Patent Publication Number: US-6666520-B2

Title: Occupant restraint system and kit with compartmentalization

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to occupant restraint system and kits for motor vehicles. More particularly, the present patent discloses and protects a kit for fitting a vehicular seat with an occupant restraint system and kit demonstrating compartmentalization. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     For many years, automobiles have been provided with occupant restraint devices for protecting passengers from injury due to sudden changes in vehicular velocity as would result from an impact or sudden braking. Over time, lap belts have been supplanted by three-point occupant restraint systems intended to provide improved injury protection. Even greater safety has been achieved by the provision of air bags that explode into a protective position in the event of an automobile collision. 
     Most notably, however, large transportation vehicles have historically been left completely without occupant restraint mechanisms. For example, seat belts traditionally have been foregone in school buses because the safety mechanisms were considered unduly expensive and unnecessary in light of the general infrequency of accidents and the typically minor injuries resulting therefrom. Also, later model buses provide alternative safety mechanisms designed to absorb passenger impact in the event of an accident or the like. 
     Termed compartmentalization, this method contemplates having the school bus occupant thrown into the seat forward of the occupant&#39;s seat. Each of the seats on such school buses are designed to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of the thrown rider. To do so, compartmentalization-type seats are padded sufficiently to absorb energy from the thrown occupant&#39;s head, torso, and knees such that energy is distributed over these three typical impact points. Furthermore, the seats are manufactured to particular dimensional specifications and are set at particular distances. Fortunately, compartmentalization has been found to improve overall occupant safety thereby leading to a reduction in serious injuries. 
     Unfortunately, compartmentalized buses continue to leave their completely unrestrained occupants vulnerable in a number of ways. For example, in a side impact, occupants often are hurled into bus windows or walls or into the edge of an adjacent seat. Most tragically, unrestrained occupants have been ejected from within buses only to find themselves thrown into the path of oncoming traffic, placed at risk of having the vehicle in which they had been riding roll over and crush them, or placed in similar life threatening situations. Further still, impacts while an individual is in a bent-over position can lead to a headfirst impact with a seat back, which could result in spinal and head injuries. 
     Advantageously, occupant restraint systems in the form of two-point restraints, or lap belts, have been provided. Such arrangements serve to prevent an occupant from being ejected from the bus seat by securing the occupants lower body to the seat bottom. Disadvantageously, lap belts fail to restrain the occupants upper torso and head. As a result, these body parts can experience a violent, whipping movement in an impact situation. This movement can lead to head, neck, and spine injuries as the occupant may be simply thrashed about or snapped into the forward bus seat or the wall of the bus. 
     In light of the above, it becomes clear that providing an effective occupant restraint system that restrains both the upper and lower portions of an occupant&#39;s torso against both forward and lateral movement would greatly increase the safety of school bus occupants. Particularly in light of the many buses that are in service today, it is still more clear that there is a particular need for a truly effective occupant restraint system and kit that can be operably associated with an existing seat, such as a school bus seat, in a time and cost-effective manner. Even further, one knowledgeable in the art will be aware that there is a need for such an occupant restraint system and kit that resists tampering and inadvertent disablement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Advantageously, the present invention sets about with the broadly-stated goal of providing an occupant restraint system and kit for use relative to vehicular seats that meets each of the needs left by the prior art while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantages 
     Stated more particularly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an occupant restraint system and kit that allow a seat of, for example, a school bus, train, or airplane to be retrofitted or provided originally with an occupant restraint system and kit that greatly increases the safety of vehicular occupants. 
     A related object of the invention is to provide an occupant restraint system and kit that not only can provide restraint for an occupant against leaving the vehicle seat as a result of an impact but that also restrains the occupant&#39;s upper torso against undesirable movement during an impact thereby preventing injury to an occupant&#39;s head, torso, knees, and body in general. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an occupant restraint system and kit that resist tampering and inadvertent disablement. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an occupant restraint system and kit that improve passenger organization and control by inducing occupants to remain seated and by apprising an operator as to whether all occupants are properly restrained. 
     An additional object of the invention is to provide such an occupant restraint system and kit that are adjustable to accommodate occupants of a wide variety of sizes. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide such an occupant restraint system and kit that can be mounted to an existing seat, such as a school bus seat, in a time and cost-effective manner such that it would be practicable to apply occupant restraint system and kits to a vast multitude of vehicular seats. 
     These and still further objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily obvious both to one who reviews this disclosure and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the instant invention for an occupant restraint system and kit. 
     Of course, one should remain mindful that the present discussion is designed merely to outline broadly the more important features and advantages of the invention to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventors&#39; contribution to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction, descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of possible manifestations of the invention. It should also be made clear that, although the invention is primarily described in relation to a school bus seat, the occupant restraint system and kit are readily applicable to a wide variety of vehicles including trains, airplanes, and automobiles. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of an occupant restraint system and kit according to the present invention shown mounted on a seat back frame; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the occupant restraint system and kit of FIG.  1  shown mounted on a fully assembled bus seat; 
     FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation of an alternative embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit; 
     FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the occupant restraint system and kit of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in rear elevation of still another embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit; 
     FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the occupant restraint system and kit of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a view in rear elevation of a further embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit; 
     FIG. 8 is a view in side elevation of yet another embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit; 
     FIG. 9 is a view in front elevation of still another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a view in side elevation of an alternative shear pin arrangement according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation of another embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit again shown mounted on a seat back frame. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As is the case with many inventions, the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit is subject to a wide variety of embodiments. However, to ensure that one skilled in the art will be able to understand and, in appropriate cases, practice the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of the broader invention revealed herein are described below and shown in the accompanying drawing figures. 
     Looking more particularly to the figures, an embodiment of the present invention for an occupant restraint system and kit is indicated generally at  10  in FIG. 1, where the occupant restraint system and kit  10  is shown for clarity mounted only to a seat back frame  100 . Although the occupant restraint system and kit  10  is discussed primarily relative to a single bench-type seat  150  of the type found in school buses, it is imperative to note that the invention could be applied to a wide variety of seat types, vehicle types, and seating arrangements. With this, the seat back frame  100  could well be the frame of a school bus seat, a railroad seat, or any other analogous type of seat. Typically, the seat back frame  100  is substantially encased in protective padding, which is enveloped in a seat cover of vinyl or the like. In any event, one will see that the seat back frame  100  comprises a first upright member  102 , a second upright member  104 , an upper member  106 , and a lower member  108 . These members are shown in FIG. 1 to comprise cylindrical sections. However, one skilled in the art will be aware that square and other cross sections are also employed. 
     The occupant restraint system and kit  10  is founded on a lower anchoring assembly  12  that comprises an enveloping housing  18  with a rigid base plate  20  and a curved edge  22  that overlies the lower member  108  of the seat back frame  100 . Of course, where the lower member  108  is not cylindrical, the shape of the edge  22  will be adapted to engage that other shape. The lower anchoring assembly  12  is fixed to the lower member  108  by any appropriate fastening means such as welding, clamping, or bolting with a first anchoring bolt  16  and a second anchoring bolt  17  that bolt directly into the lower member  108 . Although the enveloping housing  18  is shown partially sectioned away to allow one to view the inner workings of the lower anchoring assembly  12 , it is preferred that the enveloping housing  18  completely shroud the lower anchoring assembly  12  to prevent tampering and injury and to protect the mechanical elements that are retained within the enveloping housing. 
     Fixed to the base plate  20  of the housing  18  is a first seat belt spool  24  and a second seat belt spool  26 , with each being completely independently operable relative to the other. The first and second seat belt spools  24  and  26  are of the standard spring-loaded type well known to the art wherein an elongate fabric strip of strong and durable fabric is retained on a spool that is spring biased to tend to reel the elongate strip onto the spool. The elongate strip can be extended freely against the biasing action of the spool provided this is done at less than a predetermined velocity. Where that predetermined velocity is exceeded as might happen in an impact situation or the like, a locking mechanism (i.e., a ratchet and pawl) is activated to lock the spool against further unrolling. Accordingly, one will see that the first seat belt spool  24  retains a first elongate fabric strip  28 , and the second seat belt spool  26  retains a second elongate fabric strip  30 . 
     The first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  exit the enveloping housing  18  through a wide but thin guide tunnel  32  that comprises a projection from the enveloping housing  18 . The first elongate fabric strip  28  ends in a distal end  34 , and the second elongate fabric strip  30  ends in a distal end  36 . When an entire bus seat  150  is assembled, as is shown in FIG. 2, the guide tunnel  32 , and thus the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30 , extends between the seat bottom  152  and the seat back  154 . The distal end of the guide tunnel  32  projects slightly above the seat bottom  152 . With this, the guide tunnel  32  maintains the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  in a proper disposition and prevents them from tangling. 
     Looking again to FIG. 1, one sees that coupled to the upper member  106  of the seat back frame  100  is an upper anchoring assembly  14 . Although FIG. 1 shows the upper anchoring assembly  14  in an exploded view, in practice the upper anchoring assembly anchors the distal ends  34  and  36  of the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  to the upper member  106  of the seat back frame  100 . To do so, the upper anchoring assembly  14  comprises a first semi-cylindrical member  38  and a second semi-cylindrical member  40  that together sandwich the upper member  106  and are bolted thereto by bolts  42 . In turn, the distal ends  34  and  36  of the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30 , respectively, are fixed to the upper anchoring assembly  14 , and thus the upper member  106  by a first distal end fastening bolt  44  and second distal end fastening bolt  46 , respectively. 
     Slidably retained on the first elongate fabric strip  28  is a first male buckle element  48 . Similarly, a second male buckle element  50  is slidably retained on the second elongate fabric strip  30 . Still further, a third male buckle element  52  is fixedly retained at a distal end of a third elongate fabric strip  54  that is shown to be non-extendably anchored to the lower anchoring assembly  12  by the first anchoring bolt  16 . Of course, it is well within the scope of the present invention to provide a third elongate fabric strip  54  this is extendably and retractably retained by a seat belt spool (not shown). 
     A first female buckle element  56 , which may be termed equally aptly a first corresponding buckle element  56 , is fixedly retained at a distal end of a fourth elongate fabric strip  58  that is non-extendably anchored to the lower member  108  by a fastening assembly  60 . A second female buckle element  66  is fixedly retained at a distal end of a fifth elongate fabric strip  68  that is non-extendably anchored to the lower member  108  by a fastening assembly  70 . Finally, a third female buckle element  62  is adjustably retained along a sixth elongate fabric strip  64  that is non-extendably anchored to the lower anchoring assembly  12  by the second anchoring bolt  17 . 
     Regarding the first female buckle element, one will note that each of the female buckle elements  56 ,  66 , and  62  has an enlarged release button  78  for releasing the female buckle element  56 ,  66 , or  62  from its respective male buckle element  48 ,  50 , and  52 . Like the guide tunnel  32 , the first female buckle element  56  and the second female buckle element  66  project slightly above the seat bottom  152 . The fourth and fifth elongate fabric strips  58  and  68  may be enclosed in a flexible plastic sheath  72  as is the fifth elongate fabric strip  68  so that they tend to maintain a desired position, or they may be non-sheathed as is the fourth elongate fabric strip  58 . 
     With particular reference to the first male buckle element  48 , the astute observer will realize that each of the first, second, and third male buckle elements  48 ,  50 , and  52  has a male projection  74  extending therefrom. One will further notice that each male projection  74  has a cutout  76  therein for receiving a corresponding spring-biased locking element (not shown) %within its respective female buckle element  56 ,  66 , or  62 , respectively. Most advantageously, the cutout  76  of each buckle element  48 ,  50 , and  52  is unique relative to the other buckle elements  48 ,  50 , and  52 . As a result, the first male buckle element  48  will engage only the first female buckle element  56 , the second male buckle element  50  will engage only the second female buckle element  66 , and the third male buckle element  52  will engage only the third female buckle element  62 . With this, confusion regarding which buckle assembly belongs to which occupant is eliminated, and added safety is gained by ensuring that each occupant will have an available buckle assembly. 
     A fully assembled bus seat  150  with the occupant restraint system and kit  10  fixed thereto and prepared for use is shown in FIG.  2 . One will note that when the bus seat  150  is assembled in this embodiment, the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  pass through a slot  156  is the seat back  154  to attach to the upper anchoring assembly  14 . 
     Under this arrangement, three occupants can be restrained on the bus seat  150 . The outer two occupants, who arguably need protection against lateral and similar movement most, enjoy a three-point restraint. A first occupant can be restrained adjacent a first end of the bus seat  150  by sliding the first male buckle element  48  along the first elongate fabric strip  28  to an appropriate height based on the height and girth of the occupant, drawing the first male buckle element  48  toward the first female buckle element  56  by pulling a sufficient length of the first elongate fabric strip  28  from within the enveloping housing  18 , adjusting the position of the first male buckling element  48  along the first elongate fabric strip  28  as is necessary, and inserting the male projection  74  of the first male buckling element  48  into the first female buckling element  56 . 
     A second occupant can be retained adjacent to a second end of the bus seat  150  by similarly operating the second elongate fabric strip  28 , the second male buckling element  50 , and the second female buckling element  66 . Finally, a third occupant can be restrained in a middle of the bus seat  150  by an occupant&#39;s adjusting the position of the third female buckling element  62  along the sixth elongate fabric strip  64  to suit the occupant&#39;s size and then inserting the male projection  74  of the third male buckling element  52  into the third female buckling element  62 . 
     The occupant restraint system and kit  10  could further include a sensor for detecting whether the first, second, and third male and female buckling elements  48 ,  50 , and  52  and  56 ,  66 , and  62 , respectively are coupled together. There could further be included a sensor for detecting whether a given seat is occupied, which could be caused to trigger the sensor for detecting whether the first, second, and third male and female buckling elements  48 ,  50 , and  52  and  56 ,  66 , and  62 , respectively, are coupled together. The sensor for detecting whether a given seat is occupied could comprise a means for detecting weight applied to the seat bottom  152  (see FIG.  2 ), which would indicate occupancy, or a means for detecting a rise in seat temperature, which would also indicate occupancy. Still further, there could be a means for alerting an operator (i.e., a bus driver) as to whether all occupied seats are appropriately buckled. Each of these sensors and means are well known to those skilled in the art. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 depict an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the occupant restraint system and kit  10  is adapted for providing three point restraint for two occupants. The occupant restraint system and kit  10  is similar in structure and operation to the first described embodiment but deviates therefrom first in that the first and second female buckling members  56  and  66  are attached outboard of the seat bottom  152  and second regarding the upper anchoring assembly  14 . In this embodiment, instead of being embedded within the seat back  154 , the upper anchoring assembly  14  is a U-shaped member that sandwiches and frictionally engages the upper portion of the seat back  154  with a first leg of the U extending downwardly along the back of the seat back  154 , the base of the U engaging the upper edge of the seat back  154 , and a second leg of the U extending downwardly along the front of the seat back  154 . 
     To protect occupants in the event of collision with the upper anchoring assembly  14 , it is substantially encased in resiliently compressible material such as foam. The distal ends  34  and  36  of the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  are adjustably coupled to the second leg of the upper anchoring assembly  14 , which second leg comprises an adjusting plate  82  by first and second adjustable connectors  84  and  86 . In this embodiment, installation is certainly simplified, and operation is different only in that the occupant has the ability of adjusting the height of the upper restraint point by adjusting the height of the first or second adjustable connectors  84  and  86 , respectively. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show yet another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the lower anchoring assembly  12  is again fixed to the lower member  108  of the seat back frame  100 , and first and second seat belt spools  24  and  26  are rotatably coupled to the lower anchoring assembly  12 . In this embodiment, however, the occupant restraint system and kit  10  is reinforced by a spine  88 , which comprises an elongate H-channel, C-channel, or cylinder of metal, such as steel. Although the spine  88  is depicted toward a middle portion of the seat, it may be preferable to dispose the spine  88  adjacent to an end of the seat to reduce stress on the upper member  106 . Should it be deemed necessary to shore up the upper member  106  or the occupant restraint system and kit  10  in general, one could provide an angularly disposed reinforcement bar  77 , which may be welded or bolted in place, as is shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The upper end of the spine  88  is coupled to the upper member  106  by bolting or welding and is further fixed to the upper member  106  by a reinforcing plate  90  that is bolted as is shown in FIG. 6 or welded as is shown in FIG. 5 to both the upper member  106  and the spine  88 . The first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  pass through first and second D-rings  92  and  94  that are fixed to the reinforcing plate  90  so that a user can draw the first and second male buckling elements  48  and  50  toward the first and second female buckling elements  56  and  66 . 
     The first and second buckling elements  48  and  50  can be fixed to the distal ends of the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  as is shown relative to the first elongate fabric strips  28  whereby only the upper torso of the occupant will be restrained, or the first and second buckling elements  48  and  50  can be slidably coupled to the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  an  30  with the distal end of the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30  fixed to the lower member  108  as is shown relative to the second elongate fabric strip  30  whereby an occupant will enjoy a three point restraint as would be enabled in the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     One will further note that a third seat belt spool  19  is provided with a third male buckle element  52 . Advantageously, the third male buckle element  52  is of a type that not only provides a male projection  74 , but it also provides a female receptor, which is also indicated at  52 . With this, the third male buckle element  52  can be inserted into the second female buckle element  56  to provide a two point restraint, and, if desired, the first male buckle element  48  can be drawn downward and inserted into the third male buckle element  52  to create a still more unique three point restraint. 
     One skilled in the art will realize that the bottom of the spine  88  must be joined to the lower anchoring assembly  12  in a manner that will allow the spine  88  to move forward with the remainder of the seat back frame  100  in response to the application of a specific force (i.e., 2,400 pounds) in the forward direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 applied to the rear of the seat back frame  100 . To accomplish such a coupling, the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 employs an energy absorbing means in the form of a horizontal sheer pin system wherein an upper pin  98  and a lower pin  96  pass through first and second panels  21  and  23  that extend from the base plate  18  of the lower anchoring assembly  12  and through the base of the spine  88 , which is disposed between the first and second panels  21  and  23 . 
     During normal operation, the upper pin  98 , which may be crafted from an aluminum alloy, and the lower pin  96 , which may comprise a steel bolt, retain the base of the spine  88  adjacent to the base plate  18 . However, when a sufficient forward force is applied to the rear of the seat back frame  100 , the upper pin  98  will snap thereby allowing the spine  88  to rotate about the lower pin  96 , which acts as a fixed axis bolt  96 . An alternative axis bolt  96  could comprise a hinge mechanism (not shown). With this, the spine  88  will give way and move forward along with the remainder of the seat back frame  100 . Further preventing the spine  88  from moving forward is a tether  85 , which may comprise a steel reinforced cable, that is coupled at a first end to the first upright member  102  and at a second end to the second upright member  104 . The body portion of the tether  85  passes in front of the spine  88  but behind the first and second elongate fabric strips  28  and  30 . 
     One will note that the embodiment of FIG. 6 is slightly varied from that of FIG. 5 in that in FIG. 6, a third pin  35 , which in this case happens to be disposed between the upper and lower pins  98  and  96 , also passes through the spine  88  and the first and second panels  21  and  23 . However, the third pin  35  is received in slots  37  in the first and second panels  21  and  23 . With this, in an impact situation, the upper pin  98  could shear thereby allowing the spine to move a given amount as the third pin  35  travels within the slots  37 . When the third pin  35  reaches an end of the slots  37 , the third pin  35  will offer resistance to further movement of the spine  88 . The third pin  35  could be designed to shear at a given force or designed to prevent any further movement of the spine  88 . In light of the invention&#39;s provision of the slots  37  in the first and second panels  21  and  23 , one will appreciate that it is well within the scope of the invention to provide slots (not shown) relative to the upper or lower pins  98  or  96  to allow the spine  88  to move freely a given amount as would be desirable with an adjustable seat or the like. 
     FIG. 10 shows still another manifestation of the shear pin concept. In this embodiment, the upper and lower pins  98  and  96  are oriented generally codirectionally with the expected axis of rotation of the spine  88  in response to an application of force from the rear of the seat back  100 . In this case, the lower pin  96  again acts as the axis of rotation and is designed not to shear. However, the upper pin  98  is designed to shear under tension resulting from the forwardly applied force. To accomplish this, the upper pin could be crafted from any appropriate material, such as nylon, that will shear at a predetermined force. 
     It should be clear, however, that other energy absorbing means are possible under the present invention. For example, looking to FIG. 11, one sees an occupant restraint system and kit  10  wherein the energy absorbing means comprises a resiliently compressible member  101 . In this case, the resiliently compressible member  101  is in the form of a helical compression spring, also indicated at  101 . A first end of the helical compression spring  101  is disposed in contact with the forward surface of the spine  88  while a second end of the helical compression spring  101  is disposed in contact with a backing member  103 . Of course, although the backing member  103  is shown as a separate element in this preferred embodiment, it should be clear that other structures could be employed as backing members, including portions of the seat back  100  and other structural elements. 
     In any event, under this arrangement the helical compression spring  101  would tend to resist forward movement of the spine  88  and the seat back  100  during an impact situation. Advantageously, the spring constant could be selected depending on a number of factors including the type of seat, the type of occupants, and the type of vehicle. Of course, other resiliently compressible members would be readily obvious to one skilled in the art. For example, one could readily employ a piston, a member of resiliently compressible rubber or the like, or any other member that would resist forward movement of the spine  88  and, thus, the seat back  100  in a resiliently compressible manner. One will note that the occupant restraint system and kit  10  of FIG. 11 is shown for clarity devoid of any seat belt spool. In practice, of course, at least one seat belt spool would be necessary. 
     FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of the invention wherein a second spine  89 , which is similarly equipped as spine  88 , is provided for supporting a third elongate fabric strip  54 , which retains a third male buckling element  52 . A third female buckling element  62  is further provided for engaging the third male buckling element  52  to allow the occupant restraint system and kit  10  to restrain three occupants. Of course, the first, second, and third elongate fabric strips  28 ,  30 , and  54  of the occupant restraint system and kit  10  of FIG. 7 could alternatively be arranged as shown in FIG. 1, or the occupant restraint system and kit  10  of FIG. 7 could be supplemented by three lap belt arrangements as designed for restraining the third occupant in the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the invention that again incorporates the spine  88 . Again, the upper end of the spine  88  is retained by the upper anchoring assembly  14 , and the lower end of the spine  88  is retained by the lower anchoring assembly  12 . However, instead of employing the upper and lower pins  98  and  96  for retaining the lower end of the spine  88  during normal operation but allowing the spine to give way under impact conditions, the embodiment of FIG. 8 employs a length of C-channel  93 , which may be formed from a metal such as steel, for acting as a means for cupping the lower end of the spine  88 . As such, a base  91  of the C-channel  93  provides support for the spine  88 , a forward wall  95  of the C-channel  93  prevents the lower end of the spine  88  from sliding too far forward, and the rear wall  97  of the C-channel  93  prevents the lower end of the spine  88  from sliding too far rearward. Advantageously, the C-channel  93  allows the spine  88  to move forward with the seat back frame  100  when sufficient force is applied thereto. 
     To prevent the spine  88  from lifting out of the C-channel  93 , it would be advantageous to provide a means for preventing the first end of the spine  88  from lifting out of the C-channel  93 . In one embodiment, a tether  99 , which may comprise a reinforced steel cable or a rigid pin, has a first end fixed to the forward wall  95 , a second end fixed to the rear wall  97 , and a body portion that passes through an aperture in the spine  88 . With this, the lower end of the spine  88  can slide along the base  91  of the C-channel, but the spine  88  cannot lift out of the C-channel. Alternatively or additionally, there may be provided a coupling strap  87 , which may comprise a strip of flexible material such as durable fabric, with a first end fastened as by bolting to the spine  88  and a second end fastened as by bolting to the seat bottom  152 . 
     Yet another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  9 . There, the occupant restraint system and kit  10  is attached to a first seat frame  100   a  and a second seat frame  100   b  (as could each of the previously-described embodiments). The first and second seat frames  100   a  and  100   b  certainly could be embodiments of a wide variety of seats, including airplane and coach seats as used in trains, railway cars, and luxury buses. In this embodiment, the occupant restraint system and kit  10  can be readily attached to a vehicle seat or a multiplicity of vehicle seats to provide one or more two-point occupant restraint system and kits  10 . In FIG. 9, three occupants can be restrained by the use of a first seat belt spool  24 , a second seat belt spool  26 , and a third seat belt spool  19 . A first elongate fabric strap  28  with a first male buckle element  48  is spooled about the first seat belt spool  24 , a second elongate fabric strap  30  with a second male buckle element  50  is spooled about the second seat belt spool  26 , and a third elongate fabric strap  54  with a third male buckle element  52  is spooled about the third seat belt spool  19 . 
     The base plate  20  provides support and ready attachment for the first, second, and third spools  24 ,  26 , and  19  and a sixth elongate flexible strap  64 , which has a third female buckle element  62  disposed at the distal end thereof. First and second female buckle elements  56  and  66  are coupled to distal ends of the fourth elongate flexible strap  58  and the fifth elongate flexible strap  68 , respectively, which are coupled to the lower members  108   a  and  108   b , respectively. Of course, all of the occupant restraint system and kit&#39;s  10  elements could be mounted on a single base plate  20 , and those elements mounted to the base plate  20  could be shielded by the enveloping housing  18 , which has been nearly completely sectioned away. With this, three occupants can be safely restrained on the first and second seat frames  100   a  and  100   b.    
     In light of the foregoing, a number of advantages of the present invention relative to the prior art will be readily obvious both to one who has reviewed the present disclosure and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the present invention. It will also be clear that the present invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments that merely exemplify the broader invention revealed herein. Certainly, those skilled in the art can conceive of alternative embodiments. For instance, those with the major features of the invention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those major features while not incorporating all of the features included in the preferred embodiments. 
     With the foregoing in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and the claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. A plurality of the following claims express certain elements as a means for performing a specific function, at times without the recital of structure or material. As the law demands, these claims shall be construed to cover not only the corresponding structure and material expressly described in the specification but also equivalents thereof.