CA2399917C - Impact-identity elements - Google Patents
Impact-identity elements Download PDFInfo
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- CA2399917C CA2399917C CA002399917A CA2399917A CA2399917C CA 2399917 C CA2399917 C CA 2399917C CA 002399917 A CA002399917 A CA 002399917A CA 2399917 A CA2399917 A CA 2399917A CA 2399917 C CA2399917 C CA 2399917C
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- belt
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- seat belt
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/48—Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/48—Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
- B60R2022/4808—Sensing means arrangements therefor
- B60R2022/4816—Sensing means arrangements therefor for sensing locking of buckle
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
- B60R22/48—Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
- B60R2022/4866—Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)
- Air Bags (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine (AREA)
- Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
Abstract
Impact-identity elements in association with a method to prevent manipulation create a chain of tamperproof evidence for the non-use of seat belts in real-world accidents.
Consequently, the car-, train-, aeroplane manufacturer or the airline is saved lawsuits, compensatory damages and/or medical-expenses.
Energy-absorbing impact-identity elements gradually absorb great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of the belted passengers at threshold values, lower than the injury-relevant threshold values and the tensile strength of seat belt, in order to enhance the survival chance and save costs associated with further use of the seat belts.
Thanks to an innovative design of belt fittings, releasably attached to seat belts, outside the seats, all the impact-identity elements can easily be checked and replaced, when damaged, thus saving time and costs. Flight attendants and/or apprentices can easily exchange worn impact-identity elements with new ones or the impact-identity elements, set up for babies, with ones for obese people.
Consequently, the car-, train-, aeroplane manufacturer or the airline is saved lawsuits, compensatory damages and/or medical-expenses.
Energy-absorbing impact-identity elements gradually absorb great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of the belted passengers at threshold values, lower than the injury-relevant threshold values and the tensile strength of seat belt, in order to enhance the survival chance and save costs associated with further use of the seat belts.
Thanks to an innovative design of belt fittings, releasably attached to seat belts, outside the seats, all the impact-identity elements can easily be checked and replaced, when damaged, thus saving time and costs. Flight attendants and/or apprentices can easily exchange worn impact-identity elements with new ones or the impact-identity elements, set up for babies, with ones for obese people.
Description
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A
IMPACT-IDENTITY ELEMENTS FOR VERIFYING SEAT-BELT USAGES AND
DISSIPATING GREAT BELT FORCE
This is a divisional application of co-pending intemational application number PCT/DE 01/00611 (WO
01/64485, German Patent Doc. DE 10010 415 Cl) filed Feb. 02, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a transport system, equipped with restraint systems, = impact-identity elements for verlfying the use and non-use of the seat belts, dissipating a great belt force of each seat-belt user in the event of an accident, easily checking the impact-identity elements and easily exchanging them and = a method for protecting evidence from manipulation.
IMPACT-IDENTITY ELEMENTS FOR VERIFYING SEAT-BELT USAGES AND
DISSIPATING GREAT BELT FORCE
This is a divisional application of co-pending intemational application number PCT/DE 01/00611 (WO
01/64485, German Patent Doc. DE 10010 415 Cl) filed Feb. 02, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a transport system, equipped with restraint systems, = impact-identity elements for verlfying the use and non-use of the seat belts, dissipating a great belt force of each seat-belt user in the event of an accident, easily checking the impact-identity elements and easily exchanging them and = a method for protecting evidence from manipulation.
2. Description of the Related Art:
It is known in the prior art to provide a seat belt with interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers and exterior belt fittings.
If these interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers ref. to CA 2,314,345, installed in an aeroplane with many seats, are to be exploited to deliver evidence of use and non-use of seat belts, the disadvantages, undermentioned, discourage the implementation by car- and aeroplane manufacturers.
Unfortunately, the exterior belt fittings ref. to US 5,580,091 and DE-C 3 801 858, are incapable of absorbing great belt force. The limited energy absorption and the other disadvantages, all of which undermentioned, discourage the implementation by car manufacturers.
In order to formulate in single terminology a generalized definition for the proper term is presented:
Definition: Proper Term:
"transport system" motor vehicle (car, school-bus, bus, truck), train (commuter train) or aeroplane IE6DA-CIPO 310307 D; uspto 08/04/2002 CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -2-"accident" an event in which an accident almost occurs, an arbitrary collision, a real-world accident, a multi-crash, a multi-turbulence or an in-flight turbulence real-world accident or turbulence-related flight (incident, vibrations) "identification markers" different colours, different widths andlor different pattems "seat-belt user" passenger (baby, child or adult) using a seat belt "belt fittings" latch plates 2, 9, 11, coupling members 1.30, 1.30e, floor fittings 17, 17a, 17b andlor D-rings 12 "exterior belt fitting" In order to easily check andlor quickly replace the exterior belt fittings, if permanently deformed and/or broken, they are attached to the belt portions (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) of seat belts (1, le, 1f) outside the seats (3).
Passengers must buckle up when travelling with a motor vehicle, with the exception of school-bus and bus, or during a turbulence-related flight of an aeroplane. It is well known to provide two-point or lap seat belts for mid-portion of the rear seat of vehicle as well as for aeroplane seats. The protective effect of this lap seat belt is far less than that of a three-point seat belt in accidents.
Unfortunately, three-point seat belt insufficiently restrains the unsymmetncally belted passenger in real-world accidents.
Moreover, by the definition of õsubmarining" the restrained passenger submarines (slips downward) under his seat belt thus negating the protective effect of the seat belt. The expert could refer it to the passenger of having unbelted.
US 5,580,091 discloses an energy-management device (Fig. 13), for dissipating belt force of a seat-belt user, comprising a) a strap 30, having 1. a plurality of pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 362. a first end portion with a hole, through which a bolt is projected and fastened to a post section;
and
It is known in the prior art to provide a seat belt with interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers and exterior belt fittings.
If these interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers ref. to CA 2,314,345, installed in an aeroplane with many seats, are to be exploited to deliver evidence of use and non-use of seat belts, the disadvantages, undermentioned, discourage the implementation by car- and aeroplane manufacturers.
Unfortunately, the exterior belt fittings ref. to US 5,580,091 and DE-C 3 801 858, are incapable of absorbing great belt force. The limited energy absorption and the other disadvantages, all of which undermentioned, discourage the implementation by car manufacturers.
In order to formulate in single terminology a generalized definition for the proper term is presented:
Definition: Proper Term:
"transport system" motor vehicle (car, school-bus, bus, truck), train (commuter train) or aeroplane IE6DA-CIPO 310307 D; uspto 08/04/2002 CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -2-"accident" an event in which an accident almost occurs, an arbitrary collision, a real-world accident, a multi-crash, a multi-turbulence or an in-flight turbulence real-world accident or turbulence-related flight (incident, vibrations) "identification markers" different colours, different widths andlor different pattems "seat-belt user" passenger (baby, child or adult) using a seat belt "belt fittings" latch plates 2, 9, 11, coupling members 1.30, 1.30e, floor fittings 17, 17a, 17b andlor D-rings 12 "exterior belt fitting" In order to easily check andlor quickly replace the exterior belt fittings, if permanently deformed and/or broken, they are attached to the belt portions (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) of seat belts (1, le, 1f) outside the seats (3).
Passengers must buckle up when travelling with a motor vehicle, with the exception of school-bus and bus, or during a turbulence-related flight of an aeroplane. It is well known to provide two-point or lap seat belts for mid-portion of the rear seat of vehicle as well as for aeroplane seats. The protective effect of this lap seat belt is far less than that of a three-point seat belt in accidents.
Unfortunately, three-point seat belt insufficiently restrains the unsymmetncally belted passenger in real-world accidents.
Moreover, by the definition of õsubmarining" the restrained passenger submarines (slips downward) under his seat belt thus negating the protective effect of the seat belt. The expert could refer it to the passenger of having unbelted.
US 5,580,091 discloses an energy-management device (Fig. 13), for dissipating belt force of a seat-belt user, comprising a) a strap 30, having 1. a plurality of pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 362. a first end portion with a hole, through which a bolt is projected and fastened to a post section;
and
3. a second end portion with an edge 91;
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -3-b) a moving member 32, having 1. a pair of side flanges, each of which has a pair of small stalking tabs 48, fastened to a retractor frame 24, for guiding the moving member 32 along a pair of edges 55 of the strap 30 when a belt retractor 22 is pulled by the seat belt;
2. a tab-deflecting portion 68, which deflects the pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 to decrease a belt force, when the belt retractor 22 is pulled by the seat belt until the portion 68 comes into contact with the edge 91 of the second end portion.
Unfortunately, this invention has the following drawbacks, all of which are resolved by the impact-identity elements, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 7 to 12:
D1. When NHSTA and Canadian Transport legislate a law to verify the use and non-use of the seat belts in real-world accidents, police have to disassemble the inner coverings of the post sections and the straps and take out those straps in order to determine whether the corresponding passengers have belted or not. Who pays for the time-consuming work and the training of police officers to disassemble tausends of different cars?
D2. Taken as given, a car is equipped with the energy-management devices, the car owner must pay for the work of disassembling and assembling when a mechanic checks whether all the straps are deformed or remain intact. For sure, he is going to trade his car with another car, equipped with the impact-identity elements.
D3. In real-world accidents the belt retractor 22 retracts the seat belt by about 30 cm and, finally, clamps it. After this operation is accomplished in 5 to 10 ms (milliseconds) the energy-management device is put into operation. The time delay is increased by time needed to overcome the slack between the tab-deflecting portion 68 and the first pair of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 and between two pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs in succession. The process of bending each pair of stalking tabs needs about 10 ms (pp. 6, lines 44 and 45).
Logically, only two or three pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 can be bent in a minor accident which lasts up to 40 ms. The remaining belt force, which is still great, inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user because the energy absorption is insufficient.
See M.
N. In contrary to the impact-identity elements the energy absorption by only bending the small deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 does not exploit the material property at all. The energy-management device, suited for dissipating only small belt force imparted to light-weight kids, fails to protect heavy-weight or obese seat-belt users, in particular, when their cars are yaw-accelerated. An AUDI A3, travelling at just 80 km/h (kph), swerving on a wet road and crashing CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -4-into a small Ford Fiesta, was yaw-accelerated. The slim driver was unscathed while his obese wife suffered severe injury although her impact energy was absorbed to some extent by fracturing the inner covering of the door as well as by displacing her seat by about 50 mm. When a human being is idealized by a cylinder with radius "r", the (rotatory) inertia moment depends on "r4". If the ratio of circumference radii between his obese wife and him is two, her rotatory mass is 24 or 16 times his!! Ref. to TIME, issued July 1, 2002, 51 million Americans are obese.
The accident report "OBESITY" is incorporated herein.
D5. For sure, the device fails to protect every seat-belt user in multi-crashes.
D6. When a drawer, when pulled, cants in the casing, it remains unmoved.
Similarty, the moving member 32 is jammed, when both side portions of the strap 30 under load of great belt force become unparalleled until they are broken (see D8). The impact-identity elements, resolving the device's deficiencies, are designed without moving member, deflectable cantilevered tabs and small stalking tabs. As a result, they are substantially cheaper and far reliable in any operation!
D7. In operation the elongation of impact-identity elements 1.3in, shown in Figs. 1, 11 and 12 and ref.
to B6, is halved to "aw" while the belt retractor 13 with the seat belt remains unmoved. In contrary to this feature of ensuring survival chance the seat belt is getting slack by an amount consisting of 1. the travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt by 100 mm (pp. 5, line 64 and Fig. 13) and 2. the elongation of the strap 30, which is significantly increased when its mid portion contracts (see D8), thus a) substantially increasing the forward motion of the seat-belt user, being subjected to severe/fatal head injury linked to totally deforming the steering wheel (see A2) or being crushed by an inflating airbag with striking force up to 20 kN in accidents and/or b) allowing the seat-belt user to free himself and become unrestrained.
I) Getting tired after having participated in a Sylvester party a 42-year old driver crashed his 2-year old Opel Astra Caravan at speed of 120-140 km/h into a barrier, acting as a ramp, along which it moved up and, finally, rolled over. During which time both front airbags crushed him and his wife to death and severe injury. The driver's airbag was soaked with blood! The accident report "U020106" is incorporated herein. Opel Astra cars under the trademark Satum Astra will be offered for sale in USA and, I assume, in Canada too.
II) A properly belted 6-year old kid, properly seated on a child seat, was ejected out of Toyota Yaris when laterally crashing at speed of 110 km/h into a concrete wall. The accident report "U211002" is incorporated herein.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -5-In order to meet the performance of the energy-absorbing assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements (Fig. 1) the travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt and many pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 must be laid out very large, far larger than 100 mm. Due to that feature, allowing large travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt together with great elongadon, until the strap 30 is broken (see D8), the seat-belt user is subjected to severe/fatal injury linked to being smashed into vehicle members, crushed by the airbag and/or ejected out of the restraint and car.
D8. In case that all the belt-looping strings 1.3in with sites of predetermined fracture, gradually decreasing great belt force, are broken, the outer belt-looping string 1.3a, shown in Fig. 1, serving as a safety piece, takes over the job to ensure the restraint of the seat-belt user. In comparison with latch plates 2, 9, 11, shown in Figs. 4, 6, 8 to 10, both side portions of the strap 30 have far bigger notch effect, which substantially decreases the breaking strength. They are totally (plastically) deformed und greatly elongated by great belt force while their mid portions are contracting until the mid porbons are broken. Due to the fracture the "belted"
passenger is thrown to vehicle members (see A2) and/or ejected out of the car. See the deflection-limiting element 12 (Figs. 14 to 15), serving as a safety piece too!
D9. Great belt force fractures the small stalking tabs 48 as well as inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user. See A4.
D10. How many millions of severe/fatal injuries result from fracture of straps 30 and/or small stalking tabs 48, large forward motion andlor the insufficient energy absorption, if the devices are installed in cars? The car manufacturer goes bankrupt when a US supreme court issues a verdict to pay to the victims or bereaved compensatory damages of three-figure millions of dollars per victim in each lawsuit! See B1.
Definitely, all the drawbacks D1 to D10 discourage the implementation by car manufacturers.
Seven years and ten months before the filing date of US 5,580,091 some of the above-mentioned drawbacks D1 to D3, D6 and D8 were already resolved by the features of TRW's patent ref. to DE-C 3 801 858, shown in Figs. 14 to 16. An energy-absorbing force-delimiter, serving as a floor fit6ng for a seat belt 24, comprises a) an energy-absorbing stretching element 10, provided with apertures having deformable rims 10A to 10C, each of which has a pair of delimiting portions 10X, and b) a deflection-limiting element 12 serving as a safety piece, above-mentioned in D8.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -6-When the force-delimiter is loaded by great belt force the deformation of the deformable rims is suddenly limited by the pair of delimiting portions 10X, coming into contact with each other in traverse direction, thus enabling the stretching element 10 being totally deformed und further elongated until it is broken, while the deflection-limiting element 12 ensures the restraint of the seat-belt user.
However, this invention has the following drawbacks, all of which are resolved by the impact-identity elements, shown in Figs.1 to 3, 7 to 12:
D11. For sure, this force-delimiter, specified for male ribs at the threshold value of 8,000 N, remains undeformed, when the belt force is lower than 8,000 N, thus unsuited for verifying the use and non-use of the seat belts.
D12. Because the stretching element 10 is already broken the remaining belt force, when it is still great, inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user. See D4, A4 and B1.
If the strength of the deflection-limiting element 12 is laid out higher than the tensile strength of the seat belt, the seat belt is torn apart by the great remaining belt force.
During rollover of a nine-year old Ford Ranger pickup, Johnson's seat belt at the region of latch plate was tom apart and he was smashed into the co-driver door, thus resulting in brain damage and physical impairment (broken spine-bone etc.) and the final verdict, due to which Ford Motor Co had to pay damages of five millions of dollars to his parents.
Source FindLaw for Legal Professional; Johnson v. Ford Motor Co, The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma; Case No: 95873; Decided: 04/02/2002; Mandated Issued:
04/26/2002.
2o D13. Definitely, the force-delimiter fails to protect every seat-belt user in multi-crashes.
D14. In contrary to the feature of halving the elongation of impact-identity elements 1.3in, shown in Figs. 1, 11 and 12 and ref. to B6, to "Aw" the seat belt is getting slack by an amount of "L" (Fig.
14) consisting of 1. the longitudinal displacement of the stretching element 10 associated with the lateral displacement of the pair of delimiting portions 10X until they come into contact with each other and 2. the elongation of the stretching element 10 untii it is broken.
See D7 regarding the danger of being severely/fatally injured due to large elongation.
D15. Moreover, the manufacturing costs for stretching elements are far higher than that for energy-absorbing impact-identity elements.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -7-Ref. to CA 2,314,345 interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers, located in the seat, comprise retaining elements and corresponding clamping elements. The retaining elements are fastened to the seat-backrest frame andlor seat frame or are members thereof. The clamping elements, provided with sites of predetermined fracture, are arranged on and/or in the retaining elements. If these energy absorbers, installed in an AIRBUS A380 with 600 seats, should be exploited to deliver evidence of users and non-users of seat belts, each incident or inspection incurs time-consuming, costly work to rip off 600 seat linens and -cushions, disassemble 600 seat adjusting devices and many seat springs, replace the broken clamping elements and assemble all the parts again. In addition, the airline, having to ground the aeroplane, pilots and flight-attendants, goes bankrupt. In order to overcome all these shortcomings and, if necessary, to co-operate with interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers to absorb great energy and dampen strong vibrations in a multi-crash or multi-turbulence, exterior belt fittings are invented (Figs.1 to 3, 7 to 12) in regard with the principle object of the present invention.
To address the problems in real-wortd accidents, the principle purpose of the invention ref. to CA
2,314,345 is to dampen vibration, in order to avert sudden death linked to shock waves, to gradually absorb great energy in multi-crash of a motor vehicle or in turbulence related incidents during a single flight and to prevent seat backrests from total deformation!
A device ref. to DE- A 41 40 115 consists of two retaining parts, movable in each other. The first and second parts are fastened to the buckle assembly and to the vehicle floor.
A pair of clamping pieces, retained in the apertures of both parts, is biased by coned-disk springs.
If the predetermined biased force is set too low, both clamping pieces fall out therefrom when the car is emergency stopped or driven over bumpy roads. This "evidence for having using the seat belt after since" makes the car owner possible to manipulate even when the car is parked in a garage.
If the predetermined biased force is set too high, both clamping pieces remain engaged with the respective apertures in accidents. There is no evidence.
This bulky device needs space, takes the place of the belt pretensioner, which is usually attached to the belt assembly, and consists of several members. Coned-disk springs are expensive. Hence, the manufacturing costs are extremely high.
Obviously, court-incontestable (tamperproof) evidence of the users of seat belt is missing in the following cases in the event of accidents:
Al. It has happened in the offset front-, side- or rear collision, which results, finally, in a rollover, in which a passenger, having freed himself from the restraint, is ejected out of the vehicle, whose doors are detached, dunng a rollover. This phenomenon is substantiated in the research work of CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -8-the inventor, investigating various vehicles of different car manufacturers in accidents. Because sensors are incapable of precisely determining deceleration in the event of rollover, side- or rear collision, it can occur, that the belt tightener (pretensioner) 190 doesn't retract the belt portions 1.2, 1.3 and/or the locking mechanism 14 (Fig. 4) doesn't block (forcefully tighten) the belt portion 1.4. Despite having used the seat belt no blocking traces thereon are discovered.
A2. When a 4-month old BMW 328i was involved in a front crash, the passenger cell was decreased just by about 20 % but the head of d(ver of a 34-year old driver, thrown forward, totally deformed the steering wheel. The accident report "Head injury" is incorporated herein.
The traffic experts presume that the driver had not used the seat belt in the accident at all. A
microscopic investigation confirms the blocking traces on the surfaces of belt portion 1.4, which was jammed (blocked) by the locking mechanism 14 during a forceful protraction of belt portions 1.2, 1.3 by the belt tightener 190 in the front crash. However, such investigation results are questionable because these traces could be caused by soft clampings of both clamping shoes before the front crash has taken place.
A3. When traces, resulting from the friction of the belt portion on the surface of a plastic material 9.11a of latch plate 9, are not detected, traffic experts make verdicts that passengers had been unbelted.
A4. Thanks to my good knowledge of Ford Explorers' rollover-accidents linked to defective Firestone tires I was requested to investigate with an police officer the rollover-accident of an 8-year old Explorer, resulting in two fatalities and two severe injuries, and determine the use and non-use of seat belts. A 21-year old driver lost control of the Explorer when the left rear tire was suddenly depleted. We discovered a fissure on the front face of that tire and a hole, through all of which air flowed out. As a result, the Explorer rolled over, the left back-seated passenger, unbeited, was ejected and the remaining three seat-belt users were severeiy injured, one of them was pronounced dead at the hospital. The accident report "U181005" is incorporated herein. This is solid evidence for a) great belt forces, severely/fatally inju(ng seat-belt users despite being strong and young in the rollover-accident, b) failure of the conventional restraint systems due to lack of vibration-dampening energy absorbers and energy-absorbing impact-identity elements and c) the need for impact-identity elements, which make time-consuming, expensive work unnecessary.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -9-A5. By great energy during a turbulence-related flight the unbeited passengers as well as the majority of passengers, belted by life-threatening lap belts, are severely/fatally injured. After the rescue and medical treatment no one of the flight personnel can remember anymore who had been unbelted. The airline has no choice but to pay all the medical expenses of all injured passengers, some of them ignored the request to buckle up and the fines, set by US-Courts.
The impact-identity elements of unbeited passengers, if installed, remain intact and serve as court-incontestable evidence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the principle object of the present invention is provide for a transport system = impact-identity elements for resolving all the shortcomings, above-mentioned, verifying the use and non-use of the seat belts, dissipating a great belt force of each seat-belt user in the event of an accident and facilitating the work - of checking, whether the impact-identity elements are permanently deformed andlor broken by great belt force, and replacing them, if permanently deformed and/or broken, or - of exchanging them with other impact-identity elements suited for the seat-belt user's weight; and = a method for protecting the evidence and the chain thereof from manipulation.
Doubtless, the police, pilots, flight attendants andlor apprentices can easily and quickly accomplish that work without ripping off the seat linens and -cushions and disassembling the inner coverings of the post sections.
A second object of the present invention resides in the impact-identity elements of the seat beit to gradually dissipate great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in any accident, by fracturing sites of predetermined fracture or permanently deforming the impact-identity elements, all of which serve as solid evidence for the seat-belt usages. The sites of predetermined fracture have threshold values, lower than injury-relevant threshold value. The threshold values may have different magnitudes. The difference between two forces õOF;" in succession must be lower than that injury-relevant threshold value.
A third object of the present invention resides in a method to exploit existing parts, which are already put into use in motor vehicles or aeroplanes, for further application in order to save Research-and Development work, lower manufacturing costs and increase the reliability of the device.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -10-INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
It is apparent that the invention provides for the courts, police, agencies, car-, aeroplane manufacturers and airlines a chain of tamperproof evidence including the following features:
B1. A US Court sentenced Daimler Chrysler to pay the highest damages of 259 millions of dollars to the parents of Sergio Jiminez, who, presumably unbeited, was ejected out of the tailgate of a Dodge minivan, because the engineers were unable to deliver court-incontestable evidence. See countermeasures in B5.
If a single impact-identity element, provided for the seat belt, is broken in an accident, a non-user of this seat belt can manipulate it as evidence for "having used the seat belt" in an oncoming accident. Due to the possibility for such a manipulation and to the high rate of non-use of seat belts on roads and flights car-, aeroplane manufacturers and airlines are increasingly exposed to lawsuits. Definitely, the manufacturer or the airline has to present to US-Courts irrefutable evidence in compliance with reversal of the burden of proof.
An expert, making an investigation on behalf of the Office of Prosecutors, issues a verdict of seat-belt usage based on his finding of traces on the melted plastic caused by the friction of the belt portion on the surface of a plastic material 9.11a of latch plate 9.
However, these traces could result from large deceleration linked to several emergency stops or in the event, in which an accident almost occurs, before the current accident occurs. The expert report is incontestable when impact-identity elements with a plurality of sites of predetermined fracture and apertures as well as with surface of impact-identity element 9.11a are put into use.
Prior to the use precautions must be taken to avoid manipulation and replace broken and/or wom impact-identity elements for example at inspection-service and seal them.
Thanks to the chain of tamperproof evidence manufacturers are spared lawsuits, compensatory damages andlor medical-expenses In event of a rollover and/or a rear-end crash passengers, when freeing themselves from the restraint of conventional three-point seat belts, can be ejected out of a vehicle due to failure of conventional interengaging assemblies of the doors. In order to enhance the chain of evidence and survival chance it is recommended to use multi-point seat belts ref. to CA
2,313,780, preferably in association with the shoulder caps, equipped with energy absorbers serving as additional evidence for belt usages, ref. to CA 2,314,345, anti-submarining seat-belt assemblies ref. to CA 2,447,580 and interengaging assemblies ref. to CA 2,220,872.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -11-The impact-identity elements deliver evidence for the use and non-use of seat belts in any accident.
B2. Easily replaceable impact-identity elements, which are broken for the purpose of protecting the passenger from injury in the event, in which an accident almost occurs, or in turbulence-related vibrations, facilitate the exchange and save costs by further use of the seat belt because it was not overstressed. When several assemblies 1.3S of impact-identity elements with different weight classes are arranged along a long impact-identity element 17.1, the appropriate one, corresponding to the weight of the passenger, is fastened to the coupling member 1.30,1.30e.
B3. Energy-absorbing impact-identity elements lower injury severity. The addition of all sub-energies (specific amount of loads) "aF;", where "i" ="1" to "n", results in the belt force "Fn". Thanks to assemblies of energy-absorbers to dissipate great belt force specific proposals can be realised by impact-identity elements, for example, on dissipating lower sub-energy "OF;", where "i" ="1" to "n", which is lower than or equal to the injury-relevant threshold values.
B4. By grouping light- to heavy-weight passengers into weight classes assemblies of impact-identity elements, having the corresponding threshold values, can be designed and offered. To restrain for example a 35 kg-heavy child the assembly (set) of impact-identity elements, proposed for an 8 kg-heavy baby, will be substituted by an assembly thereof, suited for 35 kg.
An investigation can find out whether a rationalization of seat belts, each equipped with a plurality of impact-identity elements, adopted for passengers, whose weight ranges from children to obese people, pays off. The rationalization hat the advantages that repair work is not necessary anymore and the survival chance is ensured in a multi-crash, consisting of several collisions, or during a flight, in which several big twisters occurs.
B5. In some cases police officers are confronted with lying passengers who, intending to protect the drunken driver from being indicted, assert of not knowing who was driving. To the dismay they are unable to deliver to the Office of Prosecutors solid evidence to prove one of seven passengers of a seven-seat SUV guilty of road rage (reckless driving) resulting in crashing it into a mini car, all the passengers of which were fatally injured. No witnesses are available anymore.
It is the job of a traffic expert, assigned by the Office of Prosecutors, to determine who has driven that SUV and who were the users and/or non-users of the seat belt. Noteworthy, it has already happened that the expert's verdict is wronq (see D11 and A4). For that reason, all the seat belts incl. belt fittings must be recorded and stored by him and/or the police officers in an archive until the final verdict is accepted by all parties. Usually, he and/or the police officers write the names of CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -12-all the passengers, usually, in acronym on the corresponding seat-belt webs and belt fitfings and save all the data, usually, in computers. Logically, such investigating and archiving work is very time-consuming, costly and tedious!
In 50 % offset crash tests of several European cars at 55 km/h, ref. to Table 1 of CA 2,313,780 and CA 2,447,580, the belt forces of two dummies of the same type are different. Different colours, patterns andlor widths facilitate police officers and apprentices to examine the fracture of the impact-identity elements and determine the passengers, whose belt forces are related to the impact-identity elements, which are broken or totally deformed, in particular when they are ejected out of the vehicle in a multi-crash. I assume, in one out of one million cases, it is very difficult to deliver very solid evidence when the states of deformation of the impact-identity elements of two belt users are similar to each other.
Beyond doubt, impact-identity eiements in association with the identification markers make that work superfluous, save fime and costs and avoid to a great extent errors, thus yielding evidence which is solid, hence, very useful for police, prosecutors, courts, manufacturers of transport systems as well as seat-belt users. An implementation would have saved Daimler Chrysler $ 259 million. See B1.
B6. Under the condition of the same length (Figs. 1, 11, 12) the elongation "Ow" of the belt-looping string at the break has half the elongation "2Aw" of the belt webbing at the break.
Advantageously, this feature reduces the forward motion in front crashes and slackness of the seat belt in real-world accidents. See A2, D7 and D14.
B7. In order to reduce the forward motion upon the rupture of the belt-looping strings, belt-looping strings 1.3in with sites of predetermined fracture are made of material, characterized by little elongation at break (rupture) less than that of the belt webbing, such as compound material, metal or fibre-reinforced material.
B8. For the purpose of dampening noises upon the contact with exterior belt fit6ng 2, 17, 17a, 17b (Figs. 1, 7 and 11) the first belt-looping string 1.3i1 is made of belt webbing or soundproofing material and/or the impact-identity element 17.1 is made of soundproofing material.
Contact surfaces of the exterior belt fittings, which come into contact with each other when the seat belt is in use, are coated with soundproofing material.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -13-BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A number of embodiments, other advantages and features of the present invention will be described in the accompanying drawings with reference to the xyz giobal coordinate system:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first and second embodiment of a replaceable assembly (set) of impact-identity elements 1.3S and a replaceable impact-identity element 17a.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a coupling member 1.30e of a seat belt provided for the replaceable assembly of impact-identity elements.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a replaceable coupling member 1.30 of a multi-point seat belt provided for the replaceable assembly of impact-identity elements.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a seat, equipped with sensors and a restraint system ref. to CA
2,313,780 comprising the multi-point seat belt, a belt tightener, belt retractor, locking mechanism, latch plates and buckle assemblies, arranged in a backrest and seat cushion.
Fig. 5 illustrates a force-elongation graph, where the belt force "Fn" is dissipated by impact-identity elements in dependence on the elongation "wn" in an accident.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional three-point seat belt equipped with a belt tightener.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an impact-identity element 1.3i1.
Fig. 8 is a top view of a fourth and fifth embodiment of an impact-identity element 9.10a1 and an aperture "ST" of a latch plate.
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of an impact-identity element 9.11 a of the latch plate taken along the line I-I of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an exterior belt fitting having three impact-identity elements 9.10an and 9.11 a.
Fig.11 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the n-impact-identity elements 1.3in.
Fig. 12 is a side view of a developed projecfion of the n-impact-identity elements 1.3in of Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an energy-management device ref. to US
5,580,091, attached to a retractor frame.
Fig. 14 is a top view of an energy-absorbing force-delimiter ref. to DE-C 3 801858, Fig. 15 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the energy-absorbing force-delimiter.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an energy-absorbing stretching element of the force-delimiter.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -14-DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Each device is suited to record the users and non-users of seat belt of a transport system, equipped with two-point seat belts 1f (not drawn), three-point seat belts le and/or multi-point seat belts 1(Figs. 4, 6), in real-world accidents.
The one- or two-piece piece multi-point seat belt I differs from the three-point seat belt le by restraining the upper part of body of the passenger in an X-shaped configuration of shoulder belt portions 1.1, 1.2 and by plug-in connecting the latch plate 11 of lap belt 1.3 to one of the buckle assemblies 8, 8a to 8d to restrain both thighs in order to prevent submarining. The safest, but most expensive restraint system is provided with the belt tightener 190 as well as the locking mechanism 14 of belt retractor 13.
Up till now the design of conventional three-point seat belts makes it impossible to take latch plates, belt fittings and other members out thereof. In the 1st and 2nd embodiment (Figs. 1 to 3) an innovative design facilitates the further use of the seat belts and the exchange of wom (broken) impact-identity elements with new ones and of the impact-identity elements, laid out for weight class "babies", with the ones, laid out for weight class "obese people". Neither experts nor special tools are needed and nor aeroplanes nor motor vehicles are put at idle. This work can be done just by flight attendants or apprentices.
If a car owner has the intention to manipulate he is reluctant to replace the broken impact-identity elements after the accident is over. A plurality of impact-identity elements, the method to protect the evidence, surrounded with a plastic material 9.11, from manipulation and the remaining impact-identity elements, whose current state in the coming accident is significant to deliver evidence, establish a tamperproof evidence of the unbelted passengers which protects the car manufacturer from US-compensatory damages.
The features of the floor fittings 12, 17, 17a, 17b are suited for latch plate 2 too. The latch plate 2 of multi-point seat belt is loosely connected to the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements, made of belt webbings (Figs.1 and 11). Advantageously, it is replaceable.
The floor fitting 17a has an advantage over the floor fitting 17, 17b that, when the seat is adjusted in direction, denoted by arrow "vi" or "V2", the position of the belt portion 1.3 to the restraint of the lower part of body remains nearly unchanged.
The movement of the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements is limited either by pin 17.2 in direction of arrow "vi" or by pin 17.3 in direction of arrow "v2". A threaded bolt 17.3, projecting through the first end portion of the impact-identity element 17.1, the sleeve 17.6 and the floor fitting 17a, is CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -15-secured by two nuts 17.5 (not shown). After the projection of the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements along the impact-identity element 17.1 a second threaded bolt 17.2, projecting through the other end portion, the sleeve 17.6 and the floor fitting 17a, is secured by a pair of nuts 17.5. The pin 17.2 can be bolted to the side rail too. If the protruding portions of the corresponding pins 17.2, 17.3 pose danger to persons when cleaning, they are substituted by the bolts 17.2a, 17.3a, bolted to both bushes 17.8 of floor 6.
The impact-identity element 17.1, both end portions of which are sustained by two sleeves 17.6, in which at least one of sites of predetermined fracture "si" and/or "sq" in longitudinal and/or cross direction, is subjected to bending moment, resulting from belt force "Fn".
Preferably, the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements is made of metal. In contrary to belt webbings the belt-looping strings can be made of a single metal, designed with sites of predetermined fracture "s" in dependence on the shapes such as aperture, hole "I", oblong hole, opening, corrugation or fissure and/or on the notch factors, in order to conduct the process of rupturing belt-looping strings 1.3in, as far as possible, in succession of "n" from "1" to "m" and to cut costs.
The belt portion 1.3, fastened to a coupling member 1.30e, of two-point- or three-point seat belt 1f,1e is rigidly connected to the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements by two bolts 1.31 bolted to nuts (not shown). Contrarily, the belt portion 1.2, 1.3 of multi-point seat belt I
must be loosely guided by the aperture of coupling member 1.30, whose back portion is provided with an impact-identity element 9.10a1.
In the 3rd embodiment (Fig. 7) the outer belt-looping string 1.3a of belt portion 1.1, 1.3 accommodates an inner belt-looping string 1.3i1, which, acting as an impact-identity element, has tensile strength lower than that of the seat belt 1, le, If and of the outer belt-looping string 1.3a and the threshold value of each body member, which comes in contact therewith.
By means of floor fitting 17, 17a, 17b (not-shown 17b of three-point seat belt) the seat belt is anchored to the floor (vehicle floor) 6 or to the seat frame 3.3 (Figs. 4, 6).
Additionally, the floor fitting 17 of the multi-point seat belt has the function to loosely guide the belt portions 1.2, 1.3 and loosely retain the latch plate 2 in resting position. The belt-looping string 1.3i1 is loosely connected to exterior belt fitting 2, 17a, 17b. Upon the rupture of the belt-looping string 1.3i1 by large belt force the outer belt-looping string 1.3a is loosely retained by exterior belt fitting 2,17a,17b.
iE6DA-CIPO 310307 D
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -16-It is highly recommended to use a plurality of impact-identity elements 1.3in, where "n" _"1" to "m"
("m" = 3 shown in Figs. 11, 12) in the 7th embodiment, having different tensile strengths, serving as threshold values. At first the first end portions "B" of the belt-looping strings of belt portion 1.1, 1.3 are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c2), the other, whose edges and the edge "A" of the outer belt-looping string 1.3a are aligned with each other, are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c1) and, finally, both end portions are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c shown in Fig. 7).
In the 4th embodiment (Fig. 8) the back portion 9.10 of latch plate 2, 9, 11 is subdivided into an impact-identity element 9.10a1 with sites of predetermined fracture "s" and a far stiffer remaining portion 9.10b. Because the back portion 9.10 is surrounded with the firm plastic material 9.11, the sites of predetermined fracture, broken by large belt force, won't injury the passenger.
In the 5th embodiment a measurable, permanent deformation of aperture "ST", resulting from the total permanent deformation of the impact-identity element 9.10a1 linked to the mass inertia force or kinetic energy of a belted passenger in an accident, is exploited to deliver evidence. The dispute over who among the belted passengers with different weight was the driver of the car in the event of the accident can be cleared up by the measurable, permanent deformation of the respective apertures "sr" which match their respective weight.
Just like conventional latch plates the latch plates 2, 9, 11, characterized by the above-mentioned features, can be manufactured by means of the method of stamping (punching).
The firm plastic material 9.11 protects the sites of predetermined fracture "s" and the aperture "sr"
from manipulation.
In the 6th embodiment (Figs. 9, 10) the back portion 9.10 of exterior belt fitting 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b is surrounded with the plastic material 9.11, having an impact-identity element 9.11a with sites of predetermined fracture "s", which is always in contact with the seat belt 1, le, If. It is loaded by belt force, linked to forward motion, in direction "V" and finally shorn off by larger tension force of the belt tightener 190 in direction "Z". As a result, the sites of predetermined fracture are broken. In experiments the best shape of the impact-identity element 9.11a and the best surface with/without corrugations (ribs) can be determined.
In case that the width "b" of back portion 9.10 is bigger than that of the conventional width, a plurality of impact-identity elements 9.10an, where "n" ="1" to "m" ("m" = 2 shown in Fig. 10), preferable, with different threshold values can be arranged therein.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -17-Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the terminology used is intended to describe rather than limit. Many more objects, embodiments, features and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above-mentioned teachings.
Therefore, within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practised S otherwise than as specifically described and illustrated.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -3-b) a moving member 32, having 1. a pair of side flanges, each of which has a pair of small stalking tabs 48, fastened to a retractor frame 24, for guiding the moving member 32 along a pair of edges 55 of the strap 30 when a belt retractor 22 is pulled by the seat belt;
2. a tab-deflecting portion 68, which deflects the pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 to decrease a belt force, when the belt retractor 22 is pulled by the seat belt until the portion 68 comes into contact with the edge 91 of the second end portion.
Unfortunately, this invention has the following drawbacks, all of which are resolved by the impact-identity elements, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 7 to 12:
D1. When NHSTA and Canadian Transport legislate a law to verify the use and non-use of the seat belts in real-world accidents, police have to disassemble the inner coverings of the post sections and the straps and take out those straps in order to determine whether the corresponding passengers have belted or not. Who pays for the time-consuming work and the training of police officers to disassemble tausends of different cars?
D2. Taken as given, a car is equipped with the energy-management devices, the car owner must pay for the work of disassembling and assembling when a mechanic checks whether all the straps are deformed or remain intact. For sure, he is going to trade his car with another car, equipped with the impact-identity elements.
D3. In real-world accidents the belt retractor 22 retracts the seat belt by about 30 cm and, finally, clamps it. After this operation is accomplished in 5 to 10 ms (milliseconds) the energy-management device is put into operation. The time delay is increased by time needed to overcome the slack between the tab-deflecting portion 68 and the first pair of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 and between two pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs in succession. The process of bending each pair of stalking tabs needs about 10 ms (pp. 6, lines 44 and 45).
Logically, only two or three pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 can be bent in a minor accident which lasts up to 40 ms. The remaining belt force, which is still great, inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user because the energy absorption is insufficient.
See M.
N. In contrary to the impact-identity elements the energy absorption by only bending the small deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 does not exploit the material property at all. The energy-management device, suited for dissipating only small belt force imparted to light-weight kids, fails to protect heavy-weight or obese seat-belt users, in particular, when their cars are yaw-accelerated. An AUDI A3, travelling at just 80 km/h (kph), swerving on a wet road and crashing CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -4-into a small Ford Fiesta, was yaw-accelerated. The slim driver was unscathed while his obese wife suffered severe injury although her impact energy was absorbed to some extent by fracturing the inner covering of the door as well as by displacing her seat by about 50 mm. When a human being is idealized by a cylinder with radius "r", the (rotatory) inertia moment depends on "r4". If the ratio of circumference radii between his obese wife and him is two, her rotatory mass is 24 or 16 times his!! Ref. to TIME, issued July 1, 2002, 51 million Americans are obese.
The accident report "OBESITY" is incorporated herein.
D5. For sure, the device fails to protect every seat-belt user in multi-crashes.
D6. When a drawer, when pulled, cants in the casing, it remains unmoved.
Similarty, the moving member 32 is jammed, when both side portions of the strap 30 under load of great belt force become unparalleled until they are broken (see D8). The impact-identity elements, resolving the device's deficiencies, are designed without moving member, deflectable cantilevered tabs and small stalking tabs. As a result, they are substantially cheaper and far reliable in any operation!
D7. In operation the elongation of impact-identity elements 1.3in, shown in Figs. 1, 11 and 12 and ref.
to B6, is halved to "aw" while the belt retractor 13 with the seat belt remains unmoved. In contrary to this feature of ensuring survival chance the seat belt is getting slack by an amount consisting of 1. the travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt by 100 mm (pp. 5, line 64 and Fig. 13) and 2. the elongation of the strap 30, which is significantly increased when its mid portion contracts (see D8), thus a) substantially increasing the forward motion of the seat-belt user, being subjected to severe/fatal head injury linked to totally deforming the steering wheel (see A2) or being crushed by an inflating airbag with striking force up to 20 kN in accidents and/or b) allowing the seat-belt user to free himself and become unrestrained.
I) Getting tired after having participated in a Sylvester party a 42-year old driver crashed his 2-year old Opel Astra Caravan at speed of 120-140 km/h into a barrier, acting as a ramp, along which it moved up and, finally, rolled over. During which time both front airbags crushed him and his wife to death and severe injury. The driver's airbag was soaked with blood! The accident report "U020106" is incorporated herein. Opel Astra cars under the trademark Satum Astra will be offered for sale in USA and, I assume, in Canada too.
II) A properly belted 6-year old kid, properly seated on a child seat, was ejected out of Toyota Yaris when laterally crashing at speed of 110 km/h into a concrete wall. The accident report "U211002" is incorporated herein.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -5-In order to meet the performance of the energy-absorbing assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements (Fig. 1) the travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt and many pairs of deflectable cantilevered tabs 36 must be laid out very large, far larger than 100 mm. Due to that feature, allowing large travel of the belt retractor 22 with the seat belt together with great elongadon, until the strap 30 is broken (see D8), the seat-belt user is subjected to severe/fatal injury linked to being smashed into vehicle members, crushed by the airbag and/or ejected out of the restraint and car.
D8. In case that all the belt-looping strings 1.3in with sites of predetermined fracture, gradually decreasing great belt force, are broken, the outer belt-looping string 1.3a, shown in Fig. 1, serving as a safety piece, takes over the job to ensure the restraint of the seat-belt user. In comparison with latch plates 2, 9, 11, shown in Figs. 4, 6, 8 to 10, both side portions of the strap 30 have far bigger notch effect, which substantially decreases the breaking strength. They are totally (plastically) deformed und greatly elongated by great belt force while their mid portions are contracting until the mid porbons are broken. Due to the fracture the "belted"
passenger is thrown to vehicle members (see A2) and/or ejected out of the car. See the deflection-limiting element 12 (Figs. 14 to 15), serving as a safety piece too!
D9. Great belt force fractures the small stalking tabs 48 as well as inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user. See A4.
D10. How many millions of severe/fatal injuries result from fracture of straps 30 and/or small stalking tabs 48, large forward motion andlor the insufficient energy absorption, if the devices are installed in cars? The car manufacturer goes bankrupt when a US supreme court issues a verdict to pay to the victims or bereaved compensatory damages of three-figure millions of dollars per victim in each lawsuit! See B1.
Definitely, all the drawbacks D1 to D10 discourage the implementation by car manufacturers.
Seven years and ten months before the filing date of US 5,580,091 some of the above-mentioned drawbacks D1 to D3, D6 and D8 were already resolved by the features of TRW's patent ref. to DE-C 3 801 858, shown in Figs. 14 to 16. An energy-absorbing force-delimiter, serving as a floor fit6ng for a seat belt 24, comprises a) an energy-absorbing stretching element 10, provided with apertures having deformable rims 10A to 10C, each of which has a pair of delimiting portions 10X, and b) a deflection-limiting element 12 serving as a safety piece, above-mentioned in D8.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -6-When the force-delimiter is loaded by great belt force the deformation of the deformable rims is suddenly limited by the pair of delimiting portions 10X, coming into contact with each other in traverse direction, thus enabling the stretching element 10 being totally deformed und further elongated until it is broken, while the deflection-limiting element 12 ensures the restraint of the seat-belt user.
However, this invention has the following drawbacks, all of which are resolved by the impact-identity elements, shown in Figs.1 to 3, 7 to 12:
D11. For sure, this force-delimiter, specified for male ribs at the threshold value of 8,000 N, remains undeformed, when the belt force is lower than 8,000 N, thus unsuited for verifying the use and non-use of the seat belts.
D12. Because the stretching element 10 is already broken the remaining belt force, when it is still great, inflicts severe/fatal injury on the seat-belt user. See D4, A4 and B1.
If the strength of the deflection-limiting element 12 is laid out higher than the tensile strength of the seat belt, the seat belt is torn apart by the great remaining belt force.
During rollover of a nine-year old Ford Ranger pickup, Johnson's seat belt at the region of latch plate was tom apart and he was smashed into the co-driver door, thus resulting in brain damage and physical impairment (broken spine-bone etc.) and the final verdict, due to which Ford Motor Co had to pay damages of five millions of dollars to his parents.
Source FindLaw for Legal Professional; Johnson v. Ford Motor Co, The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma; Case No: 95873; Decided: 04/02/2002; Mandated Issued:
04/26/2002.
2o D13. Definitely, the force-delimiter fails to protect every seat-belt user in multi-crashes.
D14. In contrary to the feature of halving the elongation of impact-identity elements 1.3in, shown in Figs. 1, 11 and 12 and ref. to B6, to "Aw" the seat belt is getting slack by an amount of "L" (Fig.
14) consisting of 1. the longitudinal displacement of the stretching element 10 associated with the lateral displacement of the pair of delimiting portions 10X until they come into contact with each other and 2. the elongation of the stretching element 10 untii it is broken.
See D7 regarding the danger of being severely/fatally injured due to large elongation.
D15. Moreover, the manufacturing costs for stretching elements are far higher than that for energy-absorbing impact-identity elements.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -7-Ref. to CA 2,314,345 interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers, located in the seat, comprise retaining elements and corresponding clamping elements. The retaining elements are fastened to the seat-backrest frame andlor seat frame or are members thereof. The clamping elements, provided with sites of predetermined fracture, are arranged on and/or in the retaining elements. If these energy absorbers, installed in an AIRBUS A380 with 600 seats, should be exploited to deliver evidence of users and non-users of seat belts, each incident or inspection incurs time-consuming, costly work to rip off 600 seat linens and -cushions, disassemble 600 seat adjusting devices and many seat springs, replace the broken clamping elements and assemble all the parts again. In addition, the airline, having to ground the aeroplane, pilots and flight-attendants, goes bankrupt. In order to overcome all these shortcomings and, if necessary, to co-operate with interior vibration-dampening energy absorbers to absorb great energy and dampen strong vibrations in a multi-crash or multi-turbulence, exterior belt fittings are invented (Figs.1 to 3, 7 to 12) in regard with the principle object of the present invention.
To address the problems in real-wortd accidents, the principle purpose of the invention ref. to CA
2,314,345 is to dampen vibration, in order to avert sudden death linked to shock waves, to gradually absorb great energy in multi-crash of a motor vehicle or in turbulence related incidents during a single flight and to prevent seat backrests from total deformation!
A device ref. to DE- A 41 40 115 consists of two retaining parts, movable in each other. The first and second parts are fastened to the buckle assembly and to the vehicle floor.
A pair of clamping pieces, retained in the apertures of both parts, is biased by coned-disk springs.
If the predetermined biased force is set too low, both clamping pieces fall out therefrom when the car is emergency stopped or driven over bumpy roads. This "evidence for having using the seat belt after since" makes the car owner possible to manipulate even when the car is parked in a garage.
If the predetermined biased force is set too high, both clamping pieces remain engaged with the respective apertures in accidents. There is no evidence.
This bulky device needs space, takes the place of the belt pretensioner, which is usually attached to the belt assembly, and consists of several members. Coned-disk springs are expensive. Hence, the manufacturing costs are extremely high.
Obviously, court-incontestable (tamperproof) evidence of the users of seat belt is missing in the following cases in the event of accidents:
Al. It has happened in the offset front-, side- or rear collision, which results, finally, in a rollover, in which a passenger, having freed himself from the restraint, is ejected out of the vehicle, whose doors are detached, dunng a rollover. This phenomenon is substantiated in the research work of CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -8-the inventor, investigating various vehicles of different car manufacturers in accidents. Because sensors are incapable of precisely determining deceleration in the event of rollover, side- or rear collision, it can occur, that the belt tightener (pretensioner) 190 doesn't retract the belt portions 1.2, 1.3 and/or the locking mechanism 14 (Fig. 4) doesn't block (forcefully tighten) the belt portion 1.4. Despite having used the seat belt no blocking traces thereon are discovered.
A2. When a 4-month old BMW 328i was involved in a front crash, the passenger cell was decreased just by about 20 % but the head of d(ver of a 34-year old driver, thrown forward, totally deformed the steering wheel. The accident report "Head injury" is incorporated herein.
The traffic experts presume that the driver had not used the seat belt in the accident at all. A
microscopic investigation confirms the blocking traces on the surfaces of belt portion 1.4, which was jammed (blocked) by the locking mechanism 14 during a forceful protraction of belt portions 1.2, 1.3 by the belt tightener 190 in the front crash. However, such investigation results are questionable because these traces could be caused by soft clampings of both clamping shoes before the front crash has taken place.
A3. When traces, resulting from the friction of the belt portion on the surface of a plastic material 9.11a of latch plate 9, are not detected, traffic experts make verdicts that passengers had been unbelted.
A4. Thanks to my good knowledge of Ford Explorers' rollover-accidents linked to defective Firestone tires I was requested to investigate with an police officer the rollover-accident of an 8-year old Explorer, resulting in two fatalities and two severe injuries, and determine the use and non-use of seat belts. A 21-year old driver lost control of the Explorer when the left rear tire was suddenly depleted. We discovered a fissure on the front face of that tire and a hole, through all of which air flowed out. As a result, the Explorer rolled over, the left back-seated passenger, unbeited, was ejected and the remaining three seat-belt users were severeiy injured, one of them was pronounced dead at the hospital. The accident report "U181005" is incorporated herein. This is solid evidence for a) great belt forces, severely/fatally inju(ng seat-belt users despite being strong and young in the rollover-accident, b) failure of the conventional restraint systems due to lack of vibration-dampening energy absorbers and energy-absorbing impact-identity elements and c) the need for impact-identity elements, which make time-consuming, expensive work unnecessary.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -9-A5. By great energy during a turbulence-related flight the unbeited passengers as well as the majority of passengers, belted by life-threatening lap belts, are severely/fatally injured. After the rescue and medical treatment no one of the flight personnel can remember anymore who had been unbelted. The airline has no choice but to pay all the medical expenses of all injured passengers, some of them ignored the request to buckle up and the fines, set by US-Courts.
The impact-identity elements of unbeited passengers, if installed, remain intact and serve as court-incontestable evidence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the principle object of the present invention is provide for a transport system = impact-identity elements for resolving all the shortcomings, above-mentioned, verifying the use and non-use of the seat belts, dissipating a great belt force of each seat-belt user in the event of an accident and facilitating the work - of checking, whether the impact-identity elements are permanently deformed andlor broken by great belt force, and replacing them, if permanently deformed and/or broken, or - of exchanging them with other impact-identity elements suited for the seat-belt user's weight; and = a method for protecting the evidence and the chain thereof from manipulation.
Doubtless, the police, pilots, flight attendants andlor apprentices can easily and quickly accomplish that work without ripping off the seat linens and -cushions and disassembling the inner coverings of the post sections.
A second object of the present invention resides in the impact-identity elements of the seat beit to gradually dissipate great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in any accident, by fracturing sites of predetermined fracture or permanently deforming the impact-identity elements, all of which serve as solid evidence for the seat-belt usages. The sites of predetermined fracture have threshold values, lower than injury-relevant threshold value. The threshold values may have different magnitudes. The difference between two forces õOF;" in succession must be lower than that injury-relevant threshold value.
A third object of the present invention resides in a method to exploit existing parts, which are already put into use in motor vehicles or aeroplanes, for further application in order to save Research-and Development work, lower manufacturing costs and increase the reliability of the device.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -10-INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
It is apparent that the invention provides for the courts, police, agencies, car-, aeroplane manufacturers and airlines a chain of tamperproof evidence including the following features:
B1. A US Court sentenced Daimler Chrysler to pay the highest damages of 259 millions of dollars to the parents of Sergio Jiminez, who, presumably unbeited, was ejected out of the tailgate of a Dodge minivan, because the engineers were unable to deliver court-incontestable evidence. See countermeasures in B5.
If a single impact-identity element, provided for the seat belt, is broken in an accident, a non-user of this seat belt can manipulate it as evidence for "having used the seat belt" in an oncoming accident. Due to the possibility for such a manipulation and to the high rate of non-use of seat belts on roads and flights car-, aeroplane manufacturers and airlines are increasingly exposed to lawsuits. Definitely, the manufacturer or the airline has to present to US-Courts irrefutable evidence in compliance with reversal of the burden of proof.
An expert, making an investigation on behalf of the Office of Prosecutors, issues a verdict of seat-belt usage based on his finding of traces on the melted plastic caused by the friction of the belt portion on the surface of a plastic material 9.11a of latch plate 9.
However, these traces could result from large deceleration linked to several emergency stops or in the event, in which an accident almost occurs, before the current accident occurs. The expert report is incontestable when impact-identity elements with a plurality of sites of predetermined fracture and apertures as well as with surface of impact-identity element 9.11a are put into use.
Prior to the use precautions must be taken to avoid manipulation and replace broken and/or wom impact-identity elements for example at inspection-service and seal them.
Thanks to the chain of tamperproof evidence manufacturers are spared lawsuits, compensatory damages andlor medical-expenses In event of a rollover and/or a rear-end crash passengers, when freeing themselves from the restraint of conventional three-point seat belts, can be ejected out of a vehicle due to failure of conventional interengaging assemblies of the doors. In order to enhance the chain of evidence and survival chance it is recommended to use multi-point seat belts ref. to CA
2,313,780, preferably in association with the shoulder caps, equipped with energy absorbers serving as additional evidence for belt usages, ref. to CA 2,314,345, anti-submarining seat-belt assemblies ref. to CA 2,447,580 and interengaging assemblies ref. to CA 2,220,872.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -11-The impact-identity elements deliver evidence for the use and non-use of seat belts in any accident.
B2. Easily replaceable impact-identity elements, which are broken for the purpose of protecting the passenger from injury in the event, in which an accident almost occurs, or in turbulence-related vibrations, facilitate the exchange and save costs by further use of the seat belt because it was not overstressed. When several assemblies 1.3S of impact-identity elements with different weight classes are arranged along a long impact-identity element 17.1, the appropriate one, corresponding to the weight of the passenger, is fastened to the coupling member 1.30,1.30e.
B3. Energy-absorbing impact-identity elements lower injury severity. The addition of all sub-energies (specific amount of loads) "aF;", where "i" ="1" to "n", results in the belt force "Fn". Thanks to assemblies of energy-absorbers to dissipate great belt force specific proposals can be realised by impact-identity elements, for example, on dissipating lower sub-energy "OF;", where "i" ="1" to "n", which is lower than or equal to the injury-relevant threshold values.
B4. By grouping light- to heavy-weight passengers into weight classes assemblies of impact-identity elements, having the corresponding threshold values, can be designed and offered. To restrain for example a 35 kg-heavy child the assembly (set) of impact-identity elements, proposed for an 8 kg-heavy baby, will be substituted by an assembly thereof, suited for 35 kg.
An investigation can find out whether a rationalization of seat belts, each equipped with a plurality of impact-identity elements, adopted for passengers, whose weight ranges from children to obese people, pays off. The rationalization hat the advantages that repair work is not necessary anymore and the survival chance is ensured in a multi-crash, consisting of several collisions, or during a flight, in which several big twisters occurs.
B5. In some cases police officers are confronted with lying passengers who, intending to protect the drunken driver from being indicted, assert of not knowing who was driving. To the dismay they are unable to deliver to the Office of Prosecutors solid evidence to prove one of seven passengers of a seven-seat SUV guilty of road rage (reckless driving) resulting in crashing it into a mini car, all the passengers of which were fatally injured. No witnesses are available anymore.
It is the job of a traffic expert, assigned by the Office of Prosecutors, to determine who has driven that SUV and who were the users and/or non-users of the seat belt. Noteworthy, it has already happened that the expert's verdict is wronq (see D11 and A4). For that reason, all the seat belts incl. belt fittings must be recorded and stored by him and/or the police officers in an archive until the final verdict is accepted by all parties. Usually, he and/or the police officers write the names of CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -12-all the passengers, usually, in acronym on the corresponding seat-belt webs and belt fitfings and save all the data, usually, in computers. Logically, such investigating and archiving work is very time-consuming, costly and tedious!
In 50 % offset crash tests of several European cars at 55 km/h, ref. to Table 1 of CA 2,313,780 and CA 2,447,580, the belt forces of two dummies of the same type are different. Different colours, patterns andlor widths facilitate police officers and apprentices to examine the fracture of the impact-identity elements and determine the passengers, whose belt forces are related to the impact-identity elements, which are broken or totally deformed, in particular when they are ejected out of the vehicle in a multi-crash. I assume, in one out of one million cases, it is very difficult to deliver very solid evidence when the states of deformation of the impact-identity elements of two belt users are similar to each other.
Beyond doubt, impact-identity eiements in association with the identification markers make that work superfluous, save fime and costs and avoid to a great extent errors, thus yielding evidence which is solid, hence, very useful for police, prosecutors, courts, manufacturers of transport systems as well as seat-belt users. An implementation would have saved Daimler Chrysler $ 259 million. See B1.
B6. Under the condition of the same length (Figs. 1, 11, 12) the elongation "Ow" of the belt-looping string at the break has half the elongation "2Aw" of the belt webbing at the break.
Advantageously, this feature reduces the forward motion in front crashes and slackness of the seat belt in real-world accidents. See A2, D7 and D14.
B7. In order to reduce the forward motion upon the rupture of the belt-looping strings, belt-looping strings 1.3in with sites of predetermined fracture are made of material, characterized by little elongation at break (rupture) less than that of the belt webbing, such as compound material, metal or fibre-reinforced material.
B8. For the purpose of dampening noises upon the contact with exterior belt fit6ng 2, 17, 17a, 17b (Figs. 1, 7 and 11) the first belt-looping string 1.3i1 is made of belt webbing or soundproofing material and/or the impact-identity element 17.1 is made of soundproofing material.
Contact surfaces of the exterior belt fittings, which come into contact with each other when the seat belt is in use, are coated with soundproofing material.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -13-BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A number of embodiments, other advantages and features of the present invention will be described in the accompanying drawings with reference to the xyz giobal coordinate system:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first and second embodiment of a replaceable assembly (set) of impact-identity elements 1.3S and a replaceable impact-identity element 17a.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a coupling member 1.30e of a seat belt provided for the replaceable assembly of impact-identity elements.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a replaceable coupling member 1.30 of a multi-point seat belt provided for the replaceable assembly of impact-identity elements.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a seat, equipped with sensors and a restraint system ref. to CA
2,313,780 comprising the multi-point seat belt, a belt tightener, belt retractor, locking mechanism, latch plates and buckle assemblies, arranged in a backrest and seat cushion.
Fig. 5 illustrates a force-elongation graph, where the belt force "Fn" is dissipated by impact-identity elements in dependence on the elongation "wn" in an accident.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional three-point seat belt equipped with a belt tightener.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an impact-identity element 1.3i1.
Fig. 8 is a top view of a fourth and fifth embodiment of an impact-identity element 9.10a1 and an aperture "ST" of a latch plate.
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of an impact-identity element 9.11 a of the latch plate taken along the line I-I of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an exterior belt fitting having three impact-identity elements 9.10an and 9.11 a.
Fig.11 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the n-impact-identity elements 1.3in.
Fig. 12 is a side view of a developed projecfion of the n-impact-identity elements 1.3in of Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an energy-management device ref. to US
5,580,091, attached to a retractor frame.
Fig. 14 is a top view of an energy-absorbing force-delimiter ref. to DE-C 3 801858, Fig. 15 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the energy-absorbing force-delimiter.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an energy-absorbing stretching element of the force-delimiter.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -14-DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Each device is suited to record the users and non-users of seat belt of a transport system, equipped with two-point seat belts 1f (not drawn), three-point seat belts le and/or multi-point seat belts 1(Figs. 4, 6), in real-world accidents.
The one- or two-piece piece multi-point seat belt I differs from the three-point seat belt le by restraining the upper part of body of the passenger in an X-shaped configuration of shoulder belt portions 1.1, 1.2 and by plug-in connecting the latch plate 11 of lap belt 1.3 to one of the buckle assemblies 8, 8a to 8d to restrain both thighs in order to prevent submarining. The safest, but most expensive restraint system is provided with the belt tightener 190 as well as the locking mechanism 14 of belt retractor 13.
Up till now the design of conventional three-point seat belts makes it impossible to take latch plates, belt fittings and other members out thereof. In the 1st and 2nd embodiment (Figs. 1 to 3) an innovative design facilitates the further use of the seat belts and the exchange of wom (broken) impact-identity elements with new ones and of the impact-identity elements, laid out for weight class "babies", with the ones, laid out for weight class "obese people". Neither experts nor special tools are needed and nor aeroplanes nor motor vehicles are put at idle. This work can be done just by flight attendants or apprentices.
If a car owner has the intention to manipulate he is reluctant to replace the broken impact-identity elements after the accident is over. A plurality of impact-identity elements, the method to protect the evidence, surrounded with a plastic material 9.11, from manipulation and the remaining impact-identity elements, whose current state in the coming accident is significant to deliver evidence, establish a tamperproof evidence of the unbelted passengers which protects the car manufacturer from US-compensatory damages.
The features of the floor fittings 12, 17, 17a, 17b are suited for latch plate 2 too. The latch plate 2 of multi-point seat belt is loosely connected to the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements, made of belt webbings (Figs.1 and 11). Advantageously, it is replaceable.
The floor fitting 17a has an advantage over the floor fitting 17, 17b that, when the seat is adjusted in direction, denoted by arrow "vi" or "V2", the position of the belt portion 1.3 to the restraint of the lower part of body remains nearly unchanged.
The movement of the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements is limited either by pin 17.2 in direction of arrow "vi" or by pin 17.3 in direction of arrow "v2". A threaded bolt 17.3, projecting through the first end portion of the impact-identity element 17.1, the sleeve 17.6 and the floor fitting 17a, is CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -15-secured by two nuts 17.5 (not shown). After the projection of the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements along the impact-identity element 17.1 a second threaded bolt 17.2, projecting through the other end portion, the sleeve 17.6 and the floor fitting 17a, is secured by a pair of nuts 17.5. The pin 17.2 can be bolted to the side rail too. If the protruding portions of the corresponding pins 17.2, 17.3 pose danger to persons when cleaning, they are substituted by the bolts 17.2a, 17.3a, bolted to both bushes 17.8 of floor 6.
The impact-identity element 17.1, both end portions of which are sustained by two sleeves 17.6, in which at least one of sites of predetermined fracture "si" and/or "sq" in longitudinal and/or cross direction, is subjected to bending moment, resulting from belt force "Fn".
Preferably, the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements is made of metal. In contrary to belt webbings the belt-looping strings can be made of a single metal, designed with sites of predetermined fracture "s" in dependence on the shapes such as aperture, hole "I", oblong hole, opening, corrugation or fissure and/or on the notch factors, in order to conduct the process of rupturing belt-looping strings 1.3in, as far as possible, in succession of "n" from "1" to "m" and to cut costs.
The belt portion 1.3, fastened to a coupling member 1.30e, of two-point- or three-point seat belt 1f,1e is rigidly connected to the assembly 1.3S of impact-identity elements by two bolts 1.31 bolted to nuts (not shown). Contrarily, the belt portion 1.2, 1.3 of multi-point seat belt I
must be loosely guided by the aperture of coupling member 1.30, whose back portion is provided with an impact-identity element 9.10a1.
In the 3rd embodiment (Fig. 7) the outer belt-looping string 1.3a of belt portion 1.1, 1.3 accommodates an inner belt-looping string 1.3i1, which, acting as an impact-identity element, has tensile strength lower than that of the seat belt 1, le, If and of the outer belt-looping string 1.3a and the threshold value of each body member, which comes in contact therewith.
By means of floor fitting 17, 17a, 17b (not-shown 17b of three-point seat belt) the seat belt is anchored to the floor (vehicle floor) 6 or to the seat frame 3.3 (Figs. 4, 6).
Additionally, the floor fitting 17 of the multi-point seat belt has the function to loosely guide the belt portions 1.2, 1.3 and loosely retain the latch plate 2 in resting position. The belt-looping string 1.3i1 is loosely connected to exterior belt fitting 2, 17a, 17b. Upon the rupture of the belt-looping string 1.3i1 by large belt force the outer belt-looping string 1.3a is loosely retained by exterior belt fitting 2,17a,17b.
iE6DA-CIPO 310307 D
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -16-It is highly recommended to use a plurality of impact-identity elements 1.3in, where "n" _"1" to "m"
("m" = 3 shown in Figs. 11, 12) in the 7th embodiment, having different tensile strengths, serving as threshold values. At first the first end portions "B" of the belt-looping strings of belt portion 1.1, 1.3 are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c2), the other, whose edges and the edge "A" of the outer belt-looping string 1.3a are aligned with each other, are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c1) and, finally, both end portions are sewn together (see yarn 1.3c shown in Fig. 7).
In the 4th embodiment (Fig. 8) the back portion 9.10 of latch plate 2, 9, 11 is subdivided into an impact-identity element 9.10a1 with sites of predetermined fracture "s" and a far stiffer remaining portion 9.10b. Because the back portion 9.10 is surrounded with the firm plastic material 9.11, the sites of predetermined fracture, broken by large belt force, won't injury the passenger.
In the 5th embodiment a measurable, permanent deformation of aperture "ST", resulting from the total permanent deformation of the impact-identity element 9.10a1 linked to the mass inertia force or kinetic energy of a belted passenger in an accident, is exploited to deliver evidence. The dispute over who among the belted passengers with different weight was the driver of the car in the event of the accident can be cleared up by the measurable, permanent deformation of the respective apertures "sr" which match their respective weight.
Just like conventional latch plates the latch plates 2, 9, 11, characterized by the above-mentioned features, can be manufactured by means of the method of stamping (punching).
The firm plastic material 9.11 protects the sites of predetermined fracture "s" and the aperture "sr"
from manipulation.
In the 6th embodiment (Figs. 9, 10) the back portion 9.10 of exterior belt fitting 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b is surrounded with the plastic material 9.11, having an impact-identity element 9.11a with sites of predetermined fracture "s", which is always in contact with the seat belt 1, le, If. It is loaded by belt force, linked to forward motion, in direction "V" and finally shorn off by larger tension force of the belt tightener 190 in direction "Z". As a result, the sites of predetermined fracture are broken. In experiments the best shape of the impact-identity element 9.11a and the best surface with/without corrugations (ribs) can be determined.
In case that the width "b" of back portion 9.10 is bigger than that of the conventional width, a plurality of impact-identity elements 9.10an, where "n" ="1" to "m" ("m" = 2 shown in Fig. 10), preferable, with different threshold values can be arranged therein.
CA 2,399,917; Docket No: PD6A -17-Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the terminology used is intended to describe rather than limit. Many more objects, embodiments, features and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above-mentioned teachings.
Therefore, within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practised S otherwise than as specifically described and illustrated.
Claims (28)
IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An energy-absorbing seat belt for a transport system, characterized in that a) a lap- or shoulder belt portion (1.1 to 1.3) of the seat belt (1, 1e, 1f) is equipped with at least one exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b), which, generally representing a D-ring (12), a floor fitting (17, 17a, 17b), a latch plate (2, 9, 11) or a coupling member (1.30, 1.30e), is provided with at least one impact-identity element (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1), where the lap- and shoulder belt portions (1.1 to 1.3) are located outside a seat (3) of the transport system; and b) the impact-identity element has at least one site of predetermined fracture (s) or a predetermined breaking strength;
c) where a great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in an accident, is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element in excess of ~ a threshold value of the site of predetermined fracture (s) or ~ the predetermined breaking strength, which serves as a threshold value; and d) a fracture of the impact-identity element is a tamperproof evidence for a seat-belt usage.
c) where a great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in an accident, is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element in excess of ~ a threshold value of the site of predetermined fracture (s) or ~ the predetermined breaking strength, which serves as a threshold value; and d) a fracture of the impact-identity element is a tamperproof evidence for a seat-belt usage.
2. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 1, characterized in that a) the impact-identity element (1.3i1), arranged in an outer belt-looping string (1.3a) of the lap-or shoulder belt portion (1.1 to 1.3) and loosely connected to the floor fitting (17a, 17b) or the latch plate (2), has a threshold value, lower than a strength of the outer belt-looping string (1.3a);
b) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (1.3i1) in excess of the threshold value and c) the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) is retained by the floor fitting (17a, 17b) or the latch plate (2).
b) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (1.3i1) in excess of the threshold value and c) the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) is retained by the floor fitting (17a, 17b) or the latch plate (2).
3. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 2, characterized in that an assembly (1.3S) of impact-identity elements is defined by the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) and a plurality of impact-identity elements (1.3in), all of which are arranged in the outer belt-looping string (1.3a).
4. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 3, characterized in that the assembly (1.3S) of impact-identity elements is releasably attached to the coupling member (1.30, 1.30e) and detachable therefrom.
5. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 4, characterized in that the assembly (1.3S) of impact-identity elements is fastened to a) the coupling member (1.30e) of the shoulder belt portion (1.1) of the latch plate (2) of the multi-point seat belt (1) or b) the coupling member (1.30e) of the lap belt portion (1.3) of the two- or three-point seat belt (1e,1f) or c) the coupling member (1.30) of the shoulder- or lap belt portion (1.2, 1.3) of the multi-point seat belt (1).
6. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the threshold values of impact-identity elements are of different magnitude and lower than the strength of the outer belt-looping string (1.3a).
7. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 6, characterized in that the strength of the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) is lower than or equal to a tensile strength of the seat belt (1,1e, 1f).
B. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the impact-identity element (17.1), arranged along the floor fitting (17a), has a) a pair of end portions, sustained by a pair of sleeves (17.6) and fastened together therewith to this floor fitting (17a) by a pair of pins (17.2, 17.3; 17.2a, 17.3a); and b) at least one site of predetermined fracture (Sl, Sq), which is arranged in a longitudinal or cross direction;
c) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (17.1) in excess of a threshold value of the site of predetermined fracture (Sl, Sq).
c) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (17.1) in excess of a threshold value of the site of predetermined fracture (Sl, Sq).
9. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the assembly (1.3S) of impact-identity elements is moveable along the impact-identity element (17.1) and its movement is limited by the pair of pins (17.2, 17.3; 17.2a, 17.3a).
10. An energy-absorbing seat belt for a transport system, characterized in that a) a lap- or shoulder belt portion (1.1 to 1.3) of the seat belt (1,1e,1f) is equipped with at least one exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b), which, generally representing a D-ring (12), a floor fitting (17, 17a, 17b), a latch plate (2, 9, 11) or a coupling member (1.30, 1.30e), is provided with at least one impact-identity element (9.10a1), where the lap- and shoulder belt portions (1.1 to 1.3) are located outside a seat (3) of the transport system; and b) a back portion (9.10) of the exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b) comprises the impact-identity element (9.10a1) and a stiff remaining portion (9.10b), by both an aperture (S T) is defined;
c) where a great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in an accident, is decreased by permanent deforming the aperture (S T) and d) a permanent deformation of the aperture (S T) is a tamperproof evidence for a seat-belt usage.
c) where a great belt force, resulting from great mass inertia forces or great kinetic energy of a seat-belt user in an accident, is decreased by permanent deforming the aperture (S T) and d) a permanent deformation of the aperture (S T) is a tamperproof evidence for a seat-belt usage.
11. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 10, characterized in that the permanently deformed aperture (S T) is measurable.
12. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that a) the stiff remaining portion (9.10b) of the back portion (9.10) of the exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b) is provided with a number of impact-identity elements (9.10an) with sites of predetermined fracture (s); and b) a tensile strength of the seat belt (1, 1e, 1f) is higher than threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s);
c) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity elements (9.10an) in excess of the respective threshold values and d) a fracture of the impact-identity elements is the tamperproof evidence for the seat-belt usage.
c) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity elements (9.10an) in excess of the respective threshold values and d) a fracture of the impact-identity elements is the tamperproof evidence for the seat-belt usage.
13. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the latch plate (2, 9, 11) with the aperture (S T) or the impact-identity elements (9.10an) is or are manufactured by stamping.
14. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 13, characterized in that the back portion (9.10) of the exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b) is surrounded by a plastic material (9.11), by which the aperture (S T) or the impact-identity elements (9.10an) is or are covered.
15. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the latch plate (2, 9, 11) with the aperture (S T) and the impact-identity elements (9.10an) are manufactured by stamping.
16. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 15, characterized in that the back portion (9.10) of the exterior belt fitting (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b) is surrounded by a plastic material (9.11), by which the aperture (S T) and the impact-identity elements (9.10an) are covered.
17. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that a) the plastic material (9.11) is provided with an impact-identity element (9.11a) with sites of predetermined fracture (s), which is in contact with the seat belt (1,1e,1f);
b) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (9.11a) in excess of threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s), respectively.
b) where the great belt force is decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (9.11a) in excess of threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s), respectively.
18. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 17, characterized in that the impact-identity element (9.11a) has a surface, which, being in contact with the seat belt (1, 1e, 1f), is provided with corrugations.
19. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 2 to 18, characterized in that a) the threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s) of the impact-identity elements (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1) of the exterior belt fittings (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a,17b) of the seat belt (1, 1e, 1f) are of different magnitude;
b) where the great belt force is gradually decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1) in excess of the respective threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s).
b) where the great belt force is gradually decreased by fracturing the impact-identity element (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1) in excess of the respective threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s).
20. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the threshold values of the sites of predetermined fracture (s) are lower than injury-relevant threshold values of body parts and organs of human beings.
21. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 20, characterized in that a large number of impact-identity elements (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1) of the exterior belt fittings (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b) is subdivided into at least two weight classes for from light- to heavy-weight passengers.
22. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) or the impact-identity elements (1.3in,1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a,17.1) is or are provided with identification markers.
23. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims I to 21, characterized in that the outer belt-looping string (1.3a) and the impact-identity elements (1.3in, 1.3S, 9.10an, 9.11a, 17.1) are provided with identification markers.
24. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that the identification markers are different colours, different widths or different patterns.
25. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that the identification markers are different colours, different widths and different patterns.
26. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that contact surfaces of the exterior belt fittings, coming into a contact with each other, are coated by soundproofing material.
27. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the exterior belt fitting is made of belt webbing, metal, compound-, soundproofing or fibre-reinforced material.
28. The energy-absorbing seat belt according to one of claims 1 to 27, characterized in that the seat belts (1, 1e, 1f), equipped with the exterior belt fittings (1.30, 1.30e, 2, 9, 11, 12, 17, 17a, 17b), are installed in the transport system and, finally, the exterior belt fittings are tamperproof-sealed.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2425617A CA2425617C (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-02-02 | Device for registering seat-belt usages and service-life/wear of restraint systems |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE10010415.0 | 2000-03-03 | ||
| DE10010415A DE10010415C1 (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2000-03-03 | Device for detecting belt use and operating life in restraining system records times of safety belt use and non-use during travel and for accident and/or blows fuses and lamps in accident |
| PCT/DE2001/000611 WO2001064485A1 (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-02-02 | Device for detecting the use of a belt and the service life of the restraint systems |
Related Child Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2425617A Division CA2425617C (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-02-02 | Device for registering seat-belt usages and service-life/wear of restraint systems |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2399917A1 CA2399917A1 (en) | 2001-09-07 |
| CA2399917C true CA2399917C (en) | 2008-09-02 |
Family
ID=7633390
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002399917A Expired - Fee Related CA2399917C (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-02-02 | Impact-identity elements |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US20040051293A1 (en) |
| EP (2) | EP1320477A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2399917C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE10010415C1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2387266T3 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2001064485A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE10010415C1 (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-07-05 | Giok Djien Go | Device for detecting belt use and operating life in restraining system records times of safety belt use and non-use during travel and for accident and/or blows fuses and lamps in accident |
| DE10307878A1 (en) * | 2003-02-25 | 2004-09-02 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Control unit for monitoring the wearing of a seat belt by a driver, has a memory in which the amount of time a driver wears a seat belt while driving is recorded and an interface by which said data can be queried |
| DE102004056288B4 (en) * | 2004-11-22 | 2007-04-12 | Audi Ag | Covering part for motor vehicles |
| US7626495B2 (en) * | 2007-01-22 | 2009-12-01 | Montague Dwayne A | Seatbelt usage indicator system |
| US9351019B2 (en) * | 2012-12-27 | 2016-05-24 | Automotive Research & Testing Center | System for detecting vehicle driving state |
| US20150066346A1 (en) * | 2013-08-28 | 2015-03-05 | Elwha LLC, a limited liability company of the State of Delaware | Vehicle collision management system responsive to a situation of an occupant of an approaching vehicle |
| DE102018202696A1 (en) * | 2018-02-22 | 2019-08-22 | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft | Occupant restraint system in a self-propelled vehicle |
| IT202000027152A1 (en) * | 2020-11-12 | 2022-05-12 | Marco Accorsi | MONITORING DEVICE FOR PERSONAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES. |
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| DE10010415C1 (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2001-07-05 | Giok Djien Go | Device for detecting belt use and operating life in restraining system records times of safety belt use and non-use during travel and for accident and/or blows fuses and lamps in accident |
-
2000
- 2000-03-03 DE DE10010415A patent/DE10010415C1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2001
- 2001-02-02 WO PCT/DE2001/000611 patent/WO2001064485A1/en active Application Filing
- 2001-02-02 US US10/204,827 patent/US20040051293A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-02-02 EP EP01925285A patent/EP1320477A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2001-02-02 CA CA002399917A patent/CA2399917C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-02-02 ES ES03005907T patent/ES2387266T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-02-02 EP EP03005907A patent/EP1332933B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2001064485A1 (en) | 2001-09-07 |
| EP1332933A2 (en) | 2003-08-06 |
| US20040051293A1 (en) | 2004-03-18 |
| EP1332933B1 (en) | 2012-05-02 |
| ES2387266T3 (en) | 2012-09-19 |
| CA2399917A1 (en) | 2001-09-07 |
| WO2001064485B1 (en) | 2001-12-13 |
| EP1320477A1 (en) | 2003-06-25 |
| EP1332933A3 (en) | 2006-08-23 |
| DE10010415C1 (en) | 2001-07-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |
Effective date: 20180202 |