Force and elapsed time recording assembly

• US 4,979,400 A
• Filed: 02/27/1989
• Issued: 12/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Bartholomew, Donald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/316,411
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 73/862.53, 73/862.54, 73/762, 73/489, 73/862.39, 116/203, 116/206, 116/214, 368/1, 368/89
• US Class Current: 73/862.541
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/00 Measuring arrangements giving results other than momentary value of variable, of general application G01D3/00 takes precedence; in tariff metering apparatus G01D4/00; transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable G01D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 13/02 using optical means

Abstract

A safety belt assembly of the present invention measures the amount of force exerted on the assembly and also the point in time when a force was exerted on the assembly. The assembly includes a first and second member associated with one another, mechanism associated with the first and second members for resiliently restraining relative movement and movably retaining said members with respect to one another; a mechanism responsive to relative movement of the first and second members for enabing a measurement of force and indicating a point in time when a force was exerted on the assembly; and a mechanism for securing the assembly to a safety belt and/or a buckle or anchor. A chemical timer for measuring the elapsed time since a force was exerted on the assembly. The chemical timer includes micro-encapsulated reactants which are frangible in response to a force exerted on the assembly for beginning reaction of a time sensitive chemical reactive system which produces a measurable change over a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A safety belt assembly for measuring the point in time when a force was exerted on the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a first and second member;

a flat elongated biasing means in communication with said first and second members for resiliently restraining relative movement and movably retaining said members with respect to one another;

means responsive to relative movement of said first and second members for indicating a point in time when a force was exerted on said assembly, said means for indicating the point in time when a force was exerted comprises a wiper means and a chemical reactant means, said chemical reactant means comprising at least a first micro-encapsulated chemical reactant and a second micro-encapsulated chemical reactant of a time sensitive chemical reactive system, said system operable for producing a measurable physical result over a predetermined period of time, said wiper means activating said chemical reactant means by mechanically fracturing said micro-encapsulated first and second reactants for combining thereof.

2. The safety belt assembly according to claim 1 wherein said biasing means further comprises means for securing said assembly onto a belt and buckle and a serpentine biasing portion formed from a metallic strip material.

3. The safety belt assembly according to claim 1 wherein said members being slideably associated with one another.

4. A safety belt assembly for measuring the force exerted and indicating the point in time when a force was exerted on the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a first and second member;

a flat elongated biasing means in communication with said first and second members for resiliently restraining relative movement and movably retaining said first and second members with respect to one another;

means responsive to relative movement of said first and second members for enabling a determination of an amount of force exerted on said assembly and for indicating a point in time when a force was exerted on said assembly, said means for indicating the point in time when a force was exerted comprises a wiper means and a chemical reactant means, said chemical reactant means comprising at least a first micro-encapsulated chemical reactant and a second micro-encapsulated chemical reactant of a time sensitive system, said system operable for producing a measurable physical result over a predetermined period of time, said wiper means activating said chemical reactant means by mechanically fracturing said micro-encapsulated first and second reactants for combining thereof;

means for securing said assembly into a buckle; and

means for securing said assembly onto a belt.

5. The safety belt assembly according to claim 4 wherein said biasing means includes said means for securing said assembly onto a belt and buckle and a serpentine biasing portion formed from metallic strip material.

6. An assembly for responding to a predetermined force exerted on an article to be monitored for an excessive force for indicating the elapsed time since the point in time when a force was exerted on the article, said assembly comprising:

a first and second member;

a biasing means in communication with said first and second members for resiliently restraining relative movement and movably retaining said first and second member with respect to one another;

means responsive to relative movement of said first and second members for responding to a predetermined amount of force exerted on said assembly and for indicating the elapsed time since a point in time when the predetermined force was exerted on said assembly said means for indicating the elapsed time since the point in time when the predetermined force was exerted comprising a wiper means and a chemical reactant means, said chemical reactant means comprising at least a first micro-encapsulated chemical reactant stripe and a second micro-encapsulated chemical reactant stripe of a time sensitive chemical reactive system, said stripes positioned side by side, said system operable for producing a measurable physical result over a predetermined period of time such that each stripe indicates a different elapsed predetermined time period, said wiper means activating said chemical reactant means stripes at the same time by mechanically fracturing said micro-encapsulated first and second reactant stripes for combining thereof such that an observer may determine by observing said stripes which time periods have elapsed since activation; and

means for affixing said assembly in operable association with said article for allowing a predetermined force exerted on said article to provide said relative movement of said first and second members of said assembly.