Seat belt buckle

Abstract

A seat belt buckle for use in vehicles is provided. The seat belt buckle includes a base and a cover removably fixed to the base. The base includes a bottom surface, a pair of sidewalls, and a plate fixed to the bottom surface and extending laterally therefrom. The plate includes an opening having a width of or greater than about 2 inches. The seat belt (webbing) can be fed directly through the opening without the need to fold the webbing inward from its edges. The webbing can also be easily manipulated around and through the opening to avoid snagging or clogging the webbing in the buckle.

1 . A base for a seat belt buckle, the base comprising:
 a bottom surface;   a pair of side walls;   and a plate fixed to the bottom surface and extending therefrom, wherein the plate comprises an opening having a width about or at least 2 inches.   
     
     
         2 . The base of  claim 1 , wherein the opening has a length between about 0.25 inch to about 0.4 inch. 
     
     
         3 . The base of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is configured to receive an unfolded free end of a webbing of a seatbelt. 
     
     
         4 . The base of  claim 1 , further comprising a full-width seatbelt web threaded through said opening. 
     
     
         5 . The base of  claim 1  further comprising a slot opposite to said plate, wherein said slot is substantially defined by tab portions of the side walls, the side walls, and the bottom surface. 
     
     
         6 . The base of  claim 1 , wherein each side wall comprises a slide groove. 
     
     
         7 . The base of  claim 8 , wherein the bottom surface comprises a guide hole and a protrusion projecting perpendicularly from the bottom surface at a position along the perimeter of the guide hole. 
     
     
         8 . A seat belt buckle comprising a slot adapted to accommodate a tongue plate therein for locking the tongue plate into the buckle to fasten the seat belt, and an exposed plate opposite to said slot and having therein an opening whose width is about or at least 2 inches.