Safety belt and coupling device

Claim 2

A safety seat belt, comprising a relatively round soft braided rope having a coupling device provided between the ends thereof and in axial alignment therewith, said rope being diamond braided construction with high density thermoplastic fibrous strands, and means carried by said coupling device for radially clamping and securing said ends to said coupling device in a manner so as to both preserve the relative roundness of said rope while placing said ends of said rope in general axial alignment with each other.

Claim 3

A safety seat belt construction for automotive and other vehicles, comprising a relatively round soft thermoplastic braided rope member having means for fixedly attaching respectively opposite ends thereof to a vehicular body on relatively opposite sides of a seat provided therewithin, and a coupling device provided between the aforementioned ends of said rope member and including interfitting male and female parts having a wedge locking means of interengagement therebetween and a sleeve member axially reciprocal for releasing said wedge locking means and allowing the separation of said coupling parts, said wedge locking means including ball members retained by said female part for interference engagement with said male part, and said sleeve member being disposed about said female part and having an annular groove receptive of said ball members therewithin.

Claim 4

A safety seat belt construction for automotive and other vehicles, comprising a relatively round soft thermoplastic braided rope member having means for fixedly attaching respectively opposite ends thereof to a vehicular body on relatively opposite sides of a seat provided therewithin, and a coupling device provided between the aforementioned ends of said rope member and including interfitting male and female parts having a wedge locking means of interengagement therebetween and a sleeve member axially reciprocal for releasing said wedge locking means and allowing the separation of said coupling parts, said wedge locking means including ball members retained by said female part for interference engagement with said male part, and said sleeve member being disposed about said female part and having an annular groove receptive of said ball members therewithin.

Claim 5

The safety seat belt construction of claim 2, including a spring biased member in said female part for holding said ball members in the annular groove of said sleeve member, and the sleeve member retracted, prior to receipt of said male part therewithin.

Claim 6

The safety seat belt construction of claim 3, said spring biased member yielding to the forcible entry of said male part into said female part and releasing said sleeve upon the interference engagement of said ball members with said male part.

Claim 7

The safety seat belt construction of claim 4, said spring biased member being compressed by said male member for service in ejecting the latter upon the ball releasing retraction of said sleeve member.

Claim 8

A safety seat belt and shoulder harness strap construction for use in automotive and other vehicles, and comprising; a relatively round diamond braided rope member having forked ends provided by a like rope member part back-spliced into engagement therewith, coupling members provided on each of said forked ends and cooperating seat belt and shoulder harness strap members of like braided rope construction engaged therewith.

Claim 9

A safety seat belt and shoulder harness strap construction for use in automotive and other vehicles, and comprising; a relatively round diamond braided rope member having forked ends provided by a like rope member part back-spliced into engagement therewith, coupling members provided on each of said forked ends and cooperating seat belt and shoulder harness strap members of like braided rope construction engaged therewith.

Claim 10

The safety seat belt and shoulder harness strap of claim 6, said diamond braided rope being at least 3/4 -inch in diameter of high density polyethylene filaments, with a high tensile strength, no appreciaBle stretch and a resistance to kinking.

Claim 11

A safety seat belt assembly, comprising first and second relatively round soft braided rope sections, a first end of said first rope section being adapted for connection to a related anchor, a first end of said second rope section also being adapted for connection to a related anchor, respective second ends of said first and second rope sections being operatively connected to an associated coupling device whereby said second ends are effectively coupled together in substantially axially aligned relationship, said coupling device comprising first and second coupling portions, said first coupling portion comprising a first housing including an axially extending passage formed therein with an open end formed in an end of said first housing, clearance aperture means formed in a wall of said housing so as to communicate with said passage, detent means generally located within said clearance aperture means and effective to at times extend within said passage, plunger means situated within said passage, first resilient means biasing said plunger means toward said open end to a position whereat said plunger effectively engages said detent means causing said detent means to withdraw from said passage, sleevelike means carried by said first housing externally thereof, said sleevelike means comprising annular recess means formed generally internally of said sleevelike means so as to be open toward said first housing, second resilient means effective for urging said sleevelike means generally axially of said first housing and in the direction of said open end, said sleevelike means having at least two operating positions, one of said operating positions being a generally retracted position wherein the resilient urging of said second resilient means is relatively greater, a second of said operating positions being a generally extended position wherein the resilient urging of said second resilient means is relatively lesser, said annular recess means being so located axially of said sleevelike means so as to be effective for at least partially receiving therein said detent means when said sleevelike means is in said first retracted position and said plunger means is effectively engaging and causing said detent means to withdraw from said passage, said second coupling portion comprising a probelike latching member adapted to be received within said passage, second recess means formed near an extending end of said probelike latching member, said extending end of said probelike latching member being effective upon insertion thereof into said passage to axially displace said plunger means thereby permitting said detent means to at least partially extend into said passage and be partly received within said second recess means, and said second resilient means being effective upon said detent means being partly received within said second recess means to move said sleevelike means axially toward said open end so as to axially displace said first mentioned recess means and thereby forcibly retain said detent means within said second recess means.

Claim 12

A safety seat belt assembly, comprising first and second relatively round soft braided rope sections, a first end of said first rope section being adapted for connection to a related anchor, a first end of said second rope section also being adapted for connection to a related anchor, respective second ends of said first and second rope sections being operatively connected to an associated coupling device whereby said second ends are effectively coupled together in substantially axially aligned relationship, said coupling device comprising first and second coupling portions, said first coupling portion comprising a first housing including an axially extending passage formed therein with an open end formed in an end of said first housing, clearance aperture means formed in a wall of said housing so as to communicate with said passage, detent means generally located within said clearance aperture means and effective to at times extend within said passage, plunger means situated within said passage, first resilient means biasing said plunger means toward said open end to a position whereat said plunger effectively engages said detent means causing said detent means to withdraw from said passage, sleevelike means carried by said first housing externally thereof, said sleevelike means comprising annular recess means formed generally internally of said sleevelike means so as to be open toward said first housing, second resilient means effective for urging said sleevelike means generally axially of said first housing and in the direction of said open end, said sleevelike means having at least two operating positions, one of said operating positions being a generally retracted position wherein the resilient urging of said second resilient means is relatively greater, a second of said operating positions being a generally extended position wherein the resilient urging of said second resilient means is relatively lesser, said annular recess means being so located axially of said sleevelike means so as to be effective for at least partially receiving therein said detent means when said sleevelike means is in said first retracted position and said plunger means is effectively engaging and causing said detent means to withdraw from said passage, said second coupling portion comprising a probelike latching member adapted to be received within said passage, second recess means formed near an extending end of said probelike latching member, said extending end of said probelike latching member being effective upon insertion thereof into said passage to axially displace said plunger means thereby permitting said detent means to at least partially extend into said passage and be partly received within said second recess means, and said second resilient means being effective upon said detent means being partly received within said second recess means to move said sleevelike means axially toward said open end so as to axially displace said first mentioned recess means and thereby forcibly retain said detent means within said second recess means.