US20070044284A1

US20070044284A1 - Seat belt buckle guard with spacer

Info

Publication number: US20070044284A1
Application number: US11/470,999
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence Fok
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-30
Filing date: 2006-09-07
Publication date: 2007-03-01

Abstract

A seat belt buckle guard with spacer is a device which provides for preventing a child or person with behavioral disorder from accessing and inadvertent releasing of the seat belt buckle. It is made of see-through rigid material comprising an adaptable and a portable rectangular box with two key slots provide a housing for a seat belt buckle to prevent unsupervised or accidental depress of release button, in addition a wedge-shaped spacer made of similar material is to ensure snugly housing of said seat belt buckle inside the rectangular box. A car key or similar pointing object can be inserted into one of the two key slots to reach the release button so as to unfasten the seat belt buckle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an adaptable and a portable device utilized to restrain access to a seat belt buckle from the unsupervised or accidental depress of release of button.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seat belt is a safety device and has had served motor vehicle industry for many purposes but there has been a growing concern among parents, drivers and health related professionals or alike that a child or a passenger with behavior problems may intentionally or accidentally release his/her or other passenger's seat belt, thereby exposing the occupants to grave danger by not being properly restrained within the motor vehicle and cause distraction to driver. Likely a consequential motor vehicle accident may occur resulting with property damages, injury or death.
This invention is invented with a view for people with disabilities or a person with a cognitive or behavior disorder or a child whereby they do not understand the need to remain restrained when traveling in a motor vehicle. However this invention is also useful for anyone who would like to prevent any unsupervised or accidental release of seat belt in a motor vehicle or other situations.
The applicant is aware there are many designs of seat belt on market with different configures, and in an accident or other emergency situations paramedic or rescuer should not waste time on unfastening safety restraints of various sort. Therefore with these in mind this invention has been specially devised in order to provide a simple, effective, adaptable and portable construction to prevent unsupervised or accidental depress of releasing button of seat belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,303 issued Jun. 23, 1987 to Salcone, II, indicates a safety lock for seat belt buckle is a housing which has open apertures on both side and comprises a simple locking device. The housing is for receiving and containing the buckle of a seat belt therein so that access to the buckle by a child is prevented. Access to the release button can be obtained either by a key or passing an instrument through one of the apertures. In the event of emergency the locking device can be opened by depressing the locking portion inwardly into the housing without a key or instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,912 issued Mar. 22, 1988 to Boriskie et al, indicates a seat belt buckle guard in the form of a box-like device made of rigid material having first and second housings which are hinged together allowing the seat belt buckle with the releasing mechanism thereon to be inserted into a first box-like housing and then have the second part of the housing snapped closed about the buckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,544 issued May 3, 1994 to Quarberg et al, describes a seat belt buckle comprises a one-piece, molded plastic, box-like enclosure having one open end and an opposite end wall with a slot. Formed in the top wall and the end wall is an opening for gaining access to the buckle releasing button this can be achieved by inserting a key, a coin or a credit card or some other thin flat instrument. The seat belt buckle fits through the open end into the enclosure and the latch plate of the seat belt can be inserted through the slot. An alternative embodiment, a so called “child-resistant” safety cap of the type commonly used on medicine bottles covers an opening in the buckle guard. By removing the cap, a person can insert a finger through the opening to actuate the release button.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,840, issued Aug. 22, 1995 to Ewald, disclose a seatbelt buckle safety sheath made of resilient material and frictionally encompass the female portion of the seat buckle. The resilient material of the safety sheath imposes a compressive force substantially greater than a normal force required to release the seatbelt buckle from a fastened condition. Thus an adult can compress the resilient material to activate the seatbelt buckle release button, while a child will be prevented from accomplishing same. Ewald addresses the problem of seatbelt with releasing mechanism located at the top of buckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,157 B1, issued Aug. 3, 2004 to Meal, describes a sleeve and is made of sufficiently rigid material, structured to fit over a variety of shapes and sizes of seat belt buckles. It comprises a front face and top face that are capable of covering the front and top belt release button. In addition the sleeve has a split back face, which enables the sleeve to expand to fit over the variety of seat belt buckles. A top arm extending from the sleeve engages the seat belt strap with a tight friction fit to resist removal of the sleeve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is invented with many objectives in mind. The principal objective of this invention is to provide a affordable safety seatbelt buckle guard with adaptability and portability to restrain access to a seat belt buckle from unsupervised or incidental depress of release button while the vehicle in motion.
Initially, the invention is invented with a view of restraining children or people with disabilities or a person with cognitive or behavioural disorder they may intentionally or accidental release their or other passenger's seat belt buckle, as a result property damages, injury or death may occur. However this view had been extended to another area, this area is installation of child safety devices on car seat. There are ranges of these devices notably baby capsule, infant restraint, child car seat, child harness or booster seat. The installation of such devices generally involving use of car seat belt and a tether strap which attaches to the car by an anchor fitting or anchor bolt.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a seat belt buckle guard which can be fitted over a variety of types of seat belt buckle. It is structured in such way it can be fitted into various shapes and sizes of seat belt buckle, whether the releasing button is located on the top or on the end of the buckle, however the releasing button can be accessible.
Another feature of this invention is the device is made of see though plastic material which allows visual inspection of the seat belt buckle at all times. Any likelihood of curiosity or suspicion arise from a black box by children can be avoided.
And a further objective is easy to operate. During daily use and in the event of emergency, any point object such as a car key, a wire, screw driver, or a hair pin can be used to actuate the release button to allow seat belt separated. There is no need of special tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The complete understanding of the features, objectives and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed from the detailed description of the embodiment in accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of the rectangular body of a Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the Wedge-shaped Spacer which can also be snapped into two pieces;
FIG. 3 is a front view of Wedge-shaped Spacer positioned at the bottom of the rectangular body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the snapped off Wedge-shaped Spacers. One is positioned at the bottom and the other one is on the side of the rectangular body of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is a front view of the rectangular body of FIG. 1 and one piece of Wedge-shaped Spacer of FIG. 3 applied to a fastened seat belt buckle. The release button can be accessed by inserting a car key or similar pointing object into one of the key slots.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

In the following detailed description, references will be made to the seat belt which comprises of a seat belt buckle with releasing button and a buckle tongue. The fastening of seat belt is achieved by inserting the buckle tongue into the seat belt buckle and the releasing button may be located on the top or on the front of the seat belt buckle. In FIGS. 1-2 the Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer is provided with a rectangular body (1) and a snap-off wedge-shaped spacer (4, or 7 and 8) constructed with a see through plastic material.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5 the rectangular box is a rigid structure having a full-opened end (2) and a half-opened end (3). Slide the seat belt buckle (5) into the full-opened end (2) and insert the buckle tongue (6) through the half-opened end (3) of the rectangular box (1).
The rectangular box is structured to fit over a variety of types of seat belt buckles and the incorporation of the snap-off wedge-shaped spacer (4, 7 and 8) is dependent on the size of the seat belt buckle (5). Spacer can be used as a single part (4) or be snapped off into two parts (7 and 8). Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, if the height of the buckle is a question for loose fitting then by sliding a single spacer along the interior of the rectangular box until gently in touch with the buckle (FIG. 3). however where adjustments are needed for both height and width then the spacer is snapped off into two parts (7 and 8), one part (7) is placed under and other part (8) is placed at the side inside the rectangular box as shown in FIG. 4. The ideas of using spacer(s) is (are) to ensure the buckle sit snugly inside the rectangular box (1) and restricts the loose movement of buckle. The spacer(s) (4, 7 and 8) is (are) secured to its place by using double sided adhesive tape. Once the spacer (4, or 7 and 8) is (are) in place the rectangular body (1) can be placed over and removed from the seat belt buckle (5) freely.
Unfastening seat belt is achieved by inserting an instrument into one of the key slots (9 or 10) depending on position of seat belt release button. The instrument can be a car key or any similar pointing objects, such as a screw driver or a piece of strong wire, even a paper clip or a hair pin (12). If the releasing button is on top then actuation take place at key slot 9, the releasing button is located on the side of the seat belt buckle then key hole 10.
The utilization of the present invention will not be restricted on the use with car seat belt buckle. It will find its way into other areas, including but not limited to baby car seat, baby capsule, children car seat, wheelchair, stroller, pusher, safety belt, restraint vest, mounting belt, fixing belt and any other devices where a belt buckle is required to be protected against accidental or unsupervised release.
All alternations and improvements based on the same structure, characteristics and principles of this invention should be included in the scope of this patent application.

Claims

1. A Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer device for use with seat belt locking mechanism comprising a rigid rectangular box and a snapped off wedge-shaped spacer, the rectangular box structured having a fully-opened end and a half-opened end to fit over a variety of shapes and sizes of seat belt buckles, the seat belt buckle fits through the fully-opened end and buckle tongue may be inserted through the half opened end for fastening therein having a snapped off wedge shaped spacer providing a snugly accommodation for the seat belt buckle wherein the rectangular box covers the seat belt buckle and its releasing mechanism preventing unsupervised or accidental depress of release of the seat belt.

2. A Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer as claimed in claim 1 has two “key slot”, one of them is located at the top of the rectangular body and the other is at the half-opened end which allows access to release button of the buckle, herein the two “key slot” are facilitated in such directions that for easy accessing of release button which can be on the top or on the end of the buckle depending on the design of seat belt buckle, wherein to release the seat belt by inserting a car key or a pointed object into one of the “key slots” and push against the release button whereby in case of emergency any object with key slotted size which is readily available at the time can be used, such as screw driver or a piece of strong wire, even a paper clip or a hair pin can be used.

3. A Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer as claimed in claim 1 to 2 the wedge-shaped spacer with an adhesive side which can be snapped into two pieces if required, and once snapped off the spacer becomes two different sizes of wedge shaped spacers, a single function spacer becomes dual function and can therefore be arranged in different configurations depending on the shape and size of seat belt buckle where the spacer/s is/are positioned inside the rectangular body, underneath or at either sides of seat belt buckle by sliding it along interior wall of the rectangular box until gently touch the buckle and then press firmly to secure its position whereby to restrict the loose movement of the buckle in order to provide a snugly accommodation herein the Seat Belt Buckle Guard with spacer can remain there and no storage area required.

4. A Seat Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer as claimed in claim 1 to 3 wherein the rectangular body and wedge-shaped spacer are made of see through plastic material which allows for visual inspection of the sea belt buckle at all time.

5. A Sea Belt Buckle Guard with Spacer as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.