WO2002005675A1

WO2002005675A1 - Illuminated buckle and tongue

Info

Publication number: WO2002005675A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/013880
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard A. Boelstler; Kenneth H. Kohlndorfer; Mark F. Gray; Markell Seitzman
Original assignee: Breed Automotive Technology Inc
Current assignee: Breed Automotive Technology Inc
Priority date: 2000-07-14
Filing date: 2001-05-01
Publication date: 2002-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 2003-01-14
Also published as: CN1440338A; AU2001259261A1; AU2001257465A1; KR20030021256A; WO2002006093A1; JP2004504201A; BR0111997A; EP1301378A1

Abstract

A seat belt sysstem (10) has a buckle (20) with a manually movable button (24). The buckle and a tongue (40) have mating and lockable parts. Either the buckle or tongue, or both, includes a phosphorescent material, which phosphoresces or glows to make it easier for a user of the seat belt system to idetify the position of the buckle and to facilitate the insertion of the tongue within an entrance passage or slot (26) therein.

Description

ILLUMINATED BUCKLE AND TONGUE

The invention generally relates to a seat belt buckle and more particularly a buckle that has one or more illuminated portions .

Most, if not all, safety restraint systems for automotive vehicles include at least one buckle and a mating tongue for each seating position. Various means have been described in the prior art to illuminate the buckle to enable the user to more easily to locate the seat belt buckle in the dark and then insert the tongue therein. Small light bulbs located within the buckle or its cover to illuminate the front or entrance of the buckle have been proposed for this purpose. The prior art also teaches replacing these small light bulbs with LEDs . These systems are complicated by the need for added wires and control electronics to activate these light sources . The present invention proposes the use of a phosphorescent material such as Colorcomp, manufactured by LNP Plastics, Inc., model number M- 1000. This type of material fluoresces when exposed to natural light for only a relatively small amount of time. This fluorescing continues for many hours.

The present invention illuminates various buckle and tongue parts without the use of applied electrical energy. Either the tongue or buckle, or both, includes phosphorescent material, which phosphoresces or glows to make it easier for a user of the system to identify the position of the buckle and to facilitate the insertion of the tongue within an entrance passage or slot therein. Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the exterior of a buckle and tongue system. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section of the buckle of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another isometric drawing of a buckle.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle of Fig. 3. Fig. 4a is an isometric view of an insert for the buckle of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Fig. 1 illustrates a system 10 comprising a seat belt buckle 20 having an exterior cover 22 and a push- button 24. The push-button is situated relative to the cover, and to a frame 30 located within the cover, to define an entrance passage 26 for a cooperating tongue 40. The cover 22 is supported by the frame, which is secured via a cable 32 (or piece of seat belt webbing) to an anchor point 34 in a known manner to fixedly or otherwise secure the buckle to the vehicle. As shown, the lower part of the cover defines the lower extreme of the passage 26 and is formed with an optional ramp to guide the tongue into place within the buckle.

The tongue 40 includes a metal plate 41 having a first, narrow or insertable portion 42 having a locking feature such as an opening 44, which is engageable by another locking feature such as a moveable latch 46 of the buckle. The rear portion 54 of the metal plate also includes an opening 50 through which the seat belt webbing 52 is routed. To prevent ■ the rubbing of seat belt on exposed edges of the plate 41, the rear portion 54 of the tongue 40 is coated with a plastic material 56 to obscure any sharp edges. The push-button 24 is typically manufactured using a plastic having a red coloration and having the letters PRESS. The letters are typically formed using a contrasting color or recessed voids, in the form of letters, which may or may not be colored. In the first embodiment of the invention the letters PRESS are formed by corresponding recesses 60 in the face 62 of the button 24. One such recess 60a can be seen in Fig. 2. Each recess 60 is filled with an insert 64 in the form of a letter and made from the above-mentioned phosphorescent material.

Figs. 3 and 4 show an alternate embodiment of the invention in which the shapes of the letters are formed by passages 70, which extend entirely through the face 62 of the button 24. Fig. 4a shows an insert 80 having a face 82. Formed on the face 82 are upraised letterforms 83 which when in place extend through a corresponding one of the passages 70. The insert is secured to the rear 71 of the face of the button, the upraised letters 83 extending through corresponding passages 70. The insert can be welded or snapped to the button 24.

Rather than forming the illuminated letters by use of inserts, a further embodiment of the button 20 co-molds the phosphorescent material (see numeral 90) with the polymer used to form the cover 22. In this embodiment, the phosphorescent material 90 is co- molded with the cover polymer 92 and forms a rim 94, which generally identifies the location of the periphery of the button. Having located the periphery of the button it is easy for the occupant to locate the slot 26 for insertion of the tongue 40. Rather than forming the phosphorescent material 90 as a rim positioned about the button, this material is co- molded only at the lower edge (see numeral 90a) of the buckle cover at the opening slot 26 and at the lower edge (see number 90b) of the button 24 to highlight the slot 26 to make it easier for the user to insert the tongue 40 into this slot in low light conditions. The above-mentioned phosphorescent material (Colorcomp M-1000) presently is available in phosphorescent blue, green or pinkish red. As can be appreciated, the entire button, or at least the exposed face thereof, can be made of the phosphorescent material.

Reference is again made to Fig. 1. While the above discussion has been centered about conveniently identifying the location of the button, it is also possible and desirable to make part of the tongue, such as the plastic protective parts 56, from the phosphorescent material to make it easier for the occupant to locate the position of the tongue prior to grasping the tongue and inserting it within the buckle. To further identify the tip of the tongue, the metal plate can be manufactured with various offsets or openings 102 and the phosphorescent material 90 molded therein, thereby precisely identifying the tip of the tongue and making it more easily insertable within the illuminated passageway of the buckle.

Claims

Claims :

1. A seat belt system (10) comprising a buckle (20), having a manually movable button (24) and tongue (40) insertable therein, the buckle and tongue including mating and lockable parts wherein at least one of the tongue and buckle includes phosphorescent material, which phosphoresces or glows to make it easier for a user of the system to identify the position of the buckle and to facilitate the insertion of the tongue within an entrance passage or slot (26) therein.

2. The seat belt system defined in Claim 1 wherein the button includes a visible face portion and wherein at least the entire face portion fluoresces.

3. The seat belt system defined in Claim 1 wherein the button includes a face portion with one of recesses or passages in the form of letters, wherein such recesses or passages are filled with the phosphorescent material.

4. The seat belt system defined in Claim 3 wherein all of the letters are formed as upraised structures upon an insert member, the upraised structures are received within the passages and extend from a rear face of the button toward the face of the button.

5. The seat belt system defined in Claim 1 wherein the buckle includes a plastic cover (22) at least a part of which envelopes a part of the button (24) and wherein the phosphorescent material is co- molded with the cover to form a phosphorescent edge at least partially about the button.

6. The seat belt system defined in Claim 5 wherein the phosphorescent material is co-molded with the cover to form a phosphorescent ring about the button.

7. The seat belt system defined in Claim wherein the phosphorescent material is co-molded with the cover at a location below the entrance slot (26) and wh rein the phosphorescent material is also co-molded with the button at a location above the entrance slot (26) .