Apparatus to ensure use of vehicle seat belt
First Claim
1. An apparatus to ensure use of seat belts in a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first means disposed in a first predetermined location in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat;
(b) a second means disposed in a second predetermined location for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched;
(c) a third means disposed in a third predetermined location for receiving said second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal when such seat belt, detected as being latched by said second means, extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant of such motor vehicle;
(c) a fourth means disposed in a fourth predetermined location on such motor vehicle for receiving said first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle thereby enabling said fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when said fourth means is activated by also receiving one of said second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle is unlatched and said third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant; and
(d) a disabling unit disposed in a fifth predetermined location on such motor vehicle connected to receive said fourth signal for preventing gear engagement in such motor vehicle when said disabling unit receives said fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat in such motor vehicle is one of unlatched and latched but extending insufficiently to encircle such passenger.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus to ensure use of seat belts in a motor vehicle which comprises a first means disposed in a first predetermined location for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat. A second means is disposed in a second predetermined location for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched. There is a third means disposed in a third predetermined location for receiving such second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal when such seat belt, detected as being latched extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant. A fourth means is disposed in a fourth predetermined location for receiving the first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat thereby enabling such fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when such fourth means is activated by also receiving one of the second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to an occupant is unlatched and the third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant. There is a disabling unit disposed in a fifth predetermined location, connected to receive the fourth signal, for preventing gear engagement when it receives the fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat is one of unlatched and latched but not extending sufficiently to encircle such passenger.
7 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus to ensure use of seat belts in a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a first means disposed in a first predetermined location in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat;
(b) a second means disposed in a second predetermined location for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched;
(c) a third means disposed in a third predetermined location for receiving said second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal when such seat belt, detected as being latched by said second means, extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant of such motor vehicle;
(c) a fourth means disposed in a fourth predetermined location on such motor vehicle for receiving said first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle thereby enabling said fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when said fourth means is activated by also receiving one of said second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle is unlatched and said third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant; and
(d) a disabling unit disposed in a fifth predetermined location on such motor vehicle connected to receive said fourth signal for preventing gear engagement in such motor vehicle when said disabling unit receives said fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat in such motor vehicle is one of unlatched and latched but extending insufficiently to encircle such passenger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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12. In combination with a seat belt system for use in a motor vehicle, the improvement for such seat belt system comprising:
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(a) a first means disposed in a first predetermined location in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat;
(b) a second means disposed on one of a female and a male portion of each seat belt in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched;
(c) a third means disposed on a male portion of each seat belt closely adjacent the end of such seat belt that engages said female portion of such seat belt for receiving said second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal when such seat belt, detected as being latched by said second means, extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant of such motor vehicle;
(c) a fourth means disposed in a second predetermined location on such motor vehicle for receiving said first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle thereby enabling said fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when said fourth means is activated by also receiving one of said second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle is unlatched and said third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant; and
(d) a disabling unit disposed in a third predetermined location on such motor vehicle connected to receive said fourth signal for preventing gear engagement in such motor vehicle when said disabling unit receives said fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat in such motor vehicle is one of unlatched and latched but extending insufficiently to encircle such passenger.
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Specification