Chairs and seats – Body or occupant restraint or confinement – Safety belt or harness; e.g. – lap belt or shoulder harness
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2001-07-17
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Body or occupant restraint or confinement
Safety belt or harness; e.g., lap belt or shoulder harness
C280S805000, C428S086000, C428S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260926
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to webbing having energy absorbing properties for seat belt systems found in automobiles, aircraft, watercraft and other motorized, or unmotorized, vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Seat belts, or safety belts, are commonly employed in all types of motorized vehicles to provide the passenger(s) with protection against striking surfaces during an impact or collision. It is known that serious injuries, and even death, may result from vehicular collisions where the passengers neglect to wear seat belts. Ordinary automobile seat belt systems include a lap belt portion and a shoulder strap portion, the two actually being one in the same belt, however, the underlying user anatomical location determines its respective name. Conversely, seat belt systems, in passenger aircraft, for example, consist of just a lap belt.
Typical webbing for seat belt systems is a continuously woven, flat, single layered fabric approximately 50 mm to 80 mm wide, and approximately 2 mm thick. The actual length of the webbing varies from vehicle design to vehicle design, depending on the required distance between the belt buckle and mounting brackets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,917, Mori et al, illustrates such seat belt webbing in a seat belt system.
Baymak et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,168, disclose a safety seat belt having a non-flat design. Specifically, the belt is made of overlapping fabric creating zones to absorb energy in a collision by the unfolding of the belt.
Another type of seat belt design is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,713, Kamiyama et al. Shown therein is an inflatable seat belt having a multi folded cross section. During impact, the belt inflates to provide cushioning against injury.
In the attempt to reduce the damaging impact forces during a collision on passengers utilizing seat belt systems, KoIb, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,457, discloses webbing having a characteristic thread complexity which aids in load reduction.
Further, numerous patents introduce load, or force, reduction mechanisms found in conventional seat belt systems, such as, fasteners, latches, buckles and brackets. Respective examples are U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,689, Chen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,773, Kirchhoff et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,727, Viano et al.
However, none of the above-mentioned patents, or others referenced in the background sections of these patents, offer a substantial reduction in the energy, formed locally during a collision, or crash, transmitted through the belt into the user's anatomy. Moreover, although numerous attempts have been made to overcome a reduction in the energy formed in seat belt systems during an impact, it appears the related art is still lacking a reliable solution to the primary problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a webbing for seat belt systems having energy absorbing properties during an impact.
A further object of the invention is to offer an economically manufacturable seat belt webbing, which would easily adapt to any seat belt system in automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, or the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide webbing which can be readily introduced into conventional seat belt systems with minor revisions to the belt buckle, belt mounting fixtures, and brackets, thereby reducing manufacturing expenses.
Another object of the invention is to provide webbing for seat belt systems, which following an impact, would offer significant protection against bodily injury.
Still further, an object of the invention is to offer some passenger comfort while utilizing the webbing of the present invention due to the resilient nature of the webbing while in normal usage.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide strapping and belt material for various applications, in that the webbing of the present invention can have multiple uses other than in seat belt systems.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a webbing comprises a top belt portion, a bottom belt portion, a pair of lateral side seam members, and the webbing has collapsible, resilient internal features capable of absorbing energy during an impact, or collision. The length of the webbing is the same as convention seat belt webbing, so that it can be readily into conventional automotive, aircraft, or watercraft seat belt systems. In another embodiment, the webbing can be introduced into seat belt systems following the simple modification of the belt buckle, mounting fixture, and related peripheral attachment devices in order to accommodate the webbing's thickness, thereby reducing manufacturing expenses.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of said webbing will become apparent from the accompanying drawings, and detailed description of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3306662 (1967-02-01), Finnigan
patent: 3978894 (1976-09-01), Boone
patent: 4018478 (1977-04-01), Fiala et al.
patent: 4223917 (1980-09-01), Mori et al.
patent: 4243028 (1981-01-01), Puyana
patent: 4513896 (1985-04-01), Hirsch
patent: 4600626 (1986-07-01), Ogata
patent: 5039168 (1991-08-01), Baymak et al.
patent: 5167263 (1992-12-01), Helen et al.
patent: 5322349 (1994-06-01), Giano
patent: 5383713 (1995-01-01), Kamiyama et al.
patent: 5529343 (1996-06-01), Klink
patent: 5722689 (1998-03-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5823627 (1998-10-01), Viano et al.
patent: 5910457 (1999-06-01), Kolb
patent: 5924773 (1999-07-01), Kirchhoff et al.
patent: 6182874 (2001-02-01), Feldman, Jr.
BESI Manufacturing Inc., 9445 Sutton Place, Hamilton OH 85011 online catalog www.besi-inc.com (Jan. 1, 2000) current data.
Brown Peter R.
Meraw Leonard J.
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