Illuminated seat belt buckle for automotive seat belt systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an illuminated seat belt buckle (1) for an automobile seat belt device, comprising a housing (2), a push button (3) movable within the housing (2), an insertion slot (4) for inserting a lockable latch plate within the seat belt buckle (1), at least one annular light source (5) including the insertion slot (4) and the push button (3), and a cover element (6) covering the annular light source (5) radially outward and toward the end face of the seat belt buckle (1), wherein the cover element (6) is integrally made of a translucent material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an illuminated seat belt buckle for an automobile seat belt device, having the features described in the preamble of claim 1.

Background Art

[0002] A belt buckle for an automobile seat belt device generally functions to securely lock a latch plate that is guided movably on a belt webbing or firmly connected to an end of the belt webbing to a vehicle. For this purpose, the belt buckle has an insertion slot for the latch plate and a locking mechanism that can be released via a push button. The locking mechanism is spring-loaded and automatically locks the latch plate when the latch plate is inserted into the insertion slot. To release the latch plate, a passenger who has fastened the seat belt presses the push button, thereby releasing the locking mechanism, and the released spring force of the locking mechanism pushes out the latch plate.

[0003] Such seat belt buckles have been prior art for many years. One problem with such seat belt buckles is that, in order to fasten the buckle, the passenger has to find the relatively narrow insertion slot of the seat belt buckle into which the latch plate is inserted in order to fasten the seat belt.

[0004] From German Patent Application Publication No. 39 04 125(A1), it is known that a light source may be provided in a belt lock, the light source being coupled to a predetermined light-emitting surface of the seat belt buckle via a light guide material. In this case, the light-emitting surface is the push button itself and / or a radiating surface located on the side of the insertion slot opposite the push button. Since the push button must be designed to be displaceable for its function, the light guide material fixedly placed within the push button must be positioned within the push button such that the light-incident surface of the light guide material is photometrically connected to an external light source when the push button is in an unpressed position. If the light-incident surface of the light guide material at this position is not photometrically connected to an external light source due to morphological and positional deviations or mechanical effects related to the manufacturing, light will not be introduced to the push button, or will not be introduced at all, and as a result the push button itself will not be illuminated or will be illuminated less than desired.

[0005] Furthermore, German Patent Application Publication No. 10 2007 047 704(A1) indicates that a light guide may be provided within the belt buckle, and this light guide has at least two light-emitting surfaces positioned at the end of the insertion slot. The light-emitting surfaces themselves have a triangular shape and are positioned in the triangular empty area of ​​the end face of the housing, between the edge of the housing and the conical side of the push button. The light-emitting surfaces are sized to fill as wide an empty area as possible in the corner of the end face of the housing, in particular, to achieve the best possible luminosity.

[0006] From U.S. Patent No. 5,892,436(A), an illuminated seat belt buckle is known in which a light source is connected via multiple light guides, the light guides being exposed on the end faces of the housing and thus forming multiple light-emitting points arranged circumferentially around the push button or insertion slot of the seat belt buckle. However, this solution is complex and expensive. Furthermore, the light guides are in the direction of movement of the push button, and as a result, there is a risk of damaging the light guides when the push button is operated to open the seat belt buckle.

[0007] From German Patent Application Publication No. 10 2015 215 254(B4), a seat belt buckle with illumination is known in which the light-emitting surface is formed by a circumferential surface light source on the end face of the housing, and the surface light source is designed as a light-emitting thin film component. An additional ring element is provided on the end face of the housing, and this additional ring element covers the surface light source on the end face of the seat belt buckle and on the radially outward side of the seat belt buckle, and thus protects the surface light source from damage. The ring element is manufactured using a two-component injection molding process and has a translucent region on the end face in the form of a continuous circumferential band and an opaque region on its radially outward side, so that the seat belt buckle is intentionally illuminated only on the end face. [Overview of the project]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a general-purpose, inexpensive seat belt buckle with improved illumination, in which the insertion slot and the push button for fastening and unfastening are particularly easy to find.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, an illuminated seat belt buckle having the features of claim 1 has been proposed. Furthermore, preferred embodiments of the present invention may be found in the dependent claims, figures, and related description.

[0010] According to claim 1, an illuminated seat belt buckle for an automobile seat belt device is proposed, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising a housing, a push button movable within the housing, an insertion slot for inserting a latch plate lockable into the seat belt buckle, at least one annular light source including the insertion slot and the push button, and a cover element covering the annular light source radially outward from the seat belt buckle and toward the end face of the seat belt buckle, the cover element being integrally made of a translucent material.

[0011] The proposed solution has the advantage that light is emitted not only towards the end face of the seat belt buckle through the cover element, but also radially outward, which is only possible through the integrated design of the cover element and its translucent design. As a result, the proposed solution is particularly cost-effective and at the same time improves the illumination of the seat belt buckle.

[0012] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element has an integrally formed fastening attachment, which fastens the cover element to the seat belt buckle housing. This simplifies the installation of the cover element and the associated assembly process, making it cost-effective. To fasten the cover element, corresponding fastening surfaces are provided in the seat belt buckle housing, thereby enabling the cover element to be fastened via its fastening attachment.

[0013] Furthermore, it is proposed that the fastening attachment has a latch hook, which latches the fastening attachment into an undercut of the housing. The locking mechanism is advantageous because it can be implemented very easily during installation and does not require additional fastening means.

[0014] It is further proposed that the housing has a closed annular section including an insertion slot and a push button, which defines an annular cavity toward the radially inner surface, and that the annular cavity is defined toward the radially outer surface and toward the end face of the seat belt buckle by a cover element, and that a light source be placed within the annular cavity. Thus, the cover element surrounds the cavity in the housing where the light source is placed. Since the cover element is semi-transparent and the housing of the seat belt buckle is opaque rather than semi-transparent, it is ensured that all light emitted by the light source exits to the outside only through the cover element. This means that the illumination of the seat belt buckle is defined solely by the cover element. In this context, in order to achieve high-quality visual illumination of the seat belt buckle, the shape of the cover element can be specifically designed on the one hand, and its semi-transparency on the other hand.

[0015] In this regard, it is proposed that the cover element preferably abuts against the annular section of the housing in the area of ​​the end face of the seat belt buckle, thereby eliminating the need for additional parts to form a cavity.

[0016] Furthermore, it is proposed that the annular section protrudes from the base surface of the housing, and the cover element abuts radially outward against the section of the housing that forms the base surface. Thus, the cavity is formed by the cover element, the annular section, and the base surface, the annular section and the base surface being part of the housing and forming the inner wall of the cavity, and the cover element covering the cavity outward.

[0017] Furthermore, it is proposed that the light source be designed in an annular shape and positioned radially outward on the base surface relative to the annular section of the housing. The proposed annular design of the light source and its position on the base surface allow the cavity, and therefore the cover element, to be illuminated particularly uniformly.

[0018] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element has an integrally formed light guide section, which has a light incident surface positioned parallel to and opposite the light-emitting surface of the light source. With the integrally formed light guide section having the proposed arrangement of the light incident surface, the light emitted by the light source is input-coupled to the cover element with improved yield, and the light guide specifically connects the light incident surface and the radially outward radiating surface of the cover element.

[0019] Furthermore, it is proposed that a gap be provided between the integrally formed light guide section and the radially outer edge of the cover element. Through this gap, the cover element can perform a slight spring motion toward the light guide section at its outer edge, which can be used to fasten the cover element during assembly. This is particularly advantageous because, although the light guide section, in principle, hardens the cover element due to its volume, this is compensated for by the spring elasticity of the edge of the cover element created by the gap.

[0020] Furthermore, it is proposed that the light source is formed by an annular light guide, which abuts the radially outer surface of the annular section and has a light-emitting surface. The annular light guide forms the light source with its light-emitting surface, and the light-emitting geometry is defined by the light-emitting surface created thereon. To supply light itself, the light guide is connected to an external light source, which can be located within the housing or cavity of the seat belt buckle, or at any external location where light is input and coupled to the light guide.

[0021] In this regard, the light guide is preferably designed to have a partially circular cross-section, so that light is emitted from the light guide not only radially outward from the seat belt buckle but also toward the end face of the seat belt buckle. This illuminates the cavity between the cover element and the annular section, or radially outward, toward the end face of the seat belt buckle.

[0022] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element be positioned so as not to come into contact with the light source. By positioning the light source non-contact with the cover element, the light source is prevented from being subjected to mechanical stress during the installation of the cover element. Moreover, the non-contact positioning of the cover element is advantageous for uniform illumination of the cover element because the light emitted by the light source is further dispersed before it enters the cover element.

[0023] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element has a first section extending in the direction of the end face of the seat belt buckle, and the cover element has a second section extending on the end face of the seat belt buckle in the direction of the push button and insertion slot. Thus, the cover element is structurally divided into two sections, the first section being positioned in the direction of the end face of the seat belt buckle and thus forming the radially outer side of the cover element, and the second section extending in the direction of the push button and insertion slot and thus positioned on the end face of the seat belt buckle.

[0024] Furthermore, it is proposed that the second section have a greater thickness than the first section. The first section functions to radiate light laterally through the cover element, while the second section is provided to radiate light from the end face of the seat belt buckle, preferably facing the viewer. In this case, the greater thickness of the second section is advantageous in that it scatters light more in the second section than in the first section, and as a result, the viewer perceives the seat belt buckle as being more uniformly illuminated overall.

[0025] Furthermore, it is proposed that markings, preferably informational symbols, be provided in the first section and / or the second section. The markings or informational symbols may include a company logo, a warning sign, or a purely aesthetic motif. Overall, the cover element may also have a second function as an information carrier or a decorative element, thus further enhancing the value of the seat belt buckle.

[0026] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element has a surface finish different from that of the outside of the second section on the outside of the first section. Due to the different surface properties of the cover element in the two sections, the cover element can be designed to be different from the radially outer first section with respect to the feel and appearance of its end face in the region of the seat belt buckle. Thereby, the seat belt buckle can be customized for individual customers in terms of both appearance and feel.

[0027] Furthermore, it is proposed that the cover element is locally opaque in the region of the first section by means of a coating, printing, or surface treatment. This intentionally locally achieved opacity can be used to achieve an improved visual appearance when the light source is operating by means of appropriate shaping, or to intentionally display symbols or letters.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] [Figure 1] Shows a seat belt buckle according to the present invention according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] Shows a further preferred development of the seat belt buckle according to the present invention of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Shows a seat belt buckle according to the present invention of FIG. 1 having cover elements of different thicknesses. [Figure 4] Shows a seat belt buckle according to the present invention with a cover element having an integrated light guide according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] Shows a seat belt buckle according to the present invention having a light source in the form of an annular light guide according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] Shows a cover element having an information symbol.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Figure 1 shows that the illuminated seat belt buckle 1 according to the present invention has a housing 2, a push button 3 located on the end face, and an insertion slot 4 located adjacent to the push button 3 for inserting and locking a latch plate (not shown) of the seat belt device. A locking mechanism (not shown) for locking the latch plate is provided inside the housing 2, and this locking mechanism is released by operating the push button 3, allowing the latch plate to be pushed out as described above.

[0031] An annular section 8 is provided at the end face of the housing 2, protruding from the base surface 10 of the housing 2 and surrounding the push button 3 and insertion slot 4 of the seat belt buckle 1. The base region 10 of the housing 2 is also designed in an annular shape and extends around the entire circumference of the housing 2 radially outward from the annular section 8. Furthermore, a similarly annular cover element 6 is provided, which is fastened to the outside of the housing 2 in the section forming the base surface 10 via a fastening attachment 7. To fasten the cover element 6, it can be, for example, bonded or welded to the fastening attachment 7 on the outside of the housing 2.

[0032] The cover element 6 extends from the fastening attachment 7 in a first section 20 that extends in the direction of the end face of the housing, and from the first section 20, via a curved section, continues to a second section 19 oriented on the end face of the housing 2 toward the annular section 8. The cover element 6 abuts radially outward against the housing 2 by the fastening attachment 7 and abuts toward the annular section 8 by the end face of the second section 19, and the fastening attachment 7 continues to or extends from the first section 20 of the cover element 6. Thus, the cover element 6 encloses an annular cavity 9 bounded radially inward by the annular section 8 and downward by the base region 10. The annular light source 5 is positioned on the base surface 10 of the cavity 9. The light source 5 may be a surface light source, an LED chain, or a light guide having a corresponding light-emitting surface.

[0033] The cover element 6 is integrally constructed from a translucent material. When the light source 5 is activated, the cavity 9 is fully illuminated, and due to the integral translucent design of the cover element 6, light exits through the first section 20, the second section 19, and the curved section of the cover element 6 positioned between them. Thus, the seat belt buckle 1 is uniformly illuminated in a ring shape across the entire outer surface of the first section 20, the second section 19, and the curved section of the cover element 6, and the push button 3 and insertion slot 4 are positioned within the luminous ring. The cover element 6 with the fastening attachment 7 abuts flat against the outside of the housing 2 and the second section 19, and abuts against the annular section 8 without gaps as far as possible and within the limits of manufacturing precision, so that light exits only through the outer surface of the cover element 6, thereby achieving visually high-quality illumination of the seat belt buckle 1. In this regard, depending on customer requirements, the radiative properties can be modified to increase light scattering by intentionally roughening the cover element 6, for example by etching the surface, or by a specific embossed surface structure on its radially outer or radially inner side. It is also conceivable to provide a partially transparent coating on the cover element 6, which allows light to escape when the light source 5 is activated but obstructs visibility through the cover element 6 when the light source 5 is stopped. The cover element 6 has a first section 20 and a second section 19, the first section 20 being located radially outward of the seat belt buckle 1 and the second section 19 being located on the end face of the seat belt buckle 1. In this case, the cover element 6 can be designed to intentionally differ in the areas of the first section 20 and the second section 19 in order to achieve a homogeneous appearance of the illuminated seat belt buckle 1, and the thickness, surface quality, or arrangement of locally opaque areas of the two sections 19 and 20 can be used for this purpose.

[0034] Figure 2 shows a more advanced embodiment of the embodiment in Figure 1. The fastening attachment 7 is here formed by a latch arm that latches into a groove 17 in the housing 2 to fasten the cover element 6. The latch arm and / or groove 17 may be formed around the entire circumference of the housing 2 or the cover element 6, or only partially in the form of a plurality of latch arms and a plurality of spaced grooves 17. Furthermore, the cover element 6 intentionally includes a section 18 in the area of ​​the first section 20, which may be provided with an additional customer logo or another type of informational symbol.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a further development of the embodiment in Figure 1, where the cover element 6 may have different thicknesses in the region of the second section 19. Depending on the desired radiation characteristics, the cover element 6 can be designed to be thicker or thinner in the second section 19, while the cover element 6 remains unchanged in the region of the first section 20 and the fastening attachment 7. It is also conceivable to design the cover element 6 to have different periphery thicknesses in the region of the second section 19 so that the cover element 6 has different radiation characteristics along its periphery. This allows the stiffness of the cover element 6 to be designed to vary across its periphery. However, it is preferable to design the cover element 6 to be thicker in the region of the second section 19 than in the region of the first section 20.

[0036] Figure 4 shows a further development of the embodiment of Figure 1, in which the cover element 6 has an integrally formed light guide section 11. Otherwise, the cover element 6 can be designed to be located in the area of ​​the fastening section 7 and the first section 20, in particular, according to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1. The light guide section 11 extends into the cavity 9 and has a light incident surface 13 positioned parallel to and opposite the light-emitting surface 12 of the light source 5, forming a gap with a certain gap width.

[0037] The light-emitting surface 12 of the light source 5 is considered an idealized light-emitting surface, which is the plane on which the LEDs are arranged when the light source 5 is designed using multiple LEDs. If the light source 5 is a surface light source, the light-emitting surface is the surface of the surface light source. If the light source 5 is designed in the form of a light guide, the light-emitting surface 12 is the average plane of the light-emitting surface of the light guide.

[0038] The cover element 6 also has a gap 14 between the light guide 11 and the first section 20 of the outer wall of the cover element 6, and this gap allows the fastening section 7 to protrude radially outward when the cover element 6 is fastened.

[0039] Light emitted by the light source 5 is emitted through the light-emitting surface 12 and input-coupled to the light guide via the light incident surface 13 positioned opposite the light guide 11. The light then passes through the light guide 11, the first section 20, the second section 19, and the curved section of the cover element 6 located between them, and is emitted to the outside through them.

[0040] Figure 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the light source 5 is formed by a light guide 15 that abuts against the side surface of the annular section 8. The light guide 15 has a light-emitting surface 16, which faces the first section 20 of the cover element 6 inside the cavity 9. The light-emitting surface 16 has a partially circular, in this case semicircular, cross-section, and as a result, light is emitted from the light guide 15 through the light-emitting surface 16 not only in the direction of the first section 20 of the cover element 6, but also in the direction of the second section 19 and the curved section of the cover element 6 located between them. The light guide 15 is ring-shaped and has an inner surface corresponding to the outer surface of the annular section 8, with its inner surface in close contact with the outer surface of the annular section 8. The cover element 6 can also be designed according to the exemplary embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 4.

[0041] Figure 6 shows a cover element 6 provided in section 18 with a marking 22. The marking 22 may be, for example, an information symbol having information content that personalizes the seat belt buckle 1, a vehicle manufacturer's logo, or a vehicle type designation. For this purpose, the cover element 6 may be formed of a black transparent material or may have a transparent cover layer of a corresponding color. The marking may be laser-cut, for example, with or without paint, or applied by a pad printing process. To provide the marking 22, section 18 may have a special shape, for example, it may be flattened or have a specific profile, the profile of which may correspond to the shape of the marking 22, or it may form the marking 22 itself. The section 18 on which the marking 22 is provided may be part of the first section 20, part of the second section 19, or it may extend across both sections 20 and 19.

Claims

1. A seat belt buckle (1) with illumination for a car seat belt system, - Housing (2), - A push button (3) that is displaceable within the housing (2), - An insertion slot (4) for inserting a latch plate that can be locked into the seat belt buckle (1), - At least one annular light source (5) including the insertion slot (4) and the push button (3), - A cover element (6) that covers the annular light source (5) toward the radially outward direction of the seat belt buckle (1) and toward the end face of the seat belt buckle (1), A seat belt buckle (1) equipped with a light, - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) is characterized in that the cover element (6) is integrally made from a translucent material.

2. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover element (6) has an integrally formed fastening attachment (7), and the cover element is fastened to the housing (2) of the seat belt buckle (1) by the fastening attachment (7).

3. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening attachment (7) has at least one latch hook (21), and the fastening attachment is latched by the latch hook (21) into an undercut of the housing (2).

4. - The housing (2) has a closed annular section (8) that surrounds the insertion slot (4) and the push button (3) and defines an annular cavity (9) radially inward, - The annular cavity (9) is defined by the cover element (6) radially outward from the seat belt buckle (1) and toward the end face of the seat belt buckle (1), - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the light source (5) is arranged within the annular cavity (9).

5. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the cover element (6) in the region of the end face of the seat belt buckle (1) abuts against the annular section (8) of the housing (2).

6. - The annular section (8) protrudes from the base surface (10) of the housing (2), - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the cover element (6) abuts radially outward with the section of the housing (2) that forms the base surface (10).

7. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the light source (5) is located on the base surface (10) radially outward of the annular section (8) of the housing (2).

8. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the cover element (6) has an integrally formed light guide section (11) having a light incident surface (13) arranged parallel to and opposite to the light-emitting surface (12) of the light source (5).

9. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that a gap (14) is provided between the integrally formed light guide section (11) and the radially outer edge of the cover element (6).

10. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the light source (5) is formed by an annular light guide (15) that abuts against the radially outer surface of the annular section (8) and has a light emitting surface (16).

11. - The light guide (15) is designed so that its cross-section is partially circular. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the light is emitted from the light guide (15) not only radially outward of the seat belt buckle (1) but also toward the end face of the seat belt buckle (1).

12. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cover element (6) is arranged in a non-contact manner with respect to the light source (5).

13. - The cover element (6) has a first section (20) that extends in the direction of the end face of the seat belt buckle (1), - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the cover element (6) has a second section (19) extending on the end face of the seat belt buckle (1) in the direction of the push button (3) and the insertion slot (4).

14. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the second section (19) has a greater thickness than the first section (20).

15. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the first section (20) and / or the second section (20) are provided with markings (22), preferably information symbols.

16. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the cover element (6) has a different surface finish on the outside of the first section (20) than on the outside of the second section (19).

17. - The illuminated seat belt buckle (1) according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the cover element (6) in the area of ​​the first section (20) is locally opaque by coating, printing, or surface treatment.

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