Motorized safety belts for vehicles

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• a first curved plastic sleeve proximate a shoulder belt retractor and proximate an inside portion of the seat, said first curved plastic sleeve having a short length of said shoulder belt inside said first curved plastic sleeve, and including
• a first upper semi-rigid portion, and
• a first lower rigid portion attached to the first upper semi-rigid portion;
• and
• a second curved plastic sleeve proximate a lap belt retractor and proximate an inside portion of said seat, said second curved plastic sleeve having a short length of said lap belt inside said second curved plastic sleeve, and including
• a second upper semi-rigid portion, and a second lower rigid portion attached to the second upper semi-rigid portion,
• wherein the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt are proximate the lap of the occupant as said shoulder belt and said lap belt move into the first operative position and the second operative position, respectively, and
• wherein said first and second semi-rigid upper portions hold the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt, respectively, out in front of the occupant when said lap belt and said shoulder belt are not in said second and first operative positions, respectively.

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• seat belt retractors proximate an inside portion of the seat;
• semi-rigid curved plastic sleeves disposed on the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt proximate said seat belt retractors, said semi-rigid curved plastic sleeves having channels;
• rigid curved sliding inserts disposed within said semi-rigid curved plastic sleeves, said rigid curved sliding inserts having engagement portions and rails;
• and
• motors proximate the inside portion of the seat, said motors having arms which engage the engagement portions of said rigid curved sliding inserts,
• whereby said semi-rigid curved plastic sleeves hold the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt well out in front of the occupant, and said motors reversibly extend the arms to reversibly move said rigid curved sliding inserts with the rails inside the channels.

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• wherein said shoulder belt includes a first connector movable along said track, wherein a drive belt is movable around the doorway and engages said first connector for moving the second end of said shoulder belt, and wherein said lap belt includes a second connector movable along said track which engages the drive belt for movement with said first connector between operative and inoperative positions, and
• wherein the third end of said lap belt is disposed within a first sleeve to hold the third end of said lap belt out in front of the occupant, and wherein the first end of said shoulder belt is disposed within a second sleeve to hold the first end of said shoulder belt out in front of the occupant, the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt being proximate the lap of the occupant as said shoulder belt and said lap belt move into the first operative position and the second operative position, respectively.

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• a rigid insert disposed within a sleeve proximate the third end of said lap belt and proximate a center portion of the seat;
• an arm disposed within said sleeve and coupled to said insert;
• a motor coupled to said arm;
• and
• wherein said shoulder belt includes a first connector movable along said track, wherein a drive belt is movable around the doorway and engages said first connector for moving the second end of said shoulder belt, and wherein said lap belt includes a second connector movable along said track which engages the drive belt for movement with said first connector between operative and inoperative positions, and
• whereby said motor reversibly positions said arm to reversibly position said insert to move the third end of said lap belt away from the occupant when the second connector of said lap belt begins to move to one of the second inoperative position and the second operative position, and to move the third end of said lap belt toward the occupant when the second connector of said lap belt reaches the second operative position.

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• rigid curved plastic inserts disposed within sleeves proximate the first end of said shoulder belt and the third end of said lap belt and proximate a center portion of the seat;
• arms disposed within said sleeves and coupled to said rigid curved plastic inserts;
• motors coupled to said arms;
• and
• wherein said shoulder belt includes a first connector movable along said track, wherein a drive belt is movable around the doorway and engages said first connector for moving the second end of said shoulder belt, and wherein said lap belt includes a second connector movable along said track which engages the drive belt for movement with said first connector between operative and inoperative positions,
• whereby, said second switch activates said motors to move said arms to extend said rigid curved plastic inserts within the sleeves away from said motors to position said shoulder belt and said lap belt out in front of the occupant for subsequent motion, acceptable to the occupant, of said shoulder belt and said lap belt to the first and second operative positions, respectively, and
• whereby, said second switch activates said motors to move said arms to retract said rigid curved plastic inserts within the sleeves toward said motors to position said shoulder belt and said lap belt easily across the lap of the occupant as said shoulder belt and said lap belt move to the first and second operative positions, respectively.

A motorized restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt having a first end proximate a floor of the vehicle and to a first side of an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, and a second end movable from a first operative position to a first inoperative position;
• a lap belt having a third end proximate the floor on the first side of the occupant, and a fourth end movable from a second operative position to a second inoperative position;
• a track proximate a doorway of the vehicle, wherein the first and second inoperative positions are along the track forward of the doorway, the first operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a shoulder of the occupant and to a second side of the occupant, and the second operative position is along the track rearward of the doorway proximate a lap of the occupant and to the second side of the occupant;
• a first switch disposed in the seat that is activated by the weight of the occupant;
• a second switch disposed in the vehicle that is activated by the occupant;
• means for moving said lap belt and said shoulder belt between the second operative and inoperative positions and the first operative and inoperative positions, respectively when said first and second switches are activated;
• wherein said shoulder belt includes a first connector movable along said track, wherein a drive belt is movable around the doorway and engages said first connector for moving the second end of said shoulder belt, and wherein said lap belt includes a second connector movable along said track which engages the drive belt for movement with said first connector between operative and inoperative positions,
• wherein the drive belt defines an elongated slot having a forward end and a rearward end,
• wherein the drive belt includes a catch located at the rearward end of the slot which apprehends and holds the first connector of said shoulder belt when said shoulder belt is in the first inoperative position,
• wherein the catch holds the first connector of said shoulder belt approximately a few inches apart from the second connector of said lap belt, thereby allowing out-of-the-way storage with the second end and the fourth end of said shoulder and lap belts, respectively, together when said shoulder and lap belts are in the first and second inoperative positions, and during motion of said shoulder and lap belts between the first and second operative positions and the first and second inoperative positions, respectively,
• wherein the catch releases the first connector when the drive belt moves the first connector of said shoulder belt to the first operative position and the second connector of said lap belt toward the second operative position, respectively,
• wherein the first connector of said shoulder belt is stopped in the first operative position by a stop in said track,
• wherein the second connector of said lap belt continues to be moved by the drive belt with the slot moving past the stopped first connector until the second connector reaches the second operative position, and
• wherein the forward end of said slot is proximate the first connector and maintains the first connector in the first operative position while the second connector is in the second operative position.

A restraint system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a shoulder belt being movable between a first inoperative position and a first operative position and having a first connector;
• a lap belt being movable between a second inoperative position and a second operative position and having a second connector;
• a movable drive belt having a slot therein, said belt coupled to the first and second connectors of said shoulder belt and said lap belt, respectively, at the slot, said drive belt reversibly driven to move said shoulder belt between the first inoperative position and the first operative position and to move said lap belt between the second inoperative position and the second operative position;
• a catch affixed to said drive belt releasably coupled to the first connector of said shoulder belt during transition between the first inoperative position and the first operative position;
• and
• wherein the slot maintains said shoulder belt in said first operative position when said lap belt is in the second operative position.