Seat belt safety system for motor vehicles

Claim 2

In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having safety seat belt means for releasably securing an occupant of the vehicle to a seat of the vehicle, said safety seat belt means including a pair of separable seat belt sections adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through the pair when connected, the improvement comprising: switch means associated with said seat and responsive to the weight of the seat occupant so as to be open when the seat is unoccupied and closed when the seat is occupied; and, normally de-energized solenoid means connected electrically with said switch means, said solenoid means being energized upon closure of said switch means and being mounted to one section of said pair and having closure means movable in response to energizing of said solenoid means between a first position in which said closure means is interposed between the connectable ends of said pair so as to prevent connection of said sections and a second position in which said closure means is withdrawn from between said ends so as to permit their connection and provide said electrical circuit.

Claim 3

In a safety seat belt system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a pair of male electrical terminals extending from the connectable end of one section of said pair of separable seat belt sections and a pair of female electrical terminals in the connectable end of the other section of said pair for receiving said male terminals, and wherein said closure means comprises a solenoid plunger in said other section traversing at least one of said female electrical terminals adjacent the free end of said other section so as normally to prevent entry of said male terminals, said plunger being retractable from said one terminal in response to energizing of said solenoid means to clear said terminal for entry of said male terminals.

Claim 4

In a safety seat belt system in accordance with claim 2 wherein at least one of said terminals is electrically insulated at its free end.

Claim 5

In a safety seat belt system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the insulated terminal is a female terminal.

Claim 6

In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having safety seat belt means for releasably securing the operator to the driver''s seat and at least one other safety seat belt means for releasably securing a passenger to a passenger''s seat, said safety seat belt means each including a pair of separable seat belt sections adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through the pair when connected, the improvement comprising: switch means associated with the driver''s seat and other switch means associated with said passenger seat, each said switch means being responsive to the weight of the seat occupant so as to be open when the seat is unoccupied and closed when the seat is occupied; and, individual normally de-energized solenoid means individually connected electrically wiTh the respective switch means, the respective solenoid means being energized upon closure of the associated switch means and being mounted one and the same section of the pair of separable seat belt sections of the associated safety seat belt means, each said solenoid means having closure means movable in response to energizing of the solenoid means between a first position in which said closure means is interposed between the connectable ends of said pair so as to prevent connection of said sections and a second position in which said closure means is withdrawn from between said ends so as to permit their connection and provide said electrical circuit.

Claim 7

In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having safety seat belt means for releasably securing the operator to the driver''s seat and at least one other safety seat belt means for releasably securing a passenger to a passenger''s seat, said safety seat belt means each including a pair of separable seat belt sections adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through the pair when connected, the improvement comprising: switch means associated with the driver''s seat and other switch means associated with said passenger seat, each said switch means being responsive to the weight of the seat occupant so as to be open when the seat is unoccupied and closed when the seat is occupied; and, individual normally de-energized solenoid means individually connected electrically wiTh the respective switch means, the respective solenoid means being energized upon closure of the associated switch means and being mounted one and the same section of the pair of separable seat belt sections of the associated safety seat belt means, each said solenoid means having closure means movable in response to energizing of the solenoid means between a first position in which said closure means is interposed between the connectable ends of said pair so as to prevent connection of said sections and a second position in which said closure means is withdrawn from between said ends so as to permit their connection and provide said electrical circuit.

Claim 8

In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having an engine ignition system, drive train means including control means therefor shiftable between an engine starting position and at least one drive position, for transmitting power from the vehicle engine to the vehicle drive wheels, safety seat belt means for releasably securing the operator to the driver''s seat of the vehicle and at least one other safety seat belt means for releasably securing a passenger to a passenger''s seat of the vehicle, said safety seat belt means each including a pair of separable seat belt sections, the sections of each pair being adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through at least one section of the pair when connected, and means normally locking said control means in the engine starting position, the improvement comprising: switch means associated with the driver''s seat and and other switch means associated with said passenger seat, each said switch means comprising a first terminal means, a second terminal means and a switch element movable from one to the other of said terminal means, said switch element being responsive to the weight of the seat occupant so as to be in contact with said first terminal means when the associated seat is unoccupied and in contact with said second terminal means when the associated seat is occupied; normally de-energized first solenoid means in electrical circuit with the engine ignition system, with each of said first terminal means and with the electrical circuits of said seat belt sections, said first solenoid means being only operable in response to the connection of all of the seat belt sections of the occupied seats for releasing said locking means when the seat belt sections of all of the occupied seats are connected, whereby said control means may be shifted from an engine starting position to a drive position; individual normally de-energized second solenoid means individually connected electrically with the respective second terminal means, the respective second solenoid means being energized upon contact of the associated switch element with the associated second terminal means and being mounted on one and the same section of the pair of separable seat belt sections of the associated safety seat belt means, each said second solenoid means having closure means movable in response to energizing of the second solenoid means between a first position in which said closure means is interposed between the connectable ends of said pair so as to prevent connection of said sections and a second position in which said closure means is withdrawn from between said ends so as to permit their connection and provide said electrical circuit.

Claim 9

In a safety seat belt system for use with a motor vehicle having an engine ignition system, drive train means including control means therefor shiftable between an engine starting position and at least one drive position, for transmitting power from the vehicle engine to the vehicle drive wheels, safety seat belt means for releasably securing the operator to the driver''s seat of the vehicle and at least one other safety seat belt means for releasably securing a passenger to a passenger''s seat of the vehicle, said safety seat belt means each including a pair of separable seat belt sections, the sections of each pair being adapted to be releasably connected together and providing an electrical circuit through at least one section of the pair when connected, and means normally locking said control means in the engine starting position, the improvement comprising: switch means associated with the driver''s seat and and other switch means associated with said passenger seat, each said switch means comprising a first terminal means, a second terminal means and a switch element movable from one to the other of said terminal means, said switch element being responsive to the weight of the seat occupant so as to be in contact with said first terminal means when the associated seat is unoccupied and in contact with said second terminal means when the associated seat is occupied; normally de-energized first solenoid means in electrical circuit with the engine ignition system, with each of said first terminal means and with the electrical circuits of said seat belt sections, said first solenoid means being only operable in response to the connection of all of the seat belt sections of the occupied seats for releasing said locking means when the seat belt sections of all of the occupied seats are connected, whereby said control means may be shifted from an engine starting position to a drive position; individual normally de-energized second solenoid means individually connected electrically with the respective second terminal means, the respective second solenoid means being energized upon contact of the associated switch element with the associated second terminal means and being mounted on one and the same section of the pair of separable seat belt sections of the associated safety seat belt means, each said second solenoid means having closure means movable in response to energizing of the second solenoid means between a first position in which said closure means is interposed between the connectable ends of said pair so as to prevent connection of said sections and a second position in which said closure means is withdrawn from between said ends so as to permit their connection and provide said electrical circuit.