US 5,437,474 AGranted

Safety-net construction, particularly for use in motor vehicles

AssigneeBaumeister & Ostler GmbH & Co.

InventorEduard Ament

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Abstract

The safety net is adapted to be mounted in a motor vehicle such as a stationwagon, van or the like, to separate a passenger compartment in the motor vehicle from a cargo compartment and prevent injury to passengers in the passenger compartment upon abrupt deceleration of the vehicle, for example due to a frontal collision or the like, by preventing flying objects such as suitcases (9) from reaching the passenger compartment. To prevent tearing of the net if the body of the vehicle is deformed so that the net, stretched between the roof and the backseat or bottom of the cargo compartment, is excessively stressed, the net is formed with a tear prevention arrangement which includes a net size expansion compensation arrangement (17) in the form of a fold, for example a zig-zag fold, seamed into the net and held in position by a frangible, stitched seam line (31, 34), which can tear upon substantial stresses placed on the net. Thus, the effective length of the net between the passenger and cargo compartments can expand to compensate for vehicular deformation, deformation of holding rods (18, 21), rollers (18a) or the like.

Claims18

Dependent claims

Safety net construction, adapted to be mounted in a motor vehicle to separate a cargo space in the vehicle from a passenger compartment therein, and to protect passengers within the passenger compartment with respect to flying objects from the cargo space of the vehicle in case of abrupt deceleration of the vehicle, comprising

a net (8, 11) having four lateral edges (12, 13, 14, 15);
first attachment means (18a, 22, 23, 24) coupled to the net at a first one (13) of the edges, and adapted for attachment to a first surface of the vehicle;
second attachment means (18, 21) coupled to the net at a second one (12) of said lateral edges, and which is essentially parallel to and opposite to said first one of said lateral edges, and adapted to be releasably attached to the vehicle, and to stretch the net (11) across the vehicle,
and further comprising, in accordance with the invention,
a net tearing protection arrangement which increases the size of the net in case of said abrupt deceleration,
said tearing protection arrangement including
a net size expansion compensation arrangement (17) changing the shape of the net between a first, quiescent, compressed state and a second, operated, expanded state, said compensation arrangement being coupled to the net at a position intermediate said first and second attachment means;
and
stress-sensitive and responsive locking means (31, 34) holding the arrangement in said first compressed state while releasing the net size expansion compensation arrangement into at least partially expanded state in case of said abrupt deceleration, to thereby increase the effective size of the net between said first and second attachment means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.