(57) A buckle adapted to engage and retain a tongue part attached to the strap portion
of the vehicle safety belt when the tongue is inserted into the buckle along a predetermined
path extending towards the rear of the buckle, said buckle comprising a main support
member; a latch member mounted on said support member and movable between a "release"
position and a "latching" position, the latch member having a portion adapted to engage
an abutment face defined on said tongue when in said latching position; a secondary
locking member dimensioned and located to be moved, when the latch member is in the
latching position, to a position in which the secondary locking member engages part
of the latch member, thus preventing the latch member from being inadvertently moved
to the release position; and actuator means operable to move the secondary locking
member to a position in which the latch member may move to the release position and
for moving the latch to the release position to permit the tongue to be released from
the buckle: the latch member having means adapted to engage the support member if
and when a substantial force is applied to the tongue tending to withdrawn the tongue
from the buckle while the latch is in the latching position so that the force applied
to the latch member by the tongue is transferred directly to the support member.
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