Patents Assigned to THE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE, LLC
  • Publication number: 20130125355
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle assembly for resisting unintentional opening during rapid acceleration or deceleration. The seat belt buckle assembly includes a female buckle, a male tongue plate, a pawl assembly, a spring and a load rate sensitive foam member. The female buckle is a casing with an open end that is adapted to receive the substantially planar male tongue plate provided with a slot. The pawl assembly housed within the casing includes a pawl that fits within the slot. The spring disposed between casing and pawl assembly urges the pawl into slot and elastically deforms when subjected to force. The load rate sensitive foam member interposed between spring and pawl assembly transmits load applied on pawl to spring for facilitating compression of spring and therefore unlatching of the buckle in case of gradual loading, but inhibiting involuntary compression of spring by absorbing most of the impulsive loading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: THE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE, LLC
    Inventors: Chandrashekhar THORBOLE, David RENFROE