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AssigneeValeda Company, LLC
InventorsRudy Infantas, Paul Slevinsky, Ovidius Turcanu, Jorge Torres, William Ott, Edgardo Cardona
Estimating the term…
A thin profile retractor allows for a wheelchair securement system to be installed in-floor without the need for large holes to be cut into the OEM vehicle flooring. A plurality of thin profile retractors may be combined in a single housing to define a drop-in, in-floor system. The thickness of the in-floor system is approximately equal to or slightly thicker than the thickness of the type of aftermarket flooring that is typically placed on top of the OEM flooring or vehicle frame—for example, plywood. In that regard, a large hole corresponding to the outline of the in-floor system need only be cut in the aftermarket flooring, and only small holes need to be drilled to secure the in-floor system to the vehicle frame. The thin profile retractor includes specialized components and component configurations that permit the thin profile and/or allow the retractor to perform better during accident scenarios.
A securement system for securing a wheeled mobility device in a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor panel with a bottom surface defining a first plane and an upper surface defining a second plane, the securement system comprising at least one retractor, wherein the at least one retractor comprises a drum holding a flat belt and configured to rotate about a drum axis, whereby the drum axis is substantially perpendicular to the second plane, wherein the at least one retractor sits no higher than approximately ½″ above the second plane, the securement system further comprising a guide member for guiding the flat belt, wherein the flat belt includes a twisted region as the flat belt extends from the drum to the guide member and, a twist angle in the twisted region is greater than 0°.
A vehicle comprising:
A securement system for securing a wheeled mobility device in a vehicle, the securement system comprising at least one retractor, wherein the at least one retractor comprises a drum holding a flat belt and configured to rotate about a drum axis, the securement system further comprising a guide member for guiding the flat belt, wherein the flat belt includes a twisted region as the flat belt extends from the drum to the guide member and, a twist angle in the twisted region is greater than 0°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.