Harness buckle

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a safety belt or harness buckle and, according to one aspect of the invention, to a harness buckle which can be used to secure the straps of a five-point harness together.

Background of the invention

Strollers are generally fitted with a five-point harness that includes a crotch strap, two waist straps and two shoulder straps, with the ends of each strap meeting at a central location. Harness buckles for use on strollers cannot be quick release. It is preferred that young children are unable to release their own buckles when in a stroller. A harness buckle is provided to connect all five straps together and is typically permanently attached to the end of the crotch strap. The shoulder straps attach to the waist straps by hooking through loops at the ends of the waist straps. The ends of the waist straps are fitted with clips, which push into the buckle fixed to the crotch strap. To disengage the harness, one waist clip is released, following by the second waist clip.

If one requires the shoulder straps to be released from the waist straps they must be separately unhooked. While these sorts of harness buckles cannot generally be undone by a child, they are also quite difficult for an adult to undo quickly in order to remove the child. This is due to the force required to actuate the clips and they generally require two hands to undo, as one must grasp the buckle with one hand and pull the waist clip with the other. To remove the child from these harnesses, one must pull the child's arms out from the loop formed by the shoulder and waist straps, or separately undo the shoulder straps.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, it is an object to provide an improved safety belt or harness buckle that can be released by an adult to easily remove a child, but that cannot be readily released by a young child.

In a number of countries, including Australia and New Zealand, there is a requirement for safety belt or harness buckles in vehicles to be quick release. This allows easy access to a child, by rescuers, in the event of a vehicle accident. If a car is inverted, the buckle must be able to be released without having to move the child.

Therefore, according to a second aspect of the invention, it is an object to provide an improved safety belt or harness buckle that can be released to provide quick access to a child.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a buckle for use with a safety belt or harness, the buckle including: a buckle body fixedly connectable to a first strap and adapted to releasably receive at least one attachment means fixedly connectable to a further strap, the buckle body including actuable means whereby the actuable means is slidable from a first position to a second position where the actuable means can be depressed to release the at least one attachment means from the buckle body.

Preferably, the first strap is a crotch strap. Advantageously, there are four attachment means, each fixedly connectable to respective waist and shoulder straps. The buckle body is preferably disc shaped with a top plate. The four attachment means may be evenly spaced around and extend into the periphery of the disc shaped buckle body. Release by the actuable means will preferably release all four attachment means simultaneously.

The actuable means may be positioned on the top face of the buckle body. In the first position, the actuable means is preferably located near the periphery of the buckle body. In the second position, the actuable means is preferably moved towards the centre of the buckle body. The actuable means may be a button housed in a cut away section in a top plate of the buckle body.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a buckle for use with a five-point harness, the buckle including: a buckle body fixedly connectable to a crotch

strap and adapted to separately releasably receive four attachment means fixedly connectable to respective waist and shoulder straps, the buckle body including means actuable to simultaneously release all four attachment means from the buckle body.

Preferably, the buckle body houses means to separately engage each of the attachment means, such means being biased to hold the attachment means in the buckle body, but being actuated by the actuable means to release the attachment means. These means are preferably resiliently depressible levers with studs to engage apertures in the attachment means. The resiliently depressible levers are preferably biased upwardly to lock the studs into the apertures. The levers may be biased by a leaf spring on the rear side of the levers and held in place by the back plate.

There may be provided additional biasing means that push the attachment means out of the buckle body. There are preferably two such biasing means, each located between two attachment means to push those two attachment means out of the buckle body.

The attachment means may have tongues, which are preferably rectangular in shape and may be inserted into slots in the main body. The tongues are preferably provided with apertures. Advantageously, as the tongues are inserted, the means to engage the attachment means, preferably in the form of levers, are depressed and the tongues slide over the studs on the levers until the studs are engaged in the apertures on the tongues. This locks the attachment means in the buckle body. The edges of the tongues may push against the biasing means provided in the main body.

The button may be biased to the first position by additional biasing means, preferably in the form of springs. When the attachment means are to be released, the button is slid into the second position, pushing against the spring bias.

As the button is depressed, projections on the underside of the button may push down against protrusions on the levers. The main body and the button are preferably both symmetrical. There are preferably four protrusions and they may all be pushed down simultaneously. This downward movement forces the levers downwards, which moves

the studs downwards and out of engagement with the apertures. As the studs are disengaged, the biasing means may push the tongues out of the slots.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buckle according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the buckle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the main body of the buckle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the main body of Figure 3 with the attachment means engaged;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main body of Figure 3, with the button and springs in place;

Figure 6a and 6b show rear and side views of the button and springs; and

Figure 7 is a rear view of the main body with the back plate removed.

Detailed description of the embodiments

As can be seen in Figure 1 , there is provided a buckle 10 for use with a safety belt or harness. The safety belt or harness may be on any suitable device, such as a vehicle, child seat, high chair or stroller. The buckle has particular application for use with a five- point harness and will be described with reference to such a harness. A five-point harness includes a crotch strap 12, two waist straps 14a, 14b and two shoulder straps 16a, 16b.

As can be seen in Figure 1 , the buckle 10 includes a buckle body 18, which is fixedly connectable to a first strap, being the crotch strap 12. The buckle body 18 can

releasably receive at least one attachment means. In the embodiment illustrated, four attachment means 20a-20d are separately releasably receivable in the buckle body 18. Each attachment means 20a-20d is fixedly connectable to respective waist and shoulder straps 14a, 14b, 16a, 16b.

The buckle body 18 also includes an actuable means in the form of button 22. The button 22 is actuable to simultaneously release all four attachment means 20 from the buckle body 18, as will be further described below. The button 22 requires a two-part action, so as not to be a quick release mechanism. The button 22 is first slid from a first position near the periphery of the buckle body 18 to a second position near the centre of the buckle body 18. In the second position the button 22 can be depressed to release the attachment means 20. When in the first position, the button 22 cannot be depressed. This prevents a young child e.g. a child under age 4, from releasing the buckle 10, as it is difficult for a young child to manage this two-part action.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the buckle body 18 is made up of a top plate 24, a main body 26, a back plate 28, the button 22, two biasing means 30a, 30b for pushing the attachment means 20 from the main body 26, and two helical compression springs 32a, 32b for biasing the button 22 into the first position. The top plate 24 includes an aperture 34 to receive the button 22. The aperture 34 is sized and shaped to allow the button 22 to slide between the first position and the second position. The top plate 24 includes a strip 36, which is thinner than the rest of the top plate. This strip 36 is able to be received in an end slit 38 provided in the button 22. This connection holds the button 22 within the top plate 24. As the springs 32a, 32b are biasing the button 22 into the first position, the end slit 38 is being pushed against the strip 36.

As can best be seen in Figures 5, 6a and 6b, the button 22 includes a finger depression 40 that is shaped to allow the button to be slid and depressed easily. The button 22 also includes two posts 42a, 42b, which engage in the ends of springs 32a, 32b and are held in place by shoulders 33. On the underside of the button 22 there are provided two projections 74a, 74b, near the shoulders 33.

The back plate 28 closes the back of the buckle body 18 and includes two screw holes 44a, 44b to receive respective screws (not shown). The screws project through the holes 44a, 44b, through the main body 26 and are engaged in screw posts 46a, 46b provided on the top plate 24.

The main body 26 includes a peripheral wall 48 that defines a recessed central area 50. The wall 48 is provided with four slots 52a-52d, evenly spaced around the periphery, for receiving the four attachment means 20a-20d. The attachment means 20 include brackets 54 that fit against the outside of the wall 48. On the outer side of the brackets 54 there are loops 56, to which the straps 14a, 14b, 16a, 16b are fixedly connected by being threaded through the loops 56 and then sewn back onto themselves. On the inner side of the brackets 54 there are tongues 58a-58d, which are rectangular in shape and are able to be inserted into the slots 52a-52d in the main body 26. The tongues 58a-58d are provided with apertures 60a-60d. The crotch strap 12 is attached to the main body 26 through aperture 61. Rigidity is provided to the strap 12 by a bracket 64 projecting from the main body 26.

The main body 26 has a solid strip 62 running down the centre of the recessed central area 50 to provide rigidity. Internal and underneath of the slots 52a-52d, and on the outside of the solid strip 62, are four resiliently depressible levers 66a-66d. The levers 66 are joined to the peripheral wall 48 by web hinges, their location being indicated generally by reference numeral 65 in Figure 3. The web hinges allow the levers 66 to be deflected downwardly, but are biased to a neutral position by leaf spring 80, as shown in Figure 7. The leaf spring 80 biases the levers 66 upwards. The leaf spring 80 birdges across the rear surface of the four levers 66a-66d and when the back plate 28 is in place, an additional force biases each of the levers 66a-66d upwards. The levers also 66a-66d include studs 68a-68d and protrusions 70a-70d, which are explained below.

The main body 26 also includes posts 72a, 72b, which engage in the opposite ends of springs 32a, 32b. The springs 32 are compressed between the shoulders 33 on the button 22 and the inside of the wall of the main body 26. The springs 32 push the button 22 into the first position. When the button 22 is slid to the second position, the shoulders 33 push against the springs 32, compressing the spring until the button 22 reaches the

second position. This allows the button 22 to be depressed to release the attachment means 20.

When assembled, as shown best in Figures 3 and 4, the tongues 58a-58d of the attachment means 20a-20d are inserted through the slots 52a-52d. The studs 68 on the levers 66 are angled, so that as the tongues 58 are inserted, the levers 66 are depressed as the tongues 58 slide over the angle of the studs 68 until the studs are engaged in the apertures 60. The levers 66 then spring back into place by their upwardly biasing leaf spring 80 and lock the attachment means 20 in the buckle body 18. The edges of the tongues 58 push against the biasing means 30.

The biasing means 30a, 30b are metal strips each bent to form two legs 31. Due to the thickness of the metal and the tightness of the bend, the legs 31 are naturally held with approximately a 30-35 degree angle between them. The legs can be pushed together to close the gap between them. The biasing means 30 are held in position by being captured in an aperture 29 in the peripheral wall 48 of the main body 26 by a projection 35 extending into the aperture 29 from the back plate 28.

As can be seen in Figure 5, the button 22 is biased to the first position by springs 32. When the attachment means 20 are to be released, the button 22 is slid into the second position, pushing against the spring bias. The button 22 can then be depressed. As the button 22 is depressed, the projections 74 on the underside of the button 22 push down against the protrusions 70 on the main body 26. As the main body 26 and the button 22 are both symmetrical, the projection 74a pushes down on two of the protrusions 70a and 70b. Simultaneously, the other projection 74b pushes down on the other two protrusions 70c and 7Od. Thus, all four protrusions 70 are pushed down simultaneously. This downward movement forces the levers 66a-66d downwards, which moves the studs 68a-68d downwards and out of engagement with the apertures 60a-60d. As the studs 68 are disengaged, the legs 31 of the biasing means 30a, 30b push the tongues 58 out of the slots 52.

As can be best seen in Figures 4 and 5, it is the symmetrical construction of the buckle 10 that allows all four attachment means 20 to be simultaneously released. All four

tongues 58 project into the slots 52 such that, as shown in Figure 4, a square layout is accomplished. This means that between a pair of tongues 58a and 58b, one biasing means 30a is positioned. Between the other pair of tongues 58c and 58d, the other biasing means 30b is positioned. Between tongues 58a and 58c the protrusions 70a and 70c project. Between the other tongues 58b and 58d, the protrusions 70b and 7Od project. This symmetrical and square layout means that all of the components can fit into a relatively compact buckle body 18. The button 22 and the springs 32 are then positioned on top of the biasing means 30 and the levers 66. Depression of the button 22 pushes the projections 74 against the protrusions 70, depressing the levers 66, which causes the studs 68 to disengage from the apertures 60, thus releasing the four attachment means 20 simultaneously.

The advantages of the buckle 10 are that due to the slide and push action of the button 22, the buckle can be released by an adult to easily remove a young child, but it cannot be readily released by the child. As each of the attachment means 20 are separately receivable by the buckle body 18, the waist straps 14 and the shoulder straps 16 are all released without additional unlatching required. This makes access to a child much easier. With the symmetrical design of the buckle 10, each of the attachment means 20 can be simultaneously released, further aiding the accessibility to a child. The combination of the two-part actuation of the buckle 10 and the simultaneous release are particularly advantageous for use in a stroller, where it is required that a child cannot release themselves, but once an adult releases the buckle, the child can be accessed easily.

In an alternative embodiment, the simultaneous release feature of the buckle can be provided without the two-part actuation. This construction is particularly advantageous for use in a vehicle or in a child's safety seat for a vehicle, where a quick release buckle is required and easy access to the child is also required.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.