Seat belt buckle, in particular for racing vehicles

Abstract

A seat belt buckle, in particular for racing vehicles, has a casing with four connection points for connecting respective branches of a seat belt; three of the connection points are defined by two top slots and one bottom slot having respective inlets formed in a peripheral surface of the casing; the casing houses a coupling mechanism for retaining respective tabs inside the slots, and supports a lever having a radial arm, which is located on a bottom portion of the casing and is rotatable manually about an axis to release the coupling mechanism; the bottom slot is aligned, in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the lever, with the rest position of the lever; and the fourth connection point is defined by an opening located alongside the bottom portion, on the opposite side to the inlet of the bottom slot.

1 . A seat belt buckle, in particular for racing vehicles; the buckle comprising:
 a) a casing;   b) four connection points for connecting respective branches of a seat belt; a first, second, and third connection point being defined by two top slots and one bottom slot having respective inlets formed in a peripheral surface of said casing;   c) a coupling mechanism for releasably retaining respective tabs inside said slots; and   d) a lever located on a front face of said casing and rotatable about an axis from a rest position to release said coupling mechanism; said lever comprising a radial arm, which is located on a bottom portion of said casing when the lever is in the rest position;   wherein said bottom slot is formed in said bottom portion in a position which, in a direction parallel to said axis, is aligned with the rest position of said lever; a fourth connection point being defined by an opening located alongside said bottom portion, on the opposite side to the inlet of said bottom slot.   
     
     
         2 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said coupling mechanism comprises, for said bottom slot, a retaining pin, which slides in a direction parallel to said axis and lies in a vertical centreline plane of said casing. 
     
     
         3 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, viewed parallel to said axis, the outline of said bottom portion encloses the perimeter of said radial arm when the lever is in the rest position. 
     
     
         4 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said opening is defined by a cross member formed in one piece with a component part of said casing. 
     
     
         5 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said slots are formed in a base of said casing; said component part being defined by said base. 
     
     
         6 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said casing comprises a front body and a base defining said slots; the coupling mechanism comprising, for each said slot, a respective retaining pin guided parallel to said axis by a perforated portion; said perforated portion being formed in one piece with said base. 
     
     
         7 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said casing comprises a top portion shaped to form two lobes, each associated with a respective top slot. 
     
     
         8 . A buckle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said base has no devices for ejecting the tabs.