GB2406078A - A belt arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A belt arrangement in order to secure the seated and standing position of an occupant of a vehicle. The belt arrangement (1) comprises two lap belts (14) with retractors (16), said lap belts (14) being adapted to be coupled to the vehicle and meet at a central fastener (10) adjacent the stomach. The lap belts are pivotable parallel to the body surface. The arrangement further comprises two length-adjustable body belts (18) extending from the central fastener (10) over the chest, shoulders and back of the occupant and adjustable in length, and two loop-like leg straps (23) of variable length connected to length sections (20) of the body belts (18) at least indirectly connected to the lap belts (14). The body belts (18) crossing at the occupant's back and interconnected there are fixed to the leg straps (23) by their ends (25) remote from the central fastener. The belt arrangement (1) is directly associated with a vest (1) which is adaptable to an occupant's body by means of hook and loop fastenings (5, 6). The retractors may be directly attached to the lap belts proximate to the central fastener (as shown) or may be attached at the remote ends thereof.

Description

"Belt arrangement" This invention relates to a belt arrangement to secure

the sitting and standing position of an occupant of a vehicle, for example the position of the commander of a military armoured vehicle.

When the hatch is open, the commander of an armoured vehicle can occupy a standing position in which he observes the surroundings. On the other hand, when the hatch is closed, the commander occupies a seated position. In both of these positions the commander can fully perform his duties only if he is secured in those positions, particularly during travel on rough ground, in the event of a collision with an obstacle, in the event of mine explosions, or in the event of an armoured vehicle tipping over.

Rescue assistants and doctors in rescue vehicles can also occupy comparable positions during travel. These people also have to be able to move in a seated or standing position in which they are reliably secured so that people transported in the vehicle can be properly cared for.

Moreover, it is possible to imagine positions in helicopters used for civil or military purposes where, for example when the door is open, people handicapped in their movements have to carry out additional duties (for

example hoisting).

The various belt arrangements hitherto designed for land and air vehicles cannot meet such requirements, since they usually allow for only one or other position of an occupant, but do not take into account the fact that the occupant must be positionally secured during his activities both in a sitting and a standing position.

In this connection, belt arrangements for people sitting in a vehicle are known from DE-AS 11 51 689 and from DE-GM 76 26 542, said arrangements comprising body belts and leg straps releasably interconnected via a central fastener adjacent the stomach. The configuration ofthese belt arrangements is such that the people in the positionally secured state cannot move from the sitting position to a standing position.

DE-PS 290681 discloses a holder system for a person standing in an] aircraft. This system comprises a holder belt which the person places around his hips and which is connected to the aircraft frame via flexible and resilient; members extending radially in relation to the holder belt. An arrangement of this kind only enables a person to be secured in a standing position.

From DE 33 00 471 C2 it is known to associate a belt arrangement directly with a vest which is put on by a person who wishes to occupy a vehicle in a seated position and also be positionally secured in that position by means of the belt arrangement.

Starting from the prior art, the object of the invention is to provide a belt arrangement which secures the sitting and standing positions of a vehicle occupant, and which satisfies the requirement that the belt arrangement can be put on and taken off rapidly.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a belt arrangement according to claim 1.

A belt arrangement of this kind first of all comprises two lap belts which meet in a central fastener adjacent the stomach. The central fastener can be] opened by a rotary movement or by a pressing movement. It has holders for fastener tongues which are associated directly or indirectly with a lap belt. If the fastener tongues are associated with a lap belt indirectly, then they in turn have connecting means which allow releasable coupling to lap belts. In that case, the lap belts are associated with the vehicle and are trained over belt retractors.

If, however, the fastener tongues are associated with the lap belts] directly, then there are provided on the vehicle preferably only holders for push-in tongues associated with the lap belts at a distance from the central fastener. In this case the retractors are then preferably disposed in the vicinity of the fastener tongues.

The lap belts are disposed to be pivotable relatively to the central fastener parallel to the body surface. The reason for this is that both the seated and the standing position must be taken into account. The change from one position to the other is then ensured while the safety function is guaranteed by the retractors.

Also forming a part of the belt arrangement according to the invention are two body belts, which extend from the central fastener zone over the chest, shoulders and back of the occupant. The body belts are preferably of adjustable length, the change of length preferably being capable of being carried out in the chest zone, for example by sub-division into length sections. The body belts are preferably connected in the region of the fastener tongues irrespective of whether they are associated with the lap belts directly or whether the fastener tongues have holders for pushin tongues provided on the lap belts.

At the occupant's back the body belts are crossed over and I interconnected at the crossing point, for example by stitching. This step provides improved load transmission.

Loop-like leg straps of variable length extend from the length sections of the body belts fixed in the region of the central fastener, for example to the fastener tongues, and engage around the occupant's thighs. The leg straps can without difficulty be adapted to body dimensions as a result of their length adjustability. The ends of the body belts remote from the central fastener are] 1 S then rigidly connected, for example stitched, to the leg straps at the back of the thighs, starting from the crossing point.

The invention thus creates the conditions such that when an occupant has put on the belt arrangement beforehand and taken up position in the vehicle, ] the occupant then only has to couple the lap belts to the vehicle or, if they are associated with the vehicle, to the fastener tongues. Thanks to the retractors and the pivotability of the lap belts relatively to the central fastener, the occupant can then occupy the seated or standing position as required. He is securely held in both positions.

The retractors are kept narrow so that when an occupant is in the seated position they can adapt to the occupant's groin area and hence not constitute an obstacle.

In addition, all the belts are kept so flat that they can if necessary be worn under bullet-proof vests.

In addition, the retractors are so covered that they do not constitute an obstacle when, for example, in the case of an armoured vehicle, the occupant has to leave the vehicle and crawl around in the vehicle vicinity. Rapid and problem-free separation is also required in ambulances.

As already stated above, the belt arrangement is associated directly with the occupant, i.e. it is worn on the person. Nevertheless, the central fastener also serves another safety requirement when the occupant must leave the vehicle as quickly as possible and no longer has time to release the lap belts.

He then simply has to open the central fastener in order to divest himself of the belt arrangement.

The features of claim 2 serve for better securing of the positions of the occupant in the vehicle. Accordingly, connections for releasable connection to the vehicle are also provided on those sections of the body belts that are adjacent the shoulders. These connections can either be provided with push-in tongues or tongue holders, the respective counterpart then being located on the vehicle.

With this embodiment, according to the features of claim 3, it is also particularly advantageous if retractors are at least indirectly associated with the body belts. The retractors can be associated with the connections or the buckle on straps located in the vehicle.

According to claim 4, the retractors are manually lockable. As a result it is possible for the occupant to carry out perfect positioning of the belt arrangement before entering a vehicle or even after occupying the seated or standing position.

In order to compensate for the different belt configurations between the seated position and the standing position, according to claim 5 at least those retractors which are associated with the lap belts are pivotable. In this way they can be adapted to the groin configuration. If necessary, the retractors associated with the body belts above the shoulders can also be integrated pivotably.

Another advantageous development of the basic principle of the invention is given by the features of claim 6. Grip loops of this kind serve to enable an occupant incapable of movement to be pulled out of the vehicle.

These features may be particularly advantageous in the narrow hatches of armoured vehicles.

The features of claim 7 also prove advantageous in such cases.

Irrespective of whether the release device is actuated on one shoulder or the other, there is basically an actuation of the central fastener so that the occupant can be pulled out of the vehicle without any problem. The connection between the release devices and the central fastener can be effected, for example, via a cable embedded in a flexible tube.

The features of claim 8 provide a particularly advantageous development of the invention according to which at least the body belts and the central fastener form constituent parts of a vest that can be worn by the occupant.

Advantageously, the fastener tongues are connected to the central fastener beforehand. The vest preferably consists of a network fabric in order to avoid heat damming.

The association of the belt arrangement directly with a vest, for example by fixing the body belts and the central fastener on the vest, facilitates the belt arrangement being put on before entering the vehicle. The belt arrangement then only has to be coupled to the vehicle after the occupant has entered it. The vest is deliberately so designed that it can be worn over uniforms and work clothing of various kinds. It can also be put on over or under bullet-proof vests.

According to the features of claim 9 the vest has hook and loop fastenings both in the shoulder zone and in the side zones, i.e. beneath the arms.

These hook and loop fastenings accordingly enable the vest to be adjusted to all current clothing sizes. The hook and loop fastenings in the shoulder zone enable the length to be adjusted for adaptation to body size, while those in the side zones allow width adjustment.

Finally, according to claim 10, the invention provides an elastic section in the back part of the vest. An elastic section of this kind is intended to facilitate adaptation, on the one hand, to the seated position and, on the other hand, to the standing position of the occupant.

The invention is explained in detail hereinafter with reference to exemplified embodiments shown in the drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a belt arrangement with a vest seen from the front; Fig. 2 shows an occupant of a vehicle with a belt arrangement with a vest as in Fig. 1, viewed from behind; Fig. 3 shows the belt arrangement of the vest of Fig. 1 in side elevation in the direction of arrow III; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a detail of Fig. 1 in the region of the central fastener of the belt arrangement; Fig. 5 shows a belt arrangement with a vest in perspective according to a second embodiment; Fig. 6 shows a belt arrangement with a vest in perspective according to a third embodiment; and Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a belt arrangement with a vest in partial section according to a fourth embodiment.

In Figs. 1 to 4, reference 1 denotes a vest worn by an occupant P of a vehicle F (shown in Figs. S to 7) when the occupant P has to carry out activities both in a sitting position and in a standing position. The occupant P may, for example, be the commander of an armoured vehicle F but a paramedic or doctor in a rescue vehicle F can also wear a vest 1 of this kind, since these people also have to carry out sitting and standing activities during travel in the vehicle F. in positions in which they are perfectly secured in the vehicle.

The vest 1 consists of a network fabric in order to avoid heat damming.

To enable the vest 1 to be adapted both to different body sizes and different body widths of an occupant P. hook and loop fastenings 5, 6 are provided in the shoulder zones 2 and in the side zones 3 beneath the armholes 4. An elastic section 8 which facilitates adaptation to a sitting and standing position of the occupant P is also provided in the bottom back zone 7 of the vest 1.

The vest 1 is generally so cut that it can be worn over uniforms and work clothing of all kinds. It can also be worn over or under bullet-proof vests.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, a belt arrangement 9 is associated with the vest 1. A central fastener 10 of this belt arrangement 9 is fixed to a part 1 1 of the vest 1 adjacent the stomach. This central fastener 10 can be opened by rotation. For this purpose, it has two U-shaped finger recesses 12 accessible from below. The central fastener 10 also has peripheral holder openings (not shown in detail) to receive fastener tongues 13 of lap belts 14, the same being transversely insertable. The fastener tongues 13 have a joint 15, by means of which the lap belts 14 are adapted to pivot parallel to the body surface. The lap belts 14 are trained over retractors 16 and have, at the ends remote from the central fastener 10, push-in tongues 17 for insertion into holder openings 37 of connections 38 provided on the vehicle F (see also Fig. 6). For this purpose, the connections 38 form constituent parts of buckle-on belts 39 with fixing elements 40.

Body belts 18 are connected, in the region of the fastener tongues 13, over the chest, shoulders and back of the occupant P. In the chest zone the body belts 18 have means 19 for length adjustment. Those sections 20 of the length of body belts 18 which are connected to the fastener tongues 13 are connected to the vest 1 on the chest side thereof, particularly by stitching. The other length sections 21 are connected at the back to the vest 1, particularly by stitching, and cross on the back. The cross connection 22 is stitched separately and serves to transmit loads. Beneath the cross connection 22 the body belts 18 in the elastic section 8 are stitched to the vest 1 so that here they can perform the same rotary movements as the vest 1.

Leg straps 23 in the form of loops extend obliquely downwards from those sections 20 of the length of the body belts 18 which are connected to the fastener tongues 13 and can be placed around the thighs ofthe occupant P. The leg straps 23 also have means 24 in which the length can be adjusted and hence adapted to the thighs of the occupant P. Those ends 25 of the body belts 18 which are remote from the central fastener 10 are connected to the leg straps 23, more particularly stitched.

The pivotability of the lap belts 14 relatively to the central fastener 10 (see also the double arrow DPF in Fig. 4), in conjunction with the retractors 16, enables the occupant P to be secured in both a sitting position and in a standing position and enables said occupant to carry out the activities required in those positions perfectly.

The occupant P puts on the vest 1 before entering the vehicle F so that it can be exactly adjusted to the occupant P. For this purpose the retractors 16 are manually lockable. After entering the vehicle F. the occupant then only has to connect the lap belts 14 to the connections 38 on the vehicle F. If the occupant P wishes to leave the vehicle, he only has to release the lap belts 14 from the connections 38 and can then get out. If he does not have time to release the lap belts 14 separately, he only need actuate the central fastener 10 and can then completely remove the vest 1.

Fig. 3 also shows that grip loops 27 are provided in the sections 26 of the body belts 18 which are adjacent the shoulders. The grip loops 27 serve to pull an occupant P out of a vehicle F. for example out of the hatch of an armoured vehicle, when the occupant P is no longer able to do so independently.

In the Fig. 5 embodiment of a belt arrangement 9a with a vest 1, the length sections 21 of the body belts 18 are additionally provided with holders 28 adjacent the shoulders to receive push-in tongues 32 of buckle-on straps 41 fixed on the vehicle F. In this case, the buckle-on straps 41 fixed to the vehicle F are trained over retractors 16 in order to allow the change between the sitting and lying position of the occupant P. It will also be seen that in this case the lap belts 14a are fixed on the vehicle F and have push-in tongues 29 for insertion into holders 30 which form a constituent part of the fastener tongues 13a adapted to be connected to the central fastener 10. Preferably, here again the lap belts 14a are trained over retractors 16. The length sections 20 of the body belts 18 are connected between the fastener tongues 13a and the holders 30.

The embodiment of a belt arrangement 9b with a vest 1 shown in Fig. 6 provides push-in tongues 31 which are associated with the length sections 21 of the body belts 18 and which can be connected to holders 38 provided on the buckle-on straps 39 associated with the vehicle F via fixing elements 40. Here again, retractors can be incorporated in these buckleon straps (not shown in detail).

The lap belts 14, the leg straps 23 and the region ofthe central fastener are in this embodiment constructed in the same way as the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a belt arrangement 9c with a vest 1 in which the length sections 21 of the body belts 18 again have holders 28 for introduction of push-in tongues 32 which form constituent parts of buckle-on straps 33 associated with the vehicle F via fixing elements 40. The buckle-on to straps 33 can be trained over retractors 16.

The length sections 20 of the body belts 18 adjacent the fastener tongues 13b are connected to the fastener tongues lab. These fastener tongues 13b have annular connections 34 on which lap belts 14b pivotable in the direction of the double arrow DPF parallel to the body surface are fixed.

At the ends ofthe lap belts 14b are holders 42 for push-in tongues 43 which are in turn connected to buckle-on straps 44 trained over retractors 16.

The buckle-on straps 44 are associated with the vehicle F via fixing elements 40.

In addition, the body belts 18 have in the shoulder zone 2 release devices coupled to the central fastener 10 via cable-like connections 36. If one of the release devices 35 is actuated, the central fastener 10 can thus be released from the shoulder zone 2, for example in an emergency in which the occupant P is no longer able to help himself.

In the present specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of'' and "comprising" means "including or consisting of''.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (12)

1. A belt arrangement to secure a vehicle occupant in a sitting and a standing position, the arrangement comprising: two lap belts which are adapted to be coupled to the vehicle and which are at least indirectly combined at a central fastener adjacent the stomach of the occupant, said lap belts being pivotable parallel to the surface of the occupant's body and having retractors at least indirectly associated therewith; two body belts of adjustable length extending from the region of the central fastener over the chest, shoulders and back of the occupant, the body belts crossing and being interconnected at the back of the occupant; and two loop-like leg straps having variable lengths and being connected to length sections of the body belts, which are at least indirectly connected to the lap belts, the body belts being fixed, by their ends remote from the central fastener, to said leg straps.

2. A belt arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein connections, for releasable connection to a vehicle, are provided on sections of the body belts which are adjacent the shoulders of the occupant.

3. A belt arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein retractors are at least indirectly associated with the body belts.

4. A belt arrangement according to Claim 3, wherein the retractors are manually lockable.

5. A belt arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein pivotable retractors are associated with the lap belts. \\

6. A belt arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein grip loops are provided in sections of the body belts which are adjacent the shoulders of the occupant.

7. A belt arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein release devices coupled to the central fastener are provided in sections of the body belts which are adjacent the shoulders of the occupant.

8. A belt arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein at least the body belts and the central fastener form constituent parts of a vest that the occupant can put on.

9. A belt arrangement according to Claim 8, wherein hook and loop fasteners are provided in a shoulder zone and in side zones of the vest.

10. A belt arrangement according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein an elastic section is provided in a back part of the vest.

11. A belt arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.

List of references 1 Vest 2 Shoulder zones of 1 3 Side zones of 1 4 Armholes of 1 Hook and loop fastenings in 2 6 Hook and loop fastenings in 3 7 Back zone of 1 8 Elastic section in 7 9 Belt arrangement 9a Belt arrangement 9b Belt arrangement 9c Belt arrangement 10 Centralfastenerof9 11 Part oft 12 Finger recesses 13 Fastener tongues 13a Fastener tongues 13b Fastener tongues 14 Lap belts 14a Lap belts 14b Lap belts 1 5 Joints 16 Retractors 17 Push-in tongues 18 Body belts l9 Means for length adjustment Length sections of 18 21 Length sections of 18 22 Cross connection 23 Leg straps 24 Means for length adjustment Ends of 18 26 Sections of 18 27 Grip loops 28 Holders on 21 29 Push-in tongues of 14a Holders 31 Push-in tongues 32 Push-in tongues 33 Buckle-on straps 34 Connections Release devices 36 Connections 37 Holder openings of 38 38 Connections 39 Buckle-on straps Fixing elements 41 Buckle-on straps 42 Holders on 14b 43 Push-in tongues 44 Buckle-on belts DPF Double arrow F Vehicle P Occupant