AU603479B2 - Security vest - Google Patents

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-62 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USIE: Form Appli cation Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: 0 0 Accepted: Published: Pfiorit9: LC0 0 Related Art: 47 'isdocument coithilis the '111cildnieLfS nvdde ills t Section 49 11Lnd is ccrrcct for Addresof Applicant: Add ress fo Applicant TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT SAFE-N-SOUND PTY. LIMIT9D 1521 Sydney Road, Campbellfield, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia WILLIAM JAMES BOWTELL Care of R.K. MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 45 King William Street, Adelaide, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "SECURITY Vr4ST- The following statement Is a full description of Tifis Invention, Including the best method of performing It known to us.

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This invention relates to a security vest which comprises a restraint harness for use in restraining an infant in a cradle.

While there are many instances wherein infants need to be restrained in cradles, one particular area where it is essential to restrain infants is in safety seats which are used for transporting infants in motor vehicles. Other instances however where such restraints may be used are in strollers, walkers, or any other infant apparatus which requires that the infant be restrained or held in position.

Restraint harnesses for vehicle security seats are well known, and normally comprise a pair of shoulder straps and a Spair of side strapA. In previous restraint harnesses, the ends of the shoulder straps are provided with loops through which the side straps are threaded, and each end of the two side straps is provided with a clip that releasably engages so as to secure the harness to the infant. Other known harnesses comprise straps which are engaged by a universal buckle over the abdomen of tho child.

With each of the abovementioned restraint harnesses, it is a common problem that either the shoulder straps or the side straps or both become twisted, and therefore are uncomfortable for the infant. Obviously, twisted straps are very hazardous during a motor vehicle accident. In addition, it is a further problem that where buckles or clips are used to secure the ends of each of the straps, they may be either easily unfastened 2 4i I0.

by the infant, or result in injuries during motor vehicle accidents due to the clip, buckle or belts protruding into the infant's abdomen.

In addition, with prior art restraint harnesses there is a possibility of human error in that the belts may not be correctly adjusted by parents when placing an infant within the restraint harness.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved restraint harness that is more comfortable for an infant, and which is much easier to fit to an infant by a parent.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a restraint harness for use in a motor vehicle safety seat that provides a greater deal of safety for an infant.

In its broadest form, the invention comprises a restraint harness for use in restraining an infant within a cradle having a body pad, which in use extends over a substantial portion of the infant's torso, two side straps, one end of each side strap secured to each side respectively of the cradle, the other ends of each side strap being secured to each side respectively of the body pad, and two shoulder straps, one end of each shoulder strap being secured to the cradle the other end of each strap being secured to the body pad.

In this specification, the word 'body pad' has the 3 i 1- I i -r i-tF- meaning not only of padded or upholstered members, but may also include unpadded flexible material members.

In one aspect of this invention, either one or more of the side straps or shoulder straps may be releasable from the body pad so as to facilitate easy placement of an infant within the harness.

In a further aspect of the invention, the restraint harness may further comprise two pieces, there being provided a fastening means on each body pad piece for releasably fastening together each body pad pece. Preferably, the body pad pieces may overlay one another, and a touch-and-close type fastener known by the trade mark "Velcro" may be used to hold the body pad pieces together. In this aspect of the invention, the I shoulder straps and side straps may be permanently affixed to 'is the body pad.

SBoth shoulder straps may be attached to either one of the body pad pieces, or preferably, each of the shoulder straps is attached to a respective body pad.

While the invention need not necessarily include all of the abovementioned features, it will be understood by those persons skilled in the art that various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention from the principles of the invention described without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as encompassed in the description of a preferred embodimernt below. This preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying representations in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a cradle carrying an infant with a restraint harness in position, S- 4 f: i 0 0000 4 r Fig. 2 shows the components of a restraint harness.

In this embodiment a restraint harness is described in relation to its installation in a motor vehicle safety seat.

Such motor vehicle safety seats are designed to safely hold an infant if the motor vehicle is involved in an accident.

However, a person skilled in the art will recognise that the restraint harness will be useful in many other applications as previously mentioned.

As shown in Fig. 1, the restraint harness 10 is installed within a cradle 11. The restraint harness 10 comprises a body pad 12, a pair of side straps 13 and a pair of shoulder straps 14.

In this embodiment, the body pad 12 comprises two body pad pieces 15 and 16. The body pad pieces 15 and 16 have a fastening means comprising a touch-and-close type of fastening means which is positioned on both of the body pad pieces and 16 such that they releasably fasten when the body pad pieces 15 and 16 are overlaid.

The body pad 12 has a sufficiently large surface area to extend over a substantial portion of the torso of an infant.

Such a large surface area aids both in the comfort and safety of the infant. In the event of an accident, the weight of the infant forcing against the body pad will be readily supported, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

The touch-and-close fastening means 17 is applied to as large a surface of the body pad pieces 15 and 16 as is possible, the larger the surface area the greater the gripping 5 c i L~ ILL_ force that is provided. The upper body pad piece 16 is provided with a flap 18 that is not secured by the fastening meat 17.

This enables the flap 18 to be gripped such that the body pad pieces 15 and 16 may be disengaged fron the fastening means 17.

In this embodiment, both the shoulder straps 14 and the side straps 13 are straps having a width of between 20 to mm. Although this is an optimum size range for the shoulder straps 14, it will be readily recognised that the side straps 13 may be manufactured from much wider material. This material may be as wide as the body pad pieces 15 and 16, In this embodiment, the shoulder straps 14 are securely fixed to respective body pad pieces 15 and 16 respectively.

This may be achieved by stitching, or the use of loops and buckles. Each respective end of each of the two shoulder straps which is secured to the cradle is provided with a buckle and the cradle is provided with a pair of horizontal slots 21 through which the shoulder straps 14 may pass. The size and orientation of the buckles 20 are such that they will not pass through the slots 21 but bear against the back portion of the cradle 11. In use, the lengths of the side straps 13 are adjusted so as to in turn adjust the lengths and fit of the two shoulder straps 14. When the restraint harness 10 is fitted around an infant, both the body pad 12 and shoulder straps 14 need to be comfortably adjusted on the infant.

The two side straps 13 are likewise permanently secured to a body pad piece 15 and 16 respectively, and the cradle 11 is provided with q-tid slots 22 through which respective side 6 V. r

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,i straps 13 may pass. In this embodiment, the ends of the side straps 13 which pass through the si.de slots 22 are each provided with a clip means 23. The clip means 23 releasably engage with each other thereby securing the ends of the side straps 13. One of the side straps 13 is looped through an end of the clip 23 such that its length may be adjusted, thereby in turn allowing adjustment of the restraint harness In a further embodiment, the shoulder straps 14 and side straps 13 may be permanently affixed to the cradle 11, and the attachment of the straps to the body pad 12 may be by way of buckles or clips of the type which allow adjustment of the lengths of both the shoulder straps 14 and side straps 13.

A brief consideration of the above description will clearly indicate that the restraint harness provides a safe and secure means of restraining an infanrt within a cradle and it will also be seen that such a restraint harness provides a means of accurately placing the necessary shoulder and side straps securely and prozpsly over the infant without a need for careful adjustment or careful alignmlent of these straps.

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Claims (9)

1. A restraint harness for use in restraining an infant within a cradle comprising; a body pad which in use extends over a substantial portion pad of the infant's torso, said bodyksda comprising two pieces, and a fastening means on each body pad piece for releasably fastening together said pieces, two side straps, securing means for securing one end of each side strap to a respective side of the cradle, the other end of each side strap being secured to a respective side of the body pad, and two shoulder straps, further securing means for securing one end of each shoulder strap to the cradle, the other end of each shoulder strap being secured to the body pad.

2. A restraint harness according to claim 1 wherein one of said side straps is releasably secured to the body pad.

3. A restraint harness according to claim 2 wherein one of said shoulder straps is releasably secured to the body pad, and said releasably secured side strap is secured to said body pad adjacent said releasably secured body strap.

4. A restraint harness according to claim 1 wherein one of the body pad pieces overlies the other body pad piece.

A restraint harness according to claim 1 wherein the fastening means comprises aL touch-and-close type fastener which is positioned between the overlaying body pad pieces,

6. A restraint harness according to claim 4 or claim wherein both said shoulder straps are attached to one only of said body pad pieces. 8 i I o O *010

7. A restraint harness according to claim 4 or claim wherein a first of said shoulder straps is attached to one of said body pad pieces, the second of said shoulder straps is attached to the other said body pad piece.

8. In combination, a restraint harness according to any preceding claim and a cradle, wherein the cradle is provided with a pair of slots through which the shoulder straps respectively pass, each shoulder strap being threaded through a buckle, the size and orientation of said buckles being such that they cannot pass through said slots, thereby securing the shoulder straps to the cradle.

9. A combination of a restraint harness and a cradle according to claim 8, wherein the cradle is provided with a pair of further slots through which the side straps respectively pass, each end of the side straps passed through the further slots being attached to an interengageable clip for releasably securing said ends of the side straps. A restraint harness substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3rd day of May, 1990. SAFE-N-SOUND PTY. LIMITED, By its Patent Attorneys, R.K. MADDERN ASSOCIATES 4, A a l- 9