Abstract:
Apparatus is provided for restraining an individual in the cargo area of a vehicle. Such restraints can be utilized to protect medical technicians in ambulances, fire rescue trucks and other emergency vehicles. The apparatus is constructed so that the user can control the amount of restraint on his various body movements while he medically treats a patient.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable 
   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
   Not applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The subject invention relates to restraining apparatus for maintaining an individual against movement in the interior of a cargo area of a vehicle. 
   More particularly, the subject invention relates to restraining apparatus for controllably maintaining an individual medical technician, for example, against movement in the interior of an ambulance, for example. 
   2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
   In the course of their duties, medical personnel ride in the cargo area of an ambulance, truck, or rescue vehicles and administer to a patient&#39;s needs. The patient is normally lying on a stretcher or gurney which is restrained against movement relative to the vehicle while the attending medical personnel are not restrained. 
   Often, unrestrained medical personnel sustain injuries when the vehicle is involved in an accident or makes an unusually sharp turn. 
   The subject invention is directed to apparatus to restrain the attending medical personal against movement within the interior of a vehicle. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for controllably restraining an individual against movement. The apparatus has a body frame, a telescopically moveable arm, a rail system and a carriage system. The body frame has straps extendable about the head and torso of an individual. The telescopically moveable arm has first and second end portions. The first end portion is connectable to the body frame and the second end portion has a swivel. The rail system is connectable to and extendable along the interior of a cargo area of a vehicle. The carriage system has a braking system and is moveably connected to the rail system for movement therealong. The carriage system is connectable to the swivel of the moveable arm. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a portion of the cargo area of a vehicle with the apparatus of this invention installed in the cargo area; and 
       FIG. 2  is an end view of the preferred rail system of this invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus  10  is shown for restraining an individual against movement. The apparatus has a body frame  12  a telescopically moveable arm  14 , a rail system  16 , and a carriage system  18 . The body frame  12  has first and second straps  20 , 21  with securing buckles extendable about a respective head and torso of an individual. The body frame  12  is substantially rigid and is of a size sufficient for extending from in individuals head to his hips. 
   The telescopically moveable arm  14  has first and second end portions  22 , 23 . The first end portion  22  is connectable to the body frame  12  and the second end portion is a swivel connector adapted to allow rotational movement about the longitudinal axis  26  of the moveable arm  14 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rail system  16  preferably consists of first and second spaced apart rails  28 , 29  connectable and extendable along the interior of a cargo area  30  of a vehicle  32 . 
   The carriage system  18  has braking apparatus associated therewith and is moveably connected to the rail system  16  for movement therealong. The carriage system  18  is connectable to the swivel  24  of the telescopically moveable arm  14 . 
   The carriage system  18  has first and second sets of wheels  36 ,  37  connected to the carriage system on opposed sides thereof. In the preferred embodiment each set of wheels  36 , 37  comprises at least 2 wheels. It should be understood however, that each set of wheels  36 , can each comprise a lesser or greater number of wheels without departing from this invention. 
   The wheels  36 , 37  of the carriage system  18  are connected to the rail system  16 . The rail system  16  is of a construction to moveably maintain the carriage system  18  with the rail system  16  in the preferred embodiment, best seen in  FIG. 2 , each rail  28 , 29  is of a channel configuration which traps the wheels therein. It should be understood that the rail system  16  can be of other construction without departing from this invention. 
   A braking system  38 , preferably a hydraulic braking system, is provided and serves various portions of the apparatus of this invention. The braking apparatus of the various portions of the invention include hydraulic cylinders  42 – 45 . The braking system is connected to a sensor-signaling apparatus  40  which is adapted to sense sudden G forces and apply braking forces to maintain against rolling movement of the carriage system  18  in response to sensed G forces greater than a preselected magnitude. The preselected G force magnitude at which braking action and the magnitude of braking is applied to the carriage system  18  and other portions of the apparatus, is adjustable by a user via controller  46 . 
   The first end portion  22  of the telescopically moveable arm  14  is connected to the body frame  12  via a sub-arm  48  which is rotatable about the axis  26  of the telescopically moveable arm  14 . The sub-arm comprises first and second parts  50 , 51  that are pivotally connected one to the other for pivotal movement of the body frame  12  in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the moveable arm  14 . 
   The braking system  38  of this invention, thorough hydraulic cylinders  42 , 45  provide braking of rolling movement of the carriage system  18 , telescopic movement of the arm  14 , rotational movement about the axis  26  of the arm  14 , and pivotal movement of the body frame  12 . As described above, the controller  46  can be used to selectively adjust the magnitude of braking by each hydraulic cylinder  42 – 45  and the magnitude of G forces that trigger applying of each brake. The sensing-signaling  40  is adapted to automatically apply maximum braking to all cylinders  42 – 45  in response to sensing undesirably high and dangerous G forces. The controller  42  can also be turned off and place the apparatus  10  in a state where there is no braking by the cylinders. In another operating mode, the controller  46  can be adjusted to maintain a selected orientation. In this mode, the operator can position himself as desired and then lock the system in place thereby steadying his body while he performs his various operations. By so steadying himself against movement relative to the vehicle, the operator can remove some weight off his legs, support his back in strained positions and significantly reduce muscle fatigue. 
   In other uses of the apparatus  10  of this invention, a medical technician can strap himself into the body frame  12 , use the controller  46  to adjust the magnitude of G forces at which each cylinder will be energized and the magnitude of braking. As time passes and his patient duties change, the technician may need to change the magnitude settings in order to permit greater freedom of movement. Large G forces like caused by a vehicle accident, will be sensed and maximum braking forces will be applied to all braking components in response thereto. 
   Other aspects, objects, and advantages can be obtained by a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.