Vehicle passenger restraint and method of producing same

• US 20040012239A1
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bald Spot Racing LLC
• Original Assignee: Bald Spot Racing LLC
• Inventors: Lewis, Alan R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,733,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/452.36
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4256 the shape of the seat being specially adapted for a particular purpose or for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49876 by snap fit

Abstract

An expanded propylene vehicle passenger restraint. The restraint includes a back portion, seat portion and side portions integrally joined together. A removable back insert is mounted to the back portion and a leg separator is mounted to the seat portion. The method of producing the restraint includes the step of scanning the configuration of the restraint into a router for shaping a solid plastic piece in accordance with the configuration.

Claims

1. A method of producing a restraint for a passenger of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

placing an enclosure of flexible plastic within a vehicle;

placing a passenger of the vehicle atop and adjacent said enclosure while in said vehicle;

allowing said flexible plastic to form around the passenger forming a plastic restraint;

removing the passenger from the vehicle;

causing the plastic restraint to harden;

removing the plastic restraint from the vehicle;

scanning said plastic restraint to profile said plastic restraint; and

,

shaping solid plastic in accordance with the profile of the plastic restraint producing a passenger restraint.

2. The method of claim 1 and comprising the additional steps of:

selecting said solid plastic from a plastic having elasticity greater than said plastic restraint; and

,

removably mounting a back insert on said passenger restraint wherein said insert has greater shock absorption than said passenger restraint.

3. The method of claim 2 and comprising the additional step of:

replacing said back insert in said passenger restraint when subjected to crash conditions.

4. The method of claim 2 and comprising the additional step of:

removably mounting a leg separator insert on said passenger restraint.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

said solid plastic in said selecting step is expanded polypropylene.

6. A restraint for a passenger in a vehicle comprising:

a seat having a seat portion, a back portion and side portions connected together forming a cavity tailored shaped to form fit around a specific passenger of a vehicle limiting motion of the passenger relative to the vehicle, said seat formed from a plastic having resistance to fire and heat and maintaining its shape when subjected to crash conditions.

7. The restraint of claim 6 and further comprising:

a back insert removably mounted to said back portion and replaceable when destroyed during crash.

8. The restraint of claim 7 wherein:

said seat is produced from expanded polypropylene.

9. The restraint of claim 8 wherein:

said seat portion, said back portion and said side portions are integrally connected together in a unitary main body being produced from a single piece of plastic, said back portion includes an opening extending therethrough in which said back insert is force fitted mounted therein.

10. The restraint of claim 9 and further comprising:

a leg separator insert including a rib extending into said seat portion mounting said leg separator thereto.

11. The restraint of claim 10 wherein:

said back insert and said leg separator are produced from expanded polystyrene.

12. The restraint of claim 11 wherein:

said back insert includes a forwardly facing surface and a rearwardly facing surface with said back insert tapering from a larger size at said rearwardly facing surface to a smaller size at said forwardly facing surface; and

,

said back portion of said seat includes an opening extending therethrough complementary in shape to said back insert allowing said back insert to be installed thereon by moving said back insert through said opening in a direction from said rearwardly facing surface toward said forwardly facing surface.

13. A race car driver restraint comprising:

a unitary piece of expanded polypropylene cut to form a driver restraint with a back portion, seat portion and side portions integrally connected together forming a seat, said back portion including a hole extending therethrough;

a back insert removably mounted to said back portion within said hole; and

,

a leg separator mounted to said seat portion.

14. The driver restraint of claim 13 wherein:

said leg separator includes a rib extending into said seat portion securing said separator to said seat portion; and

said back insert and said hole are complementarily tapered providing a force fit between said back insert and said seat portion.

15. The driver restraint of claim 14 wherein:

said back insert and said leg separator are expanded polystyrene and are replaced when destroyed during crash.