WO2011064548A1 - Seat belt attachment - Google Patents
Seat belt attachment Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2011064548A1 WO2011064548A1 PCT/GB2010/002183 GB2010002183W WO2011064548A1 WO 2011064548 A1 WO2011064548 A1 WO 2011064548A1 GB 2010002183 W GB2010002183 W GB 2010002183W WO 2011064548 A1 WO2011064548 A1 WO 2011064548A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- seat belt
- collar member
- attachment according
- tubular sleeve
- neck
- Prior art date
Links
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000006261 foam material Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 206010010219 Compulsions Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/12—Construction of belts or harnesses
- B60R22/14—Construction of belts or harnesses incorporating enlarged restraint areas, e.g. vests, nets, crash pads, optionally for children
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/36—Support for the head or the back
- A47C7/38—Support for the head or the back for the head
- A47C7/383—Detachable or loose head- or neck-supports, e.g. horse-shoe shaped
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/10—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles specially adapted for children or animals
- B60R22/105—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles specially adapted for children or animals for children
Definitions
- the invention relates to seat belt attachments to improve the safety and comfort of motor vehicle seat belts particularly when used to restrain children.
- the most common seat belts are inertia reel seat belts which extend from two vertically spaced support points on one side of a passenger to one anchorage on the other side, passing across the passenger's lap, and diagonally over one shoulder.
- the portion of the seat belt designed to pass over the wearer's lap will be referred to herein as the lap span, and the portion designed to pass diagonally over the shoulder and across the wearer's chest will be referred to herein as the diagonal shoulder span.
- the belt may chafe the neck or cheek of a small child, and it is easy for the child to seek better comfort by slipping an arm under the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt so that it passes under the armpit. In that position the belt provides a very seriously reduced protection in the event of a rapid braking or a vehicle collision.
- the invention provides a seat belt attachment comprising a collar member designed to pass over the shoulders and behind the neck of a wearer, and a tubular sleeve member on one side of the collar member designed to fasten loosely around a diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt, to be freely slidable along that diagonal shoulder span.
- a vehicle seat belt can pass over the left or the right shoulder of a vehicle occupant, depending on whether the occupant is seated on the left or right hand side of the vehicle.
- the attachment of the invention can thus be made left- or right-handed, with the tubular sleeve member on the left hand side or the right hand side respectively of the collar member.
- it may be provided with identical tubular sleeve members one on each side of the collar member, so that in use one is used and the other is redundant, depending on the vehicle seat with which it is to be used.
- the (or each) tubular sleeve member is preferably provided with a rapid releasable fastening means such as two cooperating strips of a hook-and-pile fastener.
- a rapid releasable fastening means such as two cooperating strips of a hook-and-pile fastener.
- the fastening is opened, the tubular sleeve member passed loosely around the appropriate diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt, and the fastener elements engaged with each other to achieve the loose fastening of the tubular sleeve member around that diagonal shoulder span.
- the tubular sleeve member(s) is(are) provided on the underside of the collar member so that in use the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt passes beneath the collar member before passing across the chest of a wearer. This has a double advantage.
- the collar member which is preferably made of a cushioned fabric material, prevents the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt from contacting and chafing the wearer's neck or cheek. It is also more difficult for the wearer to access and unfasten the tubular sleeve member, which means that it is less likely that an active child will be able to unfasten the attachment in order to slip its arm over the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt.
- the collar member may be a padded neck support yoke which provides the user with some support to restrict the head from rolling from side to side if perhaps the user should fall asleep. It may be stuffed with a cushioning material such as a resilient foam to impart a degree of rigidity sufficient to provide the appropriate degree of support while maintaining a soft and comfortable 'feel'. If desired, it may be provided with a releasable fastening at the front, so that after passing behind the neck and over the shoulders of a wearer its shoulder portions may be fastened together across the wearer's chest. That front fastening may be a button, press stud or hook- and-pile fastening. Indeed the attachment may be made as a complete jacket or waistcoat, with the collar member (padded or unpadded) an integral part of the garment.
- Figure 1 is a back view of an attachment according to the invention in the form of a cushioned neck support
- Figure 2 is a view of a child strapped into a vehicle seat and wearing a seat belt incorporating the attachment of Figure 1 ;
- Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but of a child strapped into a seat on the other side of the vehicle.
- the attachment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a collar member in the form of a yoke-shaped neck support cushion 1 of the general shape adopted for travel cushions. It consists of a back-of-neck support portion 1a and two shoulder portions 1b.
- the back-of-neck support portion 1a in use passes behind the neck of a wearer as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the shoulder portions 1b pass to the sides of the neck and lie on the user's shoulders.
- On the underside of each shoulder portion 1b is a tubular sleeve member 2.
- the fastening is preferably a rapid release fastening such as a hook-and-pile fastening.
- a hook-and-pile fastening is that sold under the Registered Trade Mark VELCRO.
- Alternative fastenings include buttons, buckles and a type of widely used clip in which the sides of the male component are squeezed to release it from the female component.
- the separation of the component parts of the fastening is achieved by a pushing action in a direction away from the neck of the wearer, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1 , rather than by a pulling action towards the neck. That makes unfastening more difficult for a child wearing the collar member, but no more difficult for an adult facing the child.
- the sleeve member 2 is formed by a flap as shown in Figure 1 , the fixed end of the flap may conveniently be integrated into a seam 5 that runs around the periphery of the cushion.
- Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the attachment in use.
- the collar member fits behind the neck of a child sitting on a booster car seat 3 in the vehicle, with the shoulder portions 1 b lying over the child's shoulders.
- a diagonal shoulder span 4 of a vehicle seat belt passes under the appropriate one of the shoulder portions 1 b and through the respective tubular sleeve member 2.
- the child cannot easily slip his/her arm over the diagonal shoulder portion 4 of the seat belt so as to cause it to pass beneath the armpit as opposed to over the shoulder, as to do so would require the collar member first to be pushed back and down to free the other shoulder.
- the compulsion for the child to move the seat belt 4 to beneath the armpit is removed, because the collar member is cushioned, is therefore comfortable to wear, and holds the seat belt diagonal shoulder portion 1 b away from the neck and cheek of the child user as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Furthermore, the sleeve member 2 is difficult for the child to release because it is hidden under the shoulder portion 1 b, out of sight of the child.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)
Abstract
The invention comprises a safety attachment for the seat belt of a vehicle, designed to make the wearing of a seat belt more comfortable for a child and more resistant to the child wriggling partially out of the seat belt in use. The seat belt has a lap portion or span and a shoulder diagonal portion or span (4). The attachment comprises a collar member (1) with a neck portion (1a) passing behind the neck of a child user and two side portions (1b) passing to the sides of the neck and lying over the user's shoulders. The seat belt shoulder diagonal span (4) passes through a tubular sleeve member (2) on the underside of one of the side portions (1b) to prevent the child from passing the seat belt under its armpit in use.
Description
TITLE
Seat Belt Attachment DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to seat belt attachments to improve the safety and comfort of motor vehicle seat belts particularly when used to restrain children.
Background Art
Current legislation requires all passengers in a motor vehicle to wear seat belts when the vehicle is in motion on public roads. Young children, aged 4 to 7, must have booster seats to raise them to a more appropriate seat belt height and position. The most common seat belts are inertia reel seat belts which extend from two vertically spaced support points on one side of a passenger to one anchorage on the other side, passing across the passenger's lap, and diagonally over one shoulder. The portion of the seat belt designed to pass over the wearer's lap will be referred to herein as the lap span, and the portion designed to pass diagonally over the shoulder and across the wearer's chest will be referred to herein as the diagonal shoulder span.
It can be difficult to persuade young children to wear such seat belts at all times while the vehicle is in motion. The belt may chafe the neck or cheek of a small child, and it is easy for the child to seek better comfort by slipping an arm under the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt so that it passes under the armpit. In that position the belt provides a very seriously reduced protection in the event of a rapid braking or a vehicle collision.
The Invention
The invention provides a seat belt attachment comprising a collar member designed to pass over the shoulders and behind the neck of a wearer, and a tubular sleeve member on one side of the collar member designed to fasten
loosely around a diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt, to be freely slidable along that diagonal shoulder span.
A vehicle seat belt can pass over the left or the right shoulder of a vehicle occupant, depending on whether the occupant is seated on the left or right hand side of the vehicle. The attachment of the invention can thus be made left- or right-handed, with the tubular sleeve member on the left hand side or the right hand side respectively of the collar member. Alternatively it may be provided with identical tubular sleeve members one on each side of the collar member, so that in use one is used and the other is redundant, depending on the vehicle seat with which it is to be used.
The (or each) tubular sleeve member is preferably provided with a rapid releasable fastening means such as two cooperating strips of a hook-and-pile fastener. In use the fastening is opened, the tubular sleeve member passed loosely around the appropriate diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt, and the fastener elements engaged with each other to achieve the loose fastening of the tubular sleeve member around that diagonal shoulder span. Preferably the tubular sleeve member(s) is(are) provided on the underside of the collar member so that in use the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt passes beneath the collar member before passing across the chest of a wearer. This has a double advantage. It is more comfortable than having the tubular sleeve member on top of the collar member because the collar member, which is preferably made of a cushioned fabric material, prevents the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt from contacting and chafing the wearer's neck or cheek. It is also more difficult for the wearer to access and unfasten the tubular sleeve member, which means that it is less likely that an active child will be able to unfasten the attachment in order to slip its arm over the diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt. For a parent leaning towards the seated child, whether from a position outside of the vehicle and leaning through an open door or from a position in a front seat of the vehicle and
leaning back, it is however just as easy to fasten or unfasten the tubular sleeve member whether it is above or below the collar member.
Advantageously the collar member may be a padded neck support yoke which provides the user with some support to restrict the head from rolling from side to side if perhaps the user should fall asleep. It may be stuffed with a cushioning material such as a resilient foam to impart a degree of rigidity sufficient to provide the appropriate degree of support while maintaining a soft and comfortable 'feel'. If desired, it may be provided with a releasable fastening at the front, so that after passing behind the neck and over the shoulders of a wearer its shoulder portions may be fastened together across the wearer's chest. That front fastening may be a button, press stud or hook- and-pile fastening. Indeed the attachment may be made as a complete jacket or waistcoat, with the collar member (padded or unpadded) an integral part of the garment.
Drawings
Figure 1 is a back view of an attachment according to the invention in the form of a cushioned neck support;
Figure 2 is a view of a child strapped into a vehicle seat and wearing a seat belt incorporating the attachment of Figure 1 ; and
Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but of a child strapped into a seat on the other side of the vehicle. The attachment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a collar member in the form of a yoke-shaped neck support cushion 1 of the general shape adopted for travel cushions. It consists of a back-of-neck support portion 1a and two shoulder portions 1b. The back-of-neck support portion 1a in use passes behind the neck of a wearer as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the shoulder portions 1b pass to the sides of the neck and lie on the user's shoulders. On the underside of each shoulder portion 1b is a tubular sleeve member 2. Each can be opened up as shown at the right-hand side of Figure 1 or closed into a
flat tube as shown at the left-hand side of the Figure. The fastening is preferably a rapid release fastening such as a hook-and-pile fastening. One popular form of hook-and-pile fastening is that sold under the Registered Trade Mark VELCRO. Alternative fastenings include buttons, buckles and a type of widely used clip in which the sides of the male component are squeezed to release it from the female component.
It is preferable for the separation of the component parts of the fastening to be achieved by a pushing action in a direction away from the neck of the wearer, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1 , rather than by a pulling action towards the neck. That makes unfastening more difficult for a child wearing the collar member, but no more difficult for an adult facing the child. When the sleeve member 2 is formed by a flap as shown in Figure 1 , the fixed end of the flap may conveniently be integrated into a seam 5 that runs around the periphery of the cushion.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the attachment in use. The collar member fits behind the neck of a child sitting on a booster car seat 3 in the vehicle, with the shoulder portions 1 b lying over the child's shoulders. A diagonal shoulder span 4 of a vehicle seat belt passes under the appropriate one of the shoulder portions 1 b and through the respective tubular sleeve member 2. The child cannot easily slip his/her arm over the diagonal shoulder portion 4 of the seat belt so as to cause it to pass beneath the armpit as opposed to over the shoulder, as to do so would require the collar member first to be pushed back and down to free the other shoulder. Also, the compulsion for the child to move the seat belt 4 to beneath the armpit is removed, because the collar member is cushioned, is therefore comfortable to wear, and holds the seat belt diagonal shoulder portion 1 b away from the neck and cheek of the child user as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Furthermore, the sleeve member 2 is difficult for the child to release because it is hidden under the shoulder portion 1 b, out of sight of the child.
Claims
1. A seat belt attachment comprising a collar member designed to pass over the shoulders and behind the neck of a wearer, and a tubular sleeve member on one side of the collar member designed to fasten loosely around a diagonal shoulder span of the seat belt, to be freely slidable along that diagonal shoulder span.
2. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein identical tubular sleeve members are provided on each side of the collar member, designed to fasten loosely one around a diagonal shoulder span of a seat belt provided on one side of a vehicle or the other around a diagonal shoulder span of a seat belt provided on the other side of the vehicle.
3. An attachment according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the or each tubular sleeve member is provided with a rapid release fastening means permitting it to be opened to pass around the seat belt and then closed to fasten it loosely around the seat belt.
4. An attachment according to claim 3, wherein the rapid release fastening is a hook-and-pile fastening.
5. An attachment according to claim 4, wherein the hook-and-pile fastening comprises one component affixed to an openable end of the tubular sleeve member and another component affixed to a shoulder portion of the collar member, and the opening action involves pushing the openable end of the tubular sleeve member in a direction away from the neck of a wearer.
6. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the collar member is made from a cushioned fabric material.
7. An attachment according to claim 6, wherein the collar member is stuffed with a resilient foam material to impart a degree of rigidity sufficient to provide some neck support while maintaining a soft and comfortable feel.
8. An attachment according to any preceding claim, comprising fastening means for releasably fastening together the two sides of the collar member across the chest of a user.
9. An attachment according to claim 1 , in the form of a jacket or waistcoat of which the collar member of the attachment forms the collar and shoulders of the jacket or waistcoat.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0920624.4 | 2009-11-25 | ||
GB0920624A GB2475687A (en) | 2009-11-25 | 2009-11-25 | A seat belt attachment for the neck of an occupant |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2011064548A1 true WO2011064548A1 (en) | 2011-06-03 |
Family
ID=41572643
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2010/002183 WO2011064548A1 (en) | 2009-11-25 | 2010-11-25 | Seat belt attachment |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2475687A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2011064548A1 (en) |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3968994A (en) * | 1972-10-24 | 1976-07-13 | Chika John J | Auxilliary body restraining device |
WO1991012978A1 (en) * | 1990-03-02 | 1991-09-05 | Reilly Robert J | Seat belt cushioning device |
US5468020A (en) * | 1994-09-30 | 1995-11-21 | Scime; Danya | Auxiliary safety harness |
WO1996013401A1 (en) * | 1994-10-26 | 1996-05-09 | Phillip Curtis | Seat belt pillow |
WO2000035723A1 (en) * | 1998-12-17 | 2000-06-22 | Vekoma Technology B.V. | A restraining device as well as a vehicle fitted with such a restraining device |
WO2005035327A1 (en) * | 2003-10-04 | 2005-04-21 | Hugh Thomson | Vehicle safety device |
EP1637412A1 (en) * | 2004-09-17 | 2006-03-22 | Concord GmbH | Neck pillow |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4617691A (en) * | 1983-04-25 | 1986-10-21 | Monti Martha S | Support pillow |
JP2001253315A (en) * | 2000-03-13 | 2001-09-18 | Wagoh Corp | Tool for turning seat belt |
US6394554B1 (en) * | 2000-08-04 | 2002-05-28 | Megan E. Hingle | “7”-shaped seat belt pillow |
JP2006205873A (en) * | 2005-01-27 | 2006-08-10 | Aprica Kassai Inc | Seat belt-mounted cushion headrest |
-
2009
- 2009-11-25 GB GB0920624A patent/GB2475687A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2010
- 2010-11-25 WO PCT/GB2010/002183 patent/WO2011064548A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3968994A (en) * | 1972-10-24 | 1976-07-13 | Chika John J | Auxilliary body restraining device |
WO1991012978A1 (en) * | 1990-03-02 | 1991-09-05 | Reilly Robert J | Seat belt cushioning device |
US5468020A (en) * | 1994-09-30 | 1995-11-21 | Scime; Danya | Auxiliary safety harness |
WO1996013401A1 (en) * | 1994-10-26 | 1996-05-09 | Phillip Curtis | Seat belt pillow |
WO2000035723A1 (en) * | 1998-12-17 | 2000-06-22 | Vekoma Technology B.V. | A restraining device as well as a vehicle fitted with such a restraining device |
WO2005035327A1 (en) * | 2003-10-04 | 2005-04-21 | Hugh Thomson | Vehicle safety device |
EP1637412A1 (en) * | 2004-09-17 | 2006-03-22 | Concord GmbH | Neck pillow |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2475687A (en) | 2011-06-01 |
GB0920624D0 (en) | 2010-01-13 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6386639B1 (en) | Baby support | |
EP0347505B1 (en) | Child's safety restraining vest | |
US10131317B1 (en) | Head support and safety harness system | |
US6793287B2 (en) | Booster seat head rest | |
US8967717B2 (en) | Portable child restraining seat | |
JP2016530164A (en) | 6-point restraint improved auxiliary restraint system | |
EP1928693A1 (en) | Passenger safety restraint, seat height adjustment assembly and method of restraining a passenger | |
US10779585B2 (en) | Garment for harness system | |
US9119484B2 (en) | Travel lap seat for a child and a method for its use | |
US7891741B2 (en) | Criss-cross harness system for use with seats | |
US6554363B1 (en) | Traveling pillow | |
US20040074937A1 (en) | Combination backpack and child seat for a vehicle | |
WO2015076764A1 (en) | Child safety seat forward or backward facing integrated in car seat | |
EP1690754B1 (en) | Vehicle seat belt attachment | |
WO2005035327A1 (en) | Vehicle safety device | |
KR101931805B1 (en) | Safety belt seat device for children | |
WO2011064548A1 (en) | Seat belt attachment | |
US10710549B2 (en) | Seat belt pull through device for a car seat called a Buckleze Pull | |
US20030020307A1 (en) | Intermediate child seat | |
GB2407968A (en) | Baby support suspended from a vehicle seat | |
WO2022185904A1 (en) | Inner cushion for child seat | |
CN218839255U (en) | Safety cushion for children | |
RU176592U1 (en) | DEVICE FOR INCREASING COMFORT ON TRAINS | |
JP3073382U (en) | Infant protective equipment for vehicles | |
AU2015101411A4 (en) | Chair and Head Support |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 10801192 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
32PN | Ep: public notification in the ep bulletin as address of the adressee cannot be established |
Free format text: NOTING OF LOSS OF RIGHTS PURSUANT TO RULE 112(1) EPC (EPO FORM 1205A DATED 26/09/2012) |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 10801192 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |