GB2165791A - Seat belt cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

A seat belt cutting implement comprises a blade 6, a manipulable body 1 supporting the blade, and being formed with a shallow entry channel from the periphery of the body into which a flat seat belt 7 can be inserted to contact the blade, the body and blade being so disposed and arranged that the cutting surface of the blade cannot be reached from the outside by the user's fingers etc. In an alternative form, a guard (14, Figure 3) is mounted on each face of the body (8 Figure 3) for sliding movement via pin and slot connections (15, 13, Figure 3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Seat belt cutter After a motor vehicle accident there may be occasion for a trapped occupant to escape by cutting his seat belt. Some kind of a cutting implement should therefore ideally be on hand in a vehicle and it is an objective of the present invention to provide such an implement which does not constitute an offensive weapon and which does not provide in itself an accidental hazard.

According to the present invention there is provided a cutting implement for the purposes set out above such implement comprising a blade having a cutting edge, a manipulable body supporting the blade and movable to cause the implement to cut and a shallow entry channel from the periphery of the body into which a flat seat belt can be inserted to contact the blade, the body and blade being so disposed and arranged that the cutting surface cannot be accessed from the outside by the user's fingers or other parts.

Thus an implement can be constructed with a blade in a body having end portions which extend towards one another to define a restricted entry channel for the blade. In a further embodiment a body holding the blade has at either surface a guard member with a narrow entry slit for the blade. Conveniently the guard members and the blade are mounted for limited relative sliding movement which sliding movement can be utilised to achieve the cutting.

Two embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying informal drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a first simple embodiment; Figure 2 is a side view of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a view of a component of the embodiment of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a partially sectional end view of the embodiment of Figure 2.

Referring initially to Figure 1 of the drawings the cutting implement provides a flat body 1 with enlarged generally circular end portions 2 and 3. One of the end portions has a hole 4 for allowing the implement to be supported from a suitable projection on a vehicle dashboard or other location to hand for a driver. The end portions 2 and 3 are joined by a relatively narrow neck portion 5 having at the inner surface a blade 6. The end portions 2 and 3 project towards one another adjacent the blade 6 to define a restricted space through which a seat belt, a portion of which is indicated at 7, can be inserted but which is too narrow to allow the entry of a finger or other small part of the human anatomy. The mode of operation is illustrated and the blade 6 can be seen contacting a seat belt 7 entered through the restricted space between the end portions 2 and 3.

Figures 2 to 4 illustrate a second embodiment.

This cutting implement comprises a main body 8 of generally elliptical form with an upper thickened part constituting a handle 9, an entry slot 10 is provided enlarging to a rectangular space 11 at the inner end of which is a blade 12. Slots 13 elongate in the axial direction of the body 8 are provided on either side of the blade 12. A guard 14, under the thickened handle part 9, is provided at each surface of the blade 12, the guards 14 being joined by rivets 15 passing through the slots 13 thereby making the two rivets 15 and the guards 14 relatively slidably in the direction of the arrows A, in Figures 2 and 4. Each guard 14 is again of generally elliptical shape having a narrow entry slit 16, so as to mask all but a small operating part of the blade 16 from outside, thereby preventing a finger or other part of the anatomy coming into contact with the blade 12.In use with a belt 17 inserted through the registering slits 16, movement of the blade can be achieved by the sliding of the rivets 15 in the slots 13. An effective sawing, cutting motion is thus achieved.

1. A seat belt cutting implement comprising a blade having a cutting edge, a manipulable body supporting the blade and movable to cause the implement to cut, and a shallow entry channel from the periphery of the body into which a flat seat belt can be inserted to contact the blade, the body and blade being so disposed and arranged that the cutting surface cannot be accessed from the outside by the user's fingers or other parts.

2. An implement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the body has end portions which extend towards one another to define the entry channel.

3. An implement as claimed in either preceding claim wherein the body has at either surface of the blade a guard member with a narrow entry slit for the blade.

4. An implement as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the guard members and blade are mounted for limited relative sliding movement which sliding movement can be utilised to achieve the cutting.

5. A seat belt cutting implement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 1 as modified by Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Seat belt cutter After a motor vehicle accident there may be occasion for a trapped occupant to escape by cutting his seat belt. Some kind of a cutting implement should therefore ideally be on hand in a vehicle and it is an objective of the present invention to provide such an implement which does not constitute an offensive weapon and which does not provide in itself an accidental hazard. According to the present invention there is provided a cutting implement for the purposes set out above such implement comprising a blade having a cutting edge, a manipulable body supporting the blade and movable to cause the implement to cut and a shallow entry channel from the periphery of the body into which a flat seat belt can be inserted to contact the blade, the body and blade being so disposed and arranged that the cutting surface cannot be accessed from the outside by the user's fingers or other parts. Thus an implement can be constructed with a blade in a body having end portions which extend towards one another to define a restricted entry channel for the blade. In a further embodiment a body holding the blade has at either surface a guard member with a narrow entry slit for the blade. Conveniently the guard members and the blade are mounted for limited relative sliding movement which sliding movement can be utilised to achieve the cutting. Two embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying informal drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a first simple embodiment; Figure 2 is a side view of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a view of a component of the embodiment of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a partially sectional end view of the embodiment of Figure 2. Referring initially to Figure 1 of the drawings the cutting implement provides a flat body 1 with enlarged generally circular end portions 2 and 3. One of the end portions has a hole 4 for allowing the implement to be supported from a suitable projection on a vehicle dashboard or other location to hand for a driver. The end portions 2 and 3 are joined by a relatively narrow neck portion 5 having at the inner surface a blade 6. The end portions 2 and 3 project towards one another adjacent the blade 6 to define a restricted space through which a seat belt, a portion of which is indicated at 7, can be inserted but which is too narrow to allow the entry of a finger or other small part of the human anatomy. The mode of operation is illustrated and the blade 6 can be seen contacting a seat belt 7 entered through the restricted space between the end portions 2 and 3. Figures 2 to 4 illustrate a second embodiment. This cutting implement comprises a main body 8 of generally elliptical form with an upper thickened part constituting a handle 9, an entry slot 10 is provided enlarging to a rectangular space 11 at the inner end of which is a blade 12. Slots 13 elongate in the axial direction of the body 8 are provided on either side of the blade 12. A guard 14, under the thickened handle part 9, is provided at each surface of the blade 12, the guards 14 being joined by rivets 15 passing through the slots 13 thereby making the two rivets 15 and the guards 14 relatively slidably in the direction of the arrows A, in Figures 2 and 4. Each guard 14 is again of generally elliptical shape having a narrow entry slit 16, so as to mask all but a small operating part of the blade 16 from outside, thereby preventing a finger or other part of the anatomy coming into contact with the blade 12.In use with a belt 17 inserted through the registering slits 16, movement of the blade can be achieved by the sliding of the rivets 15 in the slots 13. An effective sawing, cutting motion is thus achieved. CLAIMS

1. A seat belt cutting implement comprising a blade having a cutting edge, a manipulable body supporting the blade and movable to cause the implement to cut, and a shallow entry channel from the periphery of the body into which a flat seat belt can be inserted to contact the blade, the body and blade being so disposed and arranged that the cutting surface cannot be accessed from the outside by the user's fingers or other parts.

2. An implement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the body has end portions which extend towards one another to define the entry channel.

3. An implement as claimed in either preceding claim wherein the body has at either surface of the blade a guard member with a narrow entry slit for the blade.

4. An implement as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the guard members and blade are mounted for limited relative sliding movement which sliding movement can be utilised to achieve the cutting.

5. A seat belt cutting implement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 1 as modified by Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.