Chairs and seats – Body or occupant restraint or confinement – Safety belt or harness; e.g. – lap belt or shoulder harness
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-06
2002-05-07
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
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382730
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle seat belt attachments and, more specifically, to an adjustable, modular shoulder harness retainer that will displace and retain the seat belt shoulder harness in a position away from the user's body to prevent the shoulder harness from contacting the user's torso and abdomen, while leaving it close enough to maintain the functional integrity of the seat belt.
Seat belts have been shown to be extremely effective in preventing or reducing the severity of injuries incurred during collisions yet many drivers and passengers still refuse to wear seat belts because of discomfort caused by the pressure of the shoulder harness against the neck, torso and abdomen. The pressure and friction of the shoulder harness can also dishevel clothing that a person may desire to keep neat and wrinkle-free.
The problem of shoulder harness discomfort has been addressed in prior art by attaching padded cushioning devices on the user side of the harness but they still apply pressure against the user while the cushioning device frequently exacerbates the friction placed against the user's clothing.
The present invention will virtually eliminate contact between the seat belt shoulder harness and the body of the user and also will prevent the wrinkling of clothing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other shoulder harness attachments for vehicle seat belts. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,843 issued to Gary W. Gleason on Sep. 9, 1997.
Another patent was issued to Joseph C. Finnigan on May 18, 1976 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,282. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,080 was issued to Lawrence C. Jay on Nov. 22, 1988 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 12, 1996 to Evan M. Galloway et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,306. U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,536 was issued to Edwin J. White on Dec. 17, 1996 and another patent was issued to Judy W. Gunby on Apr. 15, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,234.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,843
Inventor: Gary W. Gleason
Issued: Sep. 9, 1997
An apparatus for biasing a portion of a seat belt shoulder harness away from a portion of a human chest. The apparatus comprises a body portion including a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion. The body portion is deformable between a first and a second position. In the first position the intermediate portion is substantially non-coplanar with the first and second end portions, and in the second position, the intermediate portion is substantially coplanar with the end portions. The body portion is biased in the first position and is secured to the seat belt shoulder harness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,282
Inventor: Joseph C. Finnigan
Issued: May, 1976
An attachment for a shoulder harness comprising a soft resilient material embracing the shoulder belt and providing a cushioning surface which enlarges as pressure is applied to it in the vicinity of the neck of the wearer to blunt the edge of the belt as it is urged toward the neck of the wearer, the same being attachable and detachable from existing shoulder harnesses. The device also allows the wearer to enjoy increased comfort while wearing the device on the shoulder belt under normal driving conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,080
Inventor: Lawrence C. Jay
Issued: Nov. 22, 1988
A cushion for vehicle seat belts or harnesses comprising a cylindrical body of resilient material adapted to be detachably affixed to a shoulder belt adjacent the neck of the wearer. The cylindrical body is partially split along its longitudinal axis to provide a slot for reception of the belt, and a fabric sleeve is fitted over the two sections of the split cylindrical body. Fastening means are provided on the sleeve for securing the open side of the tubular body together with the belt encased therein. The cushion thus presents a broad, resilient, gently curved surface in all directions and prevents abrasive contact of the belt with the clothing and neck of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,306
Inventor: Evan M. Galloway et al.
Issued: Nov. 12, 1996
A non-slip seat belt cover includes an elongated, rectangular section of covering material having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a first elongated strip of hook-and-pile fastener, attached along one of the longer edges of the exterior surface; a second elongated strip of hook-and-pile fastener, attached along the longer edge of the interior surface opposite the edge to which the first fastener strip is attached; and a securing mechanism including a plurality of prong members secured to the interior surface of the interior surface adjacent one of the shorter ends of the rectangular section. The securing member is preferably a cleat pad having a plurality of rows of prong members extending from the cleat pad. The prong members are preferably angled with respect to the cleat pad at an angle between twenty-five and sixty degrees. When angled prong members are utilized, the point of the prongs should be oriented away from the adjacent shorter edge of the rectangular section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,536
Inventor: Edwin J. White
Issued: Dec. 17, 1996
The present device relates to a seat belt cushioning device which is adapted to be positioned over the existing seat belt of a vehicle. More specifically, the present device is adapted to be positioned over the shoulder restraint portion of a vehicle seat belt in order to reduce any pressure that is applied to the chest of a wearer. The present device defines particular application with users who have recently undergone heart surgery and need to avoid any excess pressures that may otherwise be applied to the chest. Thus, the device of the present device is adapted to be secured over the shoulder restraint of a vehicle seat belt to reduce any pressures that are applied to the chest of a wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,234
Inventor: Judy W. Gunby
Issued: Apr. 15, 1997
The present device relates to a seat belt cushion that includes a cushion comprising a foam like interior which is permanently encased by a cushion face. In the preferred embodiment, VELCRO (TM) fastening elements enable the device to be secured to a seat belt by means of a VELCRO(TM) backing secured to the length of the seat belt. The seat belt cushion, therefore, can be attached anywhere along the length of the seat belt. Once secured, the seat belt cushion may be slid along the length of the seat belt in order to adjust to fit an individual of any height, weight, gender or other physical characteristics. The seat belt cushion is manufactured in a variety of lengths, widths and degrees of thickness to accommodate the demands of the particular user. Moreover, the seat belt cushion can be utilized in conjunction with the seat belts of automobiles, trucks, buses and airplanes. Protracted sides on either distal end of the cushion prevent the entire seat belt from contacting the user's torso. Further, the face of the cushion padding comprises protruding columns of varying lengths, enabling the seat belt cushion to function as a massaging means.
While these seat belt shoulder attachments may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a rigid three-piece interlocking seat belt shoulder harness retaining device that can be adjusted to an appropriate length to maximize the user's comfort level by forcing a bow in the shoulder harness that displaces the seat belt off the user. The three pieces telescopically adjust to allow a variable amount of bow in the shoulder harness to assist the user in finding the optimum position. In one embodiment, the three pieces are arcuately shaped, thus presenting a bow that extends from the seat belt positioning member, from which the shoulder harness extends above the shoulder, to the latching member on the seat belt that is inserted into the female latch member. The device has speci
Brown Peter R.
Kroll Michael I.
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