CA2160811A1

CA2160811A1 - Supplementary restraint system

Info

Publication number: CA2160811A1
Application number: CA002160811A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bill D. Rich; Brian S. Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-10-18
Filing date: 1995-10-18
Publication date: 1997-04-19

Abstract

A supplementary seat belt system that attaches to a secondary anchor point and the factory installed seat belts and provides significantly improved occupant protection.
The belt attaches to a secondary anchor point by an anchor snap, is placed over the occupant's shoulders and is secured by fastening the factory installed seat belt through a junction loop at the bottom of the shoulder belt. An anti-submarine strap provides additional impact protection. The invention is especially well suited to children who cannot safely or comfortably wear factory installed seat belts or seat belts and shoulder belts. The invention provides additional support and impact protection while assisting in maintaining a safe seating position for the occupant.

Description

Supplementary Restraint System The present invention relates to restraints, specifically to an improved seat belt system.

Our patent search disclosed no patents that evidenced relevant prior art. Conventional passenger seat belts and race car belts utilize similar construction and adjustment techniques but do not provide the same function. The invention supplements existing two (lap) and three (lap and shoulder) point seat belt systems to achieve a result similar to a fixed four, five or six point race car belt system.

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of our invention are as follows: to provide supplemental restraint to conventional seat belts, to provide additional support for young or handicapped occupants, to assist in maintaining the occupant in the correct seating position. Other advantages are that the occupant is supported and restrained in a manner that is often more comfortable than with a conventional seat belt or seat belt and shoulder strap.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.

The use of the invention is simple and straightforward. An additional fixed anchor point is required and the tether strap fastens to the anchor point by the anchor snap.
The head of the occupant goes through the shoulder straps and the factory installed seat belt is passed through the loop and is then fastened in the usual way. The female buckle of the anti-submarine belt is affixed to the male buckle end of the shoulder belt and is tightened by way of the pull loop. The tether strap tension is adjusted by pull loop.

The invention, as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is described with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded front view of our invention.

Fig. 1a is a front view of the shoulder straps, junction loop, and adjuster.

Fig. 1 b is a front view of the tether belt.

Fig. 1 c is a front view of the anti-submarine belt.

Fig. 2 is a right side view of the assembled components of the invention set out in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front/side view of the assembled components of the invention set out in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a right side view of the invention set out in Fig. 2 shown with seat and occupant.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the invention set out in Fig. 3 shown with seat and occupant.

Additionally, reference numbers are utilized as follows:

1 two inch nylon webbing sewed together at the top and bottom 2 two inch nylon webbing 3 two inch nylon webbing 4 1 3/4 inch adjuster 5 one inch nylon release tab 6 two inch male buckle end 7 7a and 7b - pull loops 8 two inch sliding adapter 9 Anchor snap 10 anchor point.

11 two inch female adjustable buckle end 12 sewn junction loop 13 factory installed seat belt, or seat belt with shoulder belt FIG. 1 a shows two parallel shoulder straps of two inch nylon webbing sewed together 2~6081 1 ,~

at the top and bottom 1, attached to a 1 3/4 inch adjuster 4 with a one inch nylon release tab 5 affixed on the top end. At the bottom of the shoulder straps 1 is a sewn junction loop 12 with a two inch male buckle end 6 attached.

FIG. 1 b shows a tether strap constructed of two inch nylon webbing 2 with a 1 1/2 inch anchor snap 9 attached at the top and a pull loop 7b at the bottom. Anchor snap 9 affixes to an anchor point 10.

FIG. 1 c shows an two inch nylon webbing 3 with a two inch female adjustable buckle end 11 at the top end and an attaching two inch sliding adapter 8 at the bottom end.
A pull loop 7a permits the adjustment of the length of the anti-submarine belt webbing 3.

FIG. 2 shows the tether strap pull loop 7b inserted through the adjuster 4 and the tether strap 2 inserted through the sliding adapter 8. The female buckle end 11 is shown attached to the male buckle end 6. The anchor snap 9 is shown attached to the anchor 10.

FIG. 3 shows a front/side view of the invention with the tether strap pull loop 7b inserted through the adjuster 4 and the tether strap 2 inserted through the sliding adapter 8. The female buckle end 11 is shown attached to the male buckle end 6.
The anchor snap 9 is shown attached to the anchor 10.

S 2~6081 1 FIG. 4 shows a right side view of the invention installed on an occupied seat. The occupant's head fits between the parallel nylon webbing shoulder straps 1 and the factory installed seat belt, or seat belt with shoulder belt 13, fits through the junction loop 12. The anti-submarine belt FIG. 1 c is attached to the shoulder straps FIG. 1 a by the buckle ends 6 and 1 1 and to the tether strap FIG. 1 b by the sliding adapter 8.
The tether belt FIG. 1 b affixes to the anchor point 10 by the anchor snap 9.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the invention installed on an occupied seat. The occupant's head fits between the parallel nylon webbing shoulder straps 1 and the factory installed seat belt, or seat belt with shoulder belt 13, fits through the junction loop 12. The anti-submarine belt FIG. 1 c is attached to the shoulder strap FIG. 1 a by joining the buckle ends 6 and 11 and to the tether strap FIG. 1 b by the sliding adapter 8. The tether belt FIG. 1 b affixes to the anchor point 10 by the anchor snap 9.

Accordingly, it can be seen that the invention provides significant supplementary restraint by linking a secondary anchor point to a factory installed seat belt system.
The invention can be used in most vehicles and can easily be adapted for other applications. It is economical, reliable, easy to fabricate and highly durable. The invention also provides superior protection for children who are too large for child seats but cannot yet comfortably and safely wear factory installed seat belts. For example, children who tuck the shoulder belt behind them due to the belt otherwise cutting across their necks or faces are provided with better protection and greater comfort through the use of the invention. The invention provides much greater protection than a lap belt alone. Additionally, the belt provides additional support for handicapped occupants and children as well as assisting in maintaining a correct and safe seating position.

Although only a single embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, the present invention is not limited to the features of this embodiment, but includes all variations, modifications, embodiments and ramifications within the scope of the claims. For example, the invention can be used with a variety of secondary anchor points: floor mounts, deck mounts, cargo hooks, other seat belts, etc. The invention works with virtually all factory installed lap or lap and shoulder belt systems.
It can also be used in applications where seat belts are added. The anti-submarine belt can be placed between the seat base and seat back, under the seat base or on top of the seat back and seat base. The belt can also be used without the anti-submarine strap to provide additional upper body restraint. The specifications of the webbing and the hardware could also be varied. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOW:

A supplementary restraint device comprising a tether strap, shoulder harness, anti-submarine belt and junction loop that attaches to a factory installed seat belt and an additional fixed anchor point to provide additional restraint, safety, support and comfort to the occupant.