Adjustable security partition for a vehicle

• US 7,806,452 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Naade, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xtreme Metal Fab
• Inventors: Kekich, Peter Jr., Storer, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): LYJAK, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/367,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.4, 296/24.42, 296/24.43, 296/24.46, 296/24.3, 280/749
• US Class Current: 296/24.43
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/12 which protect the occupants against personal attack from the inside or the outside of the vehicle

Abstract

A pivotably adjustable security partition installable in a vehicle for providing a barrier between a front occupant area and a rear occupant area is provided. The partition may be pivotably mounted to lower seatbelt mounts via an articulating joint. Additionally, the partition may be secured to upper seatbelt mounts.

Claims

1. An adjustable security partition for providing a barrier between a front occupant area and a rear occupant area of a vehicle to prevent a first occupant sitting in the rear occupant area from harming a second occupant sitting in the front occupant area, the vehicle including driver and passenger seat belts, each seat belt having upper and lower seat belt mounts, the partition comprising:

driver side and passenger side floor brackets, each bracket including a base attachable to the lower seat belt mounts of the driver and passenger seat belts, each bracket including an articulating joint attached to the base and a barrier mount attached to the articulating joint;

a barrier defining a lower portion attachable to the barrier mount so the barrier may pivot about the articulating joint; and

driver side and passenger side upper support brackets attachable to upper seat belt mounts of the driver and passenger seat belts, the barrier attachable to the upper support brackets.

2. The partition of claim 1 further comprising flanges attached to the barrier, the each of the flanges having a plurality of first apertures alignable to second apertures formed in the driver side and passenger side upper support brackets for securing the barrier.

3. The partition of claim 2 wherein the plurality of first apertures are a plurality of slots.

4. The partition of claim 1 wherein the mounts are cylindrical and the barrier has mating tubes sized to snugly fit over the mounts.

5. The partition of claim 2 wherein pivoting the barrier forward or rearward aligns a different one of the plurality of first apertures to the second apertures.

6. The partition of claim 1 further comprising side filler panels attached to sides of the barrier, the side filler panels extending outward from lateral sides of the barrier to prevent the occupant in the rear occupant area from reaching around the barrier and harming the occupant in the front occupant area.

7. The partition of claim 6 wherein the side filler panels are attached to the sides of the barrier with a nut insert.

8. The partition of claim 7 wherein the nut insert is embedded into the barrier.

9. The partition of claim 1 wherein the barrier includes a frame, a window and a seat back protector plate, the window and the seat back protector plate secured to the frame, the window disposed above the seat back protector.

10. An adjustable security partition for providing a barrier between a front occupant area and a rear occupant area of a vehicle to prevent a first occupant sitting in the rear occupant area from harming a second occupant sitting in the front occupant area, the vehicle defining a lower portion, an upper portion, a driver side and a passenger side, the partition comprising:

driver side and passenger side floor brackets, each bracket including a base attachable to the lower portion of the vehicle, each bracket including an articulating joint attached to the base and a barrier mount attached to the articulating joint;

a barrier defining a lower portion attachable to the barrier mount so the barrier may pivot about the articulating joint; and

driver side and passenger side upper support brackets attachable to upper portion of the vehicle, the barrier attachable to the upper support brackets.

11. The partition of claim 10 wherein the driver side and passenger side floor brackets are attachable to driver side and passenger side pillars or driver side and passenger side floors, and the driver side and passenger side upper support bracket are attachable to the driver side and passenger side pillars or a roof of the vehicle.

12. A method of installing an adjustable security partition within a vehicle defining a lower portion and an upper portion, the method comprising the steps of:

affixing driver side and passenger side articulating joints to the lower portion of the vehicle;

mounting a barrier to the driver side and passenger side articulating joints so the barrier is capable of pivoting toward a front occupant area or rearward toward a rear occupant area;

pivoting the barrier to an optimal angular orientation; and

affixing the barrier to the upper portion of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the affixing the driver side and passenger side articulating joints includes the step of affixing the driver side and passenger side articulating joints to lower seat belt mounts of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the affixing the driver side and passenger side articulating joints includes the step of affixing the driver side and passenger side articulating joints to driver and passenger side pillars.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the affixing the barrier to the upper portion of the vehicle includes affixing the barrier to the upper seat belt mounts of the vehicle.