Illuminated seat belt buckle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10080401-B2
Application number	US-201715626659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt. The seat belt buckle has a buckle housing, a locking mechanism, an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt, an actuating button for release purposes, and an illuminating device which has at least one light source and is arranged in the seat belt buckle. The buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges. The light outlet opening surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot in an encircling manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:
a buckle housing;
a locking mechanism;
an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;
an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and
an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,
wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,
wherein the buckle housing includes side walls that form side surfaces of the illuminated seat belt buckle and an annularly closed cover shell that covers distal end faces of the side walls, such that the cover shell forms an end face of the buckle housing, the cover shell having an opening for the actuating button and/or the insertion slot, and the light outlet opening being arranged in the cover shell, and
wherein the cover shell is detachably connected to the side walls of the buckle housing.

2. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1 , wherein the light outlet opening is formed by a light-diffusing element arranged in the cover shell.

3. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 2 , wherein the light-diffusing element and the cover shell are connected to each other in a form-fitting or integral manner.

4. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 2 , wherein the light-diffusing element and the cover shell are a single piece.

5. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source of the illuminating device is formed by at least one LED or an LED module.

6. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1 , wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening.

7. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6 , wherein the light conductor and the at least one light source comprise a circuit board and at least one LED to form an integral structural unit.

8. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6 , wherein the light conductor has an annularly closed ring section, which is arranged congruently with the light outlet opening.

9. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 6 , wherein the light conductor has a light-deflecting structure, at least in sections, on an underside facing away from the light outlet opening.

10. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 9 , wherein the light-deflecting structure is formed of multiple prisms.

11. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 1 , wherein the cover shell is formed of a material that is impermeable to light.

12. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:
a buckle housing;
a locking mechanism;
an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;
an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and
an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,
wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,
wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening,
wherein the light conductor has an annularly closed ring section, which is arranged congruently with the light outlet opening,
wherein the buckle housing includes a cover shell that forms and end face of the buckle housing, wherein the light outlet opening is arranged in the cover shell, the light outlet opening being formed by a light-diffusing element arranged in the cover shell, and
wherein the ring section of the light conductor at least partially abuts a back side of the light-diffusing element facing away from a visible side and/or a back side of the cover shell facing away from the visible side.

13. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 12 , wherein the ring section of the light conductor is injection-molded onto the light-diffusing element or the cover shell.

14. An illuminated seat belt buckle for a seat belt, the illuminated seat belt buckle comprising:
a buckle housing;
a locking mechanism;
an insertion slot for a belt latch of the seat belt;
an actuating button for releasing the illuminated seat belt buckle; and
an illuminating device that has at least one light source and is arranged in the illuminated seat belt buckle,
wherein the buckle housing has a light-permeable and annularly closed light outlet opening from which the coupled-in light provided by the illuminating device emerges and which circumferentially surrounds the actuating button and/or the insertion slot,
wherein the illuminating device includes a light conductor, which receives light emerging from the at least one light source and couples the light into the light outlet opening, and
wherein a light-impermeable partition wall is provided, at least in sections, between the at least one light source and the locking mechanism and/or between the light conductor and the locking mechanism.

15. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one light source is arranged and fixed between the partition wall and the buckle housing, and wherein a ring section of the light conductor is arranged and fixed between the partition wall and a cover shell of the buckle housing.

16. The illuminated seat belt buckle according to claim 15 , wherein the partition wall is connected to the cover shell or the buckle housing to form a single piece.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Effenberger Witali

Classifications

• B60R22/30

  Coupling devices other than buckles, including length-adjusting fittings {or anti-slip devices (adaptations of manual three-point seat belt systems for use by small passengers using other means than belt anti-slip devices B60R22/024; buckles A44B11/00; releasable fastenings in general F16B)} · CPC title

• A44B11/2565 Primary

  Illuminated buckles · CPC title

• B60Q3/242

  Safety belts; Body harnesses · CPC title

• B60Q3/80

  Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) · CPC title

• B60Q3/60

  characterised by optical aspects · CPC title