Locking harness

• US 9,561,776 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friedman IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Friedman IP Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Friedman, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US14/481,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44D 2200/12 made of two identical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/271 detecting or alerting means responsive to securing the child in the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/274 characterised by the communication means between the child seat and another entity, e.g. vehicle or portable device
• 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 2/2816 with additional belt accessories, e.g. belt tension detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/2815 with additional belt accessories, e.g. a belt tension detector
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• 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 braking device configured to apply resistance to said first harness strap and said second harness strap and to hold said first retainer apparatus in a first stationary position along said first harness strap and said second harness strap, 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 adjustable harness strap comprises a first strap and a first track apparatus mechanically attached to said first strap, wherein said second adjustable harness strap comprises a second strap and a second track apparatus mechanically attached to said second strap wherein said first track apparatus is continuous and elongated along at least a partial length of said first harness strap, wherein said second track apparatus is continuous and elongated along at least a partial length of said second harness strap, wherein said first braking device section is configured to apply resistance to said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to said second track apparatus.

2. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first track apparatus is mechanically attached to a center portion of said first strap, and wherein said second track apparatus is mechanically attached to a center portion of said second strap.

3. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first track apparatus is mechanically attached to an edge portion of said first strap, and wherein said second track apparatus is mechanically attached to an edge portion of said second strap.

4. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first track apparatus is mechanically attached to a first edge portion of said first strap, wherein said first adjustable harness strap comprises a third track apparatus mechanically attached to a second edge portion of said first strap, wherein said second track apparatus is mechanically attached to a first edge portion of said second strap, wherein said second adjustable harness strap comprises a fourth track apparatus mechanically attached to a second edge portion of said second strap, wherein said first braking device section is further configured to apply resistance to said third track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to said fourth track apparatus.

5. The harness apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first adjustable harness strap comprises a fifth track apparatus mechanically attached to a center portion of said first strap, wherein said second adjustable harness strap comprises a sixth track apparatus mechanically attached to a center portion of said second strap, wherein said first braking device section is further configured to apply resistance to said fifth track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to said sixth track apparatus.

6. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first retainer apparatus further comprises a sensor and an alarm, wherein said sensor 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 is selected from the group consisting of said moving along said first adjustable harness strap and said second adjustable harness strap and movement caused by said first retainer portion being disconnected from said second retainer portion.

7. 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.

8. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first braking device further comprises a first electrical motor and a first signal receiving device portion, wherein said first electrical motor is configured to slidably move said first retainer apparatus along said first track apparatus, wherein said first signal receiving device portion is configured to receive a control signal from a control device, wherein said control signal is configured to command said first electrical motor to slidably move said first retainer apparatus along said first track apparatus, wherein said second braking device further comprises a second electrical motor and a second signal receiving device portion, wherein said second electrical motor is configured to slidably move said second retainer apparatus along said second track apparatus, wherein said second signal receiving device portion is configured to receive said control signal from said control device, and wherein said control signal is configured to command said second electrical motor to slidably move said second retainer apparatus along said second track apparatus.

9. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first track apparatus and said second track apparatus comprise a material selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metallic material, a magnetic material, and a frictional material.

10. The harness apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said first track apparatus and said second track apparatus comprise a shape selected from the group consisting of a vertical type shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a circular shape, and a zipper type shape.

11. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said second track apparatus.

12. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first spring loaded braking device section configured to apply said resistance to said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section comprises a second spring loaded braking device section configured to apply said resistance to said second track apparatus.

13. The harness apparatus of claim 12, wherein said first braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said second track apparatus.

14. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first solenoid driven braking device section configured to apply said resistance to said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section comprises a second solenoid driven braking device section configured to apply said resistance to said second track apparatus.

15. The harness apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said second track apparatus.

16. The harness apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first track apparatus and said second track apparatus comprise a magnetic material, wherein said first braking device section comprises a first magnetic structure configured to generate a first magnetic field to magnetically apply said resistance to said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section comprises a second magnetic structure configured to generate a second magnetic field to magnetically apply said resistance to said second track apparatus.

17. The harness apparatus of claim 16, wherein said first magnetic structure comprises a first electromagnetic structure, wherein said harness apparatus is configured to enable said first electromagnetic structure to generate said first magnetic field, and wherein said second magnetic structure comprises a second electromagnetic structure, and wherein said harness apparatus is configured to enable said second electromagnetic structure to generate said second magnetic field.

18. The harness apparatus of claim 16, wherein said first braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said first track apparatus, and wherein said second braking device section is configured to apply resistance to vertical sections of said second track apparatus.