Vehicle seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an automatic alert notification

• US 9,539,983 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jennifer Demeritte
• Original Assignee: Jennifer Demeritte
• Inventors: Demeritte, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US14/576,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification that is secured to a conventional seat belt buckle and initiates an audible alert message each time the seat belt buckle is engaged to release the seat belt comprises a mounting member fixedly mounted to the seat belt buckle and an actuator housing is slidably disposed on the mounting member. The actuator housing is positioned such that when it is depressed, it slides into the seat belt buckle'"'"'s disengaging button, thereby enabling a user to indirectly disengage a locked conventional seat belt assembly by supplying manual pressure in an actuating direction to the actuator housing. This simultaneously causes a sound module integrated with said actuator housing to emit an alert notification concerning a vehicle condition, such as a reminder to not forget a child in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification, comprising:

a mounting member configured to fixedly attach to a conventional seat belt buckle;

an actuator housing integrated with said mounting member and configured to actuate a seat belt disengaging button integral with the seat belt buckle and initiate an alert notification, wherein the actuator housing is configured to actuate the seat belt disengaging button integral with the seat belt buckle and initiate an audible notification simultaneously through a single manual action;

wherein the actuator housing includes a sound module and power source and the alert notification is an audible message; and

wherein the actuator housing includes an actuator head positioned to contact the seat belt disengaging button when the actuator housing is subjected to manual pressure in an actuating direction, thereby causing the seat belt disengaging button to be actuated, said actuator head defining a switch that initiates the sound module to emit the alert notification with electricity supplied by the power source when it is actuated.

2. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 1, wherein said actuator housing is positionally biased such that it maintains a first position relative to the mounting member in the absence of manual pressure, is movable to a second position when subjected to manual pressure, thereby causing it to actuate the seat belt disengaging button and initiate an audible notification, and returns to the first position relative to the mounting member once the manual pressure is removed.

3. A seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification, comprising:

a mounting member configured to fixedly attach to a conventional seat belt buckle;

an actuator housing slidably disposed on said mounting member and configured to actuate a seat belt disengaging button integral with the seat belt buckle and initiate an alert notification, wherein the mounting member defines a substantially planar member body having opposing side edge rails that provide a track on which the actuator housing can slide and an attachment strap assembly; and

a housing biasing system connected to said mounting member and said actuator housing that positionally biases the actuator housing such that it maintains a first position relative to the mounting member in the absence of manual pressure.

4. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 3, wherein the member body includes a top stopping edge that assists in holding the mounting member in place on a conventional seat belt buckle.

5. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 3, wherein the actuator housing includes a substantially planar housing body section and a hook shaped end section that defines one longitudinal end, said housing body section having lateral sides that define rail grooves configured to slidably engage the edge rails.

6. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 5, wherein the hook shaped end section is oriented to contact and depress the seat belt disengaging button of a conventional seat belt buckle to which the mounting member is attached, thereby actuating it, and includes an actuator head that is depressed when the seat belt disengaging button is actuated.

7. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 6, wherein:

the actuator housing includes a sound module and power source and the alert notification is an audible message; and

the actuator head defines a switch that is communicatively connected to the sound module and causes the sound module to emit the alert notification with electricity supplied by the power source when it is depressed.

8. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 6, wherein the housing biasing system biases the actuator housing to remain in an offset elevated position relative to the mounting member in the absence of manual pressure while allowing the actuator housing to slide to an engaging position defined by the hook shaped end section contacting and depressing the seat belt disengaging button when manual pressure in an actuating direction is supplied to the actuator housing.

9. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 5, wherein the housing biasing system defines an elastic member that is connected to the member body at one end and to the housing body section at the other end.

10. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 9, wherein the elastic member is connected to the member body on a member hook integral thereto.

11. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 9, wherein the elastic member is connected to the housing body section on a housing hook integral thereto.

12. The seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification of claim 3, wherein the attachment strap includes a strap member that forms a structure along with the mounting member that completely encircles a conventional seat belt buckle to which the mounting member is attached.

13. A seat belt attachment apparatus for providing an alert notification, comprising:

a means for attaching to a seat beat assembly;

an actuating means for simultaneously disengaging the seat beat assembly to which the means for attaching is attached and initiating an alert notification;

wherein the actuating means is slidably disposed on said means for attaching;

the actuating means is positionally biased relative to said means for attaching and a seat belt buckle to which the means for attaching is attached; and

the alert notification is an audible message.