GB2058547A - Reflective safety belt - Google Patents
Reflective safety belt Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2058547A GB2058547A GB7932569A GB7932569A GB2058547A GB 2058547 A GB2058547 A GB 2058547A GB 7932569 A GB7932569 A GB 7932569A GB 7932569 A GB7932569 A GB 7932569A GB 2058547 A GB2058547 A GB 2058547A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- waist portion
- waist
- safety belt
- reflective
- margin
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41F—GARMENT FASTENINGS; SUSPENDERS
- A41F9/00—Belts, girdles, or waistbands for trousers or skirts
- A41F9/002—Free belts
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
- G08B5/004—Reflective safety signalling devices attached on persons
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
- Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
Description
1
GB 2 058 547 A
1
SPECIFICATION
deflective safety belt
5 This invention relates to a reflective safety belt for personal wear which is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for wear by persons likely to be exposed to situations in which they are at risk of injury and accident from other people or machines 10 due to poor visibility. Such safety belts are, for example, suitable for wear by motorcycle or cycle riders to increase the likelihood of the wearer being visible by other road users in poor visibility conditions. However, such safety belts are also suitable 15 for use in other dangerous situations of poor visibility such as in factories by people exposed to travelling cranes, on railways by repair personnel working on the railway lines and on roads, airports or construction sites by maintenance or construction per-20 sonnel.
To this end such safety belts must renderthe wearer easily visible in poor visibility conditions both in day time and at night time. The belts therefore are made of material which is fluorescent for 25 enhancing daytime visibility and retro-reflective for enhancing nighttime visibility. Whateverthe material used such belts generally have an elongated strip-like waist portion for removable attachment around the waist of the user and an elongated strip-30 like portion, fixed by its ends to the waist portion at two regions thereof, for removable attachment over the shoulder of a user. As in general only one surface of the belt portions, namely the outer surface thereof in use, is made retro-reflective and fluorescent, it is 35 necessary to attach the strap portion to the waist portion in a manner such as not to interfere with the retro-reflective and fluorescent capabilities of the belt. In general this is done by fixing the strap portion at its ends to the under surface of the waist 40 portion.
However, this method of fixing the strap portion to the waist portion renders the belt weak at the fixture region particularly at the junction points between the strap and waist portion adjoining edges and in use of 45 the belt the strap portion is likely to be torn away from the waist portion at these junctions. The weakness is particularly enhanced when using heat welded belt portions made from a plastics laminated "fabric with woven backing, due to a tendency for the 50 backing to separate from the plastics laminate under stress applied along the line of the edge of the waist ^portion at these junction points. There is thus a need for a generally improved reflective safety belt for personal wear constructed to minimise this risk of 55 tearing at the junctions due to stress exerted in use on the belt at these junctions.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a reflective safety belt for personal wear having an elongated portion for removable 60 attachment around the waist of a user and an elongated strap portion, fixed by its ends to the waist portion at two regions thereof, for removable attachment overthe shoulder of a user, which portions are made of flexible retro-reflective and fluorescent sheet material, wherein the waist portion has a part provided with at least one margin projecting externally of the waist portion part from a general edge line thereof, which margin forms one of the fixture regions forthe strap portion and is so shaped to form with the respective end of the strap portion fixed thereto, a rounded or radiussed edge at each junction between the strap portion and waist portion part adjoining edges in orderto minimise stress at these junctions and thereby reduce the likelihood of tearing of the strap portion or waist portion part at these junctions.
Preferably the at least one margin is integral with the waist portion part and is shaped from the piece of material forming the waist portion part. Advantageously the waist portion part provides two such margins spaced from one another at a distance sufficient for one such margin to provide the front fixture region forthe shoulder strap portion and forthe other such margin to provide the rear fixture region forthe shoulder strap portion, on the waist portion of the belt. Preferably the waist portion part providing the or each margin is made from sheet material widerthan the remainder of the waist portion to which it is attached in any convenient manner such as by heat welding. The shoulder strap portion can be attached at its ends to the rear surface of the or each respective margin in any convenient manner such as by heat welding thereto.
Advantageously the shoulder strap portion end is attached to the rear surface of the margin so as to form with the margin a double thickness of material at the rounded or radiussed edge junction between the strap portion and waist portion along the general edge line of the waist portion.
The waist portion of the belt is provided with means whereby the belt may be attached to and removed from the waist of a user, such as a clasp, buckle or Velcro (Trade Mark) fixing means. Preferably means are provided on one or other or both of the waist portion and strap portion to enable the length thereof to be adjusted to suitthe requirements of a user of the belt. Advantageously the belt is made from flexible retro-reflective and fluorescent sheet material providing both nighttime reflection and daytime fluorescent properties. Conveniently such material is a polyethylene-polyester laminated fabric having a fluorescent-reflective surface provided with an array of reflective projecting cube corner prisms such as the so called "FiremansTape" or high intensity fabric made by Reflexite Corporation of America or3M's.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made by way of exam- . pie to the accompanying drawings in which:—
Figure 1 is a plan view of a reflective safety belt according to one embodiment of the invention taken from the front thereof, and
Figure 2 is a plan view of a waist portion part for
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.
2
GB 2 058 547 A
2
use with the belt of Figure 1.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings a reflective safety belt according to a first embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 1 basically has 5 an elongated waist portion 1 for removable attach- 70 ment around the waist of a user and an elongated strap portion 2, fixed by its ends to the waist portion at two regions 3 thereof, for removable attachment over the shoulder of a user. These portions 1 and 2 10 are made of flexible retro-reflective and fluorescent 75 sheet material of any suitable form which can provide daytime fluorescent action and nighttime retro-reflective action. A suitable material is made from polyethylene-polyester laminated fabric with a 15 preferably woven backing with cube corner prisms 80 embossed in or on the plastics laminate. These prisms provide the desired reflective action and the fluorescence is provided by the plastics material itself. Suitable sheet material of this nature are made 20 by Reflexite Corporation of America under the name 85 "Firemans Tape" or high intensity fabric or by 3 M's.
As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings the strap portion 2 preferably is a diagonal strap fixed at its ends to the waist portion 1. To this end the waist 25 portion 1 has a part 4 provided with at least one 90
margin 5 projecting externally of the waist portion part 4 from a general edge line 6 thereof. In the view shown in Figure 1 the margin 5 forms a fixture region forthe front end of the strap portion 2.
30 In order to provide a satisfactory fixture of the end 95 of the shoulder strap portion 2 to the waist portion 1 conventional belts have used rivets. These rivets have not been entirely satisfactory as they have provided points of stress or weakness at which the 35 shoulder strap portion can be torn from the waist 100 portion in use of the belt. Alternative conventional belts have attempted to avoid this problem by overlapping the shoulder portion end and waist portion and welding the overlapped regions together with 40 the shoulder strap end behind the waist portion. As 105 with a diagonal form of shoulder strap belt construction it has been necessary forthe shoulder portion to meet the waist portion at an angle at the fixture region this has resulted in the waist portion making an 45 acute angled junction with one edge of the shoulder 110 strap portion. The resulting sharp angled junction between the waist portion and shoulder strap portion has formed a point of weakness at which the waist portion and shoulder strap portion can readily 50 be torn apart in use of the belt. The weakening effect 115 of the angled junction between the waist portion and shoulder strap portion have been enhanced in such a conventional heat welded belt by making the waist portion and shoulder strap portion of the same width 55 material. Thus such heat welded conventional belts 120 have also proved unsatisfactory in use.
In orderto minimise stress at junctions between the strap portion and waist portion part in the first embodiment of the present invention the margin 5 is 60 so shaped to form with the strap portion fixed 125
thereto, a rounded or radiussed edge 7 at each junction between the strap portion 2 and the waist portion part 4 adjoining edges. These rounded edges 7 at the junctions reduce the likelihood of tearing of 65 the strap portion 2 and waist portion part 4 at these 130
junctions. As can be seen from Figure 1 the waist portion part 4 preferably is made of sheet material which initially is widerthan the sheet material of the shoulder strap portion 2 and the sheet material forming the remainder of the waist portion 1. In this way the projecting margin 5 can be formed by cuttingihe »
waist portion part 4 to provide the necessary rounded edges 7. Alternatively, if desired, the waist portion part 4 can be made of material of similar width to that of the remainder of the waist portion 1 *
or of the shoulder strap portion 2, and the projecting margin 5 can be made from a separate sheet of material, shaped to provide the requisite rounded or radiussed edges 7 and attached, such as by heat welding, to the appropriate region of the waist portion part 4.
However, as can be seen from Figure 1, when the rounded edges 7 are provided on the waist portion part 4 such rounded edges have the effect of removing the sharp angled junction found on conventional heat welded belts at the shoulder strap portion and the waist portion part. By replacing the conventional sharp angled junction between the shoulder strap portion and waist portion part adjoining edges with the rounded edges 7 it is possible to minimise stress atthese junctions and thereby to reduce the likelihood of tearing of the shoulder strap portion 2 or the waist portion part 4 at these junctions.
Preferably two such margins 5 are provided on the second waist portion part 4 at a sufficient distance apart to provide the necessary fixtures regions for both the front and rear ends of the shoulder strap portion 2. Such a waist portion part 4 is shown in Figure 2. As can be seen from Figure 2 the waist portion part 4 is attached to the remainder of the waist portion 1 at 8 in any convenient manner for example by being overlapped with the remaining part of the waist portion 1 and heat welded thereto.
The other end of the waist portion part 4 is provided with a buckle part 9 in any convenient manner adapted to mate with a corresponding buckle part 10 provided in any convenient manner on the remaining free end of the waist portion 1. Any suitable form of clasp or buckle can be used for providing a releas- *
able connection between the ends of the waist portion 1 and as an alternative such releasable connection may be by means of Velcro (Trade Mark) portions not shown. If desired means may be provided on the shoulder strap portion 2 and/orthe waist portion 1 whereby the length of these portions can be adjusted to suit the requirements of a user of the belt. Preferably these adjustment means are in the form of simple slides such as shown at 11 on Figure 1.
Heat welded conventional belts have also had a tendency forthe plastics laminate of the shoulder strap portion to become separated from its fabric backing at the junction line between this strap portion and the waist portion. This failure tendency has been enhanced by the fact that at the junction line,
which lies along the general upper edge line of the waist portion, stress exerted on the junction acts along the upper edge line of the waist portion on effectively a single layer of material provided by the shoulder strap portion.
3
GB 2 058 547 A
3
On the contrary with reflective safety belts according to the invention the provisions of a margin 5 with tadiussed edge 7 projecting externally of the general edge line 6 of the waist portion part 4, ensures that 5 stress acting along the general edge line 6 acts both on a radiussed edge 7 and on effectively a double thickness of material provided by the joined together portions 2 and 4. The radiussed edge 7 and the double thickness of material act both as a reinforcement 10 and stress resistor at the junction and thus reduce the rendency forthe material of the portion 2 to separate at the junction between the portions 2 and 4. In effect the point of stress application is removed to a line away from the line the top edge of the waist 15 portion part 4 makes with the portion 2.
Claims (13)
1. A reflective safety belt for personal wear having an elongated portion for removable attachment around the waist of a user and an elongated strap 20 portion, fixed by its ends to the waist portion at two regions thereof, for removable attachment over the shoulder of a user, which portions are made of flexible retro-reflective and fluorescent sheet material, wherein the waist portion has a part provided with at 25 least one margin projecting externally of the waist portion part from a general edge line thereof, which margin forms one of the fixture regions forthe strap portion and is so shaped to form with the respective end of the strap portion fixed thereto, a rounded or 30 radiussed edge at each junction between the strap portion and waist portion part adjoining edges in orderto minimise stress at these junctions and thereby reduce the likelihood of tearing of the strap portion or waist portion part at these junctions. 35
2. A reflective safety belt according to claim 1, wherein the at least one margin is integral with the waist portion part and is shaped from the piece of material forming the waist portion part.
3. A reflective safety belt according to claim 1 or 40 claim 2, wherein the waist portion part provides two such margins spaced from one another at a distance sufficient for one such margin to provide the front fixture region forthe shoulder strap portion and for the other such margin to provide the rear fixture reg-45 ion forthe shoulder strap portion, on the waist portion of the belt.
4. A reflective safety belt according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the waist portion part providing the or each margin is made from sheet material
50 wider than the remainder of the waist portion to which it is attached.
,,
5. A reflective safety belt according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein shoulder strap portion is attached at its ends to the rear surface of the or each 55 respective margin.
6. A reflective safety belt according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shoulder strap portion end is attached to the rear surface of the margin so as to form with the margin a double thickness of material
60 at the rounded or radiussed edge junction between the strap portion and waist portion along the general edge line of the waist portion.
7. A reflective safety belt according to claim 4,5 or 6, wherein the waist portion part and/orthe
65 shoulder strap portion is/are attached by heat welding.
8. A reflective safety belt according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the waist portion of the belt is provided with means whereby the belt may be
70 attached to and removed from the waist of a user.
9. A reflective safety belt according to claim 8, wherein the waist attachment and removal means is a clasp, buckle or Velcro (Trade Mark) fixing means.
10. A reflective safety belt according to any one 75 of claims 1 to 9, wherein means are provided on one or other or both of the waist portion and strap portion to enable the length thereof to be adjusted to suit the requirements of a user of the belt.
11. A reflective safety belt according to any one 80 of claims 1 to 10, wherein the belt is made from flexible retro-reflective and fluorescent sheet material providing both nighttime reflection and daytime fluorescent properties.
12. A reflective safety belt according to claim 11 85 wherein said material is a polyethylene-polyester laminated fabric having a fluorescent-refractive surface provided with an array of reflective projecting cube corner prisms.
13. A reflective safety belt substantially as
90 hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by The Tweeddale Press Ltd., Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981.
Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A1 AY, from which copies may be obtained.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7932569A GB2058547B (en) | 1979-09-20 | 1979-09-20 | Reflective safety belt |
| EP80303205A EP0026600A1 (en) | 1979-09-20 | 1980-09-11 | Reflective safety belt |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7932569A GB2058547B (en) | 1979-09-20 | 1979-09-20 | Reflective safety belt |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2058547A true GB2058547A (en) | 1981-04-15 |
| GB2058547B GB2058547B (en) | 1983-06-02 |
Family
ID=10507943
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7932569A Expired GB2058547B (en) | 1979-09-20 | 1979-09-20 | Reflective safety belt |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0026600A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2058547B (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2140276A (en) * | 1983-05-27 | 1984-11-28 | Hevatex Bandfab Bv | Light reflecting safety belt |
| DE4221228A1 (en) * | 1992-06-27 | 1993-02-11 | Mastnak Wolfgang Richard | Seat belt positioning system for child - uses fabric strip fasteners to secure diagonal belt relating to occupant's neck |
| US5575004A (en) * | 1995-09-18 | 1996-11-19 | Eisele; Jean M. | Reflective safety sash |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8648735B2 (en) | 2012-04-06 | 2014-02-11 | Paul Haynes | Safety directional indicator |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US1639383A (en) * | 1926-12-06 | 1927-08-16 | Cosimo P Moretti | Belt |
| US2030172A (en) * | 1935-03-14 | 1936-02-11 | Kauffman Carl Christian | Safety belt |
| US2564564A (en) * | 1946-07-19 | 1951-08-14 | Helen C Cookman | Sam browne belt |
| CH443070A (en) * | 1965-08-18 | 1967-08-31 | Comptoir Du Caoutchouc A Bovey | Device for signaling the presence of a person on a traffic lane |
| US3901579A (en) * | 1974-01-14 | 1975-08-26 | Frances Edith Demerest | Reflecting harness for persons |
-
1979
- 1979-09-20 GB GB7932569A patent/GB2058547B/en not_active Expired
-
1980
- 1980-09-11 EP EP80303205A patent/EP0026600A1/en not_active Ceased
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2140276A (en) * | 1983-05-27 | 1984-11-28 | Hevatex Bandfab Bv | Light reflecting safety belt |
| DE4221228A1 (en) * | 1992-06-27 | 1993-02-11 | Mastnak Wolfgang Richard | Seat belt positioning system for child - uses fabric strip fasteners to secure diagonal belt relating to occupant's neck |
| US5575004A (en) * | 1995-09-18 | 1996-11-19 | Eisele; Jean M. | Reflective safety sash |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0026600A1 (en) | 1981-04-08 |
| GB2058547B (en) | 1983-06-02 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4336092A (en) | Retroreflective fiber and method of making same | |
| US4601538A (en) | Light reflecting safety belt | |
| CA2041553A1 (en) | Protected fold and seal label for demand printing | |
| US2975538A (en) | Emblem and means for mounting it | |
| BG66752A (en) | SHEET LAYER PRODUCT WITH REMOVABLE COATING | |
| CA2068191A1 (en) | Reinforced Composite Backing Tape | |
| GB2058547A (en) | Reflective safety belt | |
| US5575004A (en) | Reflective safety sash | |
| PL342494A1 (en) | Back-up device for a stacking machine | |
| DE69708088D1 (en) | FOLDER WITH A BAG | |
| US1739289A (en) | Light-reflecting signal device | |
| CA2274932A1 (en) | Inflatable element adapted for forming a plane wall when inflated, and structure comprising such a wall | |
| US6183580B1 (en) | Protective covering system | |
| JP4007968B2 (en) | Pedestrian sign sheet | |
| US20220378139A1 (en) | Helmet | |
| ES2130103T3 (en) | INFLATABLE GAS BAG FOR A PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR THE OCCUPANTS OF A VEHICLE. | |
| JPS59177425U (en) | sanitary napkins | |
| JP3055002U (en) | Light reflective vest | |
| EP0779177A3 (en) | Seat provided with a protective backrest cover | |
| KR200329136Y1 (en) | A multipurpose safety mark banner | |
| EP0499571A1 (en) | New arrangement to fit a detachable protector at the seat's back | |
| JP3033685U (en) | Luminous reflective waistcoat | |
| JP3401113B2 (en) | Rider protector | |
| GB2269239A (en) | Protective visors for motor cycle helmet visors | |
| JP3091712U (en) | Reflector with usage instructions |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |