Locking harness

• US 8,851,575 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friedman IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mark J. Friedman
• Inventors: Friedman, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US13/653,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 297/484, 297/479, 297/482, 246/15, 241/98, 242/00, 24D/IG.38, 24D/IG.42, 245/891, 241/96, 241/68, 241/97
• US Class Current: 297/482
• CPC Class Codes: A44D 2200/12 made of two identical elements
• 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 2002/2815 with additional belt accessories, e.g. a belt tension detector
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/36 self-locking in an emergency B60R22/3405 , B60R22/343 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/38 Each mating member having similarly shaped, sized, and operated interlocking face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4012 Clamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45529 Requiring manual force applied against bias to interlock or disengage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A harness apparatus including a first adjustable harness strap, a second adjustable harness strap, and a retainer apparatus. The retainer apparatus includes a first retainer portion slidably attached to the first harness strap, a second retainer portion slidably attached to the second harness strap, and a braking mechanism configured to prevent the first retainer portion and the second retainer portion from moving along the first harness strap and the second harness strap. The first retainer portion is removably attached to the second retainer portion. The braking mechanism includes a braking device configured to apply resistance to the first harness strap and/or the second harness strap and to hold the retainer apparatus in a stationary position along the first harness strap and the second harness strap.

Claims

1. A harness apparatus comprising:

a first adjustable harness strap;

a second adjustable harness strap; and

a first retainer apparatus comprising a first retainer portion slidably attached to said first harness strap, a second retainer portion slidably attached to said second harness strap, and a braking mechanism configured to prevent said first retainer portion and said second retainer portion from moving along said first harness strap and said second harness strap, wherein said first retainer portion is removably attached to said second retainer portion, wherein said braking mechanism comprises a spring assembly, a compression mechanism, and a braking device configured to independently apply resistance to said first harness strap and said second harness strap and to independently hold said first retainer apparatus in a first stationary position along said first harness strap and said second harness strap, wherein said spring assembly is configured to apply pressure to said braking device to independently apply resistance to said first harness strap and said second harness strap, and wherein said compression mechanism configured to compress said spring assembly and lock said spring assembly in a compressed position, and wherein said first retainer apparatus further comprises a sensor comprising a motion detector and an alarm, wherein said motion detector is configured to detect movement of said first retainer apparatus, wherein said alarm is configured to alert a user if said movement of said first retainer apparatus is detected, and wherein said movement comprises said moving along said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap.

2. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said braking device comprises a first braking device section mechanically attached to said first retainer portion and a second braking device section mechanically attached to said second retainer portion, wherein said spring assembly comprises a first spring mechanically attached to said first braking device section and a second spring mechanically attached to said second braking device section, wherein said compression mechanism comprises a first compression mechanism in contact with said first braking device section and a second compression mechanism in contact with said second braking device section, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first friction mechanism configured to apply resistance to said first adjustable harness strap, wherein said first spring is configured to apply pressure to said first friction mechanism to apply said resistance to said first harness strap, wherein said first compression mechanism is configured to compress said first spring and lock said first spring in a compressed position, wherein said second braking device section comprises a second friction mechanism configured to apply resistance to said second adjustable harness strap, wherein said second spring is configured to apply pressure to said second friction mechanism to apply said resistance to said second harness strap, wherein said second compression mechanism is configured to compress said second spring and lock said second spring in a compressed position.

3. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said harness apparatus is mechanically attached to a car seat, and wherein said harness apparatus is configured to restrain a user and prevent said user from being ejected from said car seat.

4. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion detector is configured to transmit a warning signal to a computer/controller within a vehicle comprising said harness apparatus to warn said user of said movement.

5. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alarm is located within said sensor, and wherein said motion detector is configured to activate said alarm.

6. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said braking device comprises a first braking device section mechanically attached to said first retainer portion and a second braking device section mechanically attached to said second retainer portion, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first friction mechanism configured to apply said resistance to said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second braking device section comprises a second friction mechanism configured to apply said resistance to said second adjustable harness strap.

7. The harness apparatus of claim 6, wherein said first friction mechanism comprises mechanical teeth for applying said resistance to said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second friction mechanism comprises mechanical teeth for applying said resistance to said second adjustable harness strap.

8. The harness apparatus of claim 6, wherein said first friction mechanism comprises a friction material selected from the group consisting of sand paper material and rubber, and wherein said second friction mechanism comprises a friction material selected from the group consisting of sand paper material and rubber.

9. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first adjustable harness strap comprises a frictional material on a first surface of said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second adjustable harness strap comprises said frictional material on a first surface of said second adjustable harness strap.

10. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said compression mechanism is configured to move in an arcing direction and be locked to said braking device in order to compress said spring assembly and lock said spring assembly in a compressed position.

11. A harness apparatus comprising:

a first adjustable harness strap;

a second adjustable harness strap; and

a first retainer apparatus comprising a first retainer portion slidably attached to said first adjustable harness strap, a second retainer portion slidably attached to said second adjustable harness strap, and a braking mechanism configured to independently prevent said first retainer portion and said second retainer portion from moving along said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap, wherein said first retainer portion is removably attached to said second retainer portion, and wherein said braking mechanism comprises a braking device configured to independently apply resistance to said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap and to independently hold said first retainer apparatus in a first stationary position along said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap, wherein said first retainer apparatus further comprises a sensor comprising a motion detector and an alarm, wherein said motion detector is configured to detect movement of said first retainer apparatus, wherein said alarm is configured to alert a user if said movement of said first retainer apparatus is detected, and wherein said movement comprises said moving along said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap.

12. The harness apparatus of claim 11, wherein said harness apparatus is mechanically attached to a car seat, and wherein said harness apparatus is configured to restrain a user and prevent said user from being ejected from said car seat.

13. The harness apparatus of claim 11, wherein said motion detector is configured to transmit a warning signal to a computer/controller within a vehicle comprising said harness apparatus to warn said user of said movement.

14. The harness apparatus of claim 11, wherein said alarm is located within said sensor, and wherein said motion detector is configured to activate said alarm.

15. The harness apparatus of claim 11, wherein said braking device comprises a first braking device section mechanically attached to said first retainer portion and a second braking device section mechanically attached to said second retainer portion, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first friction mechanism configured to apply said resistance to said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second braking device section comprises a second friction mechanism configured to apply said resistance to said second adjustable harness strap.

16. The harness apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first friction mechanism comprises mechanical teeth for applying said resistance to said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second friction mechanism comprises mechanical teeth for applying said resistance to said second adjustable harness strap.

17. The harness apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first friction mechanism comprises a friction material selected from the group consisting of sand paper material and rubber, and wherein said second friction mechanism comprises a friction material selected from the group consisting of sand paper material and rubber.

18. The harness apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first adjustable harness strap comprises a frictional material on a first surface of said first adjustable harness strap, and wherein said second adjustable harness strap comprises said frictional material on a first surface of said second adjustable harness strap.