Safety system for seat belt securement

• US 20090082926A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Larry W. Klein
• Original Assignee: Larry W. Klein
• Inventors: Klein, Larry W.
• Application Number:
  US11/903,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082926A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4891 preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01508 detecting forces or pressure in bags or modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015

Abstract

A automotive vehicle safety system for seat belt securement that prevents the transmission from being engaged until all seated occupants have buckled their seat belts includes a weight sensing pad for each seat cushion interconnected in circuit to a buckle switch in each seat belt buckle with the buckle switches electrically interconnected to a solenoid that allows or disallows transmission engagement such that if each weight sensing pad detects no weight upon the seat the corresponding buckle switch stays open but when any weight sensing pad detects a predetermined weight (the weight of the occupant upon the seat) that weight sensing pad opens the circuit thereby causing the corresponding buckle switch to close only after that seat belt is buckled thus causing the solenoid interconnected to the transmission to close and enabling access to the transmission so that the vehicle can be shifted out of the parking gear.

Claims

1. A safety system for an automotive vehicle that blocks access to the transmission of the vehicle until an occupant of a seat of the vehicle has buckled their seat belt, comprising:

a weight sensing pad disposed within the seat of the vehicle for sensing the weight of the occupant when the occupant sits in the seat;

a seat buckle switch disposed within the seat buckle of the seat belt and interconnected to the weight sensing pad, the seat buckle switch disposed in a switch open state when the seat belt is unbuckled and is disposed in a switch close state when the seat belt is buckled;

a solenoid disposed in electrical interconnection with the seat buckle switch and the transmission and having an open state that prevents access to the transmission and a closed state that allows access to the transmission;

the weight sensing pad, the seat buckle switch and the solenoid defining a seat belt safety system circuit; and

upon the weight sensing pad sensing the weight of the occupant upon the seat the weight sensing pad opens the circuit and the buckling of the seat belt by the occupant actuates the seat buckle switch to the switch closed state thereby actuating the solenoid to the closed state and thereby enabling access to the transmission so that forward or rearward movement of the vehicle can occur.

2. The safety system for an automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein all the occupants of the seats of the automotive vehicle must have their seat belts buckled before access to the transmission is enabled so that forward or rearward movement of the vehicle can occur.

3. The safety system for an automotive vehicle of claim 2 wherein the ignition of the automotive vehicle can be turned on without the weight sensing pad sensing the weight of the occupant upon the seat and without the seat belt being buckled.