3690 results about "Belt safety" patented technology

Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and/or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts, unlocking doors, starting the car and/or fans or air conditioning systems and the like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.

The child safety seat includes a seat body that is attached to a base that is held in place by the vehicle seat belt. The base provides for movement of the seat body around at least one axis. A turntable allows the seat body to be rotated from a safe-riding position to face the car door to facilitate positioning the child in the seat or to make it easier to grasp and maneuver a separable child carrier with the child in it. Inadvertent rotation of the turntable is prevented by a locking mechanism that remains engaged until released by the parent or caregiver. In one embodiment, a second axis of movement allows the seat body to be reclined so that the child's head is supported when he or she falls asleep. The reclining adjustment is a motorized motion which can be remotely controlled by the parent or caregiver sitting in the front of the vehicle via wires connected to a remote control.

A system detects the presence of an unattended child within a vehicle and when the child is so detected, disables the vehicle's door locks by preventing doors from being locked or remaining locked and sounds an alarm. The presence of a child is detected by measuring pressure on the back seat and measurements above a threshold limit signify a child is present or if any of the rear seat belts are buckled a child is detected. The system can be shut off by the driver, although the system has an override in the shutoff mode so that if the temperature rises above or falls below a certain level and the presence of a child is detected, the alarm is sounded. In this mode, the presence of the child can also be detected by a motion sensor.

A sandal having an active, self-adjusting harness and method therefore typically used in the out-of-doors for rigorous activities includes rubber and synthetic materials and exhibits a lightweight robust, high-strength, flexible construction including an elongated sole for supporting a foot where the sole has a toe end and a heel end. A center toe strap is anchored in the toe end and includes a distal end fixedly connected to a front buckle. A rear strap is anchored in the heel end and has a first end and a second end extending above the sole. The first end and the second end of the rear strap are respectively connected to an inside rear buckle and an outside rear buckle. A self-adjusting harness comprised of a single strap is anchored in the toe end. The single strap includes an inside end and an outside end each extending above the sole. The inside end of the single strap is circuited through the front buckle and the inside rear buckle while the outside end of the single strap is circuited through the front buckle and the outside rear buckle. The inside end and the outside end are engaged to form a closure over-the-instep of the foot. Finally, an independent adjustable heel strap is attached to the outside rear buckle and the inside rear buckle. Subsequent movements of the foot result in continuous adjustments in the tension of the single strap for regulating and equalizing the tension in the harness.

A portable, variable speed cabin air purifier (10) operates independently of a vehicle HVAC system and is constructed as an armrest or console (114) that can be placed on any passenger seat and held in place by the seat belt. The air purifier (10) may also be strapped to the floor of a van or SUV, or be positioned in the trunk (100) of a sedan with ducting (104, 108) installed into the vehicle cabin. A 12 volt DC blower (48) can be connected to the cigarette lighter outlet (62) or permanently wired in. Three to five replaceable packed bed filter media packets (70-76), a HEPA filter (78) and a carbon impregnated filter (80) may be installed. The filter media packets (70-76) comprise filter media envelopes (86) of a non-woven, gross particulate filter material packed with other filter media (88), including desiccants, sorbents, chemisorbents, pelletized and granular carbon particles, and catalysts, and are placed between grates (82, 84) and installed in a selected sequence.

This disclosure introduces a system which generates a visual, audio, and/or tactile warning to a driver of a lead vehicle when a possible rear-end collision is detected, based on the approach of a second vehicle from a rear direction. The system may also generate a warning signal (such as quick blinking red brake light, or an array of multi-color lights) directed to the approaching vehicle when it is determined to be approaching at an unsafe speed. The system may include one or more of: approaching-vehicle-sensors mounted on the back end of the lead vehicle, a computer processing system, a set of warning lights, a set of speakers within the lead vehicle, and an antenna and transmitter/receiver for communicating with systems of other vehicles. This system may include a connection to the existing taillight system and other existing systems in the lead vehicle. Extended systems may include connections to and control of head support system, seat-belt systems and airbags system to provide additional safety to the occupants of the lead vehicle. The system may also record and store a few seconds of sensor data of the pre-crash and crash related scene when an impact occurs, and provide blind spot warnings.

An infant carrier and car seat combination is illustrated which provides releasable lockability between the carrier and its base, infant seat belt tensioning and height adjustment, improved handle movement which resists twisting and carrier base adjustment through a movable base within the carrier base.

A shopping cart seat cover has a shopping cart seat cover body made from flexible sheet material. The seat cover has a front panel, a handle fold at the upper portion of the front panel, and an interior seat liner panel extending from the front panel at the handle fold. The interior seat liner panel has right and left child leg apertures in the front portion of the interior seat liner panel, a rear seat basket fold at the back of the interior panel, and a rear flap extending from the interior panel at the rear seat basket fold. The interior panel includes a plurality of aperture closure flaps extending across a left leg aperture and a plurality of aperture closure flaps extending across a right leg aperture of the interior panel. The interior panel further includes right and left shopping cart side rail cover flaps. The shopping cart seat cover includes left and right side shopping cart handle covers. A safety strap extends through the right and left safety flap apertures of the rear flap. The safety strap has a clasp located in between the interior panel and the rear flap. A child foot shield storage pouch extends downwardly from the front panel. The storage pouch has an interior volume that is sufficiently large to accommodate the shopping cart seat cover body.

A secondary seat belt warning system for alerting a vehicle occupant when a seat belt is unbuckled. The secondary seat belt warning system includes an ignition switch for generating a signal indicating an ignition in an on position, a seat belt sensor for generating a signal indicating that the seat belt is unbuckled, and a seat belt indicator for producing an audible and visible indicator to the vehicle occupant. The secondary seat belt warning system also includes a control module to activate the seat belt indicator in response to the input from the ignition switch and seat belt sensor. The secondary seat belt warning system further includes a vehicle speed sensor to activate the secondary seat belt warning system when the control module receives a signal above a predetermined threshold from the speed sensor indicative of the vehicle speed.

A passenger restraint system for use with a vehicle having a seat includes an inflatable member fixed to the seat and having a guide channel. The passenger restraint system further includes a safety belt system having a torso section extending through the guide channel, wherein the torso section is moveable with respect to the inflatable member.

An occupant monitoring and restraint status system is provided. The system includes an occupant boarding and de-boarding system. The occupant boarding and de-boarding system detects boarding and de-boarding of occupants. The system also includes a bench type seat that has a plurality of seat locations. Each of these seat locations includes a seat belt system which has a status sensor to detect a state of the seat belt system. Each seat location also includes an occupant sensing system. The occupant sensing system detects the presence and identity of an occupant at the seat location. The system further includes a display which includes a seat status indicator for each of the plurality of seat locations. The seat status indicators include information regarding a presence of an occupant, an occupant identity, and a state of a seat belt system.

A seat restraint system whose torso belt includes an inflatable structure that inflates upon impact to protect the occupants of a vehicle such as an automobile. The inflatable structure is linked to a gas generator and crash sensor. When an impact above a predetermined level of severity is detected, the gas generator is ignited, inflating the inflatable structure which contracts in length as it inflates. In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable structure is a braided tube. As the braided tube inflates, the diameter of the tube increases significantly and its length decreases significantly, due to the orientation of the fibers comprising the braided tube. The contraction in length pretensions the seat belt system by pulling any slack out of the seat belt systems. In a frontal impact, the inflated structure restricts the forward motion of an occupant and distributes crash loads over a larger occupant surface area to reduce both primary and secondary injuries. In a side impact, the inflated structure passes over the occupant's shoulder, restricts occupant motion, distributes crash loads and provides head and neck protection.

A seat belt tightener has an electrical tightening drive that can be operated in dependence on sensor signals of sensors assessed in an evaluating device. The sensors detect specific vehicle dynamic conditions and transmit electrical indicating signals that are proportional to the detected condition to the evaluating device. The evaluation device compares the signals with allocated threshold values to determine whether or not a potential crash situation is present. Should a potential crash situation be present, the electrical tightening drive is controlled accordingly.

[PROBLEMS] To cushion impact acting on an occupant who is not in a regular position. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] When an abnormality occurs, an airbag device (1) inflates and expands in front of an occupant and absorbs an impact from the front of a vehicle. An airbag (2) to which gas from an inflator is supplied in an abnormality is provided with a vertical recess (2c) facing the head (Ph) of the occupant (P). The recess (2c) is located at the center, in the right and left direction of the vehicle, of an occupant restriction surface (2b) formed at a position facing the occupant (P) sitting on the seat during inflation and expansion. At least one fixed vent (2ea, 2eb) and at least one variable vent (2fan, 2fb) are provided at each of opposite sidewalls (2da, 2db). The fixed vent (2ea, 2eb) has an invariant opening area, and the variable vents (2fan 2fb) has an opening area variable depending on the sitting position of the occupant (P) during expansion. The recess (2c) and the opposite sidewalls (2da, 2db) are coupled in the airbag (2) by shape control members (3a,3b). [EFFECT] Even an occupant of out of position or an occupant not wearing a seat belt can be received relatively flexibly, and trouble caused on the occupant by the airbag is reduced.

A recreational assistance device having a streamline shaped substantially open main body with four large pneumatic tires to allow the device to move easily over rough terrain. The device is equipped with a braking system including at least one brake handle. A safety harness may be secured to the braking system and worn by a user to automatically actuate the braking system if the person falls, slips or stumbles when jogging or walking. The handle bars and other upper portions of the device are preferably padded and the rear wheels have associated movable stops to allow the device to be stopped and held in a rest or stop position. The four-wheel recreational assistance device may be provided with telescoping supporting arms for a carrying bag for holding packages or other materials.

The invention is directed to a system for detecting the presence of a child in a car, when the driver exits the vehicle. A sensor is connected to the seat belt of the baby's car seat or to the rear seat belts. Once the seat belt is inserted into the belt buckle, an alarm circuit is activated. When the driver enters the vehicle and sits down, the system detects the presence of the driver and de-activates the alarm circuit. When the driver exits, the alarm circuit is then re-activated. The system includes a delay timer that gives the driver time to enter and exit the vehicle without setting off the alarm circuit. When the alarm circuit is activated, a timer for the time delay begins. At the end of the time delay (e.g., relay is transferred), if the driver has not disabled the alarm circuit by re-entering the vehicle or taking the child out of the vehicle, the alarm circuit will be set off warning signals and will remain energized until disabled.

A slide rail device for a vehicle seat including a lower rail member fixed on a floor of the vehicle and an upper rail member slidably fitted in the lower rail member. Basically, a stopper and a notch are provided respectively at the forward and rearward ends of the upper rail member, while a striker is provided at the floor of the vehicle, erecting therefrom. When the upper rail member is located at a home position upon the lower rail member, the stopper is abutted against the forward end of the upper rail member and side of the floor, with the notch being engaged over the striker, whereby the upper rail member is prevented against separation from the lower rail member. Another striker and hook-like lock member may be provided in the case where the vehicle seat is of a jump-seat type having a seat belt anchor, so that not only the seat is locked to the upper rail member against forward jumping, but also an upwardly slant pulling force applied through the seat belt anchor is dispersed and escaped to the floor through the stopper, two strikers, the lock member and the notch. Further, a guide roller arrangement is provided at the upper rail member for supportive sliding in the lower member, which includes a guide piece at one of the guide rollers that will be exposed from the lower rail member when the upper rail member is slid away from the lower rail member, such that the exposed portion of the upper rail member can be withdrawn into the lower rail member, with guiding aid of the guide piece.

An apparatus for preventing occupant injury during accident has various features to ensure safety including a sensor (70) detecting seat belt engagement and a means for varying the tension of a seatbelt (17), depending upon the weight of the occupant (110) sits on any of the seats (17), the load cell switch (18) will close, allowing the load cell output energy to energize the control module (25). The control module (25), after receiving signal communication from any of the load cells (15), will then enable the counter (50) to count the number of closed load cell switches (18) and enables the optoisolator switch (70) to then energize the latching relay (80) to check for the seat belt latching of the occupied seats (10) with closed load cell switches (18) and to energize, the latching relay switch (85).

A safety apparatus for use by a worker on an elevated structure is disclosed. The purpose of the apparatus is to arrest the fall of the worker should they fall. Broadly the apparatus comprises at least two support posts having an upper end and a lower end supported on the structure and spaced apart from each other on the structure. Each support post has an I-shaped cross sectional configuration. The apparatus also includes a clamp on the lower end of each support post for clamping the post to the structure. The clamp itself comprises a base plate fast with the support post, a secondary plate or clamping plate spaced beneath the base plate, and fastening elements for drawing the two plates, towards each other with a member of the structure firmly clamped there between. The base plate projects laterally outwardly from the post on two opposed sides of the post, and defines at least one slot aperture on each said opposed side of the post through which the fastening elements are passed. Each post also has connecting formations towards the upper end thereof and an overhead safety line extending between said posts at a height of 1.7 to 2.0 metres above the member on which the posts are mounted. Each worker who works on the structure is fitted with a harness and a safety lead that can be releasably clipped to the safety line. This arrests the workers should they fall.

With this seatbelt device, a lap belt portion is provided at a seatbelt between a first shoulder belt portion and a second shoulder belt portion. The seatbelt between the first shoulder belt portion and the lap belt portion is supported by a lap outer anchor via a tongue. The seatbelt between the second shoulder belt portion and the lap belt portion is supported by a lap inner anchor. For this reason, the lap belt portion is worn at the lumbar region of the passenger with certainty. Due to this, the capability of restraining the lumbar region of the passenger can be increased using a simple configuration.

Apparatus for positioning an occupant of a vehicle in an area of a closeable roof hatch includes a carrier frame suspended within a vehicle below the roof hatch and including a vertical support portion and a horizontal standing area connected to the vertical support portion. A seat assembly for the occupant has a backrest which is guided by the vertical support portion for movement in a vertical direction between upper and lower end positions and is spring-biased to seek the upper end position. The seat assembly has a seating area, which is swingably mounted to a lower end of the backrest, and a coupling brace, which has one end swingably mounted to the seating area and another end swingably mounted to the standing area. Connected to the seat assembly is a seat belt for fastening the occupant.

The system includes an interior garment, such as a short mesh pant, which fits inside the firefighter pant and over his station wear. The safety harness is removably fixed to the short pant through the harness belt and the short pant harness combination is removably attached to the firefighter pant.

A method comprising the step of using a plurality of doppler radars disposed on the seat belt or integrated into the seat belt for monitoring vital body signs of a person seated in a seat of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The disclosed method unobtrusively monitors vital body signs like heart rate and respiration of the person seated in the motor vehicle. A number of safety applications as well as wellness applications can be enabled. Examples are detection of momentary sleep of the driver, vital sign monitoring in case of an accident as well as relaxation exercise using biofeedback to reduce stress for drivers.