Vehicle passenger safety devices

• US 6,616,242 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Louise F. Stoll
• Inventors: Stoll, Louise F.
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/096,914
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 297/485, 297/484, 297/255, 297/256, 297/256.15, 297/250.1, 297/219.12, 297/230.1, 297/230.13, 297/230.14, 297/486, 297/487, 297/17, 297/452.41
• US Class Current: 297/485
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/265 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2803 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2839 having a front guard or barrier
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2866 booster cushions, e.g. to lift a child to allow proper use of the conventional safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/14 incorporating enlarged restraint areas, e.g. vests, nets , crash pads, optionally for children crash pads for occupants' safety on vehicles in general B60R21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0612 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/06 Harnessing

Abstract

A vehicles passenger safety device for use on vehicles such as airplanes and automobiles. In each embodiment of the invention, the device includes a seat strap assembly and a body strap assembly that are attached to a back-support portion. The seat strap assembly is adapted to secure the device onto the back-support of the existing vehicle seat. The seat strap assembly, which may include one or both of a horizontal strap and a strap web, rests over the vehicle seat. The body strap assembly is adapted to secure a passenger on the device. The body strap assembly includes a body strap or a crotch strap, or both. The body strap may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. The device further includes at least one loop to receive the existing seat belt to secure the device. The loop may be part of the back-support portion or the body strap assembly.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger safety device for use on a vehicle seat that has a vehicle seat back-support and a seat belt, the device comprising:

(a) a back-support portion having a body strap assembly adapted to secure a passenger on the back-support portion;

(b) at least one horizontal strap adapted to secure the back-support portion on the vehicle seat back-support portion, wherein the at least horizontal strap is fixedly attached to the back support portion and adapted to attach the back-support portion to the vehicle seat back-support.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body strap assembly includes a crotch strap.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body strap assembly includes at least one body strap.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one body strap is a vertical strap.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one body strap is a diagonal strap.

6. A safety device for integrating with a vehicle seat that has a back-support and a seat belt to secure a passenger to the vehicle seat, the device comprising:

an upper portion having a horizontal strap adapted to be fastened around the back-support;

a middle portion extending downwardly from the upper portion having two vertical straps and a strap-holding device adapted to releasably connect the vertical straps, wherein the vertical straps are extending downwardly from and attached to the horizontal strap and the strap-holding device is attached along the two vertical straps; and

a lower portion attached to a bottom end of the vertical straps and having at least one loop, wherein the at least one loop is adapted to receive the seat belt to secure the device to the vehicle seat.

7. The safety device of claim 6, wherein the vehicle seat is an airplane seat and the seat belt is a lap belt associated with the airplane seat.

11. The safety device of claim 6, wherein the strap-holding device comprises a fastener.

12. The safety device of claim 11, wherein the fastener is a buckle.

13. The safety device of claim 11, wherein the fastener is a clip.

14. The safety device of claim 6, wherein the strap-holding device is a fastener.

8. A method for securing a passenger to a vehicle seat having a back-support and a seat belt, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching two vertical straps to a horizontal strap on a safety device, wherein the two vertical straps are extending downwardly from the horizontal strap;

wrapping the horizontal strap around the back-support;

fastening the horizontal strap to secure the safety device against the back-support;

feeding the seat belt through one or more loops of the safety device, wherein the one or more loops are attached to bottom ends of the vertical strap; and

fastening the seat belt to secure the safety device onto the vehicle seat.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle seat is an airplane seat and the belt is a lap belt associated with the airplane seat.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of fastening a strap-holding device of the safety device to maintain a distance between the two vertical straps at a position between the horizontal strap and the seat belt.