# US 2016/0355141 A1 · Baggage restraint system

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- Number: US 2016/0355141 A1
- Document ID: US20160355141A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/732,986
- Filed: 2015-06-08
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-08
- Inventors: Ben Ross Crowe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355141A1

## CPC

- B60R 5/003: {Luggage racks, e.g. for busses (primarily intended for passengers' property smaller than suitcases B60R7/04; B60R7/08; luggage racks for rail vehicles B61D37/003)}
- B60R 5/00: Compartments within vehicle body primarily intended or sufficiently spacious for trunks, suit-cases, or the like (primarily intended for stowing loads in load-transporting vehicles B60P; arrangements for stowing spare wheels B62D43/00)
- B60P 7/04: by tarpaulins or like flexible members
- B60P 7/0876: {using restraining net or tarpaulin in contact with the load}
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)

## Abstract

A baggage restraint system for the containment of luggage and other personal or group articles, such as camping gear or sport equipment, to the confines of two or more successive seats in a commercial passenger vehicle, such as a school bus. The system comprises an enclosure, and the means by which it may be releasably secured to the vehicle cabin floor. The system's enclosure is constructed of tear-resistant fabric panels, as an essentially rectangular or forward-leaning, four-sided cuboid. The enclosure is shaped and dimensioned to envelope a predetermined number of seats in a target vehicle. The system's means of securement include: a plurality of depending loops, affixed along one or more of the enclosure's bottom and windows-side edges; a plurality of floor and sidewall anchor tabs; and a plurality of carabiners and adjustable straps, linking each anchor tab to one of the depending loops.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A restraint system for the containment of baggage to within at least the space occupied by two or more successive seats in a commercial passenger vehicle, comprising:
(a) an enclosure comprising:
(i) an essentially vertical aisle-side wall;
(ii) an essentially vertical or an inclined front wall;
(iii) an essentially vertical or an inclined back wall;
(iv) an essentially horizontal top wall;
(b) a plurality of depending loops or grommet eyes, disposed longitudinally adjacent the bottom edge of said aisle-side wall, each of which loops or grommet eyes being susceptible to engagement by a linking means;
(c) a plurality of depending loops or grommet eyes, disposed longitudinally adjacent the windows-side edge of said top wall, each of which loops or grommet eyes being susceptible to engagement by a linking means;
(d) a plurality of anchor tabs, each of which tabs having a base section and a flange extending therefrom, said base section having at least one hole bored therethrough, by which it may be affixed to the cabin floor or wall of a target vehicle; said flange having an opening formed therethrough, which flange being susceptible to engagement by a linking means;
(e) a plurality of adjustable straps, each of which straps being formed with a loop at both ends thereof, each of which loops being susceptible to engagement by a linking means;
(f) a plurality of linking means, capable of readily engaging and disengaging parts offering contiguous engagement loci;
wherein, for deployment in a given target vehicle, said enclosure is dimensioned and shaped to closely envelope a predetermined number of seats in said target vehicle; wherein, prior to deployment, each of said anchor tabs is affixed to the cabin floor of said target vehicle, on the aisle side of each seat to be encased; and wherein, upon deployment, each of said anchor tabs is linked by said linking means to one of said depending loops or grommet eyes on the aisle side, while each of said adjustable straps is linked proximally to one of said depending loops or grommet eyes on the windows-side, and linked distally to any convenient fixed frame member on the windows side of the nearest encased seat.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein said enclosure walls are interconnected by interfacing edge members, which interconnection being detachable.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein said base section of each of said anchor tabs, conforms with registering holes to the base of the seat-mount fixtures of said target vehicle and to the cabin floor area underneath, and is affixed therebetween.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein said depending loops of said aisle-side wall, are manifested as successive interstices in a strap which is affixed at regular intervals thereto.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein said depending loops adjacent the windows-side edge of said top wall, are manifested as successive interstices in a strap which is affixed at regular intervals thereto.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of depending loops or grommet eyes disposed along and adjacent the bottom edge of said front wall, or back wall, or of both walls, each of which loops or grommet eyes being susceptible to engagement by said linking means to one of said anchor tabs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The restraint system set forth in claim 6, wherein said depending loops, are manifested as successive interstices in a strap which is affixed at regular intervals to the respective said wall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said adjustable straps is formed distally with a bight, thereby to embrace, when deployed, a fixed frame member on the windows-side of the nearest enveloped seat, which is susceptible to such engagement.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said adjustable straps, when deployed, is linked distally to one of said anchor tabs, which is affixed to the cabin sidewall on the windows side of said target vehicle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, wherein said linking means is a carabiner.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one zipper, which zipper being incorporated into said aisle-side wall, or into said top wall, or into both of said walls, or is built into two or more interfacing edge members, if present, thereby to facilitate access to stowed baggage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The restraint system set forth in claim 11, further comprising one or more sets of reinforcing straps, the straps of each of which sets being affixed to an associated one of said walls, spanning longitudinally and laterally the surface thereof in a generally latticework pattern, wherein conterminous pairs of said reinforcing straps which terminate adjacent said zipper are adapted with depending looped ends, which ends being linked by said linking means.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, further comprising one or more sets of reinforcing straps, the straps of each of which sets being affixed to an associated one of said walls, spanning longitudinally and laterally the surface thereof in a generally latticework pattern.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The restraint system set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said adjustable straps is linked proximally to a depending loop extending from the windows-side end of each of said reinforcing straps which is affixed to said top wall and terminates at said end.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The restraint system set forth in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary compartment, which compartment being constructed as a fully closed, flat-bottomed cell, and is disposed, when deployed, atop said enclosure.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The restraint system set forth in claim 15, wherein said auxiliary compartment is detachably secured to said enclosure, when deployed.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The restraint system set forth in claim 15, wherein said auxiliary compartment is resting freely upon said enclosure, when deployed, and is secured to the vehicle's sidewall on the windows side via said adjustable straps, and said anchor tabs.