AU726707B2 - Seat belt release button cover - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 351865

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATON FOR A STANDARD

PATENT

b0*t

C

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Mark Leion Shaw 172 Thomas Mitchell Road Killarney Vale New South Wales 2261

AUSTRALIA

Robert Edward Grech Richard Street Auburn New South Wales 2144 AUSTRALIA C C C. C CC C Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED

PROVISIONAL

[31] Application No(s) PN8992 Mark Leion Shaw and Robert Edward Grech Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Seat Belt Release Button Cover APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country

AU

[32] Application Date 29 March 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON

COVER

Technical Field The present invention relates to seat belt buckles and in particular to a device adapted to cover the release button of a seat belt buckle, thereby restricting access thereto.

s Background of the Invention A variety of devices are available for securing babies and small children safely in motor vehicles, offering them protection in the event of an accident. Such child restraint devices include baby capsules, child seats and child harnesses. Child restraint devices are typically fastened to the motor vehicle and/or around the child using standard seat belt buckles, which are readily released with the press of a release button.

Small children can relatively easily access and depress the release button on a seat belt buckle, thereby rendering the child restraint ineffective in restraining the occupant. Whilst they can readily release their own seat belt buckle, children may also lean across the cabin and release the seat belt buckle securing a baby capsule holding a younger sibling.

Intellectually disabled people secured in a motor vehicle by a seat belt may also •.leasily release their own seat belt buckle without realising the consequences whilst o fidgeting with the seat belt, resulting in the occupant not being restrained in the cabin.

Object of the Invention coo* It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

o Summary of the Invention S* a There is disclosed herein a seat belt buckle cover comprising: a flexible body adapted to be wrapped around a seat belt buckle, a substantially rigid member incorporated in said body and adapted to cover a release means of said seat belt buckle, thereby restricting access thereto, and means for releasably fastening said cover around said seat belt buckle.

[R:\LIBLL] 10027.doc:TCW Preferably said releasable fastening means includes a hook and loop type tape fastening system applied to said body.

Preferably said releasable fastening means includes a fastening strap adapted to wrap around said body when it is wrapped around said seat belt buckle, said fastening strap including clip means for fastening together opposite ends of said fastening strap.

Preferably said fastening strap includes an elastic strap portion.

Preferably said substantially rigid member comprises a generally 'L shaped member adapted to cover both top release and centre release type release buttons.

Preferably said substantially rigid member is metallic.

Alternatively said substantially rigid member is plastic.

Alternatively said substantially rigid member is constructed from a substantially °oo o°clear acrylic.

Preferably said body is at least partially constructed from a substantially clear material such that, in use, said seat belt buckle release means is at least partially visible.

15 Preferably said cover includes anchor means for anchoring said cover to a separate structure.

Preferably said anchor means comprises an anchor strap attached at one end to *,-said cover and at a second end to means for fastening said anchor strap to said separate structure.

20 Preferably said means for fastening said anchor strap comprises a first eyelet and a fastening pin.

Preferably said means for fastening said anchor strap further comprises a second eyelet adapted to receive said fastening pin such that said first and second eyelets can be secured around a longitudinally extending bar of said separate structure.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of a seat belt release button cover applied to a child restraint.

[n:\libll]00574:GJG 3 Figure 2 is a perspective cut away view of the seat belt release button cover of Figure 1 applied to a seat belt buckle.

Figure 3 is a front view of the seat belt release button cover of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear view of the seat belt release button cover of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the insert of the seat belt release button cover of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a front view of the seat belt release button cover of Figure 1 applied to a child restraint utilising an alternative anchoring point.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the preferred embodiment, the seat belt release button cover 1 is provided with a rectangular wrap-around body 2 constructed here from a single piece of material such as *vinyl. Co-operating first and second components 3 and 4 of a hook and loop type tape fastening system, such as is known by the registered trademark Velcro®, are applied to *0.

the front 2a and rear 2b faces of the body 2 respectively, toward opposing ends such that 0 15 a sleeve is formed when the body 2 is wrapped around to engage the two tape fastening •system components 3 and 4.

An shaped insert 5 is securely located on the front face 2a of the body 2 at the opposing end to the first tape fastening component 3 by means of an extension of the body 2 material which is folded over the insert 5 and stitched back onto the front face 2a of the 20 body 2, thereby encapsulating the insert 5. The insert 5 is made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal. The longer arm of the shaped insert 5 is applied to the body 2 such that the shorter arm protrudes over part of the sleeve opening when the tape fastening system 3, 4 is engaged to form a sleeve as described above. A protruding tab 6 may be provided at one end of the body 2 to assist in the fastening and unfastening of the hook and loop tape fastening system 3,4.

A fastening strap 7 may be provided on the rear face of the body 2, including an elastic portion 8 at one end thereof and cooperating halves 9 and 10 of a pronged clip fastener attached to opposing ends thereof. The fastening strap 7 can be wrapped around the body 2 and fastened when in sleeve form to provide added security to the hook and [n:\libll]00574:GJG 4 loop fastening 3,4. The fastening strap 7 may be used in place of, rather than in addition to, the hook and loop fastening system 3,4. Alternatively a similar releasable fastening system such as press studs or a zipper may be used either exclusively or in co-operation with one of the described systems.

An anchor strap 11 may be provided to enable the cover 1 to be anchored to a child restraint 20 or a similar fixed structure separate to the cover 1 by means of a first eyelet 12 attached to the anchor strap 11. A fastening pin 13 or similar may be passed through the first eyelet 12 into a predrilled hole in the restraint 20 as indicated in Figure 1. A second eyelet 14 may also be attached to the anchor strap 11 such that the first and second lo eyelets 12,14 may be secured around a longitudinally extending member such as a support bar 24 on the child restraint 20. The fastening pin 13 is passed through the second eyelet 14 to secure the anchor strap 11 to the support bar 24 as indicated in Figure 6. An V. *anchoring device is required by Standards Australia if their approval is sought for use of the cover 1 with child restraining devices, but is not required if the cover 1 is to be used 15 with a standard seat belt. The eyelet 12 should be manufactured from a resilient metallic or plastic material, whilst the fastening pin 13 is typically a christmas tree clip, canoe clip o o or threaded fastener.

During use, the seat belt buckle 21 is secured in the usual way. The cover 1 is then placed behind the buckle 21, with the cover front face 2a abutting with the rear of the 20 buckle 21, and then tightly wrapped around the buckle 21 so as to engage the co-operating components of the hook and loop type fastening system 3,4 thereby enclosing the buckle 21 within the sleeve thereby formed. The shorter arm of the shaped insert 5 covers the release button 22 of a top release type buckle as depicted in Figure 2, whilst the longer arm will cover the release button of a centre release type buckle (not shown). Covering of the release button 22 prevents access thereto whilst the cover 1 is fastened in place, thereby preventing a child or intellectually disabled person from releasing the seat belt buckle 21 whilst the cover 1 is fastened. The insert 5 may be advantageously formed from a clear acrylic, with at least a corresponding portion of the body 2 being formed of a clear plastic such that the release button 22 remains visible when the cover 1 is wrapped around [n:\lib11]00574:GJG the seat belt buckle 21. Such a construction is particularly advantageous if the cover 1 is to be used with a standard seat belt as opposed to a child restraint If the fastening strap 7 is fitted, it may be secured around the cover 1 and belt buckle 21 by wrapping the strap 7 around to the front of the buckle 21 and stretching the elastic strap portion 8 to enable the clip halves 9 and 10 to engage. The elastic strap portion 8 enables the cover 1 to be fitted securely to belt buckles 21 of varying size. Use of the fastening strap 7 provides further protection against removal of the cover 1 from the belt buckle 21.

The present invention is not restricted to use with seat belts securing child So restraints, but may also be used to protect buckles used to secure a child within a child restraint, with buckles on child safety harnesses and with regular seat belts used to directly secure in particular a child or intellectually handicapped person in the usual way.

*o *o*o [n:\libll]00574:GJG

Claims (12)

1. A seat belt buckle cover comprising: a flexible body adapted to be wrapped around a seat belt buckle, a substantially rigid member incorporated in said body and adapted to cover a release means of said seat belt buckle, thereby restricting access thereto, and means for releasably fastening said cover around said seat belt buckle.

2. The seat belt buckle cover of claim 1 wherein said releasable fastening means includes a hook and loop type tape fastening system applied to said body.

3. The seat belt buckle cover of either of claims 1 and 2 wherein said releasable fastening means includes a fastening strap adapted to wrap around said body when it is wrapped around said seat belt buckle, said fastening strap including clip means for fastening together opposite ends of said fastening strap.

4. The seat belt buckle cover of claim 3 wherein said fastening strap includes an elastic strap portion.

5. The seat belt buckle cover of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said substantially rigid member comprises a generally shaped member adapted to cover S• both top release and centre release type release buttons. Sa

6. The seat belt buckle cover of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said substantially rigid member is metallic. 20

7. The seat belt buckle cover of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said substantially rigid member is plastic. •0 08. The seat belt buckle of claim 7 wherein said substantially rigid member is constructed from a substantially clear acrylic. 0

9. The seat belt buckle of claim 8 wherein said body is at least partially 25 constructed from a substantially clear material, such that, in use, said seat belt buckle a release means is at least partially visible. The seat belt buckle cover of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said cover includes anchor means for anchoring said cover to a separate structure. [R:\LIBLL]I 0027.doc:TCW 7

11. The seat belt buckle cover of claim 10 wherein said anchor means comprises an anchor strap attached at one end to said cover and at a second end to means for fastening said anchor strap to said separate structure.

12. The seat belt buckle cover of claim 11 wherein said means for fastening said anchor strap comprises a first eyelet and a fastening pin.

13. The seat belt buckle cover of claim 12 wherein said means for fastening said anchor strap further comprises a second eyelet adapted to receive said fastening pin such that said first and second eyelets can be secured around a longitudinally extending bar of said separate structure.

14. A seat belt buckle cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. *o* DATED this Twenty-ninth Day of January 1997 Mark Leion Shaw 15 Robert Edward Grech Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 9b*9 SPRUSON FERGUSON 92 [n:\libll]00574:JED