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Seat-belt lock assembly

a belt buckle and assembly technology, applied in the direction of vehicle components, signalling/lighting devices, optical signalling, etc., can solve the problems of insufficiently meeting the requirements of previous belt buckle assemblies, not or only with great effort, and not allowing the subsequent opening and exchange of lamps

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-09-18
TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a belt buckle assembly that provides complete and permanent illumination of the insertion aperture with minimum space required. The assembly includes a belt buckle casing and a lighting device with a lamp and a light conductor. The light conductor is positioned at the belt buckle casing and tapered towards the lamp to scatter the light emitted from the lamp and provide a larger illuminated area. The small size of the lamp allows for the use of a conventional belt buckle casing. The assembly also includes a joint carrier member for easy mounting of the lamp and light conductor onto the belt buckle casing. The carrier member is made of plastic sheathing and a conductor for safely holding the lamp and light conductor. The assembly also includes ducts for retaining the cables and preventing them from getting jammed or rupturing. The light conductor can be injection-molded to the belt buckle casing to provide a flush appearance.

Problems solved by technology

The lighting devices are intended, on the one hand, to ensure reliable lighting of the insertion aperture, the prerequisite of which is a long life of the lighting, as the belt buckle casings are usually closed by adhesive closure by a welding method so that subsequent opening and exchange of the lamp is not or only possible with great effort.
Moreover, the space within a belt buckle casing is limited so that a very compact design of the lighting device is desired.
Previous belt buckle assemblies meet these requirements only insufficiently.

Method used

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  • Seat-belt lock assembly
  • Seat-belt lock assembly

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Embodiment Construction

[0018]In FIG. 1 a belt buckle assembly 8 comprising a belt buckle casing 10 is shown having an upper belt buckle shell 12 and a lower belt buckle shell 14. The belt buckle casing 10 substantially corresponds to a conventional belt buckle casing the belt buckle shells 12, 14 are interconnected by adhesive closure along a weld 16, for instance by ultrasonic welding.

[0019]At a rear end 18 the belt buckle casing 10 is fastened on the vehicle side via fittings. At the opposite front end 20 an insertion aperture 22 for a plug-in tongue not represented here as well as an operating key 24 for releasing the plug-in tongue are shown.

[0020]Moreover, a lighting device 26 the structure of which will be explained hereinafter is provided at the insertion aperture 22.

[0021]The lighting device 26 substantially consists, as is evident from FIG. 2, of a lamp 28, in this case an LED, a carrier member 30 for the lamp 28, a light conductor 32 as well as two cables 34 for establishing a contact between th...

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Abstract

In a belt buckle assembly (8) comprising a belt buckle casing (10) and comprising a lighting device (26) provided at the belt buckle casing (10) for marking the insertion aperture (22) for the plug-in tongue the lighting device (26) includes a lamp (28), especially an LED, as well as a light conductor (32) being positioned at the belt buckle casing (10) in the area of the insertion aperture (22) and tapered in wedge shape toward the lamp (28), the light conductor absorbing and distributing the light emitted by the lamp (28).

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application corresponds to PCT / EP2012 / 003923, filed Sep. 20, 2012, which claims the benefit of German Application No. 10 2011 114 538.2, filed Sep. 29, 2011, the subject matter, of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a belt buckle assembly comprising a belt buckle casing and a lighting device provided at the belt buckle casing for marking the insertion aperture for the plug-in tongue.[0003]Belt buckles comprising lighting devices which serve for marking the insertion aperture for the plug-in tongue of the belt are generally known from prior art. These lighting devices allow for quicker and easier finding of the belt buckle in the dark and for quick recognition of the insertion aperture for the plug-in tongue and thus for simple operation of the belt buckle. The lighting devices are intended, on the one hand, to ensure reliable lighting of the insertion aperture, the prer...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A44B11/25
CPCA44B11/2565A44B11/2523
Inventor KNOEDL, RALF
Owner TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
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