GB2324279A

GB2324279A - Seat belt cover sleeve

Info

Publication number: GB2324279A
Application number: GB9704318A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ronald Edward Tansley; Wayne Brendan Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-03-01
Filing date: 1997-03-01
Publication date: 1998-10-21
Also published as: GB9704318D0

Abstract

A cover sleeve for the diagonal strap of a vehicle seat belt to protect the clothing of the seat belt wearer, the sleeve preferably comprising a rectangular piece of sheet material (14), for example cloth, having fasteners (16) at opposite sides, and preferably supplied with additional fasteners (18), whereby, in conjunction with separate fastening elements typically of hooked pile material, the sleeve is in use held in position along the seat belt strap. The sleeve is preferably supplied in a package from which the sleeve can be extracted ready for use.

Description

Vehicle Accessories This invention relates generally to a vehicle accessory and in particular an accessory for a vehicle seat belt.

According to the invention, there is provided a sleeve for covering at least the diagonal strap of a vehicle seat belt.

The invention enables a vehicle user to protect clothing from being soiled by the seat belt. Accordingly, the sleeve is preferably detachable from the seat belt for cleaning purposes andlor for replacement. Thus, the sleeve may either be intended for repeated use or for once only use. In the former case, the sleeve will be made of a cloth material; in the second case a suitable inexpensive cloth material may be used, but it is conceivable that the sleeve may be made of inexpensive plastics sheet material or even robust paper.

The sleeve preferably comprises an elongate, generally rectangular sheet of material the opposed longitudinal edges of which are adapted to be secured together, as by means of stud fasteners or more preferably one or more elements of hooked pile material such as Velcro (Trade Mark).

The sleeve may bear printing, such as the name of a football club or pop group, whereby, for example, to encourage children to wear seat belts in the back of motor vehicles.

The sleeve may be manufactured with hooked pile fasteners at its ends, and be supplied with separate hooked pile fasteners for cooperation therewith and intended to be fixed to remote points of the strap of the seat belt, or at one end to the male fastener of the seat belt, so that in use the sleeve is also held in place in its longitudinal direction. The separate hooked pile fasteners may, for example, be carried by an adhesive backing protected by release film.

The invention also relates to a package, comprising a cover and the above-defined seat belt sleeve enclosed in said cover.

The sleeve is preferably folded about lateral fold lines within the cover, in concertina-like manner, and the cover is preferably openable and closable in the manner of a book cover, whereby the cover containing the sleeve can be opened and then closed for location around the seat belt strap, the folded sleeve drawn out longitudinally into an unfolded condition around the strap, and the cover opened to enable its removal.

Preferably, in the initial condition of the concertina-folded sleeve when placed within the cover, the rectangular sheet of material constituting the sleeve is unfolded in the longitudinal direction with its longitudinal edge fasteners exposed on opposite sides of the laterally folded sheet for interengagement to form the closed sleeve when the cover is closed around the seat belt strap after withdrawal of a cover flap interposed between the lines of fasteners in the initially closed condition of the cover, whereby the sleeve when drawn out of the cover is immediately ready for use.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the seat belt sleeve in use; Figure 2 shows the sleeve pushed along the seat belt into a crumpled condition of non-use; Figure 3 shows a preferred form of sleeve in opened-out condition; Figure 4 shows the manner in which the sleeve of Figure 3 is fitted around the seat belt; Figure 5 shows one possible construction of packaging cover for the sleeve; and Figures 6 to 10 show a sequence of steps by which the sleeve is enclosed in the cover to be ready for use on extraction.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the sleeve 10 when in use on a seat belt 12 to protect the clothing of the user from soiling by the seat belt or, at a garage for example, to prevent soiling of the seat belt by the serviceman's clothing.

Figure 2 shows the sleeve 10 pushed along the seat belt 12 into a crumpled condition of non-use.

Figure 3 shows a piece of sheet material 14, for example thin crease-resistant cloth, from which the preferred sleeve is formed. This elongate, rectangular piece of material 14 has a series of hooked pile elements 16 along each of its longitudinal edges and two larger such elements 18 at its ends. Figure 4 shows how the piece of sheet material folds to encase the seat belt 12, when the fasteners 16 are interengaged. The fasteners 18 enable the sleeve to be fixed in the longitudinal direction, in conjunction with two separate elements of hooked pile material, supplied with an adhesive backing protected by release paper, and which are fixed in appropriate positions to the seat belt or possibly, at one end, to the male element of the standard seat belt securing means.

Figure 5 shows a cardboard blank which folds to provide a cover for enclosing the seat belt sleeve. The blank has a main portion 20 with projecting lateral flaps 22 and end flaps 24, 24A. In addition to fold lines such as 25 for the flaps, the main portion 20 has a centre fold line 26 and three slots, two slots 28 for the lateral flaps 22, which fold fully across the main portion and have end tabs 30 for tucking into the slots 28 at the back, and a slot 32 for the ends flap 24A.

Figure 6 shows the piece of material 14 for forming the seat belt sleeve folded in concertina-like manner, with the hooked pile fasteners 16 exposed in line at opposite longitudinal edges of the concertina-folded sheet, the thus folded sheet being laid into the open cover.

Figure 7 shows the lateral flaps 22 folded over and Figure 8 shows the end flap 24 then folded over to prevent the hooked pile fasteners 16 being self-engaged when the main portion is later folded about its centre line, as shown in Figure 9.

Following folding as shown in Figure 9, in order to reach the stage shown in Figure 10, the lateral flaps 22 are tucked into the slots 28 and the end flap 24A is tucked in at the back into the slot 32. The cover for the seat belt sleeve is then complete.

When the protected seat belt sleeve is to be used, the end flap 24A is released, the package unfolded about the centre fold line to enable it to be placed around the seat belt, and the end flap 24 is then folded back, followed by re-closure of the package about the centre fold. This exposes the hooked pile fasteners to one another within the flat package, whereby pressure on the package ensures firm interengagement of these fasteners. The sleeve can then be pulled out from the package along the seat belt, and the cover opened and removed. The seat belt sleeve may be anchored at its ends to the separate hooked pile elements applied to the seat belt.

The seat belt sleeve is detachable from the seat belt, for example for cleaning, simply by releasing its longitudinal edge fasteners, where, instead of the hooked pile fasteners above described, miniature press studs or the like may be employed instead.

In mass manufacture, especially for a disposable seat belt sleeve, the cardboard or like material cover may be simplified, although the requirements to open said cover for placing it and the sleeve inside around the seat belt, reclosure to interconnect opposite longitudinal edges of the sleeve, and the ability then to pull the sleeve out of the cover along the seat belt, are preferably all retained.

Also, in the case of a disposable seat belt sleeve, it may be made of inexpensive material such as thin plastics sheet or even strong paper, and a cover may not be provided at all. On the other hand, in the case of a seat belt cover intended for repeated usage, the cloth material of which it is made may be decorated or printed, for example with the name and/or emblem of a football club or the like.

Seat belt sleeves as above described can be used on the seat belts for the front and/or back occupants of a motor vehicle and, although generally not necessary, may also be used on the seat belt lap straps.

Claims

1. A sleeve for covering at least the diagonal strap of a vehicle seat belt.

2. A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is detachable from the seat belt for cleaning purposes and/or for replacement.

3. A sleeve according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sleeve is made of a cloth material.

4. A sleeve according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sleeve is made of inexpensive plastics sheet material or robust paper.

5. A sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising an elongate, generally rectangular sheet of material the opposed longitudinal edges of which are adapted to be secured together.

6. A sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the edges are adapted to fasten together by means of stud fasteners or one or more elements of hooked pile material.

7. A sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sleeve bears printing, such as the name of a football club or pop group.

8. A sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 7, having hooked pile fasteners at its ends, and being supplied in conjunction with separate hooked pile fasteners for cooperation therewith and intended to be fixed to remote points of the strap of the seat belt, or at one end to the male fastener of the seat belt, so that in use the sleeve is also held in place in its longitudinal direction.

9. A sleeve according to claim 8, wherein the separate hooked pile fasteners are carried by an adhesive back protected by release film.

10. A package, comprising a cover and a seat belt sleeve as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 enclosed in said cover.

11. A package according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve is folded about lateral fold lines within the cover, in concertina-like manner, and the cover is preferably openable and closable in the manner of a book cover, whereby the cover containing the sleeve can be opened and then closed for location around the seat belt strap, the folded sleeve drawn out longitudinally into an unfolded condition around the strap, and the cover opened to enable its removal.

12. A package according to claim 11, wherein, in the initial condition of the concertina-folded sleeve when placed within the cover, the rectangular sheet of material constituting the sleeve is unfolded in the longitudinal direction with its longitudinal edge fasteners exposed on opposite sides of the laterally folded sheet for interengagement to form the closed sleeve when the cover is closed around the seat belt strap after withdrawal of a cover flap interposed between the lines of fasteners in the initially closed condition of the cover, whereby the sleeve when drawn out of the cover is immediately ready for use.

13. A cover sleeve for a vehicle seat belt substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A package containing a seat belt cover sleeve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. A vehicle seat belt when fitted with the cover sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 9 or 13 or the cover sleeve withdrawn from the package according to any of claims 10 to 12.