Safety belt adaptor for belt adjustment for vehicle occupants and method of operation

• US 5,788,282 A
• Filed: 03/04/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Universal Propulsion Company Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US08/610,690
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.1, 280/801.2, 280/808, 280/733, 297/468, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/808
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/024 Adaptations for use by small passengers, e.g. children B60R22/20 takes precedence; using belt anti-slip devices B60R22/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803

Abstract

A safety belt system with a lap portion and a shoulder portion which shoulder portion extends upwardly at an angle from a location on the lap belt portion, and more particularly a belt system including a shoulder belt angle determinant or adaptor component and the method of using the angle determinant or adaptor to improve such belt system. The adaptor component of the belt which when installed in the belt system relocates the position from which the shoulder belt portion extends upwardly to and in engagement with an upper vehicle anchor. By varying the length of the adaptor component the angle at which the shoulder belt section is located is varied to accommodate vehicle occupants of different sizes including children. The angle and position of the shoulder belt is selected to properly place the shoulder belt across the occupant'"'"'s torso.

Claims

1. A safety belt system including a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion which extends upwardly at an angle from a lower position on the lap belt portion to a higher position on a first vehicle-mounted anchor which system protects a vehicle occupant having a lap and a torso comprising:

a) lap belt means extending from a second vehicle-mounted anchor over the occupant'"'"'s lap to a third vehicle-mounted anchor;

b) shoulder belt portion locating means on the lap belt means for locating the position from which the shoulder belt portion extends upwardly;

c) said lap belt means having a first lap belt portion of selected length on one side of such shoulder belt portion locating means and a second lap belt portion of selected length on the other side of such locating means, the lap belt portion lengths being selected so that the shoulder belt portion locating means is positioned to in turn locate the shoulder belt portion central to the torso of the vehicle occupant;

d) adjustment means for varying the length of one of the lap belt portions

whereby the shoulder belt portion locating means is positionable to vary the location from which the shoulder belt portion extends upwardly across the occupant'"'"'s torso to the first vehicle-mounted anchor.

2. The safety belt of claim 1 in which the shoulder belt portion is inflatable.

3. The safety belt system of claim 1 in which the shoulder belt means and a portion of the lap belt means are unitary.

4. The safety belt system of claim 3 in which the shoulder belt portion locating means includes an opening and in which the shoulder belt portion arises from such opening.

5. The safety belt system of claim 1 in which the adjustment means is adjustable to locate the shoulder belt portion locating means to a position central to the torso of vehicle occupants of varying sizes.

6. The safety belt system of claim 1 in which the adjustment means is further adjustable to locate the shoulder belt portion in selective diagonal positioning across the sternum of vehicle occupants of varying sizes.

7. In a method of restraining a vehicular occupant using a safety belt having a connector member normally connectable to a vehicle-mounted retainer anchor, having a lap portion, a shoulder belt angle-determining connector member in the lap portion, a shoulder belt portion extending upwardly from such shoulder belt angle determining connector member in which the position angle of the shoulder belt portion with respect to the occupant is determined in part by the position of such connector member, the improvement comprising:

a) introducing into the safety belt an additional section of belt having a central portion and two end coupling means, said step of introducing accomplished by;

i) connecting the shoulder belt angle determining connector member to one of the end coupling means of such additional section; and

ii) connecting the other of the end coupling means of such additional section to the vehicle retainer anchor; and

b) adjusting the length of the additional section belt such that the shoulder belt portion is positioned central to the torso of the vehicle occupant.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the safety belt is inflatable.

9. The method of claim 7 in which the shoulder portion is inflatable.

10. The method of claim 7 in which the additional section includes adjustment means for varying its length and having the additional step of varying the length of such section by operating such adjustment means.