Abstract:
An adjustment device, e.g., for use by children and small adults, retains the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt in a position comfortably away from the user&#39;s neck and face. The adjustment device comprises a body attachment device which is adjustably positioned about the user&#39;s body, especially a user&#39;s shoulder, and a releasable securement device which secures the seat belt shoulder strap to the body attachment device, drawing it away from the neck and face region of the user.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/021,921, filed Jul. 17, 1996. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to devices for adjusting the position of the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Most vehicle seat belts, e.g., for automobiles and trucks, are proportioned for use by a normal size or larger adult, with the shoulder strap positioned accordingly. Automobile safety research indicates that there is a gap in protecting school-age children who are too big for toddler car seats and too small for optimum use of adult lap-shoulder belts. When a child or small adult uses the lap-shoulder belt, the shoulder strap presses uncomfortably into user&#39;s neck, or, for smaller children, extends across the user&#39;s face. Even average size or larger adults sometimes find the shoulder strap uncomfortable. As a result, many children, and even smaller or other adults, neglect to use the seat belt, ride with the shoulder strap clamped between their body and the seat, or otherwise obstruct or entirely defeat the safety objectives of the seat belt. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention fills the gap in seat belt protection described above, by providing a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device for use by children and small adults. This adjustment device retains the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt in a position comfortably away from the user&#39;s neck and face, while still meeting the safety objectives of the seat belt. 
     The adjustment device includes a body attachment device which is adjustably positioned about a user&#39;s body, especially a user&#39;s shoulder, and a releasable securement device which secures the seat belt shoulder strap to the body attachment device, drawing the shoulder strap away from the user&#39;s face and neck region. The body attachment device and the releasable securement device are both adjustable for comfort and fit. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment, and from the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of a child or small adult in a vehicle with a passenger safety restraint system and a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the adjustment strap of the seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the securement clip of the seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an alterante seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the adjustment strap of the seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the hinged-clamp of the seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle  2  is equipped with a passenger safety restraint system  4  consisting of a seat belt  6  with a shoulder strap  8 . 
     An adjustment device  10  includes an adjustment strap  12 , e.g., of woven fiber or other suitable strong material, sized to be releasably fastened, e.g., with a hook-and-loop type fastener  14 , or with a buckle or other fastening element, about the user&#39;s body, especially the user&#39;s shoulder in the region of the upper arm. The length of the strap can be adjusted, e.g., to accommodate the individual user. The seat belt shoulder strap  8  is releasably engaged in clip  16 , or other releasable securement device, positioned along the front portion of the adjustment strap  12  to position the shoulder strap  8  comfortably away from the user&#39;s neck and face region, R. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  3 , and  4 , in one preferred embodiment, the clip  16  (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) is formed, e.g., of plastic, spring metal, or other suitable material. The clip is about 1½ inches wide and 3 inches long, and has a first arm  18  defining a first region  20  for receiving the shoulder strap  8 , the first arm  18  having a tip region  22  which resiliently impinges upon the material of the shoulder strap. The clip  16  also has a second arm  24  defining a second region  26  for receiving the adjustment strap  12 , the second arm  24  having a tip region  28  which resiliently impinges upon the material of the adjustment strap to hold the clip in place relative to the adjustment strap. The position of the clip is adjustable along both the shoulder strap  8  and the adjustment strap  12 . 
     The adjustment strap  12  (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) is about 1 inch wide by 24 inches long and formed of woven nylon. The cooperating elements of hook-and loop type fastener  14 , secured within about 1 inch from the opposite ends of strap  12 , are each about ¾ inch wide by 3¼ inches long. The adjustment strap has a diameter of about 6 inches when the opposed fastener elements are fully overlapped; however, as noted above, the degree of overlap can be varied for adjustment of the diameter to accommodate the particular user. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5,  6 , and  7 , in another preferred embodiment, a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device  10 ′ of the invention has a releasable securement device in the form of a hinged-clamp  32  (shown in FIGS. 5 and 7) in place of the clip  16 . Referring to FIG. 7, the hinged-clamp  32  is formed form a folded length of webbing  34 , or other suitably strong material, with the opposite ends forming arms  36 ,  38  folded toward each other in a u-shape and releasably secured together at the open end  46  by cooperating elements  40 ,  42  of a hook-and-loop type fastener. Within the webbing material  34  of each arm  36 ,  38  is sewn, adjacent to the hinge  44 , a piece of flat, stiff plastic  50 , approximately three quarters of the length of each folded arm. These plastic pieces  50  stiffen the hinged-clamp material and hold the seat belt flat without curling, while still permitting flexibility at the open end  46  of the hinged-clamp to aid in release of the clamp fastening elements. The preferred dimensions of the hinged-clamp  32  are about 2 inches wide by 3¾ inches long (folded length). 
     Attached to the inner, facing surfaces of the arms  36 ,  38  are cooperating elements  40 ,  42  of a hook-and-loop type fastener, each about 1½ inches wide by 2 inches long and sewn, or otherwise permanently affixed slightly inset from the open end  46  of the clamp arms. These cooperating elements provide releasable closure of the hinged-clamp  32  to an adjustment strap  12 ′, when the clamp  32  is folded over a seat belt  8  (shown in dashed lines). 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a corresponding adjustment strap  12 ′ (with hook-and-loop type fastener  14 ′) is essentially the same as the adjustment strap  12  shown in FIGS. 2 and  3 , however an additional element  30  of loop fastening material on the inner surface of strap  12 ′ secures the adjustment strap  12 ′ to a hinged-clamp  32 . The element  30  of loop material, preferably about 1½ inches long (equal to the width of the strap  12 ′) is sewn, or otherwise permanently affixed at approximately the mid-point of the strap  12 ′. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device  10 ′ consists of a hinged-clamp  32  secured to an adjustment strap  12 ′. The hinged-clamp  32  may be made of a folded woven fiber material. In this preferred embodiment, the strap  12 ′ is longitudinally secured across the width of the hinged-clamp  32 , approximately a strap-width&#39;s distance from the open end  46  of the clamp. In FIG. 7, the placement of the adjustment strap  12 ′ within the clamp  32  is shown, with the element  30  of loop material attached to the strap  12 ′ secured to the inner half of the clamp hook material  42  nearest the clamp hinge  44 . This placement of the strap  12 ′ leaves the outer half hook material  42  exposed for releasable engagement with the clamp loop material  40 , thus closing the clamp  32 . Securing the clamp  32  in this manner defines a region  48  which encloses the seat belt shoulder strap  8  (shown in dashed lines). The hinged clamp  32  is adjustable along both the shoulder strap  8  and the adjustment strap  12 ′. The region  48  is generally bounded by the flat plastic stiffening pieces  50 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, to secure a seat belt shoulder strap  8  comfortably away from the neck and face region, R, of a seat belt user, a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device  10  is attached to a user, the adjustment device including a body (i.e. shoulder) attachment device  12  for adjustable positioning about the user&#39;s shoulder, and a releasable securement device  16  positioned along the body attachment device for securing the seat belt shoulder strap  8  to the body attachment device  12 . The body attachment device is then adjustably positioned about the user&#39;s shoulder, the releasable securement device  16  is used to releasably secure the seat belt shoulder strap  8  to the body attachment device  10 . Finally, the adjustment device is adjusted to draw the seat belt shoulder strap  8  into a position comfortably away from the face and neck region, R, of the user. 
     Other embodiments of the invention are within the following claims or otherwise contemplated. For example, other releasable and/or adjustable securement means may be employed. Other suitable fasteners and devices for adjusting the length of the strap are also contemplated.