Restraint element for stabilizing the seating position of a person in the vehicle

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a restraint element with a belt strap for stabilizing the sitting posture of a person in a vehicle, wherein the belt strap extends from a chest end to a bearing end and has at least one first connecting element for connecting the chest end to a three-point belt and at least one second connecting element for connecting the bearing end to a fixed point in the vehicle.

[0002] Such a retaining element is already known from DE 43 17 276 A1. Reference is also made to FR 2 674 803 A1, DE 10 2008 003644 A1, DE 10 2018 109796 B3, and DE 92 01 946 U1.

[0003] DE 102019115430 A1 discloses a restraint belt for a vehicle. This restraint belt is attached to the main structure of the vehicle and includes a body. The body is shaped to secure the occupant's body because it is worn like a corset. It can represent an alternative to the traditional child seat. However, this restraint element is only suitable for very small children, as it is designed as a corset that adapts to the child's proportions. The rigid body can also restrict the child's freedom of movement.

[0004] However, older children often sit in a child seat secured with a three-point harness. The seat position initially remains upright until the child falls asleep. As the child falls asleep, the child's head often falls forward, to the left or right. This can lead to strain on the neck muscles or even injuries to the neck or shoulder area.

[0005] DE 102005045025 A1 describes a single-point head-restraint system that secures a child's head while traveling in a car. It is attached to the headrest of the child seat with two straps and consists of side cushions attached to the head and a headband that can be pushed across the forehead as needed, securing the head. However, in this case, the child's freedom of movement is severely restricted. The headband should also only be put on after the child has fallen asleep, as the head should not be unnecessarily restrained. An additional person in the back seat is required for this. In this version, the child must be additionally secured. This is usually done with a three-point belt.

[0006] Against this background, the present invention is based on the object of creating a restraint element for stabilizing the sitting posture of a person in the car, which corrects the position of a three-point belt so that the head and neck area in the car is not overstressed.

[0007] The problem is solved by a restraint element for stabilizing the sitting position of a person in the vehicle according to the features of independent claim 1. Useful embodiments of such a restraint element can be found in the subsequent dependent claims.

[0008] A restraint element with a belt strap is provided for stabilizing the sitting posture of a person in a vehicle. According to the invention, such a restraint element is characterized in that the belt strap extends from a chest end to a support end and has at least one first connecting element for connecting the chest end to a three-point belt and at least one second connecting element for connecting the support end to a fixed point in the vehicle.

[0009] A person is usually secured against restraint in a vehicle while driving using a three-point belt. The three-point belt secures the person when it is placed across the upper body and then fastened. Children are secured when traveling in a child seat. A three-point belt can also be placed over this and fastened to the side next to the child. To stabilize the head and neck area when sitting or sleeping in the vehicle, an additional restraint element can be used. The restraint element can be attached at the bearing end to a fixed point in the car and at the chest end to the three-point belt. There are many different attachment points in the car; for example, one end of the belt can be attached to the attachment bars of the headrest or to the child seat using a connecting element.

[0010] In a specific embodiment, at least one of the connecting elements is constructed in two parts, with an end connector and a mating connector positioned at a distance from it in the longitudinal direction of the belt webbing forming a loop for receiving the three-point belt or the fixed point in the vehicle when connected. A two-part connecting element can be designed as a hook-and-loop fastener, which is constructed from hook-and-loop surfaces positioned at the end and in the middle of the belt webbing. The hook-and-loop surfaces can be designed as a connector and a mating connector, and when in contact, they engage the three-point belt or a fixed point in the vehicle. One end of the belt webbing can thus be attached to the three-point belt by enclosing the three-point belt. A hook-and-loop fastener has the advantage of being easily detachable and refastenable. It consists of two hook-and-loop surfaces that adhere to each other when in contact and subjected to slight pressure.

[0011] Preferably, at least two additional connecting elements can be attached centrally to the base of the belt strap. These are designed as loops, allowing for an adjustable attachment of the belt strap to a fixed point in the car. The loops can again engage a mounting rod of the headrest. Since several loops are arranged one behind the other on the belt strap, the loop with the appropriate length can be selected for attachment depending on the child's proportions.

[0012] In a specific embodiment, at least one second connecting element is designed as a fixed loop located at the bearing end of the belt strap.

[0013] This can wrap around the headrest's mounting rod, allowing the rod to be inserted directly into the loop. It can also be inserted into a C-profile on the child seat. This securely attaches the restraint to a fixed point in the car or on the child seat.

[0014] At least one of the connecting elements can be designed as a hook, in particular a snap hook, a buckle, a zipper, a button and buttonhole, a button and eyelet, or a snap fastener. There are various closure and fastening options for attaching the belt strap to a fixed point in the car or to the three-point belt. For example, a connecting element could be designed as a hook or snap hook, which is attached to an eyelet in the car. A zipper would be a conceivable connecting element, as this can be opened and closed as often as required. Or at least one connecting element can be designed as a button and buttonhole, a button and loop, or a snap fastener, as a snap fastener, for example, is a cost-effective connecting element. At least one connecting element can be designed as a buckle, preferably as a pin buckle or clip-in buckle.

[0015] In its specific form, the webbing can be made of plastic, preferably polyethylene. A plastic webbing has the distinct advantage of being dimensionally stable and lightweight. Furthermore, a plastic webbing has no hard edges. This is why it is already used as a material for seat belts.

[0016] The strap can have a rectangular base that tapers towards the end of the seat. It is advantageous if the strap tapers on the side leading to the chest end. This prevents the strap from cutting into the neck area.

[0017] Preferably, a system can comprise a restraint element and a fastening means for providing a fixed point in the vehicle. In a specific embodiment, the fastening means can be designed as a surface element with two receptacles for passing through fastening rods of a headrest of the vehicle that can be inserted into a vehicle seat, and at least one holder for connecting to the second connecting element of the belt strap. The headrest can be used to better fasten the belt strap in the car. Thus, a fastening means is provided that can be passed through both fastening rods of the headrest and which additionally has a holder via which the connecting element of the restraint element can be fastened.

[0018] In a specific embodiment, at least one holder of the fastening means can be designed as a groove incorporated into the surface element or as a hook, preferably a snap hook, suspended in a through-hole. This allows the second connecting element to be easily attached to the headrest.

[0019] Preferably, a first receptacle can be circular, and a second receptacle can be designed as an elongated hole. To attach the surface element to the headrest of the car seat, the fastening rods can be pushed directly through both receptacles. A second receptacle can be oval. This has the advantage that headrests with fastening rods that are spaced at different distances from each other can be used for attachment.

[0020] In a specific design, the surface element can be dimensionally stable, preferably made of plastic. A dimensionally stable flat element is advantageous. In this case, the surface element's mount can be securely connected to the restraint element to stabilize a person's seating position in the vehicle.

[0021] The surface element can be made of polyethylene. This material is particularly suitable because it makes it easy to produce dimensionally stable and cost-effective workpieces. Other plastics, particularly another polyolefin, could also be conceivably suitable as a material for the surface element.

[0022] The invention described above is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] It shows Figure 1 shows a restraint element according to the invention for correcting the three-point belt in a car. Figure 2 shows the restraint element according toFigure 1 in plan view with open Velcro fastener Figure 3 the retaining element according to Figure 1 in plan view with closed Velcro fastener Figure 4 a fastening means for attaching the restraint element to a car seat in plan view.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a restraint element 1 according to the invention for correcting the position of the three-point belt 11 in the car. The car has a vehicle seat 10. A person has secured their position using a commercially available three-point belt 11. If the person falls asleep while driving, their head could tilt either to the left, right, or forward. To prevent this, a belt strap 2 is attached to the three-point belt 11 via a loop 7 and to a fixed point 12 in the car.

[0025] The structure of the retaining element 1 in the perspective from above is shown in Figure 2shown. The restraint element 1 is designed as a belt strap 2 with a rectangular base body that tapers at the bearing end 8. This shape has the advantage that it does not cause constrictions in the neck area when put on. The first connecting element 4 is located at the chest end 3, whereas the second connecting element 9 is positioned at the bearing end 8. The second connecting element 9 serves to attach the belt strap 2 to a fixed point 12 in the car and to the three-point belt 11. The first connecting element 4 is constructed in two parts as a connector 5 and a counter-connector 6. Different variations are conceivable as connecting elements 4, 9, for example loops, Velcro fasteners and zippers, snap fasteners or hooks can be used. The fastening rods of the headrest or other fastening points in the car or on the vehicle seat 10 can serve as the fixed point 12 in the vehicle.There are additional fastening elements 4,9 which allow the length of the strap 2 to be adjusted.

[0026] In Figure 3 is the same perspective as in Figure 2 selected. The restraint element 1 is viewed from above. In this exemplary embodiment, a two-part first connecting element 4, 9 is present. Connector 5 and mating connector 6 adhere to one another at the chest end 3. The belt strap 2 forms a loop 7, which can be guided around the three-point belt 11 and thus fastened to it.

[0027] Figure 4shows the fastening means 13, which serves to fasten the restraint element 1 to the headrest of the vehicle seat 10. This is constructed as a dimensionally stable flat means in which a first and a second receptacle 15, 16 are located. The dimensionally stable construction enables a stable fastening of the restraint element 1 to the fastening means 13. The fastening rods of the headrest can be guided through the receptacles 15, 16. A first receptacle 15 is designed as a circle, a second receptacle 16 has an elongated hole. In headrests, the distance between the fastening rods is not always the same. The oval shape of the second receptacle 16 allows the fastening means 13 to be used in different vehicles. Thus, the fastening means 13 is subsequently connected to a fixed point 12 in the car. In addition, a holder 17 for fastening the restraint element 1 to the fastening means 13 is located on the surface element 14.

[0028] The above-described restraint element is used to stabilize the sitting position of a person in the vehicle, which corrects the position of a three-point belt so that the head and neck area in the car is not overstressed. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0029] 1Restraint element 2Webbing 3Chest end 4First connecting element 5Connector 6Counter connector 7Loop 8Bearing end 9Second connecting element 10Vehicle seat 11Three-point belt 12Fixed point 13Fastening means 14Surface element 15First receptacle 16Second receptacle 17Bracket

Claims

1. Restraint element with a belt strap (2) for stabilizing the sitting position of a person in a vehicle, the belt strap (2) extending from a chest end (3) to a bearing end (8) and having at least one first connecting element (4) for connecting the chest end (3) to a three-point belt (11) and at least one second connecting element (9) for connecting the bearing end (8) to a fixed point (12) in the vehicle, characterized in that the first connecting element (4) is designed in two parts, an end connector (5) and a counter-connector (6) positioned at a distance from this end connector in the longitudinal direction of the belt strap (2) forming a loop (7) in a connected state for receiving the three-point belt (11) or the fixed point (12) in the vehicle and in that the at least one second connecting element (9) is designed as a fixed loop (7) located at the bearing end (8) of the belt strap (2).

2. Restraint element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one additional second connecting element (9) is assigned to the belt strap (2), a plurality of second connecting elements (9) being spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the belt strap (2).

3. Restraint element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the connecting elements (4, 9) is designed as a hook, in particular as a snap hook, as a buckle, zipper, button and buttonhole, button and eyelet or as a snap fastener.

4. Restraint element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the belt strap (2) is made of plastics material, preferably polyethylene.

5. Restraint element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the belt strap (2) has a rectangular base which tapers toward the bearing end (8).