Auxiliary Belt Device

Abstract

To provide an auxiliary belt device which even an infant or the like can easily wear / take off and to which a body of the infant or the like is surely fixed once worn.SOLUTION: This auxiliary belt device comprises: a backside sheet 14 fitted along the backside reception surface of a vehicle; a shoulder guard member 24; a string member 26; and a buckle 28. The backside sheet 14 is provided with a pair of left and right attached shoulder belts 16. The upper end of the shoulder guard member 24 is set at the position of the backside sheet 14 higher than a shoulder of a user S. The lower end of the string member 26 is set at the position of the backside sheet 14 fitted to a seat lower than a breast of the user S. The buckle 28 includes a buckle body 34 having first to third connection bars 40a, 40b, and 40c for connecting a pair of side walls 38a and 38b to each other, and a lock releasing ring 36 in which a finger can be hooked. The buckle body 34 is attached to the outer surface side or the lower end of the shoulder guard member 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary belt device used for supporting the body in a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Kindergarten buses and other vehicles exclusively for small children (automobiles used exclusively for transporting small children) are exempt from the obligation to install seat belts. This is due to the following reasons: in an emergency, it takes time for a small child to unbuckle themselves and escape; children's physiques vary depending on their age, so it is difficult to set a fixed seat belt; and kindergarten teachers and other passengers must help put on and take off the seat. However, to ensure the safety of small children, it is preferable to fasten the small child's body to the seat, even if it is a simple method.

[0003] Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, there has been a vehicle seat fixing belt that includes a pair of seatback fixing belts that are hung vertically across the seatback of the vehicle seat, and a pair of body fixing belts that are provided midway between the pair of seatback fixing belts and fix the user from both the shoulders and armpits of the user seated in the vehicle seat. The body fixing belt is made of a strap member that is divided into two in the length direction, and a body fixing belt connecting part that allows the divided ends to be attached and detached to each other is provided near the user's chest.

[0004] The body fastening belt connection part is composed of, for example, a ring-shaped fastener attached to one end of the two divided parts and a hook-and-loop fastener (male part / female part) attached to the other end, and the ends are connected by inserting the end with the hook-and-loop fastener into the fastener, folding it back, and attaching the male and female parts of the hook-and-loop fastener. Also, by changing the attachment position of the male and female parts of the hook-and-loop fastener, the fastening length of the body fastening belt can be adjusted. In addition, it is described that a buckle may be attached to one end of the two divided body fastening belts, and the ends may be connected to each other by the buckle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-184580 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The vehicle seat fastening belt of Patent Document 1 is constructed such that the ends of the two-part body fastening belt are connected with a fastener and a hook-and-loop fastener, so it is thought that even small children can fasten it relatively easily. However, hook-and-loop fasteners are prone to variations in the strength of the pressure contact between the male and female parts and the area of ​​attachment, so the connection strength of the body fastening belt is prone to become unstable, and it cannot be said to be sufficient in terms of safety.

[0007] Also, if the ends of the two-part body fixing belt are connected with a buckle, the connection strength of the body fixing belt can be stably ensured. However, when wearing the body fixing belt, it is necessary to grasp the buckle with one hand to position it, and to hold the end of the belt strap member with the other hand and pass it through the buckle to lock it, which is surprisingly difficult for a small child to do. Also, when removing the body fixing belt, it is required that a small child can easily release the locked state of the buckle, but this point is not particularly taken into consideration in Patent Document 1.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned background art, and has as its object to provide an auxiliary belt device which is suitable for use in children-only cars that do not have seat belts, which can be quickly and easily fastened and detached by children, and which, once fastened, can reliably secure the body of a child. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This invention comprises a back member that is attached along the back support surface of a vehicle seat, and a shoulder belt having a shoulder rest member, a string member and a buckle, attached to the back member in a pair on the left and right sides to secure the shoulders of a user, the shoulder rest member having an upper end attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position higher than the shoulders of the user, the string member being made of a belt and having a lower end attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position lower than the chest of the user, the buckle having first, second and third connecting bars connecting a pair of side wall portions to each other, the buckle body having an upper slit opening between the first and second connecting bars and a lower slit opening between the second and third connecting bars, and an unlocking ring on which a finger can be hooked, the buckle body being attached to the outer surface side or the lower end of the shoulder member, In use, the specific portion of the unlocking ring is disposed along the outer surface side of the second connecting bar of the buckle body, and the tip of the string member is inserted from the inner surface side of the buckle body into the upper slit and drawn out to the inner surface side of the buckle body through the lower slit so as to wrap around the second connecting bar and the specific portion. When the user pulls the tip of the string member to a position where the inner surface side of the shoulder rest member abuts against the user's shoulder, the string member is tightened by the string member, bringing the second connecting bar and the specific portion into close contact, and the string member is locked and prevented from coming off due to sliding friction between the string member and the buckle, and when the user pulls the unlocking ring in a direction away from the second connecting bar, the tightening by the string member is loosened and the lock of the string member is released.

[0010] It is preferable that a pulling ring is attached to the tip of the string member so that a finger can be hooked around the pulling portion. It is also preferable that the shoulder rest member is made of a material that is wider than the string member and less likely to deform.

[0011] The present invention also relates to an auxiliary belt device comprising a back member that is attached along the back support surface of a vehicle seat, and shoulder belts having a shoulder rest member, a string member and a buckle, attached to the back member in pair on the left and right sides to secure the user's shoulders, wherein the shoulder rest members are made of a material that is wider and less likely to deform than the string members, and have upper ends that are attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position higher than the user's shoulders and have an inner surface that abuts against the user's shoulders, and a lower end of the string member that is attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position lower than the user's chest, and the buckle is attached to the outer surface or lower end of the shoulder member, and engages a midway position of the string member so that its length can be adjusted.

[0012] The shoulder rest member may have a guide ring attached to its lower end, the buckle attached to the outer surface side of the shoulder rest member, and the tip of the string member may be guided to the buckle through the guide ring.

[0013] The shoulder rest members may be attached to the back member attached to the seat with a certain amount of play so that the upper ends of the shoulder rest members can move in the up-down or up-down and left-right directions. Further, a detachable connecting member may be provided to connect the pair of shoulder rest members to each other at intermediate positions. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The auxiliary belt device of this invention is suitable for use in children's cars that are not equipped with seat belts, and can be easily put on and taken off by children, and once put on, the user's body is securely fixed. In addition, the structure is simple and can be provided at low cost, and it is versatile enough to be applied to various seats, so it is very easy to spread. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a state in which an auxiliary belt device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a vehicle seat. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the auxiliary belt device of this embodiment in a state where it is removed from a vehicle seat and deployed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic side view of portions A to D of a shoulder belt when the auxiliary belt device of this embodiment is attached to a vehicle seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a plan view and an E-E sectional view showing a specific configuration example of a buckle body used in the auxiliary belt device of this embodiment; FIG. 1B is a side view showing the operation of passing a string member through the buckle body and locking it; and FIG. 1D is a side view showing the operation of releasing the locking of the string member by the buckle body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An embodiment of the auxiliary belt device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the auxiliary belt device 10 of this embodiment is a device that is attached to a seat 12 of a kindergarten bus or the like that is not equipped with a seat belt, and includes a sheet-like back sheet 14 that is a back member that is attached along the back support surface 12a of the seat 12, and shoulder belts 16 that are attached to the left and right sides of the back sheet 14 to fix the shoulders of a user S. The user S is an infant, a kindergarten teacher, or the like.

[0017] The back sheet 14 is provided with a base material 18 made of soft cloth or the like and has a substantially rectangular shape, with an upper fixing string 20a attached to one end in the longitudinal direction of the base material 18 and a lower fixing string 20b attached to the opposite end. In addition, a pair of reinforcing bands 22 are sewn in the vertical direction to reinforce the portion of the base material 18 where the two shoulder belts 16 are attached. When the back sheet 14 is attached to the seat 12, the end to which the upper fixing string 20a is attached is placed on the upper side, and the back side of the base material 18 is attached along the back support surface 12a and the seat surface 12a.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the shoulder belt 16 is composed of a shoulder rest member 24, a string member 26, and a buckle 28. The upper end of the shoulder rest member 24 is attached to the back seat 14 attached to the seat 12 at a position higher than the shoulders of the user S, and the inner surface of the shoulder rest member 24 is in contact with the shoulders of the user S. The shoulder rest member 24 is made of a material that is wider and less likely to deform than the string member 24 (for example, natural leather or artificial leather used as shoulder belts or shoulder rest members for school bags, etc.). A guide ring 30 for guiding the string member 26 is attached to the lower end of the shoulder rest member 24.

[0019] The upper end of the shoulder rest member 24 is attached to the back sheet 14 with some play to allow it to move in the up-down direction or the up-down left-right direction. Specifically, a mounting tool 32 consisting of a square-shaped frame with two holes is prepared, and the upper end of the shoulder rest member 24 is passed through one of the holes of the mounting tool 32 and wrapped around it to be attached to the mounting tool 32. Then, the part of the reinforcing band 22 that is not sewn to the base material 18 is passed through the other hole of the mounting tool 32, and the mounting tool 32 is held by the reinforcing band 22. The upper end of the shoulder rest member 24 is thus attached to the back sheet 14 via the mounting tool 32, and can move in the up-down direction or the up-down left-right direction depending on the length of the part of the reinforcing band 22 that is not sewn to the base material 18.

[0020] The string member 26 is made of a webbing made of soft fabric, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, its lower end is attached to the back seat 14 attached to the seat 12 at a position lower than the chest of the user S. Specifically, the base end, which is the lower end of the string member 26, is overlapped at a specific position of the reinforcing band 22 and fixed by sewing it integrally to the base material 18. The tip of the string member 26 is pulled out through the buckle 28, and a midway position of the string member 26 is engaged with the buckle 28 to become part of the shoulder belt 16.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the buckle 28 is composed of a buckle body 34 and an unlocking ring 36. The buckle body 34 is a member that locks the string member 26 at a midpoint so that the length can be adjusted, and has first, second and third connecting bars 40a, 40b and 40c that connect a pair of side wall portions 38a and 38b to each other. An upper slit 42a opens between the first and second connecting bars 40a and 40b, and a lower slit 42b opens between the second and third connecting bars 40b and 40c. The buckle body 34 is attached to the outer surface side of the shoulder rest member 24 at a midpoint in the vertical direction, at the height of the shoulder or chest of the user S, so as to be rotatably hung around the first connecting bar 40a. Although the buckle body 34 is illustrated in Fig. 3 as a schematic diagram, it is preferable to actually use a structure as shown in Figs. 4(a) and (b). In addition, in the buckle 34 shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), an auxiliary bar 40d is provided near the first connecting bar 40a, but the auxiliary bar 40d can be provided as appropriate and does not significantly affect the operation of the present invention.

[0022] The release ring 36 is a member used when releasing the string member 26 from the state in which the buckle body 34 has engaged it, to lengthen the shoulder belt 16, and is a ring-shaped member large enough for the user S to hook his / her finger around. For example, a metal fitting called a D-ring or a resin member can be used.

[0023] Here, the positional relationship between the buckle body 34 and the unlocking ring 36, and the connection structure between them and the string member 26 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 3. The tip end side of the string member 26 is guided to the position of the buckle 28 through the guide ring 30 provided at the lower end of the shoulder rest member 24. The unlocking ring 36 is arranged so that the specific portion 36a (for example, the straight portion of the D-ring) is along the outer surface side of the second connecting bar 40b of the buckle body 34. Then, the tip end of the string member 26 is inserted from the inner surface side of the buckle body 34 into the upper slit 42a, and is pulled out to the inner surface side of the buckle body 34 through the lower slit 42b so as to wrap around the second connecting bar 40b and the specific portion 36a. The operation of the buckle 28 to lock and release the string member 26 will be described in detail in the method of using the auxiliary belt device 10.

[0024] In addition, a pulling ring 38, such as a D-ring or the like, large enough to hook a finger is attached to the tip of the string member 26 pulled out from the buckle body 34. Also, a detachable connecting member 40 that connects the two shoulder rest members 24 to each other is provided midway between the pair of shoulder rest members 24.

[0025] Next, a method of using the auxiliary belt device 10 will be described. When the auxiliary belt device 10 is attached to the seat 12 of a kindergarten bus or the like, the back side of the back sheet 14 (base material 18) is brought into contact with the back support surface 12a and the seat surface 12a, the upper fixing string 20a is attached to the handle 12c on the back side of the back support surface 12a with a screw or bolt (not shown), and the lower fixing string 20b is attached to the leg part 12d of the seat 12 with a screw or bolt (not shown), and the back sheet 14 is fixed so as not to be displaced. Then, in the initial state, the length of the shoulder belt 16 is made long enough, and the connection by the connecting member 40 is released so that the two shoulder belts 16 can move freely.

[0026] A user S who is riding on a kindergarten bus or the like sits on the seat 12, puts both arms through the inside of the two shoulder belts 16, and then shortens the length of the shoulder belts 16 to suit his or her physique. Specifically, the buckle 28 is positioned with one hand, and the tip of the string member 26 is pulled with the other hand so that the inner side of the shoulder rest member 24 comes into contact with the shoulder of the user S. The action of pulling the tip of the string member 26 downward can be easily performed even by a small child by hooking a finger on the pulling ring 38 attached to the tip of the string member 26. When this action is performed, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the string member 26 is tightened and the second connecting bar 40b and the specific portion 36a of the lock release ring 36 come into close contact with each other, and when pulling is stopped at a predetermined position, the string member 26 is locked by the sliding friction between the buckle 28 and is firmly prevented from coming off, and the shoulder belt 16 is held at an appropriate length.

[0027] When shortening the length of the shoulder belt 16, the position of the buckle 28 may be performed by grasping a specific position of the shoulder rest member 24 (preferably a position near the buckle 28) with one hand, and, if necessary, placing the fingers of that hand on the buckle 28. For example, if the outer shape of the buckle 28 is small, it may be difficult to grasp the buckle 28, but since the shoulder rest member 24 to which the buckle 28 is attached is relatively large and solid, even an infant can easily position the buckle 28 by grasping the shoulder rest member 24.

[0028] After the shoulder belt 16 has been set to an appropriate length, the two shoulder rest members 24 are connected to each other with a connecting member 40 to prevent the shoulder belt 16 from opening to the left and right and falling off. This ensures that the shoulders of the user S are securely fastened by the shoulder belt 16, and the kindergarten bus or the like departs in a safe state.

[0029] When the kindergarten bus or the like arrives at the destination, the user S stands up from the seat 12 to get off, and after removing the connecting member 40 to allow the two shoulder belts 16 to move freely, the user lengthens the length of the shoulder belt 16. Specifically, the user positions the buckle 28 with one hand as described above, and with the other hand, the user places a finger on the release ring 36 and pulls it upward. When this action is performed, as shown in FIG. 4(d), the buckle 28 automatically stands up, and the arrangement of the second and third connecting bars 40b, 40c changes, the sliding friction between the buckle 28 and the string member 26 decreases, the locking of the anti-slip mechanism is released, and the string member 26 can be easily pulled out. In this way, the action of lengthening the length of the shoulder belt 16 can be easily performed even by a small child, just like the action of shortening the length.

[0030] When the shoulder belt 16 is lengthened, the shoulder strap is released, so that the user S can open the shoulder belt 16 to the left and right, remove both arms, and stand up from the seat 12 to get off the vehicle.

[0031] As explained above, the auxiliary belt device 10 is suitable for use in children's cars that are not equipped with seat belts, and can be quickly and easily fastened and detached even by a child, and once fastened, the child's body is securely secured. In addition, the structure is simple and can be provided at low cost, and it is versatile enough to be applied to various seats 12, so it is very easy to popularize.

[0032] The auxiliary belt device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be used in vehicles for transporting elderly or disabled people, as well as in general buses and other vehicles.

[0033] In addition, the shoulder belt 16 of the auxiliary belt device 10 has two distinctive features to facilitate length adjustment. One is that the shoulder rest member 24 is made of a material that is wider and less likely to deform than the string member 26, so that the buckle 28 can be easily positioned by gripping the shoulder rest member 24, and the other is that an unlocking ring 36 is provided to facilitate unlocking of the string member 26. It is preferable to implement both of these two features, but only one of them may be implemented as necessary. Also, the pulling ring 38 provided to facilitate pulling the string member 26 when shortening the shoulder belt 16 may be omitted if not necessary.

[0034] The buckle 28 or the buckle body 36 is attached to the outer surface of the shoulder rest member 24 at a midway position in the vertical direction (at shoulder or chest height of the user S), but may be attached to the lower end of the shoulder rest member 24 if the lower end of the shoulder rest member 24 is located at a position that is easily reachable by the user S (at chest height of the user S). In this case, the guide ring 30 can be omitted.

[0035] The buckle 28 shown in Fig. 4 controls the sliding friction with the webbing (cord member 26) by the characteristic shapes and arrangement of the second and third connecting bars 40b, 40c, and is suitable for the auxiliary belt device of the present invention. However, substantially the same effect can be obtained even if the shapes and arrangement of the second and third connecting bars are not exactly the same as those in Fig. 4. Also, a configuration may be used in which a buckle and a cord member of a completely different structure are combined, as long as the handling operation during use is easy. For example, a configuration may be considered in which a buckle having a structure for locking a long and thin cord is combined with a long and thin cord (cord member).

[0036] The auxiliary belt device 10 is provided with a connecting member 40 to prevent the shoulder belt 16 from opening to the left or right, but the connecting member 40 can be omitted if necessary. Also, the upper end of the shoulder rest member 24 is attached with some play to allow it to move up and down or up and down and left and right so that the user S does not feel cramped when the shoulders are fixed, but the structure of the part that gives the play may be different from the above, and it is also possible to fix it without giving any play.

[0037] The configuration of the back member is not limited to the configuration of the back sheet 14 described above, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the seat 12. In the case of the back sheet 14, it is assumed that it will be attached so as to straddle the back support surface 12a and the seat surface 12b of the seat 12, and is structured such that a reinforcing band 22 is sewn to a substantially rectangular base material 18 for reinforcement, and fixing strings 20a, 20b for tying to the handle 12c and the leg portion 12d of the seat 12 are provided at both ends of the base material 18. However, in cases where the back support surface 12a and the seat surface 12b of the seat 12 are discontinuous, etc., it is possible to adopt a structure in which the back support surface 12a is attached only to the back support surface 12a. Also, in cases where the base material 18 alone has sufficient strength, the structure of reinforcing the base material 18 with the reinforcing band 22 can be omitted. In addition, the structure of the portion that fixes the back sheet 14 to the seat 12 can be freely changed, and for example, a structure in which a plurality of points of the base material 18 are screwed to the surface of the seat 12 may be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10 Auxiliary belt device 12 seats 12a Back support surface 14 Back sheet (back material) 16 Shoulder belt 24 Shoulder rest member 26 Stringing material 28 Buckle 30 Guide Ring 34 Buckle body 36 Unlocking ring 38 Pull Ring 38a, 38b Side wall portion (buckle body) 40a First connecting bar (buckle body) 40b Second connecting bar (buckle body) 40c Third connecting bar (buckle body) 42a Upper slit (buckle body) 42b Lower slit (buckle body)

Claims

1. The seat belt is provided with a back member that is attached along the back support surface of a vehicle seat, and a pair of shoulder belts having shoulder rest members, strap members and buckles are attached to the back member on the left and right sides to fix the user's shoulders, The shoulder rest member has an upper end attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position higher than the shoulders of a user, The strap member is a strap, and a lower end of the strap member is attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position lower than the chest of the user. The buckle has first, second and third connecting bars connecting a pair of side walls to each other, and is composed of a buckle body having an upper slit between the first and second connecting bars and a lower slit between the second and third connecting bars, and a release ring on which a finger can be hooked, and the buckle body is attached to the outer surface side or the lower end of the shoulder rest member, an auxiliary belt device characterized in that, during use, a specific portion of the release ring is arranged along the outer surface side of the second connecting bar of the buckle body, and a tip portion of the string member is inserted into the upper slit from the inner surface side of the buckle body and pulled out to the inner surface side of the buckle body through the lower slit so as to wrap around the second connecting bar and the specific portion.

2. 2. The auxiliary belt device according to claim 1, wherein a pulling ring is attached to the tip of the string member for hooking a finger therearound when pulling said portion.

3. 3. The auxiliary belt device according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder rest member is made of a material which is wider than the strap member and less likely to deform.

4. The seat belt is provided with a back member that is attached along the back support surface of a vehicle seat, and a pair of shoulder belts having shoulder rest members, strap members and buckles are attached to the back member on the left and right sides to fix the user's shoulders, The shoulder rest member is made of a material that is wider and less likely to deform than the strap member, and an upper end portion is attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position higher than the shoulders of the user, and an inner surface side is in contact with the shoulders of the user, The string member has a lower end attached to the back member attached to the seat at a position lower than the chest of a user, The auxiliary belt device is characterized in that the buckle is attached to the outer surface side or the lower end of the shoulder rest member and engages the string member at a midpoint so as to adjust its length.

5. 5. The auxiliary belt device according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder rest member has a guide ring attached to a lower end thereof, the buckle is attached to an outer surface side of the shoulder rest member, and the tip end of the string member is guided to the buckle through the guide ring.

6. 6. The auxiliary belt device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the shoulder rest member is attached to the back member attached to the seat with a certain amount of play so that the upper end of the shoulder rest member can move in the vertical direction or the vertical and horizontal directions.

7. 7. The auxiliary belt device according to claim 1, further comprising a detachable connecting member for connecting the pair of shoulder rest members to each other at intermediate positions thereof.

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