Abstract:
A portable seat belt assembly for school buses and the like which includes a belly pack with a seat belt secured thereto. A student wearing the belly pack approaching a school bus seat opens the belly pack, unwinds the seat belt wrapping it around the back of the seat, turns around, sits down and closes the seat belt buckle assembly. When leaving the bus, the student unbuckles the buckle assembly releasing the belt from the seat, folds the belt back into the belly pack and closes the belly pack. Another embodiment includes a seat belt arrangement carried in the belly pack including a pair of straps each having large hooks with spring clasps for attachment to the seat frame. The student must attach these hooks to the seat frame then sit down and close the buckle assembly. Other embodiments include retractors on the seat belt to assist the student in retrieving the belt after use and a camera case for housing the seat belt.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This continuation-in-part application claims benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 09/136,659 filed Aug. 19, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,959 issued Oct. 14, 2003, based upon Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/056,614 filed Aug. 20, 1997, and incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to vehicle seat belts and more particularly to a portable seat belt which is carried on the person of a rider using public transportation, such as school buses. As used herein the terms “belt”, “seat belt”, “belt ends”, “hooks”, or “hook with a spring closure retractor” “seat belt assembly”, “buckle”, “buckle assembly”, “attachment hardware”, “webbing”, or other terms used herein as defined or covered by the U.S. Code of Regulations, Title 49, TRANSPORTATION PART 571 Federal Motor Vehicle Standards, Section 571.209 Seat Belt Assemblies. 
     There have been a significant number of tragic accidents involving school buses that are not normally equipped with seat belts. It is believed that the extent of injuries or fatalities in such accidents would be significantly reduced if the students carried their own seat belts, which they could attach to the seat and remove from the seat at each trip. An obvious difficulty with this is to get the students to attach and use such a seat belt. If it is to be used, it must be very quickly and easily attached to the bus seat. The belt must also not be burdensome to carry. 
     A harness for attachment to school bus seats is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,670, which was issued in 1980. This patent shows two straps which are fastened around the back of a school bus seat and have loops through which are fed horizontal straps that buckle around the student. The time required to install such a harness would seem to stand in the way of its wide acceptance. 
     The inventors have provided seat belt arrangements in which the seat belt is carried in a belly or fanny pack of the type in common use among students today. Since many students carry such belly packs, the appearance of the belly pack carrying the seat belts of the invention is little different from many others. When the student arrives at the bus, he or she simply opens the pack, unfolds the belt, opens the buckle, if not already open, and either passes the belt loop over the back of the seat in one embodiment, or attaches hooks having spring closures on the ends of two belt sections to the legs or other frame parts of the seat, as in a second embodiment. 
     Depending upon the seat configuration, the hooks might be attached to legs of the seat with the seat belt across the student&#39;s abdomen. They also could be attached diagonally between an exposed upper seat frame member and a leg or lower support member. Following this simple installation, the student simply sits on the seat and closes the buckle with the belt across his or her abdomen or diagonally across his or her chest if the seat has exposed upper frame members. 
     Upon arrival at their destination, the student opens the buckle to stand up, closes the buckle, lifts the belt over the seat back, wraps the belt around the buckle, and places the belt and buckle back in the belly pack, which is then closed with any convenient closure, such as hook and hoop fasteners, snap fasteners, or a zipper. Alternatively, with the second embodiment the student would open the buckle, get up from the seat, close the buckle, and move around the seat as required to unhook the hooks from the seat frame. The student can often unhook both hooks from a sitting position. In either case, the student would then wrap the belt around the buckle and put the buckle, belt, and hooks into the belly pack and carry the seat belt system unobstensively with them until the next use. 
     Applicants have also devised portable seat belt configurations, including a single retractor or pairs of retractors which are carried in a student&#39;s belly pack. These belts are pulled out of the pack against the spring force of the retractors and wrapped around the back of the seat, then buckled at the side of the pack as described above. They may be made of lengths for individual seats or for dual size seats. After buckling the belt ends together, the belt end is pulled up to tighten the belt, thereby securing the student to the seat. 
     Obviously all students will not perform all the steps in the exact order set forth above, but the steps listed are all that is required. 
     It is believed that the present generation of students, having been accustomed to the use of seat belts and similar restraints since infancy, will not find the use of the described arrangement excessively difficult or cumbersome. 
     This invention is also usable on local or cross country buses or other vehicles not equipped with seat belts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       This invention may be more clearly understood with the following detailed description and by reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a student wearing one embodiment of belly pack and seat belt according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a student wearing a second embodiment of belly pack and seat belt incorporating the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of either the embodiment of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2  with the belt completely folded into the belly pack; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  with the buckle and seat hooks open and ready to install on a seat such as a school bus seat; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the embodiments of  FIG. 1  or  2  with the seat belt ready to fold back into the belly pack; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  or  2  with the seat belt folded into the belly pack and the belly pack ready to close; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the seat belts of the invention installed on another type of school bus seat; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the seat belts of the invention installed on still another type of school bus seat; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another embodiment of belly pack and seat belt which incorporates a retractor; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of belly pack and seat belt incorporating a pair or retractors and with the pack shown in phantom; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 11  with the retractors fully open and the seat belt fully extended; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of still another embodiment of belly pack and seat belt incorporating a retractor; 
         FIG. 14  is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a top view, partly in section, of the embodiment of  FIGS. 13 and 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a student wearing one embodiment of the belly pack and seat belt according to the invention. A student S is shown seated on a seat  10  in a school bus  12 . The seat includes a bench part  14 , a pair of rear legs  16 , front legs  17 , and seat back  18 . The student S is wearing a belly pack  20  having a waist belt (not shown), the pack having the usual pouch for incidentals, and a separate compartment to which is secured a seat belt  22 . As used herein, the term “belly pack” refers to a pouch having an attachment, usually a belt encircling the wearers waist. These carriers are also sometimes referred to as “fanny packs” since they are sometimes worn on the back. 
     As shown, the seat belt includes a buckle assembly  24 ; and the seat belt  22  has been looped over the back of seat  10 . Typically, the student S would open the compartment of the belly pack  20  having the folded seat belt  22  and loop the belt around the back of the seat, while holding the long end of the belt. The shorter end of the belt extends only a short distance from the belly pack  20 . The student S then sits down and connects the buckle assembly  24  together. Alternatively, the seat belt may be passed under the bench part of the seat  14  but behind the back seat legs  16 . Obviously, this same arrangement can be utilized using a shorter belt for an individual seat, or if the seat belt is long enough, it may be used to restrain another student as well. 
     A second embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 2 , which is a perspective view of another student S′ sitting on a seat  30  in a bus  32 , the seat having a bench part  34  secured to the side of the bus and seat back  38 . The bench part  34  is attached to the side of the bus through the use of diagonal braces  36  secured to the bus sidewall  32 , so there are no legs, as such. The student S′ is wearing a belly pack  40  in which is carried a seat belt  42  that includes two separate sections, each of which includes large hooks  46  and  46 A, respectively, which the student hooks together (see  FIG. 4 ). The seat belt  42  is then wrapped around the seat back  38  or, preferably, below the back of the bench part  34 . The student S′ then sits down and buckles the sections of seat belt  42  together. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment as it would appear with the belt  22  folded into the belly pack  20 . In this view is shown the waist belt  21  of belly pack  20 . The embodiment of  FIG. 2  would look essentially the same except that the compartment for the belt must be large enough to accommodate hooks  46  and  46 A, as well as the seat belt  22 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the belly pack seat belt arrangement of  FIG. 2  showing details of the separate belt and hook sections. Seat belt part  42 A of seat belt  42  is sewn to pack  40 . Seat belt part  42 A includes the female part of the buckle assembly  44  on one end, and on the other end, a large hook  46  having a spring closure  48 . Seat belt part  42 B includes the male part of buckle assembly  44  and a large hook  46 A having a spring closure  48 A. Also shown is the waist belt  41  for belly pack  40  with clasp  43  and a flap  50  having a hook and loop fastener for securing the seat belt  42  in the belly pack. 
     The student S′ arrives at seat  30  with the belly pack  40  fastened around his waist, so that the clasp  43  of waist belt  41  will be closed. After sitting on the seat, the student S′ may attach either hook  46  or hook  46 A to one of the rear legs  16  of seat  10  ( FIG. 1 ). Following this, he will attach the other hook to the opposite rear leg  16  and will then close the buckle assembly  44 . He might in some instances have folded the belt  42  into the pack  40  with the buckle assembly closed. In such case, the belt  42  is simply unfolded and hooks  46  and  46 A fastened to the rear seat legs  16 . 
     When it is desired to leave the seat  30 , the student S′ opens buckle assembly  44  of  FIG. 4 , disconnects the hooks  46  and  46 A from the seat, and rolls the seat belt parts  42 A and  42 B back into the pouch of pack  40 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the short part of belt part  42 A has been rolled back into the belly pack. Belt part  42 A has been rolled toward pack  40  and needs about two more full turns to be placed entirely within the pouch of the belly pack. Belt part  42 B is then rolled and placed in the pack  40 . 
     When this is done, the flap  50 , which typically has a hook and loop type of fastener, is closed, as shown in  FIG. 6 , securing both parts of the seat belt in the belly pack. If the student S can reach the hooks  46  and  46 A, he or she may choose to simply disconnect the hooks, leaving buckle assembly  44  connected, and roll the belt parts  42 A and  42 B into the pack  40 . 
     A modification is shown in  FIG. 7  wherein the belly pack  40  includes a separable seat belt carrying compartment  40 A which is secured to the main pack  40  by means of hook and loop fasteners  52 . Other types of fasteners could be used such as snap fasteners. 
     Shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  are installations of seat belts, according to the invention, on school bus seats having different support structures from those described above. The seat shown in  FIG. 8  has leg structures  54  and  55  supporting bench  56  and seat back  58  wherein the rear leg portion extends up the back of the seat on both sides becoming an upper frame member  60  extending across the top of the seat back  58 . An additional support  62  may extend downwardly from frame member  60  for attachment to another seat frame member in or adjacent to seat back  58 . A pair of seat belts  42  of the type shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  having large hooks  46  and  46 A, and buckle assemblies  44  are shown with hooks  46  fastened to the front leg portions of leg structures  54  and  55  and hooks  46 A secured to upper frame member  60  and to support  62 . Preferably, hooks  46 A could be fastened directly to support  62 . This provides an “across the chest” restraint providing significant protection. 
     The seat  66  of  FIG. 9  is significantly different from those of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  8  in that it includes a metal frame  68  having supports  70  attached to its lower side near the center of the seat and which are welded to a single metal post  72  secured to the bus floor. The inside edge of frame  68  is attached by means of an H-shaped support post  76  to a ledge  78  running along an interior sidewall of the bus. The back  67  of seat  66  includes an exposed upper frame member  80 . An additional frame member  81  may extend between frame member  80  and a support running along the back of seat  66  or to the back of supports  70 . With this seat design, there may not be sufficient clearance between H-shaped post  76  and the bus sidewall to attach hooks  46  and  46 A. 
     In such case, hooks  46  may be attached to supports  70 , and hooks  46 A to upper frame members  80  and/or  81 . Alternatively, hooks  46  could be attached to the outside ends of underseat brace  71 , which are secured to support  70 . The inside end of brace  71  may not be accessible because seat back  67  is too close to the bus sidewall, in which case belt  42  used by a student in the seat nearest the bus sidewall would be hooked between support  70  and upper frame member  80 . 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a belly pack and seat belt according to the invention in which a belt retractor is incorporated. In this embodiment, a belt pack  40  includes waist belt  41 , the ends of which are secured together around the waist of a student by means of clasp  43 . A flap  50  having hook and loop fasteners  52  secures seat belt  42  in the belly pack  40 . Belt  42  is stitched to the pack  40  and includes male and female ends of a buckle assembly  44 . A single retractor  82  is secured into the pack and includes a spring for winding the extended end of belt  42  back into itself. The female end of buckle assembly  44  is preferably folded back into the pack  40 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , for storing. 
     Use of the belt of  FIG. 10  is essentially as described for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . After opening the flap  50 , the student pulls the belt  42  out of the retractor  82  as required to go around the back of the bus seat or under the seat and behind the back legs if this arrangement is available. The student, while holding the belt end, then turns around, sits on the seat, closes the buckle assembly  44 , and pulls the free end of belt  42  such that it is tight. When he or she is ready to leave the bus, the buckle assembly  44  is released, allowing the extended end of belt  42  to be rewound into the retractor  82 . The shorter end of belt  42  with part of buckle assembly  44  is folded into the pack, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another embodiment of seat belt/belly pack arrangement with the belt and pack incorporating a pair of retractors. In this embodiment, the belt  42  is stitched into the pack  40  and includes waist belt  41  and clasp  43  as described above. Much of the length of belt  42  is wound on two separate retractors  84  and  86 , which are generally not secured to the pack  40 . The ends of belt  42  are shown connected at buckle assembly  44 . 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 11  with the belt  42  almost fully extended, as it might be if it were wrapped around the back of a two-person bench seat, such as that shown at numeral  10  ( FIG. 1 ). Slightly less than half the length of belt  42  is carried on each of retractors  84  and  86  which move outward of the pack as belt  42  is extended. Retractors  84  and  86  are each substantially smaller and lighter than retractor  82  and may be preferred for this reason. Either the  FIG. 10  or  FIGS. 11 and 12  embodiments would appear as in  FIG. 3  when not in use. Because of the additional weight of the retractors  82 ,  84 , and  86 , it is desirable to incorporate some additional padding  45  on the rear sides of belly pack  40  under the retractors. 
     A somewhat different embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 13 ,  14 , and  15 . In this embodiment, a belly pack  88  is shown including a waist belt  90  having a clasp  92 , a seat belt  42  with a buckle assembly  44 , and a retractor  82  secured in a separate chamber  94  (see  FIG. 15 ) within pack  88 . At the front of pack  88  is a compartment  96  for carrying incidentals and which is closed with a zipper fastener  98 . Inertia type retractor  82  is secured in chamber  94  accessed by a separate zipper  100 . Because of the weight and hardness of retractor  82 , a layer of padding  102  is placed in the back wall of chamber  94  or the wall closest to the wearer. This padding could also be placed on the exterior wall  104  of pack  88 , the object simply being to minimize the feeling on the part of the wearer of a hard pressure point at a concentrated position along the wall of pack  88 . An additional chamber  106  may be placed between chamber  94  and exterior inside wall  104 . This chamber may be accessed by means of a zipper  108  of  FIG. 14 . With this embodiment, the wearer, who will already be wearing pack  88  with waist belt  90  secured, will pull the end of belt  42  having the male end of buckle assembly  44  to whatever length is required to go around the seat back such as seat  30  of  FIG. 2 , place the belt around the seat back, sit on the seat and fasten the buckle assembly  44  together, leaving the wearer between the seat and seat belt  42 . 
     A further embodiment is shown on  FIGS. 16 and 17  wherein a rolled-up seat belt  42  is carried in a typical camera case of the type that is used to carry many types of 35-mm cameras. Such cases are carried by large numbers of people and certainly are seen so frequently that they give little reason for special remarks or comments. Thus, it is believed that students will have little objection to carrying a seatbelt in such a camera case.  FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a camera case  110  including a pouch  112  having a top closure flap  114  and a closure strap with a clasp  116 . A section of web belt  118  is secured to opposite sides of pouch  112 , each of which terminate in a D-ring  120 . Only one such belt  118  and D-ring  120  are visible in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . 
     A separate carry strap  122  includes on each end a hook  124  having a spring closure for engagement with D-rings  120 . A separate pair of D-rings  126  are secured to the sides of pouch  112  which may be fastened to a waist belt (not shown), if desired.  FIG. 17  shows pouch  112  with flap  114  open and with the rolled-up seat belt  42  pulled out of pouch  112 . With this embodiment, the student simply unrolls the seat belt, wraps it around the back of the seat, sits down and fastens the buckle assembly  44  in front of him. 
     A number of modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. While the embodiments have been described in connection with a belly pack having a pouch for the usual articles carried in such packs, plus a pouch for the seat belt, the belly pack could be made with just a pouch for the seat belt. The seat belt pouch is preferably open at the sides so that the belt parts can be rolled in and out as discussed above. Also, it is preferable that the belt, or part of it, as in  FIG. 4 , be stitched to the belly pack, although it is apparent that the belt, if separate, can be rolled separately and then placed in a pouch of a belly pack. Other means of closing the pouch such as snap fasteners may be employed. For any of the described embodiments, an aircraft-type quick release buckle could be used in place of buckle assembly  44 . 
     Throughout this application, the term “seat belt assembly” has been used. This term describes the combination of a “strap, webbing or similar device designed to secure a person in a motor vehicle in order to mitigate the results of any accident, and all hardware designed for installing such seat belt assembly in a motor vehicle”. Each of the components, belt or webbing, buckles, fasteners, and the like are of the type approved under U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Standards, Section 571.209. 
     A copy of U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER V NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PART 571—FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS—Table of Contents Subpart B, Federal Motor Vehicle Standards, Section 571-209, Standard 1209; Seat Belt Standards is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A (17 pages). 
     The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims including their equivalents.