Adjustable Anchor Assembly for Vehicle Seat Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles lacking shoulder restraints rely solely on lap belts for passenger security, necessitating a supplemental anchor assembly to secure the upper torso to the seat, enhancing safety for occupants, especially smaller individuals.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable anchor assembly with a loop encircling the seat back, straps affixed to the loop, and tethering apparatuses that attach to the safety harness, providing a four-point securement system adjustable for different seat and wearer heights, using straps and fasteners for secure engagement with the seat and harness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only a lap belt is used to secure occupants, then the restraint system is simpler and easier to operate, but the safety effectiveness is insufficient for securing the upper torso
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor assembly is divided into multiple functional components: an adjustable loop that encircles the seat back, a strap with fixed ends attached to the loop, and tethering apparatuses with attachment members. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function while collectively providing four-point securement for the upper torso.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable loop encircles the seat back, and the strap extends through or alongside it, creating a nested configuration. The attachment members then connect to both the strap and the safety harness, nesting multiple restraint elements together to achieve comprehensive securement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an adjustable anchor assembly is used to accommodate different seat and wearer heights, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The loop is designed to be adjustable in size, allowing it to accommodate different seat back dimensions and wearer heights. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same anchor assembly to adapt to various configurations without requiring multiple specialized devices.
3Reliability
If a four-point securement system is implemented, then the restraint efficacy is improved, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment members are designed to automatically engage with the tethering apparatus through self-latching or self-adjusting mechanisms. This self-service design reduces the operational complexity for the user while maintaining the four-point securement configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
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.