Buckle device

Abstract

A buckle device which can ensure smooth unlocking over a long period of time at low cost. A button slope 66 is a curved surface opening toward a button 50 side with respect to an unlocking direction. Accordingly, the increasing amount of force of the button slopes 66 pressing abutted surfaces 86 A with respect to the amount of movement of the button 50 is small immediately after the button 50 started to be pressed, and frictional resistance between the button slopes 66 and the abutted surfaces 86 A can be thereby made smaller than before. Thus, wear of the abutted surfaces 86 A can be reduced or prevented. For example, even when coatings are applied to the abutted surfaces 86 A to reduce the frictional resistance between the button slopes 66 and the abutted surfaces 86 A so that the unlocking can be smoothly carried out, degree of dependence on the coatings for reducing the frictional resistance becomes lower than before so that the coatings can be kept long. As a result, the unlocking can be smoothly carried out over a long period of time.

1 . A buckle device comprising: 
 a device body into which a tongue plate is insertable, the tongue plate being provided at a webbing belt for restraining an occupant body;    a locking member, which is provided in said device body such that the locking member is movable toward and away from the tongue plate inserted into said device body, and which engages with the tongue plate to lock the tongue plate inserted into said device body; and    an unlocking member, which moves relatively to said device body due to releasing operation from the outside of said device body, and on which said locking member slides at least during the relative movement and which presses said locking member with the relative movement so as to move said locking member in a direction in which said locking member separates from the tongue plate;    wherein each of abutting portions of said unlocking member, on which said locking member slides, comprises a curved surface, which descends in a releasing operation direction which is the direction in which said unlocking member moves when the lock is released, so as to protrude in a release direction which is the direction in which said locking member moves when the lock is released, and whose angle of inclination with respect to the releasing operation direction increases in a direction opposite to the releasing operation direction.    
     
     
         2 . Canceled  
     
     
         3 . A buckle device according to  claim 1 , wherein an abutted portion of said unlocking member, said abutting portion contacts, comprises at least one of a curved surface and an inclined surface, a portion of which contacting said abutting portion varies with the relative movement.  
     
     
         4 . A buckle device according to  claim 3 , wherein said unlocking member comprises: 
 a press portion, which is provided such that the press portion is slidable in the direction in which said tongue plate is inserted into said device body and in the opposite direction thereto, and which slides into said device body due to a pressing force along the insertion direction from the outside of said device body;    a first urging member, which urges said locking member toward said tongue plate inserted into said device body; and    stoppers, which interfere with the unlocked locking member in a state in which said press portion has not slid into said device body, so as to hold said locking member at the unlocked position.    
     
     
         5 . A buckle device according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 said locking member includes a latch, which passes through an engagement hole formed in said tongue plate so as to lock said tongue plate, and    said device body comprises a holding member, which holds said latch such that said latch is slidable toward and away from said tongue plate along a thickness direction of said tongue plate inserted into said device body.    
     
     
         6 . A buckle device according to  claim 5 , wherein said holding member has a second urging member, which urges said unlocking member in a direction opposite to the direction in which said unlocking member moves when the lock of said tongue plate is released.  
     
     
         7 . A buckle device according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 said locking member includes a latch, which passes through an engagement hole formed in said tongue plate so as to lock said tongue plate, and    said device body comprises a holding member, which holds said latch such that said latch is slidable toward and away from said tongue plate along a thickness direction of said tongue plate inserted into said device body.    
     
     
         8 . A buckle device according to  claim 7 , wherein said holding member has a second urging member, which urges said unlocking member in a direction opposite to the direction in which said unlocking member moves when the lock of said tongue plate is released.  
     
     
         9 . A buckle device according to  claim 1 , wherein said unlocking member comprises: 
 a press portion, which is provided such that the press portion is slidable in the direction in which said tongue plate is inserted into said device body and in the opposite direction thereto, and which slides into said device body due to a pressing force along the insertion direction from the outside of said device body;    a first urging member, which urges said locking member toward said tongue plate inserted into said device body; and    stoppers, which interfere with the unlocked locking member in a state in which said press portion has not slid into said device body, so as to hold said locking member at the unlocked position.    
     
     
         10 . A buckle device according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 said locking member includes a latch, which passes through an engagement hole formed in said tongue plate so as to lock said tongue plate, and    said device body comprises a holding member, which holds said latch such that said latch is slidable toward and away from said tongue plate along a thickness direction of said tongue plate inserted into said device body.    
     
     
         11 . A buckle device according to  claim 10 , wherein said holding member has a second urging member, which urges said unlocking member in a direction opposite to the direction in which said unlocking member moves when the lock of said tongue plate is released.  
     
     
         12 . A buckle device according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said locking member includes a latch, which passes through an engagement hole formed in said tongue plate so as to lock said tongue plate, and    said device body comprises a holding member, which holds said latch such that said latch is slidable toward and away from said tongue plate along a thickness direction of said tongue plate inserted into said device body.    
     
     
         13 . A buckle device according to  claim 12 , wherein said holding member has a second urging member, which urges said unlocking member in a direction opposite to the direction in which said unlocking member moves when the lock of said tongue plate is released.  
     
     
         14 . Canceled  
     
     
         15 . Canceled  
     
     
         16 . Canceled  
     
     
         17 . Canceled  
     
     
         18 . Canceled  
     
     
         19 . Canceled  
     
     
         20 . Canceled