Buckle Cap for a Seat Belt Buckle and Method of Mounting Same

Abstract

What is described is a buckle cap for a belt buckle having two interconnected half-shells ( 10, 20 ) and connecting units which connect both half-shells ( 10, 20 ) to one another. Each connecting unit comprises at least one hole in each half-shell ( 10, 20 ) and a connecting pin ( 30 ) which is ribbed at least in certain sections, wherein one section of the connecting pin ( 30 ) is situated in the hole of the first connecting unit ( 10 ) and a second section of the connecting pin ( 30 ) is situated in the hole of the second half-shell ( 20 ). In order to achieve an easy mounting capability the hole in the first half-shell ( 10 ) is a through-hole ( 12 ) through which the connecting pin ( 30, 30′ ) extends completely, and the connecting pin ( 30, 30′ ) has a head ( 34, 34′ ) which is thickened with respect to the sections situated in the holes, said head adjoining the section of the connecting pin ( 30 ) which extends through the through-hole ( 12 ) and being situated outside the through-hole ( 12 ).

1 . A buckle cap for a seat belt buckle having first and second interconnected half-shells ( 10 ,  20 ) and at least one connecting unit which connects the first and the second half-shells ( 10 ,  20 ) to one another, comprising the at least one connecting unit having one hole in each of the first and the second half-shells ( 10 ,  20 ) and a connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) which has ribs in at least certain sections thereof, one section of the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) being situated in the hole of the first half-shell ( 10 ) and a second section of the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) being situated in the hole of the second half-shell ( 20 ), wherein the hole in the first half-shell ( 10 ) is a through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) that the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) extends completely through and the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) has a head ( 34 ,  34 ′) which is thickened with respect to the connecting pin sections situated in the hole, the head adjoining the one section of the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) which extends through the first half-shell through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) and being situated outside the first half-shell through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′). 
     
     
         2 . The buckle cap according to  claim 1 , further comprising in that the through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) in the first half-shell ( 10 ) has a larger diameter than the hole in the second half-shell. 
     
     
         3 . The buckle cap according to  claim 2 , further comprising in that the ribs are configured as a saw tooth profile. 
     
     
         4 . The buckle cap according to  claim 3 , further comprising in that the flat flanks ( 36 ) of the saw tooth profile point away from the head. 
     
     
         5 . A buckle cap according to  claim 1  further comprising in that there is a depressed region ( 14 ,  14 ′) adjacent to the first half-shell through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) into which the head ( 34 ,  34 ′) is placed. 
     
     
         6 . A buckle cap according to  claim 1  further comprising in that the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) consists of metal. 
     
     
         7 . The buckle cap according to  claim 6 , further comprising in that the metal is a light metal. 
     
     
         8 . A buckle cap according to  claim 6 , further comprising in that the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) is manufactured by means of an impact extrusion process. 
     
     
         9 . A buckle cap according to  claim 1  further comprising in that the head ( 34 ,  34 ′) is covered by a cover element. 
     
     
         10 . A method for mounting a seat belt buckle cap according comprising the following steps:
 providing first and second interconnected half-shells ( 10 ,  20 ),   providing at least one connecting unit having one hole in each of the first and the second half-shell ( 10 ,  20 ),   providing a connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) which is at least ribbed in certain sections thereof, one section of the connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) being situated in the hole of the first first half-shell ( 10 ) and a second section of the connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) being situated in the hole of the second half-shell ( 20 ),   providing the hole in the first half-shell ( 10 ) as a through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′), that the connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) extends completely through and that the connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) has a head ( 34 ,  34 ′) which is thickened with respect to the sections situated in the holes, the head adjoining the section of the connecting in ( 30 ,  30 ′) which extends through the first half-shell through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) and being situated outside the first half-shell through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′),   arranging both the first and the second half-shells ( 10 ,  20 ) on top of one another such that they take up their final position relative to one another, and   inserting the at least one connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) into the through-hole ( 12 ,  12 ′) of the first half-shell ( 10 ) in a first direction, and   pressing the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) into the hole of the second half-shell ( 20 ) by further moving the connecting pin ( 30 ,  30 ′) in the first direction.   
     
     
         11 . The buckle cap according to  claim 3  further comprising the portion of the connecting pin forming the sawtooth profile defines a pin section having maximum diameter of the pin section, and wherein the maximum diameter of the pins section is slightly less than the diameter of the through hole in the first half-shell, and is slightly greater than the diameter of the hole in the second half-shell.