SEAT BELTS

• US 20120240358A1
• Filed: 11/26/2010
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graham Edward Cox, Ronald Sydney Cox
• Original Assignee: Graham Edward Cox, Ronald Sydney Cox
• Inventors: Cox, Graham Edward, Cox, Ronald Sydney
• Granted Patent: US 8,944,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/164
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2561 Tongue elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4002 Harness

Abstract

A tongue or tongue cover to envelop a plastic part of a seat belt tongue of a seat belt. The tongue or tongue cover includes a webbing engagement projection useful to resist unwanted slackening of the lap belt portion of the seat belt while in use.

Claims

1. A cover for a seat belt tongue, comprising:

an elastically deformable body configured to hold the cover on the seat belt tongue;

a webbing engagement projection configured to contact seat belt webbing when a seat belt is fastened and to thereby provide a resistance to drawing of the seat belt webbing through the seat belt tongue.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable body is stretched, in use, to be elastically fitted to the seat belt tongue.

42. The cover of claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable body comprises:

first and second hooked portions configured to hook around the seat belt tongue to hold the cover in position, the first and second hooked portions located at opposite end regions of the elastically deformable body; and

a channel configured to receive and hold the seat belt tongue.

43. The cover of any claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable body comprises:

a first textured region configured to be gripped by a user; and

a second textured region distinct from the first textured region, the first and second textured regions separated by an intermediate region, and the intermediate region provided in a region at which the seat belt webbing runs when the cover is in place on the seat belt tongue.

44. The cover of claim 43, wherein the webbing engagement projection is provided at the intermediate region.

45. The cover of any claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection comprises a friction surface.

46. The cover of claim 45, wherein the friction surface comprises compressible elements in the form of a protrusion extending from the webbing engagement projection.

47. The cover of claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection is of similar or equal width to the seat belt webbing.

48. The cover of claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection comprises a wedging member configured to be drawn between the seat belt webbing and a webbing slot of the seat belt tongue, and to wedge therebetween.

49. The cover of any claim 1, wherein in a cross section, the webbing engagement projection comprises:

a narrower portion configured, in use, to lie close to a webbing slot in the seat belt tongue through which the seat belt webbing passes; and

a wider portion disposed further away from the webbing slot than the narrower portion.

50. The cover of claim 49, wherein in the cross section, the webbing engagement projection tapers between the narrower portion and the wider portion.

51. The cover of claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection comprises:

a narrow portion; and

a wider portion configured to taper to the narrow portion, the wider portion and the narrow portion disposed on a webbing engagement projection base.

52. The cover of claim 51, wherein the webbing engagement projection base comprises an approximately planar surface from which the wider portion extends, the approximately planar surface being parallel to a plane that, in use, comprises the seat belt tongue.

53. The cover of claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection is integral with the elastically deformable body.

54. The cover of claim 1, wherein the webbing engagement projection is configured, in use, to not obstruct passage of the seat belt webbing through a webbing slot in the tongue, through which the seat belt webbing passes, when the seat belt webbing is disposed in a plane parallel to and passing through the webbing slot and perpendicular to the seat belt tongue.

55. The cover of claim 54, wherein, in use, the webbing engagement projection serves to narrow a range of angles through which the seat belt webbing is passed unhindered through the webbing slot.

56. The cover of claim 54, wherein, in use, the webbing engagement projection defines a webbing engagement angle to the webbing slot, at which the webbing engagement projection contacts the seat belt webbing, the webbing engagement angle being smaller than an angle at which the seat belt tongue would contact the seat belt webbing, absent the cover and the webbing engagement projection.

57. The cover of claim 56, wherein the cover is shaped and dimensioned to allow the seat belt tongue to be moved uninhibited relative to the seat belt webbing when the cover is in place on the seat belt tongue and when the seat belt tongue and the seat belt webbing are disposed at an angle smaller than the webbing engagement angle.

58. The cover of claim 56, wherein the webbing engagement angle is less than 30 degrees, preferably less than 25 degrees, more preferably less than 20 degrees, or still more preferably less than 15 degrees.

3-41. -41. (canceled)

59. A seat belt tongue comprising:

a webbing engagement projection configured, in use, to contact seat belt webbing, and to provide a one-way resistance to drawing of the seat belt webbing through a seat belt tongue, when the seat belt is fastened.