WO2013128481A1

WO2013128481A1 - Device for protecting clothes from safety belts in motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2013128481A1
Application number: PCT/IT2013/000060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco BATTELLI
Original assignee: Mam S.A.S Di Battelli Marco & C.
Priority date: 2012-02-29
Filing date: 2013-02-28
Publication date: 2013-09-06
Also published as: WO2013128481A8; ITRN20120012A1

Abstract

A device for protecting clothes from safety belts in motor vehicles comprises constraining means (3) to the inside the motor vehicle, a cover (2) in which a safety belt (1) can slide and elastic adjusting means (5), interposed between the cover (2) and the constraining means (3), for continuously adjusting the position of the cover (2) along the belt (1). An actuator (6a) locks the cover (2) in a preferred position for use.

Description

Device for protecting clothes from safety belts in motor vehicles Technical field

This invention relates to a device for protecting clothes from wear caused by safety belts rubbing against them in motor vehicles. Background art

Due to the need to limit injuries to people involved in road traffic accidents, as decreed by regulations issued by all governments, motor vehicle manufacturers put on the market motor vehicles equipped with safety belts, which must be worn both by drivers and, more recently, by all persons travelling in approved seats. Consequently, in the most developed countries, safety belts have now been fully integrated into daily use by users, both when using the motor vehicle for personal transport, and when using it for specific work purposes.

Professional users, who spend much longer than average in their motor vehicles, and so are particularly sensitive to the related problems and costs, have encountered the disadvantage of wear caused by the safety belt rubbing on the clothes worn while travelling.

The prior art does not include many tools designed to eliminate this disadvantage. Some devices in use are used in particular during competitive races. But in this case the device is designed to improve the physical safety of team members, rather than to protect their clothing.

In contrast, for driving in ordinary conditions modest use is made, as manufacturers' advertising gadgets or mainly for aesthetic purposes, of sleeve- style covers which can be closed around safety belts using Velcro fasteners or equivalents, made of spongy material. Such sleeve-style covers, which are free to slide along the belt, each time they are fastened are placed by the user in the position considered most suitable for preventing direct contact between the belt and the point of his or her clothing to be protected from any wear. The disadvantage of that device is the fact that the positioning of the sleeve-style cover must be repeated on each occasion, even by a user who regularly uses and is practically the only user of the motor vehicle. Obviously that creates a limitation, which is the time wasted repeating said operation, as well as the fact that there is no certainty that the optimum result will be achieved each time.

There are devices on sale, such as those described in the Korean patent application published with number 1020040040670 A, which allow adjustment of the position of the cover along the safety belt, at the zone where rubbing may occur between the belt and the traveller's clothes. However, such devices have the disadvantage, indicated above, that each time the safety belt is put on the operation for correct positioning of the cover must be repeated.

Other devices use an extendable case, which covers the entire length of the safety belt, therefore being notably bulky and complicated, both during positioning, and during the step of belt return to its original position after use.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of this invention is therefore to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The invention, as described in the claims, achieves the aim with the use of a protective cover, interposed between the safety belt and the clothes of the user, and an elastic winding unit, which can be locked by means of an actuator in an arbitrary position.

The main advantage obtained using this invention is basically the fact that the regular traveller takes less time to fasten the belt and position the device. Moreover, the invention may remain in the optimum position for subsequent use by the traveller.

Brief description of the drawings

Further advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment, in which: Figure 1 is a front assembly view of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of a detail of the invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the invention according to the line III - III in Figure

2;

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the invention according to the line IV - IV in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side view of a different detail of the invention;

Figure 6 is a front assembly view of a possible alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

As shown in the accompanying drawings, this invention relates to a device for protecting clothes from safety belts in motor vehicles.

It comprises consfraining means 3, which fix the invention to the motor vehicle, and a looped cover 2, which allows a safety belt 1 to slide inside it, in such a way that the safety belt does not come into direct contact with the traveller's clothes.

Moreover, the invention comprises elastic adjusting means 5 for adjusting the position of the cover 2, said elastic means being interposed between the constraining means 3 and the cover 2, and locking means 6 of the elastic adjusting means 5, for allowing continuous variation of the position of the cover 2 along the belt 1, and then for allowing the cover 2 to be locked in the preferred position for use.

The elastic means 5 comprise a stretch of wire 4 that can be wound in, one end of the wire being associated with the constraining means 3, and a sprung winding unit 5a, associated with the other end of the wire 4, for winding in or paying out the wire, as a result of movement of the cover 2 towards or away from the constraining means 3, operated by the user for correct positioning of the cover 2 to protect his or her clothes.

The locking means 6 of the elastic means 5 comprise an actuator 6a, for example a slider, which can prevent unwanted variations in the length of the wire 4.

The device also comprises adjustable associating means 7, designed for reciprocally associating the cover 2 and the elastic adjusting means 5.

The adjustable associating means 7 comprise portions of surface 71 which can be constrained to portions of surface 21 of the cover 2 in such a way as to allow continuous variation of the relative positions of the cover 2 and the elastic adjusting means 5. The portions of surface 71, 21 preferably consist of adhesive strips, for example Velcro. Said adjustable associating means 7 allow greater adaptability of the invention to the passenger compartment of various vehicles. The elastic means 5 and the constraining means 3 for constraining to the motor vehicle comprise reciprocal connection means 31, 51, to allow rapid detachment of the elastic means 5 from the motor vehicle.

A possible alternative embodiment of the invention also comprises elastic correcting means 8 for correcting the position of the cover 2, suitable for compensating for accidental variations in the length of the belt 1 during use, for example caused by changes in the posture of the user or sudden changes in the speed of the motor vehicle. For that purpose, the elastic correcting means 8 can also act when the elastic adjusting means 5 are locked by the locking means 6. In the same alternative embodiment of the invention, there is a separator element 9, designed to separate the elastic correcting means 8 from the elastic adjusting means 5.

Said elastic correcting means 8 comprise at least one element 81 which can be wound in, for example a wire, and a winding unit 83, designed for winding in and paying out the element 81 that can be wound in, which is separated from the wire 4 by the separator element 9.

The winding units 5a, 83 apply return traction actions of different intensities, in such a way that the paying out of the elastic adjusting means 5 precedes the paying out of the elastic correcting means 8.

Claims

1. A device for protecting clothes from safety belts in motor vehicles, comprising constraining means (3) to the motor vehicle, a looped cover (2), designed to allow a safety belt (1) to slide inside it, elastic adjusting means (5) for adjusting the position of the cover (2), said elastic means being interposed between the constraining means (3) and the cover (2), and locking means (6) of the elastic adjusting means (5) characterised in that the elastic means (5) comprise a wire (4) that can be wound in, one end of the wire (4) being associated with the constraining means (3), and a winding unit (5a), constrained to the other end of the wire (4), designed for winding in or paying out the wire (4), as a result of movement of the cover (2) towards or away from the constraining means (3), in such a way as to allow continuous variation of the position of the cover (2) along the belt (1).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the locking means (6) comprise an actuator (6a) designed to prevent winding in or paying out of the wire

(4) on the winding unit (5a).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises adjustable associating means (7), designed for reciprocally associating the cover (2) and the elastic adjusting means (5).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterised in that the adjustable associating means (7) comprise portions of surface (71) which can be constrained to portions of surface (21) of the cover (2) in such a way as to allow continuous variation of the relative positions of the cover (2) and the elastic adjusting means (5).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that the portions of surfaces (71, 21) comprise at least one adhesive strip.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the constraining means (3) to the motor vehicle and the elastic means (5) comprise reciprocal connection means (31, 51), designed to allow detachment of the elastic adjusting means (5) from the motor vehicle.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises elastic correcting means (8) for correcting the position of the cover (2), designed to compensate for accidental variations in the length of the belt (1), and a separator element (9), designed to separate the elastic correcting means (8) from the elastic adjusting means (5).

8. The device according to claim 8, characterised in that the elastic correcting means (8) comprise at least one element (81) which can be wound in and a winding unit (83), designed for winding in and paying out the element (81) that can be wound in.

9. The device according to claim 1 or 8, characterised in that the winding units (5a, 83) comprise return means applying traction actions of different intensities, in such a way that the paying out of the elastic adjusting means (5) precedes the paying out of the elastic correcting means (8).