U.S. patent application number 16/881155 was filed with the patent office on 2021-11-25 for anchor assembly for safety vest in vehicles.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hoon Y. Kim, Hyun S. Kim. Invention is credited to Hoon Y. Kim, Hyun S. Kim.
Application Number | 20210362672 16/881155 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004992513 |
Filed Date | 2021-11-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210362672 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Hoon Y. ; et
al. |
November 25, 2021 |
ANCHOR ASSEMBLY FOR SAFETY VEST IN VEHICLES
Abstract
The present invention relates to accessory systems for enhancing
the security of restraint system used in a vehicle with a lap
seatbelt system. A plurality of straps can placed on the upper
surface of a vehicle seat and configured to provide a secure
connection between the shoulders of the restraint system and an
upper portion of the vehicle seat, the anchoring system securing
the torso of the individual to the seat back. An optional plurality
of straps are configured to provide a supplemental connection
between the anchoring system and a rear portion of the seat,
tethering the anchoring system to the vehicle to anchoring
structures in the floor of the vehicle or the bottom portion of the
seat. The straps can be adjusted to accommodate different heights
in wearers, seats backs, and vehicle seats, making the restraint
user adjustable for use by different wearers and in different
vehicles.
Inventors: |
Kim; Hoon Y.; (Chicago,
IL) ; Kim; Hyun S.; (Chicago, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kim; Hoon Y.
Kim; Hyun S. |
Chicago
Chicago |
IL
IL |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004992513 |
Appl. No.: |
16/881155 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 22/26 20130101;
B60R 2022/027 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 22/26 20060101
B60R022/26 |
Claims
1. A safety harness attachment system comprising: an upper
attachment strap configured to receive a top portion of a seat, the
upper attachment strap including a rear portion and a front portion
configured to couple and decouple the front portion to and from the
safety harness; one or more lower attachment straps including a
respective upper portion and a respective loop segment that is
configured to couple the one or more attachment straps to a lower
portion of the seat when an exterior of the respective loop is
wrapped around the lower portion of the seat and the respective
upper portion is fed through the respective loop; a tethering strap
including a first section configured to couple and decouple the
tethering strap to and from the rear portion of the upper
attachment strap and a second section configured to couple and
decouple the tethering strap to and from the respective upper
portion of the one or more attachment straps; and a first strap
tightening mechanism coupled to one of the upper attachment strap,
the one or more lower attachment straps, and the tethering strap
and configured to tighten the one of the upper attachment strap,
the one or more lower attachment straps, and the tethering strap,
wherein, when the first section is coupled to the rear portion of
the upper attachment strap, the second section is coupled to the
respective upper portion of the one or more attachment straps, and
the first strap tightening mechanism is used to tighten the one of
the upper attachment strap, the one or more lower attachment
straps, and the tethering strap, the upper attachment strap is
secured to the lower portion of the seat through the tethering
strap and the one or more lower attachment straps.
2. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first strap tightening mechanism is coupled to the upper attachment
strap.
3. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first strap tightening mechanism is coupled to the one or more
lower attachment straps.
4. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first strap tightening mechanism is coupled to the first section of
the tethering strap.
5. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first strap tightening mechanism is coupled to the second section
of the tethering strap.
6. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 further
comprising: a second strap tightening mechanism coupled to the
upper attachment strap and configured to tighten the upper
attachment strap to secure the upper attachment strap to the top
portion of the seat.
7. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
upper attachment strap is configured to slide over the top portion
of the seat.
8. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
second section of the tethering strap includes one or more
fastening elements configured to couple and decouple the tethering
strap to and from respective eye hole mounts of the respective
upper portion of the one or more lower attachment straps.
9. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
respective upper portion of the one or more lower attachment straps
includes respective fastening elements configured to couple and
decouple the one or more lower attachment straps to and from one or
more eye hole mounts of the second section of the tethering
strap.
10. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first section of the tethering strap includes one or more fastening
elements configured to couple and decouple the tethering strap to
and from one or more eye hole mounts of the rear portion of the
upper attachment strap.
11. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
rear portion of the upper attachment strap includes one or more
fastening elements configured to couple and decouple the upper
attachment strap to and from one or more eye hole mounts of the
first section of the tethering strap.
12. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the
first section of the tethering strap is coupled to the second
section of the tethering strap by a central strap.
13. The safety harness attachment system of claim 12 wherein the
first section is fed through a first loop of the central strap and
the second section is fed through a second loop of the central
strap.
14. The safety harness attachment system of claim 12 wherein the
central strap includes a set of energy absorbing rings.
15. The safety harness attachment system of claim 1 wherein the one
or more lower attachment straps include a respective set of energy
absorbing rings.
16. An anchor assembly for use in a vehicle with a lap seatbelt
system comprising: a plurality of straps for attaching to an upper
surface of a vehicle seat, including: a first anchoring strap for
encircling an upper portion of the vehicle seat; a second anchoring
strap having first and second ends fixed to first and second
locations on the first anchoring strap, the second anchoring strap
for extending over the upper surface of the vehicle seat; a first
connection mechanism having: a first end for slidingly engaging a
first segment of the anchoring strap, and a second end for securely
engaging a first shoulder portion of a safety restraint system; and
a second connection mechanism having: a first end for slidingly
engaging a second segment of the anchoring strap, and a second end
for securely engaging a second shoulder portion of the safety
restraint system; wherein when an individual wearing the safety
restraint system is seated inside the vehicle and restrained by the
lap seatbelt, the anchor assembly secures the individual to the
upper portion of the vehicle seat by slidingly engaging the first
and second shoulder portions of the safety restraint system to the
upper portion of the vehicle seat.
17. The anchor assembly of claim 1, comprising a tethering system
comprising: a tethering member comprising: an upper connecting
member; a lower connecting member; and an elongated central strap
attaching the connecting members; and a third connection mechanism
having: a first end portion for slidingly engaging a first segment
of the anchoring strap, and a second end portion for securely
engaging a first end portion of the upper connecting member; and a
fourth connection mechanism having: a first end portion for
slidingly engaging a second segment of the anchoring strap, and a
second end portion for securely engaging a second end portion of
the upper connecting member; wherein when the anchor assembly
secures the individual to the upper portion of the vehicle seat,
the upper connecting member is for engaging the anchor assembly,
and the lower connecting member includes a first end portion for
securely engaging a first rear portion the vehicle seat and a
second end portion for securely engaging a second rear portion the
vehicle seat.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/873,536 filed Jul. 12, 2020 and titled "ANCHOR
ASSEMBLY FOR SAFETY VEST IN VEHICLES." U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/873,536 is hereby fully incorporated by
reference as if set forth fully herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and
injury in the United States. Motor vehicles commonly contain
restraint systems in the form of lap belts and shoulder belts for
securing a passenger to a vehicle seat. Presently, there are
harness safety systems for securing individuals, especially smaller
individuals such as children, to the lap and shoulder belts in the
vehicles.
[0003] While combination lap-and-shoulder seat belts are preferred
safety restraint systems in automotive vehicles, some vehicles lack
a shoulder restraint. These vehicles rely on a lap belt to secure
occupants of the vehicle. Such lap belts secure an individual to
the seat at two points, on either side of the waist. Such lap belts
secure individuals wearing harness safety systems similarly.
[0004] For an individual secured with only a lap belt (and no
shoulder restraint), there is a need for a supplemental assembly to
anchor the individual's torso to the seat. In particular, there is
a need for an anchor assembly to secure an individual's safety
restraint system so that the wearer's upper torso is secured to the
seat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a safety harness attachment system
according to disclosed embodiments;
[0006] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are a perspective view of an upper
attachment strap according to disclosed embodiments;
[0007] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a tethering strap according
to disclosed embodiments;
[0008] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one or more lower attachment
straps according to disclosed embodiments; and
[0009] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one or more lower attachment
straps coupled to a tethering strap according to disclosed
embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] While this invention is susceptible of an embodiment in many
different forms, specific embodiments thereof will be described
herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure
is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the
invention. It is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific illustrated embodiments.
[0011] The present invention relates to accessories for use with a
safety harness having a lap panel (the lap panel for securing a lap
belt in the seat of a bus, airplane, or other vehicle. Such
harnesses secure the wearer to the lap belt, anchoring the wearer
to the portion of the seat they are sitting on. The anchoring
apparatus is secured to the back of the seat and both shoulders of
the safety harness are secured to the anchoring apparatus, securing
the wearer to the portion of the seat contacting his back.
[0012] In some embodiments, the anchor assembly includes an
adjustable loop of material for encircling the back of the seat,
the adjustable loop portion to be oriented in a horizontal plane
when in use. The anchor assembly includes a strap having each end
fixed to the adjustable first and second locations on the
adjustable loop. When placed on the back member of the vehicle
seat, the adjustable loop will be oriented in a horizontal plane
around the seat back member and the strap will be arranged in a
vertical plane perpendicular to the adjustable loop. The strap will
contact an upper portion of the seat back, a first end segment
contacting the front surface of the seat, a central segment
contacting the top surface of the seat, and a second end segment
contacting the rear or back surface of the seat, respectively. The
first and second ends of the strap are secured or affixed to the
adjustable loop. When the anchor assembly is in use, the first end
can be proximate to the front surface of the vehicle seat, while
the second end can be proximate to the rear surface of the vehicle
seat.
[0013] The adjustable loop portion can include a pair of attachment
members for securing the shoulders of the safety harness. Each
attachment member can include a loop of material that encircles the
adjustable loop, sized so as to slide along the adjustable strap,
as well as a portion for connecting to a structure on the shoulder
of the safety harness. For example, each attachment member can
comprise a loop of material for slidingly engaging the adjustable
strap, as well as a tab comprising a fastener. The fastener can
include, for example, a snap, button, Velcro pad, or other commonly
used fastener. When attached to a vehicle seat, these attachment
members will be located proximate to the front surface of the back
member of the vehicle seat.
[0014] The length of the strap can be adjusted allow the anchor
assembly to be engaged at different heights of the vehicle back
member. This allows the assembly to be adjusted for a secure fit,
depending on the height of the wearer and the height of the seat.
The centrally-located strap keeps the adjustable loop anchored to
the top portion of the vehicle seat back member.
[0015] To engage both shoulders of a safety harness, a pair of
attachment members can be used. Preferably, one attachment member
slidingly engages a first portion of the adjustable strap (between
the first and second ends of the strap), while another attachment
member slidingly engages a second portion of the adjustable strap
(between the first and second ends of the strap).
[0016] To engage the safety harness to the back of the vehicle
seat, a tethering apparatus can be employed. Such tethering
apparatus can attach to a pair of anchor members fixed to the
adjustable loop. One tethering apparatus can be fixed to the
adjustable loop proximate to one side of the second end of the
strap, while another tethering apparatus can be fixed to the
adjustable loop proximate to the other side of the second end of
the strap.
[0017] When attached to a vehicle seat, these anchor members will
be located proximate to the rear surface of the back member of the
vehicle seat.
[0018] The anchor members can be connected to structures to the
rear portion of the vehicle seat back member via an adjustable
four-point tether member. The tether member can include a central
strap, with an upper strap and a lower strap connected to the top
and bottom ends of the central strap. The upper strap can include
first and second arms for attached to first and second anchor
members. The lower strap can include first and second arms for
securing to structures in the rear portion of the vehicle seat. For
example, the arms of the lower straps can loop around rod like
structures, such as seat legs. As another example, the arms of the
lower straps can include fasteners such as hooks or loops for
engaging an anchor loop in the floor of the vehicle.
[0019] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a safety harness attachment system 20
attached to a seat 22 and coupled to a safety harness 23 according
to disclosed embodiments. As seen in FIG. 1, the safety harness
attachment system 20 can include an upper attachment strap 24
configured to receive a top portion of the seat 22, one or more
lower attachment straps 26, a tethering strap 28, and a strap
tightening mechanism 27. As seen in FIG. 2 when the safety harness
23 is coupled to the safety harness attachment system 20 a lap belt
25 can be coupled to the safety harness 23 to further secure the
safety harness 23 in the seat 22.
[0020] As seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the upper attachment strap 24
can include a rear portion 30 and a front portion 32 configured to
couple and decouple the front portion 32 to and from the safety
harness 23. In some embodiments, the one or more lower attachment
straps 26 can include a respective upper portion 34 and a
respective loop segment 36 that couple the lower attachment straps
26 to a lower portion of the seat 22. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, the tethering strap 28 can include a first section 38
configured to couple and decouple the tethering strap 28 to and
from the rear portion 30 and a second section 40 configured to
couple and decouple the tethering strap 28 to and from the
respective upper portion 34 of the one or more attachment straps
26.
[0021] Various embodiments for the strap tightening mechanism 27
are contemplated. For example, as seen in FIG. 1, in some
embodiments the strap tightening mechanism 27 can be coupled to the
second section 40 of the tethering strap 28. However, additional
embodiments where the strap tightening mechanism 27 is coupled to
the section 38 of the tethering strap 28, the upper attachment
strap 24 and/or the one or more lower attachment straps 26 are also
contemplated. In operation, the strap tightening mechanism 27 is
configured to tighten the strap to which it is coupled such that
when the tightening mechanism is tightened the upper attachment
strap 30 is secured to the lower portion of the seat 22 through the
tethering strap 28 and the one or more lower attachment straps
26.
[0022] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are perspective views of the upper
attachment strap 24 according to disclosed embodiments. As seen in
FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, in some embodiments, the upper attachment
strap 24 can include a strap tightening mechanisms 42 configured to
tighten the upper attachment strap 24 to secure the upper
attachment strap 44 to the top portion of the seat 22. Furthermore,
in some embodiments, the upper attachment strap 24 includes one or
more eye hole mounts 44 for coupling the upper attachment strap 24
to the tethering strap 28 and one or more fastening elements 45 for
coupling the upper attachment strap 24 to the safety harness 23. In
some embodiments, the fastening elements 45 can be replaced with
additional eye hole mounts used to couple the upper attachment
strap 24 to the safety harness 23.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the tethering strap 28
according to disclosed embodiments. As seen in FIG. 4, in some
embodiments, the first section 38 can include one or more fastening
elements 46 configured to couple and decouple the tethering strap
28 to and from the one or more eye hole mounts 44 of the rear
portion 30 of the upper attachment strap 24. In some embodiments,
the fastening elements 46 and the one or more eye hole mounts 44
can be switched such that the rear portion 30 of the upper
attachment strap 24 includes the fastening elements 46 and the
first section 38 includes the one or more eye hole mounts 44.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second section 40 can
includes one or more fastening elements 48 configured to couple and
decouple the tethering strap 28 to and from the one or more lower
attachment straps 26.
[0024] As seen in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the first section 30
can be coupled to the second section 40 by a central strap 50. For
example, in some embodiments, the first section 30 is fed through a
first loop of the central strap 50 and the second section 40 is fed
through a second loop of the central strap 50. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, the central strap 50 can include a set of energy
absorbing rings 52 that absorb energy when the safety harness
attachment system 20 is under strain to prevent or limit damage to
the safety harness attachment system 20.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the one or more lower
attachment straps 26 according to disclosed embodiments. As seen in
FIG. 4 the one or more lower attachment straps 26 can include a
respective set of energy absorbing rings 52 that are similar to the
energy absorbing rings 50 of the tethering strap 28 and one or more
eye hole mounts 54.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the one or more lower
attachment straps 26 coupled to the tethering strap 28 and to the
lower portion of the seat 22 according to disclosed embodiments. As
seen in FIG. 6 the respective loop segment 36 can be configured to
couple the one or more attachment straps 26 to the lower portion of
the seat 22 when an exterior of the respective loop 36 is wrapped
around the lower portion of the seat 22 and the respective upper
portion 34 is fed through the respective loop 36.
[0027] Furthermore, as seen in FIG. 6 the one or more eye hole
mounts 54 can receive the one or more fastening elements 48 to
couple the one or more lower attachment straps 26 coupled to the
tethering strap 28. In some embodiments, the fastening elements 48
and the one or more eye hole mounts 54 can be switched such that
the one or more lower attachment straps 26 include the fastening
elements 48 and the tethering strap includes the one or more eye
hole mounts 54.
[0028] From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous
variations and modifications may be effected without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that
no limitation with respect to the specific system or method
described herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of
course, intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *