GB2258604A - Seat belt pad - Google Patents

Abstract

The pad comprises pile material 14 mounted to one face of base material 16 which has releasable securement means 22 mounted on its opposite face. In use, with the pad folded over the seat belt so that the securement means 22 cooperate to hold the side edges 26, 28 of the base material together, the pile material covers the side edges 26, 28 so the wearer is protected against injury from the edges of the belt and pad. The pad may include a body (30, Fig. 3) of shock resistant (high impact) foam attached to the said opposite face of the base material. <IMAGE>

Description

SEAT BELT PAD This invention relates to a seat belt pad, and in particular relates to a seat belt pad suitable for use with an automobile or aircraft seatbelt.

Seat belts are compulsory in many countries for automobile drivers and their front seat passengers and may shortly be compulsory also for rear seat automobile passengers, and for aircraft passengers.

One seat belt type uses a webbing strap fixedly mounted to the vehicle; another type is the so-called inertia reel type, in which a length of strap or belting can be wound on and off a reel, to allow movement to the wearer with minimal restriction, whilst at the same time providing the desired level of restraint in case of sudden vehicle stoppage, as in a collision. Thus there are both fixed and movable types of strap seat belts.

Recognised disadvantages of the straps used in seat belts are that they are often not comfortable to wear (particularly over thin clothing), and that when they become soiled they can dirty the user's clothing. Another disadvantage is that they are not designed to be impact-absorbing (to help protect the wearer in a collision), and yet a further disadvantage is that they are made from thin material, with side edges which can themselves cut or lacerate in an accident.

A number of studies have shown that a wearer of a seat belt is less likely to sustain a multiple injury or fatal injury in a car accident - see for instance "The Medical Effects of Seat Belt Legislation in the United Kingdom" D.H.S.S. Research Report 13, H.M.S.O. 8/85. However, the arresting force of a seat belt has been measured as greater than a hangman's noose, and rear seat belt users in particular (such as children) may sleep with the belt adjacent their neck. Thus the belt can itself cause skin lacerations and tearing.

We now propose a seat belt pad to reduce or avoid these disadvantages. We believe the seat belt pad now proposed will not only be comfortable and pleasing to use, but will also provide additional safety to the user.

The pad will normally be positioned on the seat belt strap adjacent the shoulder and chest regions of the wearer, but an additional pad may be used on a seat belt lap strap.

One feature of the invention is the use of a pile material, on a backing, the backing in use being internal (adjacent the strap), and the pile being external. A second feature is the formation of the pile material and backing into a sleeve, with the pile outermost and embracing both sides of the strap; the edges of the strap are concealed respectively by the bend in the material and by overlapping material, specifically edge pile pressed outwardly; thus the user is protected from these strap edges. The pad is easy and quick to secure onto and remove from the strap, and yet uses a minimum amount of material.

The backing is selected to allow the pad to be suitably re-positioned along the strap.

We are aware of the prior proposal of British patent 1,178,512 for a seat belt pad using a strip of deep pile fabric attached to a backing of foam rubber. This pad was however designed for the purpose of minimising wear due to friction on the clothes of the person using a safety harness; there was no teaching of bending the pile fabric upon itself as a sleeve for extra absorbancy against shock loads, and there was no teaching of using the pile to protect the wearer against possible laceration from the exposed edges of the pad backing or connector straps.

We are also aware of the prior proposal of British patent 1,581,996. This patent taught a composite sleeve comprising two layers of textile material (one being a pile fabric) with a resilient filling sandwiched therebetween, the inner one of the layers having a smooth surface to enable it to slide relative to the seat belt strap and the outer one of the layers having a soft surface e.g the pile fabric, in order to minimise damage or wear to a user's clothes; the sleeve was however expensively formed, used three layers of material, needed accurate machining, and with the interposed resilient filling was very bulky, and furthermore there was no teaching of the selection of a pile fabric suitable to protect the user from the exposed (machined) edge of the material.

As one feature of our invention we now propose a seat belt pad having opposed side edge regions terminating in opposed edges, means to releasably secure together the said side edge regions with the pad enveloping a strap of a seat belt, the pad being of a multiple pile material, each pile having a first free end and a second secured end, each secured end being joined to a base material having a measurable width, said opposed pad side edges being defined by free ends of said pile, the pad side edges having a greater separation than the width of the base. Thus the pad in use when folded upon itself and enveloping a length of the strap of a seat belt or safety harness protectively covers that length, with the pile positioned (internally) between the strap and the user and (externally) between the strap and parts of the vehicle.It will be understood that the pad is preferably fitted with the fold nearest to the user's neck, but nevertheless if fitted with the opposed edges nearer the neck then the neck is protected by the overlapping or overhanging pile from laceration by those edges.

Preferably at least some of the secured ends project through the base material. The additional friction provided by engagement between the projecting secured ends of the individual pile pieces and the strap helps prevent unwanted sliding of the sleeve upon the strap whilst the wearer is using both hands e.g.

for driving.

Usefully, the pile consists of artificial deep pile fur attached to a layer of foam rubber; but alternatively can consist of sheepskin, or of artificial fur secured to a plastics base.

The side of the base which is internal in use i.e when the pad is folded, usually upon its longitudinal axis, can be provided along its side edge regions with substantially flat releasable engagement means, such as that known by the registered trademark "VELCRO" i.e. mechanical linkage grips, or of a selected design of mechanical "press" stud.

We are also proposing a seat belt pad in which a shock dispersion material is secured to the base material, the pad having a fold line between said side edge regions, the shock dispersion material being between one of the side edge regions and the fold line and secured to the face of the base material remote from the pile.

Preferably the shock dispersion material is a body of high impact foam, the body being of a length slightly less than that of the pad.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which: Fig.l is of a sleeve according to the invention, positioned on a seat belt strap; Fig.2 is of a pad used to form the sleeve of Fig.l, opened out to expose the sleeve interior surface; and Fig.3 is of an alternative embodiment of pad; Fig.4 is a section through the pad of Fig.2.

Fig.5 is a section through the pad of Fig.3; and Fig.6 is of an alternative releasable engagement means.

The sleeve 10 is shown fitted around a strap 12. It will be understood that the strap 12 can be part of a seat belt, either a fixed seat belt or an inertia-type seat belt. Usefully strap 12 is the harness strap which extends over one shoulder and diagonally across the chest of the user, though there may also be a sleeve for use on a lap strap where fitted.

The sleeve 10 comprises a deep pile fur 14 secured to a latex backing 16, the fur in this embodiment being of a plastics material. The material is knitted with loops which are later cut to form free ends 18; and has knotted or tied ends 20, which are secured to backing 16. Some of the tied coil ends have a part of their tied end protruding through the backing 16, to provide a frictional resistance against sliding movement of the sleeve 10 upon strap 12. In one method of manufacture the tied ends are held in molten backing until the backing cools and sets, which is the method I prefer since it can give greater assurance that individual coils cannot later be pulled free, as by a young child biting the fur.

In its opened "lay-flat" condition of Fig.2, the pad external dimensions of this embodiment are 6.5"x15".

Secured to opposed edge regions of a strip of backing 16, on its side which is internal in use, are aligned pairs 22 of mutually interlocking touch-and-close strips such as "VELCRO" (Registered Trademark). These strips are concealed in use i.e.

with the pad folded into the sleeve form of Fig.l, and so the user is protected against their sharp edges. For a similar reason alternative fastening means may be selected of the type which can be connected (as by finger pressure) through the body of the material e.g. press studs; we would not use connectors such as zip-fasteners which require access to exposed edges of the material and which themselves could therefore be exposed, and injure in an accident.

In use, the pad 10 is folded upon itself, about its longer central axis A-A with the two longitudinal edges 26,28 substantially in alignment, to engage strip pairs 22. The deep pile fur 14 has at least its terminal ends 18a extending beyond edges 26,28 so that in use these terminal ends conceal edges 26,28, and can lie between these edges and the user's neck.

The pad 10 can be slidably mounted upon the belt 12, so that the user can position it at a desired location along an enclosed belt, where it is frictionally gripped as by protruding tied ends 20; however the pad can be removed, either to be washed or for replacement by a similar pad but of another colour (perhaps to coordinate with the car upholstery or the user's clothing).

Because the pad 10 can be both clean and attractive in use, it more likely to be used, as advantageously is the seat belt. But in addition, when used, there is greater provision to protect the user both against the (now covered) belt edge, and against the (now covered) pad edges 26, 28 i.e although the user will be advised to fold the pad so that the edges 26,28 point away from the neck, this cannot always be guaranteed to occur.

We propose a material for the pad which is sold under the trade "VITA FLEECE" which is not only soft and strong, but also the pile is already firmly secured to the base and so cannot easily be removed should a small child suck the pile. The material can also washed either by hand or in a machine.

To provide the required shock absorbancy, as well as te ensure that the pile is displaced over the edges 26,28 I propose a pile having a length of between 20mm and 35mm; and a unit weight for sheared pile of between 600 and 900 g/sq.m.

Example 1.

Polyester pile fabric of minimum total fabric weight of 1250 gm/sq.m and minimum sheared pile weight of 785 gm/sq.m; and pile height of 25mm. The pile is specified for fire retardency to B.S.

5852 Parts 1 and 2 and the backing to B.S. 5867 Part 2 Type C.

The washing specification is to withstand 50 Thermal Disinfection washes at 71 degrees C, with maximum weight loss of 5%, minimum shrinkage 3% length and width, and with the fire retardation properties to be retained after 50 washes.

Example 2.

Pure new wool pile, with polyester backing.Total weight 1235 gm/sq. metre, and a pile height of 28mm.

In addition to its aesthetic and comfort appeal,I believe that my seat belt pad provides better protection for the vulnerable area of the neck, of the jugular vein, of the throat and windpipe, of the collar bone, of the chest and rib cage, and of the shoulder, than is available from previous proposals.

To increase this protection, the pad can have fitted a shock dispersant material, shown as a unitary body 30, in this embodiment of high impact foam, of density greater than 125 Kg/cubic meter, preferably 200 Kg/cubic meter. One suitable high impact foam has a compressive strength for a deflection of 30% of 260 kPa, for a deflection of 50% of 450 kPa and for a deflection of 70% of 900 kPa. The body is located between the centre line A-A of the pad and pad edge 28, being inset from or spaced from pad edge 28 so as not to cover strips 22.

Preferably the body 30 is "internal" to the belt i.e. adjacent the wearer in use.

In an alternative embodiment, strips 22 are replaced by flat studs 32, engageable with sockets 34. The stud head 32a is forced through the pad material, to sandwich a portion of that material between the stud base 32b and the stud head 32a, whilst the socket is sewn to the pad material.

Claims (18)

1. A seat belt pad having opposed side edge regions terminating in opposed edges, means releasably to secure together the said side edge regions with the pad enveloping a strap of a seat belt, the pad being of a multiple pile material, each pile having a first free end and a second secured end, each secured end being joined to a base material having a measurable width, said opposed pad side edges being defined by the free ends of said pile, the pad side edges having a greater separation than the width of the base.

2. A pad according to Claim 1 in which at least some of the secured ends project through the base material.

3. A pad according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the pile comprises strands of fibre attached to a layer of foamed rubber.

4. A pad, according to Claim 3 in which the material is knitted with loops, cut to form the said free ends.

5. A pad according to Claim 3 in which the material; has knotted or tied ends, secured to the base material.

6. A pad according to Claim 1 of sheepskin.

7. A pad according to any preceding claim which is rectangular in cross section, the longer side edges carrying substantially flat releasable engagement means.

8. A pad according to Claim 7 in which the releasable engagement means are mechanical linkage grips.

9. A pad according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 folded upon itself with the two longer side edges substantially in alignment and with the terminal ends of the pile extending beyond the edges of the base to conceal those edges.

10. A pad according to any of Claims 3-5 in which the pile has 'a length of betweeen 20mm and 35mm and a unit weight for sheared pile of between 600 and 900 g/sq.m.

11. A pad according to Claim 10 in which the pile height is 25mm.

12. A pad according to any preceding claim in which a shock dispersion material is secured to the base material, the pad having a fold line between said side edge regions, the shock dispersion material being located between one of the side edge regions and the fold line and upon the face of the base material remote from the first free ends of the pile.

13. A pad according to Claim 12 in which the shock dispersion material is a body of high impact foam, the body being of a length less than the length of the pad.

14. A pad according to Claim 13 in which the high impact foam has a density exceeding 125kg/cm3.

15. A fitted seat belt having longitudinal side edges, one longitudinal side edge being concealed within a fold of the pad, and the other longitudinal side edge being concealed by pile overlying the free edges of the pad base material.

16. A seat belt fitted with a pad according to any of Claims 1-14.

17. A seat belt pad, constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to Fig.2 or Fig.3 or Fig.4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A seat belt fitted with a pad, constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to Fig.l of the accompanying drawings.