a blocking plate which is rotatably supported on the base plate of the frame member and has a blocking member for preventing the pivotal movement of the engaging member when the blocking plate rotates. When only one of the pair of tongue plates is inserted into the buckle, the blocking plate rotates by the insertion of the one of the tongue plates. The blocking member thereby prevents the pivotal movement of the engaging member so as to prevent engagement between the engaging member and the one of the tongue plates. Therefore, it can prevent the false latching between the tongue plates and the buckle.
A buckle (20) comprises a base (102) for receiving first and second tongues (64, 66). A pivotable latch plate (106) is mounted on the base (102) and is pivotable between a first position connecting the first and second tongues (64, 66) to the base and a second position permitting the first and second tongues to disconnect from the base. Biasing means (164) urges the latch plate (106) to pivot in a direction towards the first position. First blockout means (244) has a blocking position for holding the latch plate (106) in the second position against the biasing means (164) and is movable to a release position permitting the latch plate to pivot to the first position in response to the first tongue (64) being moved to a location relative to the base (102) at which the first tongue is connectable with the base. Second blockout means (246) has a blocking position for holding the latch plate (106) in the second position against the biasing means (164) and is movable to a release position permitting the latch plate to pivot to the first position in response to the second tongue (66) being moved to a location relative to the base (102) at which the second tongue is connectable with the base. The first and second blockout means (244, 246) cooperate to permit the latch plate (106) to pivot to the first position only when the first and second blockout means are simultaneously in their release positions.
A buckle for a safety belt with three branches where one of the branches includes a rocking lever, which is pivotably connected at one end, having an opposing free end, an intermediate groove and an intermediate projection. A dependent portion or appendage of a push button is provided including a V-shaped notch with a cam surface that cooperates with the intermediate projection of the lever. When the buckle device is un-buckled, the push button is kept at a resting position by the intermediate projection of the lever movement along the cam surface and into the V-shaped notch, where the lever is prevented from rotating but is oscillated about its pivot. The arrangement of the oscillating lever during insertion of a pair of tongue members within a casting seat or cavity prevents a corresponding clamp member (pawl) from prematurely or improperly engaging a side notch of a respective tongue member until the proper alignment/insertion of the tongue members is complete at which time the lever is free to rotate (via the intermediate groove) allowing the pawl to fully engage the notch correctly. Conversely, when the push button is pressed, a spring biased ejector block extracts the tongue members from the seat or cavity of the casing and the release button is brought back into its resting position.
A buckle tongue combination having a dual release for unlocking the tongue from the buckle. In the preferred embodiment, a spring bias slide cover mounted to the housing extends over a push button depressible to force a locking pawl apart from the tongue unlocking the tongue from the buckle. In an alternate embodiment, a button lock extends partially over and beneath the push button and between the pawl and housing bottom wall. A spring normally urges the button lock against the push button limiting movement of the button but is yieldable to allow the button lock to be moved apart from the button.
A seat belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant includes a left webbing having a shoulder portion and a lap portion separated by a tongue assembly, a right webbing having a shoulder portion and a lap portion separated by a right tongue assembly, and a buckle for receiving each of the tongue assemblies. Each tongue assembly includes a tongue defining a latch plate and a webbing slot. In addition, the tongue assemblies include a webbing guide having a channel extending from the top of the webbing assembly to adjacent the slot, the channel maintaining the tongue in substantial alignment with the shoulder portion of the webbing.
