Seat belt safety device
OwnerWilliam MCGLYNNinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seat belt safety device prevents access to a release button located on a surface of a seat belt housing attached to a first seat belt segment, the housing surface also including a housing opening through which a seat belt tongue attached to a second seat belt segment is inserted to securely latch the first seat belt segment to the seat belt housing and the second seat belt segment. The seat belt safety device includes a blocking assembly formed as a cylindrical standoff with an inner channel within which a rod with a release handle at one end and a blocking member at its other end is arranged for axial movement when the blocking assembly is not in a locked state and a spring. The release handle is grasped to extend the rod against a force of the spring to press the release button of the seat belt housing.
Claims18
An L-shaped seat belt safety device configured to prevent access to a release button located on an upper surface of a seat belt housing that is attached to a first seat belt segment, the seat belt housing including a housing side with a housing slot for receiving a tongue latch affixed to a second seat belt segment, wherein the tongue latch is inserted in the housing slot to securely latch the first seat belt segment to the second seat belt segment, said L-shaped seat belt safety device comprising:
- a first substantially planar member including a slot opening for receiving the tongue latch of the second seat belt segment;
- a second substantially planar member attached to at least one edge of the first substantially planar member to form the L shape and to extend at about 90° from a point of attachment so that when the tongue latch is inserted through the slot opening into the housing slot to latch, the second substantially planar member contacts the seat belt housing to lie substantially flat against a portion of an outer surface of the seat belt housing such that the seat belt safety device is substantially immobilized,
- wherein the second substantially planar member includes a limited access opening, substantially centered and proximate the release button in the upper surface of the seat belt housing so that when the tongue latch is inserted through the slot opening into the housing slot to latch and secure the first seat belt segment with the second seat belt segment, and wherein the limited access opening provides limited access to the release button to unlatch the first seat belt segment from the second seat belt segment;
- and
- a release actuator mechanism mounted on the second substantially planar member at the limited access opening and comprising a rotating member and an extending member attached to the rotating member that is configured to advance, extending through the access opening when the rotating member is squeezed to overcome a locked position of a detent element and rotated about a central axis as it is pressed down towards the upper surface of the substantially planar member, and retracts back to a start position automatically when released.
A seat belt safety device for preventing access to a release button located on a surface of a seat belt housing attached to a first seat belt segment, the housing surface also including a housing opening through which a seat belt tongue attached to a second seat belt segment is inserted to securely latch the first seat belt segment to the seat belt housing and the second seat belt segment, the seat belt safety device comprising:
- a metal sheet configured with a first substantially planar part, a second substantially planar part extending perpendicularly from a full bend at one end of the first substantially planar part, left and right substantially planar parts extending perpendicularly from bends at respective left and right ends of the first substantially planar part and a longitudinal slot extending for part of a distance between the left and right substantially planar parts substantially in parallel with a line of the full bend;
- and
- a blocking assembly comprising a cylindrical standoff extending perpendicularly from an outer surface of the first substantially planar part proximate the longitudinal slot and configured with an inner channel defined by a fixed radius and extending an entire axial length of the cylindrical standoff, a rod with a release handle at one end and a blocking member at its other end arranged for axial movement when the blocking assembly is not in a locked state and, a spring;
- wherein the first substantially planar part includes a though-hole in communication with the inner channel of the cylindrical standoff, wherein the rod is formed with a channel portion moveably positioned within the inner channel and an extension portion extending between an end of the cylindrical standoff and the handle and which is surrounded by the spring, when the blocking assembly is in a locked state, wherein one end of the spring butts up against a disc-shaped surface of the cylindrical standoff and another end of the spring butts up against a lower cylindrical end of the handle and wherein applying a pushing force at the handle causes the channel portion and blocking member to extend away from the inner surface of the first substantially planar member against a return force of the spring and, releasing the pushing force allows the spring to return the extended channel portion and blocking member to the channel position, when the blocking assembly is in an unlocked state.
A seat belt safety device for preventing access to a release button located on an upper surface of a seat belt housing attached to a first seat belt segment, the seat belt housing including a side housing surface with an opening through which a seat belt tongue attached to a second seat belt segment is inserted to securely latch the first seat belt segment to the seat belt housing and the second seat belt segment, the seat belt safety device comprising:
- a metal sheet configured with a first substantially planar part, a second substantially planar part extending perpendicularly from a full bend at one end of the first substantially planar part, left and right substantially planar parts extending perpendicularly from bends at respective left and right ends of the first substantially planar part and a longitudinal slot extending for part of a distance between the left and right substantially planar parts substantially in parallel with a line of the full bend;
- and
- a blocking assembly comprising a cylindrical standoff extending perpendicularly from an outer surface of the second substantially planar part and configured with an inner channel defined by a fixed radius and extending an entire axial length of the cylindrical standoff, a rod with a release handle at one end and a blocking member at its other end arranged for axial movement when the blocking assembly is not in a locked state and, a spring;
- wherein the second substantially planar part includes a though-hole in communication with the inner channel of the cylindrical standoff, wherein the rod is formed with a channel portion moveably positioned within the inner channel and an extension portion extending between an end of the cylindrical standoff and the handle and which is surrounded by the spring, when the blocking assembly is in a locked state, wherein one end of the spring butts up against a disc-shaped surface of the cylindrical standoff and another end of the spring butts up against a lower cylindrical end of the handle and wherein applying a pushing force at the handle causes the channel portion and blocking member to extend away from the inner surface of the second substantially planar member against a return force of the spring and, releasing the pushing force allows the spring to return the extended channel portion and blocking member to the channel position, when the blocking assembly is in an unlocked state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.