Seat belt buckle device

Abstract

Seat belt buckle device (10) for securing a person in a vehicle seat, comprising a main buckle (12); and a plurality of seat belt lashes (14; 14a-d), wherein each seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) of the plurality of seat belt lashes is configured to be insertable into a respective opening of the main buckle (12), wherein each seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) is secured by the main buckle (12) upon being inserted into its respective opening of the main buckle (12), such that the seat belt buckle device is (10) in a secured state, wherein the main buckle (10 comprises a first buckle element (38) and a second buckle element (40), wherein each of the first buckle element (38) and the second buckle element (40) is configured to receive and secure at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d), and wherein the main buckle (12) comprises an actuation mechanism (28) configured to release the at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) secured by the first buckle element (38) independently from the at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) secured by the second buckle element (40).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a seat belt buckle device and a vertical take-off and landing aircraft comprising at least one seat belt buckle device.

[0002] Seat belt buckle devices are commonly employed in various types of vehicles, such as aircrafts and cars. While various variants of seat belt buckle devices exist, their mutual task is to secure a person, i.e. a pilot, driver, or passenger, sitting in a vehicle seat. Upon rapid acceleration, deceleration, or turning of the vehicle, the traveling person is exposed to the risk of being pushed out of the vehicle seat. Such circumstances may occur during landing of an aircraft on a runway, which is accompanied by enhanced breaking operations to reduce the traveling speed of the aircraft, and as a result of a traffic collision. In particular when traveling at high speeds, being pushed out or falling out of a vehicle seat may cause severe injuries or even death of the traveling person. The risk of such circumstances is drastically reduced when correctly using seat belt buckle devices, which are also referred to as safety belts or restraint systems. Thus, many countries have implemented seat belt wearing laws.

[0003] When it comes to the design of a seat belt buckle device, the safety of the person to be secured is the primary criterion, typically followed by parameters concerning the comfort of the person while traveling. Seat belt buckle devices should ensure the person's safety, while at the same time impair comfort and mobility as little as possible, the latter in particular when the person is the pilot or driver of the vehicle. Moreover, they should be actuatable in an easy and swift manner, i.e. it is intended for the person using the seat belt buckle device to be able to secure themself in a straight-forward manner upon occupying the vehicle seat as well as to easily release themself from the seat belt buckle device in order to leave the vehicle seat.

[0004] Under certain circumstances, it is desired to obtain an increased level of safety for a traveling person, while other situations allow for a basic level of safety. An example for the former is the occurrence of turbulences during flight of an aircraft, wherein the latter is represented by normal, i.e. non-turbulent and non-critical, flight conditions. During turbulences, the aircraft and thus the pilot as well as passengers may be subjected to extensive omnidirectional forces such that an increased level of safety is required. Contrary, during normal flight conditions, the traveling person may value comfort over safety and is therefore inclined to reduce the level of safety to the legally allowed minimum. Nonetheless, as turbulences may occur at any time during flight, the person must be able to readily establish an increased level of safety. With respect to seat belt buckle devices, this means that switching from a first configuration or mode, which represents a basic level of safety, to a second configuration or mode, which represents an increased level of safety, or vice versa, in a fast and unpretentious manner is a desired feature.

[0005] So far, various designs of seat belt buckle devices have been proposed. For example, US 2022 279 902 A1 discloses a seat belt buckle for a length-adjustable aircraft safety belt, comprising a main body, which defines a receiving space, a holder for attaching a belt strap of an aircraft safety belt, and a locking device for fastening a buckle tongue on the main body for closing the aircraft safety belt, wherein a length change of the aircraft safety belt is blocked, when a tensile load is applied to the belt strap and the belt strap is clamped between a clamping edge and the holder.

[0006] GB 1 205 410 A describes a buckle, comprising an apertured tongue and a housing having a base with a lug, which is engageable with an edge of the aperture in the tongue and which is lockable by a shoulder on a slidable locking member. The engagement between the buckle housing and the locking member is formed such that the buckle becomes more rigid and is non-yielding.

[0007] However, these seat belt buckle devices do not or merely insufficiently provide satisfying solutions to the aforementioned criteria.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a seat belt buckle device for securing a person in a vehicle seat, which allows for an adjustment of safety depending on the currently present traveling conditions, wherein the traveling person is able to readily actuate the seat belt buckle device in order to obtain a desired level of safety and comfort.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a seat belt buckle device for securing a person in a vehicle seat, comprising a main buckle; and a plurality of seat belt lashes, wherein each seat belt lash of the plurality of seat belt lashes is configured to be insertable into a respective opening of the main buckle, wherein each seat belt lash is secured by the main buckle upon being inserted into its respective opening of the main buckle, such that the seat belt buckle device is in a secured state, wherein the main buckle comprises a first buckle element and a second buckle element, wherein each of the first buckle element and the second buckle element is configured to receive and secure at least one seat belt lash, and wherein the main buckle comprises an actuation mechanism configured to release the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element independently from the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element.

[0010] The main buckle acts as a central element of the seat belt buckle device, which is used by a traveling person to secure themself. An opening is formed on the main buckle for each seat belt lash to be fastened, wherein the traveling person may simply secure themself by inserting the seat belt lashes into a respective opening of the main buckle, as conventionally known for seat belt buckle devices. Upon fastening one seat belt lash in the main buckle, the person is in the secured state, thus providing a basic level of safety, i.e. the minimally required level of safety for traveling. By fastening more than one seat belt lash, the level of safety can be increased, which may be desired in critical traveling situations, as outlined above with respect to turbulences occurring during a flight. Each of the seat belt lashes as well as the main buckle is preferably attached to a seat belt, which secures the person in his traveling position, according to conventionally known principles.

[0011] According to an important feature of the present invention, the main buckle comprises a first buckle element and a second buckle element. Each of these two buckle elements is configured to receive and secure at least one seat belt lash. Thus, by using the seat belt buckle device, the traveling person may secure themself by fastening at least two individual seat belt lashes. Further, as each of the first buckle element and the second buckle element is configured to individually receive and thereby fasten at least one respective seat belt lash, the person may freely decide which buckle element to use for securing themself, i.e. either at least one seat belt lash may be inserted into the first buckle element or the second buckle element, or both buckle elements may be employed simultaneously. In case of the former, the seat belt buckle device acts as a so-called two-point seat belt buckle device, which provides a basic level of safety, as referred to above. In case of the latter, i.e. both buckle elements being used simultaneously, the seat belt buckle device acts as a so-called three-point seat belt buckle device or possibly a higher variant thereof, if more than one seat belt lash is fastened by either one of the buckle elements. Moreover, when the seat belt buckle device is used as a two-point version, the traveling person may readily increase the level of safety by fastening an additional seat belt lash in the so far unused buckle element, thereby transferring the seat bel buckle device from the two-point version to the three-point version. Consequently, the seat belt buckle device according to the present invention allows the traveling person to establish different levels of safety in a straight-forward manner, wherein the person may base the desired level of safety on present traveling conditions.

[0012] The main buckle comprises an actuation mechanism for releasing previously fastened seat belt lashes from the first buckle element and the second buckle element, respectively. The actuation mechanism is configured such that any seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element and any seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element may be independently released from each other upon a single actuation of the actuation mechanism. In other words, the traveling person is able to selectively release seat belt lashes from either buckle element by actuating the actuation mechanism. In the context of the present invention, releasing a seat belt lash refers to an unbuckling / unfastening process of the respective seat belt lash.

[0013] For example, when the seat belt buckle device is used as a three-point version, i.e. at least one seat belt lash is fastened in each of the buckle elements, the actuation mechanism may be configured such that, upon actuation thereof, only the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element is released, while the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element remains fastened. Thus, the traveling person may readily switch from a high level of safety to a basic level of safety in case the present traveling conditions allow doing so. Accordingly, the level of comfort and mobility of the traveling person can be adapted during traveling. If non-critical traveling conditions are present, the level of safety may be reduced, i.e. the seat belt lashes secured by either buckle element may be released, which in turn increases comfort and mobility while sitting in the vehicle seat, as the traveling person is restrained by fewer seat belt lashes and seat belts, respectively. Moreover, the actuation mechanism allows for the releasing of all seat belt lashes, such that the traveling person may leave the vehicle seat, for example once they have reached their intended destination.

[0014] In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the actuation mechanism of the seat belt buckle device may comprise at least one lever, and wherein at least one seat belt lash is released upon actuation of the lever. The lever may be connected to a hinge, which is preferably spring-loaded, such that the lever automatically returns to its initial position after being actuated, allowing for seat belt lashes to be re-inserted. Further, the lever may be configured such that, upon actuation of the lever, the seat belt lashes secured by either of the buckle elements are released in a manner, which can be controlled by the traveling person. To enhance the user-friendliness of the actuation mechanism and the lever, respectively, the seat belt buckle device may be arranged centrally in front of the traveling person when being in the secured state. Thereby, the person may conveniently actuate the actuation mechanism by using one of their hands at any time during travel and they may visually monitor the state of the seat belt buckle device. Alternatively, instead of a lever, the actuation mechanism may comprise any other suitable actuation means, such as a push button.

[0015] Optionally, the actuation mechanism is configured to be actuatable in a predefined range, wherein the predefined range preferably is an angular range from 0° to 180°, more preferably from 0° to 120°, and wherein the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element or the second buckle element is released only upon reaching a first predefined threshold value within the predefined range. The predefined range comprises an initial position of the actuation mechanism, in which at least one seat belt lash is secured by any of the buckle elements of the main buckle, as well as an end position, up to which the actuation mechanism is actuatable. For example, if the actuation mechanism comprises a lever, rotating the lever around a rotation axis defined by the hinge and up to a specific rotation angle, for example up to 45° or 50°, may result in the release of the at least one seat belt lash secured by either of the two buckle elements, wherein the specific rotation angle represents the first predefined threshold value. The predefined range may comprise a first safety margin, for example an angular range of about 45° from the initial position of the lever, in which no seat belt lash is released even if the actuation mechanism is actuated. Thereby, an accidental actuation of the actuation mechanism does not necessarily lead to the release of a seat belt lash. This feature is of particular importance in situations requiring a high level of safety, such as during turbulences occurring mid-flight. Only upon passing through the first safety margin and reaching the first predefined threshold value, the at least one seat belt lash secured by either of the buckle elements may be released. For this purpose, a first releasing margin may be defined, during which the release of the respective seat belt lash is gradually performed.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actuation mechanism of the seat belt buckle device may be configured to release the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element and the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element in a sequential order. In the context of the present invention, releasing seat belt lashes in a sequential order means that upon actuation of the actuation mechanism all seat belt lashes secured by either of the two buckle elements are released before the seat belt lashes of the other of the two buckle elements. Therefore, the traveling person may actuate the actuation mechanism in a controlled manner in order to transfer the seat belt buckle device from a three-point version or higher variant thereof to a two-point version, without releasing all of the secured seat belt lashes, such that at least the basic level of safety is maintained. Finally, upon further actuation, the remaining seat belt lashes may be released, for example by reaching the end position of the actuation mechanism, and the traveling person may then leave the vehicle seat.

[0017] Further, the actuation mechanism may be configured to release the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element sequentially before the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element. Therefore, it is predefined that, upon actuating the actuation mechanism, the first buckle element releases its fastened seat belt lash, while the second buckle element remains in a secured state. In other words, by configuring the actuation mechanism as outlined above, the traveling person is able to selectively release the seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element but keep the seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element fastened, such that a basic level of safety may be maintained, if desired. Preferably, the first buckle element is provided for the securing and release of a seat belt lash, which is attached to a shoulder seat belt, wherein the second buckle element is provided for the securing and release of a seat belt lash, which is attached to a lap seat belt. Thereby, the traveling person may release a shoulder seat belt prior to a lap seat belt by actuating the actuation mechanism. Alternatively, the actuation mechanism may be configured to release the seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element prior to the seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element.

[0018] If a seat belt lash is released upon reaching a first predefined threshold value within the predefined range, the actuation mechanism may be configured such that, in the sequential order of releasing the seat belt lashes, a second seat belt lash is only released after releasing a first seat belt lash and reaching a second predefined threshold value within the predefined range, which is larger than the first predefined threshold value, wherein the second predefined threshold value may be a rotation angle of about 70° to about 75°. In this context, the first and second seat belt lashes refer to the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element and the second buckle element, respectively. In other words and according to the sequential order outlined above, the first seat belt lash may refer to the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element and the second seat belt lash may refer to the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element. For example, after reaching the first threshold value and thus the releasing of the first seat belt lash, optionally during a first releasing margin, a second safety margin may be defined, in which the second seat belt lash is not released during actuation of the actuation mechanism, but only upon reaching the second predefined threshold value. The second safety margin may be an angular range of about 20°. Thus, an accidental and unintentional release of the second seat belt lash together with or immediately after the first seat belt lash may be prevented. Optionally, a second releasing margin may be defined, in which the second seat belt lash is gradually released upon reaching the second threshold value. It should be noted that the traveling person may release both the first and second seat belt lashes in rapid succession upon swiftly moving the actuation mechanism from the initial position to the end position, thereby reaching both the first and second predefined thresholds in rapid succession.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actuation mechanism of the seat belt buckle device may comprise a second actuation portion mounted on the second buckle element and a first actuation portion mounted on the first buckle element, such that each of the second buckle element and the first buckle element is individually actuatable by the actuation mechanism. The second actuation portion and the first actuation portion may be arranged adjacently on the actuation mechanism of the main buckle. Further, both the first and first actuation portions may comprise a lever or any other suitable actuation means, as described above, such that each of the actuation portions may be actuated individually. In particular, the second actuation portion is configured to release the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element and the first actuation portion is configured to release the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element. Accordingly, the corresponding seat belt lashes may be inserted into either of the two buckle elements to individually secure them and establish a desired level of safety.

[0020] Optionally, the second actuation portion mounted on the second buckle element is configured to engage with the first actuation portion mounted on the first buckle element such that, upon actuating the second actuation portion, both the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element and the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element are both, in particular simultaneously, released. In other words, all seat belt lashes may be released upon actuating the second actuation portion, wherein the release preferably takes place simultaneously. Thus, for example in case the traveling person wants to leave the vehicle seat, a single actuation of the second actuation portion is sufficient to release all seat belt lashes, independently whether there is a seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element, the first buckle element, or both.

[0021] In order to engage the first actuation portion mounted on the first buckle element, the second buckle element may comprise a protrusion extending from the second buckle element into a corresponding cavity of the first buckle element to form the engagement between the second buckle element and the first buckle element. In particular, the engagement between the protrusion of the second buckle element and the cavity of the first buckle element is formed such that the first actuation portion of the first buckle element may be individually actuatable, wherein actuation of the second actuation portion of the second buckle element automatically leads to the release of all seat belt lashes secured by both buckle elements. Thus, the traveling person may adjust the level of safety, comfort, and mobility by specifically actuating either of the two buckle elements.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the present invention, each seat belt lash of the plurality of seat belt lashes may comprise an engagement portion configured to engage with a corresponding receiving portion of each of the second buckle element and the first buckle element for securing the seat belt lashes in the respective buckle elements. For example, the engagement portion may be formed as a tongue comprising a bore, configured to engage with a spring-loaded pin of the receiving portion, wherein the pin is formed correspondingly to the bore. Therefore, the traveling person may conveniently fasten a seat belt lash by simply inserting it into a respective buckle element, such that the pin engages the bore and fastens it within the receiving portion of the buckle element.

[0023] Further, the engagement portion of a seat belt lash may be formed such that two adjacently positioned seat belt lashes engage with one receiving portion of a buckle element for simultaneously securing both seat belt lashes in the respective buckle element. In other words, two seat belt lashes may combine to form an engagement portion and engage with a receiving portion, as described above. For example, each seat belt lash may comprise an engagement portion with a recess, wherein the recess of a seat belt lash is arranged on a first side of the engagement portion and the recess of an adjacently arranged seat belt lash is arranged on a second side of the engagement portion, which is opposite to the first side. Thus, the two recesses may be combined to form a structure, which has the functionality of the bore outlined above. However, it may not be necessary to insert the two adjacently positioned seat belt lashes simultaneously into the receiving portion of the corresponding buckle element, as the receiving portion may be configured to receive the seat belt lashes individually. Merely the securing of the two seat belt lashes is performed simultaneously in a single receiving portion. Alternatively, each of the buckle elements may comprise more than one, in particular two, receiving portions, wherein each receiving portion is configured to secure a single seat belt lash.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, the at least one seat belt lash secured by the first buckle element may be attached to a shoulder seat belt. Moreover, the at least one seat belt lash secured by the second buckle element may be attached to a lap seat belt. In particular, the lap seat belt may be used to establish a basic level of safety, wherein the shoulder seat belt may be fastened in case an increased level of safety is required. Further, the first buckle element may be configured to receive and fasten two seat belt lashes, such that the traveling person is secured by two shoulder seat belts, thereby effectively securing the upper body of the traveling person in the vehicle seat.

[0025] Moreover, the seat belt buckle device may be formed as a three-point seat belt buckle device or as a four-point seat belt buckle device. While a three-point seat belt buckle device refers to the securing of a single seat belt lash by each of the two buckle elements, a four-point seat belt buckle device refers to the fastening of two seat belt lashes in one of the buckle elements, wherein the other of the two buckle elements secures merely one seat belt lash. In the context of the present invention, the four-point version is preferably realised by fastening two seat belt lashes in the first buckle element and one seat belt lash in the second buckle element.

[0026] It should be noted that seat belt lashes attached to shoulder seat belts may have different dimensions and / or shapes than the seat belt lashes attached to lap seat belts, such that each type of the seat belt lashes may only be inserted and secured by an associated buckle element. Thereby, the traveling person cannot accidentally insert a seat belt lash associated with the first buckle element into the second buckle element, and vice versa. Alternatively, all seat belt lashes may have the same shape and dimension.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, in particular electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, comprising at least one seat belt buckle device according to the first aspect of the present invention. During take-off and landing of such an aircraft as well as during turbulences occurring mid-flight, an increased level of safety for the pilot and the passengers may be required. Thus, seat belt lashes attached to shoulder seat belts may be secured by using the first buckle element, in addition to the lap seat belt. In case of non-critical flight conditions, in particular the passengers and / or the pilot may release the shoulder seat belts by actuating the actuation mechanism associated with the first buckle element to increase the level of comfort and mobility of the upper body, while reducing the level of safety.

[0028] Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become even clearer from the following description of embodiments thereof, when taken together with the accompanying figures, which show in particular: Fig. 1a top view of a seat belt buckle device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2a schematic view of the seat belt buckle device in a secured state according to a variant of the first embodiment; Figs. 3a-dschematic views of the seat belt buckle device of the first embodiment, demonstrating the release of seat belt lashes by using an actuation mechanism; Fig. 4a top view of a seat belt buckle device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5a top view of a seat belt buckle device according to a variant of the second embodiment; and Fig. 6a schematic view of the seat belt buckle device shown in Fig. 5, wherein the actuation mechanism according to the second embodiment is highlighted.

[0029] In Fig. 1, a seat belt buckle device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The seat belt buckle device 10 comprises a main buckle 12 and two seat belt lashes 14, wherein one seat belt lash 14a is attached to a lap seat belt 16 and the other seat belt lash 14b is attached to a shoulder seat belt 18. Further, the main buckle 12 is attached to a main buckle seat belt 20. Thus, the seat belt buckle device 10 shown in Fig. 1 represents a three-point version of a seat belt buckle device, as three individual seat belts 16, 18, 20 are connectable with the central main buckle 12. The lap and shoulder seat belts 16, 18 may be of fixed length, adjustable length or on a roll, such that a traveling person, who intends to use the seat belt buckle device 10 to secure themself in a vehicle seat (not shown), may readily use the seat belts 16, 18 including the attached seat belt lashes 14a, 14b upon entering the vehicle seat.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the main buckle 12 is fixedly secured to main buckle seat belt 20, wherein seat belt lashes 14a, 14b are inserted into openings (not shown) of the main buckle 12 according to the direction indicated by arrows to fasten the seat belt lashes 14a, 14b in the main buckle 12, thereby establishing a secured state of the seat belt buckle device 10, i.e. securing the traveling person in the vehicle seat. The seat belt lashes 14a, 14b comprise engagement portions 22 configured to engage with corresponding receiving portions of the main buckle 12, which are described with reference to Fig. 2. Here, the engagement portions 22 comprise a tongue 24 including a bore configured to form an engagement with the respective receiving portions of the main buckle 12 upon insertion of the seat belt lash 14a, 14b into the main buckle 12.

[0031] Moreover, the main buckle 12 comprises an actuation mechanism 28, which is configured to release the seat belt lashes 14a, 14b secured by the main buckle 12. To do so, the actuation mechanism 28 comprises a lever 30 connected to a spring-loaded hinge 32, wherein the lever 30 can be actuated by the traveling person by rotating it around a rotation axis defined by the hinge 32 to release previously secured seat belt lashes 14a, 14b, as will be described later on. In Fig. 1, the lever 30 is in an initial position, i.e. a non-actuated position.

[0032] It should be noted that the shape, dimension, and arrangement of the main buckle 12, the seat belt lashes 14a, 14b, and the seat belts 16, 18, 20 depicted in Fig. 1 as well as the following figures are to be understood as exemplary, and may therefore be altered, if desired.

[0033] Fig. 2 depicts a schematic section view of a seat belt buckle device in a secured state according to a variant of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1. The variant of Fig. 2 differs from Fig. 1 in that the seat belt lashes 14 are in the secured state, i.e. fastened in the main buckle 12. While seat belt lash 14a, which is associated with lap seat belt 16, is the same as depicted in Fig. 1, shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lashes 14c, 14d according to the variant of Fig. 2 differ from seat belt lash 14b shown in Fig. 1, as their engagement portions 22 comprise a recess 34 instead of a bore 26. As shown in Fig. 2, the two adjacently arranged seat belt lashes 14c, 14d form, by combining their two recesses 34, a structure with substantially similar functionality as the bore 26 of seat belt lash 14b. The seat belt lashes 14c, 14d are referred to as split-type seat belt lashes. By engaging a pin 36 of the main buckle 12, the seat belt lashes 14 form an engagement with the main buckle 12, thereby establishing the secured state of the seat belt buckle device 10.

[0034] The main buckle 12 comprises a first buckle element 38 configured to receive and secure seat belt lashes 14c, 14d as well as a second buckle element 40 configured to receive and secure seat belt lash 14a. According to the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first and second buckle elements 38, 40 are arranged within main buckle 12. Each of the first and second buckle elements 38, 40 comprises a receiving portion 42, which includes the aforementioned pin 36. Again, the arrangement of the individual components shown in Fig. 2, in particular the first and second buckle elements 38, 40, is merely exemplary, and may be altered if desired. For example, split-type seat belt lashes 14c, 14d may be provided in the form of seat belt lash 14b and seat belt lash 14a may be provided in the form of split-type seat belt lashes 14c, 14d.

[0035] Figs. 3a-d demonstrate an unbuckling or releasing process of seat belt lashes 14 from the main buckle 12. Here, seat belt lashes 14a, 14b, of which only a partial part of their engagement portions 22 is shown in Figs. 3a-d, are released from the first and second buckle elements 38, 40 of the main buckle 12 by actuating the actuation mechanism 28, i.e. by rotating lever 30 around the rotation axis defined by hinge 32 in a predefined range, e.g. between 0° and 120°. It should be noted that instead of seat belt lashes 14a, 14b, split-type seat belt lashes 14c, 14d could also be used.

[0036] In Fig. 3a, lever 30 has already been rotated or lifted of about 45° from the initial position (not shown). However, neither seat belt lash 14a nor seat belt lash 14b are being released from the first and second buckle element 38, 40, respectively. That is, because the predefined angular range from the initial position of the lever 30 to a rotation angle of about 45° represents a first safety margin, in which the seat belt lashes 14a, 14b remain in engagement with the buckle elements 38, 40. The purpose of the first safety margin is to prevent accidental release of the seat belt lashes 14a, 14b, e.g. during turbulences occurring mid-flight.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 3b, upon reaching a first threshold value, e.g. at a rotation angle between 45° and 50°, the first buckle element 38 is lifted in the rotation direction of the lever 30, such that the engagement between the engagement portion 22 of the seat belt lash 14b and the receiving portion 42 of the first buckle element 38 is released, as the pin 36 is lifted upward. The seat belt lash 14b may then be withdrawn from the first buckle element 38 of the main buckle 12, thereby defining the shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lash 14b as a first seat belt lash to be released from the main buckle 12. The release of the seat belt lash 14b may be gradually performed during a releasing margin, e.g. at a rotation angle between about 45° and about 50°. It should be noted that the second buckle element 40 is not lifted together with the first buckle element 38, as can be seen in Fig. 3b. Instead, the engagement between the engagement portion 22 of the seat belt lash 14a and the receiving portion 42 of the second buckle element 40 is being maintained, such that the lap seat belt 16 associated seat belt lash 14a is not released and a basic level of safety for the traveling person is ensured. The seat belt lash 14b is therefore independently released from the seat belt lash 14a, which allows the traveling person to reduce the level of safety provided by the seat belt buckle device 10 without having to simultaneously release all seat belt lashes 14 secured by the buckle elements 38, 40. Similarly, the traveling person may remove the shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lash 14b to increase the comfort and mobility of their upper body, if the present traveling conditions allow doing so, e.g. during non-critical flight conditions.

[0038] Fig. 3c highlights a second safety margin, which may range from a rotation angle of the lever 30 of about 50° to about 70°. In the second safety margin, the second buckle element 40 remains in its engaged position, such that the seat belt lash 14a is not accidentally released. The second safety margin is of particular importance, if the traveling person intends to release only a first seat belt lash, i.e. the seat belt lash 14b secured by the first buckle element 38, but unintentionally rotates the lever 30 slightly above the first predefined threshold value of about 45° to about 50°. In this case, the seat belt lash 14a will not be released due to the second safety margin and a basic level of safety is maintained.

[0039] Finally, as depicted in Fig. 3d, the second buckle element 40 is being lifted upwards, as a second predefined threshold value is reached. In the present example, the second predefined threshold value is a rotation angle of about 70° to about 75° but may be altered if desired. Similar to the release of the first seat belt lash, the engagement between the engagement portion 22 of the seat belt lash 14a and the receiving portion 42 of the second buckle element 40 is released, as pin 36 is lifted upward. Then, seat belt lash 14a may be withdrawn from the second buckle element 40 of the main buckle 12, thereby defining the lap seat belt 16 associated seat belt lash 14a as a second seat belt lash to be released from the main buckle 12. As all seat belt lashes 14 are now released, the traveling person may leave the vehicle seat.

[0040] It should be noted that the actuation mechanism 28 is also functional and thus actuatable, if only one of the two buckle elements 38, 40 secures a seat belt lash 14, i.e. it is not required to have a seat belt lash 14 secured by each of the buckle elements 38, 40. Further, the actuation mechanism 28 as well as the first and second buckle elements 38, 40 may be formed such that the second buckle element 40 is actuated prior to the first buckle element 38, i.e. inversely to the embodiment shown in Figs. 3a-d.

[0041] Figs. 4 and 5 depict a seat belt buckle device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The seat belt buckle device 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the seat belt buckle device 10 according to the first embodiment in that the first buckle element 138 and the second buckle element 140 of the main buckle 112 form two adjacently arranged units. The actuation mechanism 128 comprises a second actuation portion 140a and a first actuation portion 138a, wherein the two actuation portions 138a, 140a are mounted on the respective buckle element 138, 140. In particular, the second buckle element 140 comprises a second actuation portion 140a and the first buckle element 138 comprises a first actuation portion 138a. As a result, the first buckle element 138 and the second buckle element 140 are individually actuatable by the traveling person to release the secured seat belt lashes 14. To do so, each actuation portion 138a, 140a comprises actuation means, such as a lever connected to a hinge, as described with respect to the actuation mechanism 28 of the first embodiment.

[0042] Securing the seat belt lashes 14 in the main buckle 112 is performed as described with respect to the first embodiment, i.e. the seat belt lashes 14 are inserted into openings (not shown) of a respective buckle element 138, 140, as indicated by arrows in Figs. 4 and 5. Thereby, the engagement portions 22 of the seat belt lashes 14 engage with the receiving portions (not shown in Figs. 4 and 5) of the buckle elements 138, 140. Here, seat belt lash 14a is fastened by inserting it into the second buckle element 140, wherein two split-type seat belt lashes 14c, 14d with a recess 34, as shown in Fig. 4, or two seat belt lashes 14b with a tongue 24 and a bore, as shown in Fig. 5, may be secured by the first buckle element 138. The receiving portions of the buckle elements 138, 140 may be formed as described with respect to Figs. 2 and 3, i.e. comprising a spring-loaded pin. It should be noted that the variants of the seat belt buckle device 100 according second embodiment depicted in Figs. 4 and 5, i.e. with split-type seat belt lashes 14c, 14d and seat belt lashes 14b, respectively, are arranged in the form of a four-point type seat belt buckle device. However, the seat belt buckle device 100 may also be used as a three-point type seat belt buckle device, namely by fastening only one shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lash 14b-d in the first buckle element 138 instead of two.

[0043] Upon actuating the first actuation portion 138a, the seat belt lashes 14b-d secured by the first buckle element 138 are released independently from the seat belt lash 14a secured by the second buckle element 140. If the second actuation portion 140a of the second buckle element 140 is actuated, not only the lap seat belt 16 associated seat belt lash 14a is released, but also the seat belt lashes 14b-d secured by the first buckle element 138. That is, because a protrusion 150 is provided, which extends from the second buckle element 140 into the first buckle element 138, in particular into a cavity of the first buckle element 138. The protrusion 150 engages the first actuation portion 138a, i.e. the lever of the first buckle element 138, by contacting an adjacent surface of the first actuation portion 138a and is configured to translate an actuation of the second actuation portion 140a of the second buckle element 140 to the first actuation portion 138 of the first buckle element 138. Thus, all seat belt lashes 14 secured by either of the first and the second buckle elements 138, 140 are released upon actuating the second actuation portion 140a. As a result, the traveling person may choose to independently release either the shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lashes 14b-d or all of the secured seat belt lashes 14a-d. An advantage of the seat belt buckle device 100 of the second embodiment is that an accidental release of the lap seat belt 16 associated seat belt lash 14a can be excluded, when intending to release only the shoulder seat belt 18 associated seat belt lashes 14b-d.

[0044] Fig. 6 further highlights the details of the engagement between the second actuation portion 140a and the first actuation portion 138a of the variant of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 5. As schematically indicated, the protrusion 150 extends from the second actuation portion 140a of the second buckle element 140 such that the engagement between the two actuation portions 138a, 140a is only realized upon actuating the second actuation portion 140a. The first actuation portion 138a is therefore redundantly arranged with respect to the second actuation portion 140a, meaning that the seat belt lashes 14b may be released without actuating the first actuation portion 138a of the first buckle element. The first buckle element 138 may however be independently actuated to release the seat belt lashes 14b, thereby providing means to adjust the level of safety, comfort and mobility of the traveling person when using the seat belt buckle device 100.

[0045] Finally, it should be noted that although the second buckle element 40, 140 according to the first and second embodiments has been described as securing only one seat belt lash 14a, it may also be configured to secure more than one, in particular two, seat belt lashes 14a, as shown for the first buckle element 38, 138 with respect to seat belt lashes 14b-d.

Claims

1. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) for securing a person in a vehicle seat, comprising: - a main buckle (12, 112); and - a plurality of seat belt lashes (14; 14a-d), wherein each seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) of the plurality of seat belt lashes is configured to be insertable into a respective opening of the main buckle (12, 112), wherein each seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) is secured by the main buckle (12, 112) upon being inserted into its respective opening of the main buckle (12, 112), such that the seat belt buckle device (10) is in a secured state, characterized in that the main buckle (12, 112) comprises a first buckle element (38, 138) and a second buckle element (40, 140), wherein each of the first buckle element (38, 138) and the second buckle element (40, 140) is configured to receive and secure at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d), and wherein the main buckle (12, 112) comprises an actuation mechanism (28, 128) configured to release the at least one seat belt lash (14b-d) secured by the first buckle element (38, 138) independently from the at least one seat belt lash (14a) secured by the second buckle element (40, 140).

2. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism (28, 128) comprises at least one lever (30, 130a, 130b), and wherein at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) is released upon actuation of the lever (30, 130a, 130b).

3. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuation mechanism (28, 128) is configured to be actuatable in a predefined range, wherein the predefined range preferably is an angular range from 0° to 180°, more preferably from 0° to 120°, and wherein the at least one seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) secured by the first buckle element (38, 138) or the second buckle element (40, 140) is released only upon reaching a first predefined threshold value within the predefined range.

4. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to claim 3, wherein the first predefined threshold value is a rotation angle of about 45° to about 50°.

5. Seat belt buckle device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuation mechanism (28) is configured to release the at least one seat belt lash (14b-d) secured by the first buckle element (38) and the at least one seat belt lash (14a) secured by the second buckle element (40) in a sequential order.

6. Seat belt buckle device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the actuation mechanism (28) is configured to release the at least one seat belt lash (14b-d) secured by the first buckle element (38) sequentially before the at least one seat belt lash (14a) secured by the second buckle element (40).

7. Seat belt buckle device (10) according to claim 5 or 6 and claim 3, wherein the actuation mechanism (28) is configured such that, in the sequential order of releasing the seat belt lashes (14; 14a-d), a second seat belt lash (14a) is only released after releasing a first seat belt lash (14b-d) and reaching a second predefined threshold value within the predefined range, which is larger than the first predefined threshold value.

8. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to claim 7, wherein the second predefined threshold value is a rotation angle of about 70° to about 75°.

9. Seat belt buckle device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuation mechanism (128) comprises a second actuation portion (140a) mounted on the second buckle element (140) and a first actuation portion (138a) mounted on the first buckle element (138), such that each of the second buckle element (140) and the first buckle element (138) is individually actuatable by the actuation mechanism (128).

10. Seat belt buckle device (100) according to claim 9, wherein the second actuation portion (140a) mounted on the second buckle element (140) is configured to engage with the first actuation portion (138a) mounted on the first buckle element (138) such that, upon actuating the second actuation portion (140a), both the at least one seat belt lash (14a) secured by the second buckle element (140) and the at least one seat belt lash (14b-d) secured by the first buckle element (138) are both, in particular simultaneously, released.

11. Seat belt buckle device (100) according to claim 10, wherein the second buckle element (140) comprises a protrusion (150) extending from the second buckle element (140) into a corresponding cavity of the first buckle element (138) to form the engagement between the second buckle element (140) and the first buckle element (138).

12. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each seat belt lash (14; 14a-d) of the plurality of seat belt lashes comprises an engagement portion (22) configured to engage with a corresponding receiving portion (42) of each of the second buckle element (40, 140) and the first buckle element (38, 138) for securing the seat belt lashes (14; 14a-d) in the respective buckle elements (38, 40, 138, 140).

13. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to claim 12, wherein the engagement portion (22) of a seat belt lash (14c, 14d) is formed such that two adjacently positioned seat belt lashes engage with one receiving portion (42) of a buckle element (38, 40, 138, 140) for simultaneously securing both seat belt lashes in the respective buckle element (38, 40, 138, 140).

14. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one seat belt lash (14b-d) secured by the first buckle element (38, 138) is attached to a shoulder seat belt (18) and / or, wherein the at least one seat belt lash (14a) secured by the second buckle element (40, 140) is attached to a lap seat belt (16).

15. Seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the seat belt buckle device (10, 100) is formed as a three-point seat belt buckle device or as a four-point seat belt buckle device.

16. Vertical take-off and landing aircraft, in particular electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising at least one seat belt buckle device (10, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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