SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A safety belt buckle assembly is provided, wherein the safety belt buckle assembly includes: a main body; a connection member connected to the main body and configured to be releasably connected to a buckle member, and including a hooked portion, a body portion and an operation portion, the body portion being swingably connected to the main body, the hooked portion being configured to be hooked on the buckle member; a reel column positioned to the main body and configured for a belt to wind around; and a locking member movably connected to the main body and movable between a locking position and a release position; wherein when the locking member is in the locking position, the locking member and the reel column clamp the belt, and when the locking member is in the release position, the locking member and the reel column unclamp the belt.

Claims

1. A safety belt buckle assembly including: a main body; a connection member connected to the main body and configured to be releasably connected to a buckle member, and including a hooked portion, a body portion and an operation portion connected in sequence, the body portion being swingably connected to the main body, the hooked portion being configured to be hooked on the buckle member, the operation portion being configured to be operated to move; a reel column positioned to the main body and configured for a belt to wind around; and a locking member movably connected to the main body and movable between a locking position and a release position; wherein when the locking member is in the locking position, the locking member and the reel column clamp the belt, and when the locking member is in the release position, the locking member and the reel column unclamp the belt.

2. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body further includes a receiving portion and a perforation, the perforation is disposed through the receiving portion, the buckle member is disposed through the perforation and is hooked by the hooked portion, and the receiving portion and the buckle member are blocked with each other in a hooking direction of the hooked portion.

3. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 1, further including a strap, wherein the strap is connected to and movable with the connection member, and a portion of the strap is releasably positioned to the main body.

4. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 1, further including a positioning base, at least one first positioning unit and at least one second positioning unit, wherein the positioning base is connected to the main body, the at least one first positioning unit is connected to the body portion, the at least one second positioning unit is connected to the positioning base, and when the connection member swings to a predetermined position, the at least one first positioning unit and the at least one second positioning unit are releasably engaged with and positioned to each other.

5. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of engaging teeth are circumferentially arranged on an outer circumferential wall of the reel column, the plurality of engaging teeth abut a side of the belt, a plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed on a portion of an outer circumferential wall of the locking member, and when the locking member is in the locking position, the plurality of ratchet teeth press against an other side of the belt so that the belt is unidirectionally movable.

6. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking member is movably connected to the main body.

7. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 6, further including a shaft and a spring, wherein the shaft is positioned to the main body, the spring is sleeved around the shaft, the locking member is rotatably sleeved around the shaft and the spring, and the spring is positioned between the locking member and the shaft, two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the shaft and the locking member so that the locking member is biased toward the locking position.

8. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 7, further including at least one sleeve, wherein the at least one sleeve is sleeved around the shaft, the at least one sleeve is positioned between the locking member and the shaft, and in a radial direction of the shaft, the at least one sleeve has a diametric dimension larger than or equal to an outer diametric dimension of the spring.

9. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 8, wherein the spring is a multi-coil pitch spring, the spring includes a first section and a second section, the first section has a coil pitch greater than a coil pitch of the second section, the first section is connected to the shaft, the second section is connected to the locking member, and the first section is positioned between the at least one sleeve and the second section.

10. The safety belt buckle assembly of claim 3, further including a positioning base, at least one first positioning unit and at least one second positioning unit, wherein the positioning base is connected to the main body, the at least one first positioning unit is connected to the body portion, the at least one second positioning unit is connected to the positioning base, and when the connection member swings to a predetermined position, the at least one first positioning unit and the at least one second positioning unit are releasably engaged with and positioned to each other; the main body further includes a receiving portion and a perforation, the perforation is disposed through the receiving portion, the buckle member is disposed through the perforation and is hooked by the hooked portion, and the receiving portion and the buckle member are blocked with each other in a hooking direction of the hooked portion; a plurality of engaging teeth are circumferentially arranged on an outer circumferential wall of the reel column, the plurality of engaging teeth abut a side of the belt, a plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed on a portion of an outer circumferential wall of the locking member, and when the locking member is in the locking position, the plurality of ratchet teeth press against an other side of the belt so that the belt is unidirectionally movable; the locking member is movably connected to the main body; the safety belt buckle assembly further includes a shaft, a spring and at least one sleeve, the shaft is positioned to the main body, the spring is sleeved around the shaft, the locking member is rotatably sleeved around the shaft and the spring, and the spring is positioned between the locking member and the shaft, two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the shaft and the locking member so that the locking member is biased toward the locking position, the at least one sleeve is sleeved around the shaft, the at least one sleeve is positioned between the locking member and the shaft, and in a radial direction of the shaft, the at least one sleeve has a diametric dimension larger than or equal to an outer diametric dimension of the spring; the spring is a multi-coil pitch spring, the spring includes a first section and a second section, the first section has a coil pitch greater than a coil pitch of the second section, the first section is connected to the shaft, the second section is connected to the locking member, and the first section is positioned between the at least one sleeve and the second section; the connection member is configured to be releasably connected to the buckle member in a swinging direction, and the locking member is movable in the swinging direction to the release position; the main body further includes a board portion and two side portions, the two side portions extend from opposite sides of the board portion, and the receiving portion extends along the board portion; two ends of the reel column and two ends of the shaft are respectively positioned to the two side portions, and the reel column is closer to the board portion than the shaft, the board portion includes a strap penetration hole, and the reel column is positioned directly above the strap penetration hole, the belt extends in the strap penetration hole, winds around the reel column, and extends out of the strap penetration hole; an extension line passing through a center of the reel column and a center of the shaft define an included angle with the board portion, the included angle ranges between 20 degrees and 60 degrees; as viewed in an axial direction of the reel column, the reel column is entirely within an area of the strap penetration hole; the center of the shaft is outside the strap penetration hole; the size of each of the plurality of engaging teeth is smaller than the size of each of the plurality of ratchet tooth; the at least one sleeve includes two sleeves, the two sleeves are rotatably sleeved around the shaft, and each of the two sleeves is made of metal; the strap is elongated; the main body includes a positioning portion on a side transverse to the swinging direction, and an end of the strap is releasably positioned to the positioning portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 4 is another partial cross-sectional enlarged view from a different angle of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a locking member cooperating with a belt in a locking position in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the locking member cooperating with the belt in a release position in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0014] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a strap positioned to a positioning portion in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 7 for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A safety belt buckle assembly of the present invention includes a main body 1, a connection member 2, a reel column 3 and a locking member 41.

[0016] The connection member 2 is connected to the main body 1 and configured to be releasably connected to a buckle member 7. The reel column 3 is positioned to the main body 1 and configured for a belt 81 to wind around. The locking member 41 is movably connected to the main body 1 and is movable between a locking position and a release position. When the locking member 41 is in the locking position, the locking member 41 and the reel column 3 clamp the belt 81, restricting the movement of the belt 81 relative to the reel column 3 to ensure the user is securely restrained in the seat. When the locking member 41 is in the release position, the locking member 41 and the reel column 3 unclamp the belt 81, allowing the user to freely adjust the belt length.

[0017] A plurality of engaging teeth 31 are circumferentially arranged on the outer circumferential wall of the reel column 3. The plurality of engaging teeth 31 abut a side of the belt 81. A plurality of ratchet teeth 42 are disposed on a portion of the outer circumferential wall of the locking member 41. When the locking member 41 is in the locking position, the plurality of ratchet teeth 42 press against an other side of the belt 81, so that the plurality of engaging teeth 31 and the plurality of ratchet teeth 42 clamp the belt 81 and the belt 81 is only unidirectionally movable, to ensure the safety of the user. The size of each of the plurality of engaging teeth 31 is smaller than the size of each of the plurality of ratchet teeth 42. The plurality of engaging teeth 31 provide more contact area with the belt 81 to increase friction and ensure the belt 81 does not slip freely.

[0018] Specifically, the locking member 41 is swingably connected to the main body 1, allowing the user to easily switch the position of the locking member 41 by pulling it with the finger(s), making the entire operation convenient and quick. Furthermore, the safety belt buckle assembly further includes a shaft 43 and a spring 44. The shaft 43 is positioned to the main body 1, and the spring 44 is sleeved around the shaft 43. The locking member 41 is rotatably sleeved around the shaft 43 and the spring 44. The spring 44 is positioned between the locking member 41 and the shaft 43. Two ends of the spring 44 are respectively connected to the shaft 43 and the locking member 41 so that the locking member 41 is biased toward the locking position, enhancing the safety of use.

[0019] Preferably, the safety belt buckle assembly further includes at least one sleeve 47. The at least one sleeve 47 is sleeved around the shaft 43 and positioned between the locking member 41 and the shaft 43 to provide additional support to the locking member 41. In the radial direction of the shaft 43, the at least one sleeve 47 has a diametric dimension larger than or equal to an outer diameter of the spring 44, maintaining the structural integrity of the spring 44 and preventing wear. In this embodiment, the at least one sleeve includes two sleeves 47, and the two sleeves 47 are rotatably sleeved around the shaft 43 to allow the locking member 41 to rotate relative to the shaft 43. Each of the two sleeves 47 is made of metal, providing a smooth surface.

[0020] Furthermore, the spring 44 is a multi-coil pitch spring, which provides varying degrees of resistance according to the rotation angle of the locking member 41. In this embodiment, the spring 44 includes a first section 45 and a second section 46. The coil pitch of the first section 45 is larger than the coil pitch of the second section 46. The first section 45 is connected to the shaft 43, and the second section 46 is connected to the locking member 41. The first section 45 is positioned between the at least one sleeve 47 and the second section 46.

[0021] Since the locking member 41 is connected to the second section 46 of the spring 44 (of small coil pitch), during the process of pulling and rotating the locking member 41, the locking member 41 will press toward the side where the first section 45 is located. Therefore, the two sleeves 47 are positioned to the side of the shaft 43 away from the second section 46, allowing the structure to withstand the force and wear while providing a smoother surface to ensure the smooth rotation of the locking member 41.

[0022] The connection member 2 includes a hooked portion 21, a body portion 22, and an operation portion 23 connected in sequence. The body portion 22 is swingably connected to the main body 1. The hooked portion 21 is configured to be hooked on the buckle member 7, and the operation portion 23 is configured to be operated to move. Furthermore, the safety belt buckle assembly further includes a positioning base 51, at least one first positioning unit 52, and at least one second positioning unit 53. The positioning base 51 is positioned to the main body 1, the at least one first positioning unit 52 is positioned to the body portion 22, and the at least one second positioning unit 53 is positioned to the positioning base 51. When the connection member 2 swings to a predetermined position, the at least one first positioning unit 52 and the at least one second positioning unit 53 are releasably engaged and positioned with each other. In this embodiment, the connection member 2 is swung to the predetermined position when the hooked portion 21 hooks onto the buckle member 7, ensuring the safety of the connection.

[0023] Preferably, the connection member 2 is configured to be releasably connected to the buckle member 7 in a swinging direction 9, and the locking member 41 is also movable in the swinging direction 9 to the release position, providing a unified release direction for overall operation.

[0024] Furthermore, the main body 1 further includes a receiving portion 11 and a perforation 12. The perforation 12 is disposed through the receiving portion 11, and the buckle member 7 is disposed through the perforation 12 and is hooked by the hooked portion 21. As such, the receiving portion 11 and the buckle member 7 are blocked with each other in the hooking direction of the hooked portion 21, preventing the buckle member 7 from detaching from the hooked portion 21, thereby ensuring the user's safety. In this embodiment, during use, the buckle member 7 is connected to both an upper buckle 83 and a lower buckle 84, forming a five-point safety mechanism, which effectively holds the user in the seat, providing enhanced driving safety.

[0025] Moreover, the main body 1 further includes a board portion 13 and two side portions 15. The two side portions 15 extend from opposite sides of the board portion 13, and the receiving portion 11 extends along the board portion 13. Two ends of the reel column 3 and two ends of the shaft 43 are respectively positioned to the two side portions 15. The reel column 3 is closer to the board portion 13 than the shaft 43. The board portion 13 includes a strap penetration hole 14, and the reel column 3 is positioned directly above the strap penetration hole 14. The strap penetration hole 14 allows the belt 81 to pass through, wind around the reel column 3, and extend out of the strap penetration hole 14. An extension line passing through the center of the reel column 3 and the center of the shaft 43 forms an included angle 6 with the board portion 13, and the included angle 6 ranges between 20 degrees and 60 degrees, ensuring ergonomic ease for finger operation during the pulling process. Preferably, as viewed in an axial direction of the reel column 3, the reel column 3 is entirely within an area of the strap penetration hole 14 to facilitate the passing of the belt 81.

[0026] Preferably, the center of the shaft 43 is located outside the strap penetration hole 14 so that the force applied during the pulling process is not directly concentrated on the edges of the strap penetration hole 14. This ensures the structural integrity of the edges of the strap penetration hole 14.

[0027] The safety belt buckle assembly further includes a strap 82. The strap 82 is connected to the connection member 2 and movable with the connection member 2. A portion of the strap 82 is releasably positioned to the main body 1. The strap 82 is elongated, an end of the strap 82 passes through the operation portion 23 of the connection member 2. An other end of the strap 82 is designed to be easily grasped by the user to move the connection member 2 in the swinging direction 9, allowing for quick release. Specifically, the main body 1 further includes a positioning portion 16 on a side transverse to the swinging direction 9, and the other end of the strap 82 is releasably positioned to the positioning portion 16 (for example, via a hook-and-loop fastener). This ensures that the strap 82 does not obstruct the locking member 41 during use, allowing the user to clearly know the position of the locking member 41 and ensuring that there is no accidental activation of the locking member 41 or the strap 82 during operation.

[0028] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.