Vehicle seat belt warning system

Claim 2

A vehicle safety seat belt warning system comprising: a. a seat belt buckle having an opening for receiving a tongue at one end, and with the other end attached to a seat belt; b. a tongue configured for insertion in the buckle, and attached to another seat belt; c. latching means within the buckle for engaging the tongue, and means for manually releasing the latching means; d. a single pole, dual position electric switch disposed within the buckle, biased to a first, normally closed circuit position, and movable momentarily to a second closed circuit position by the tip of the inserted tongue, and thereafter maintained in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions by the tip of the latched tongue; e. said seat belt attached to the buckle having incorporated therewith, flexible electric conductors for including the single pole, dual position switch in electric circuits; f. a first electric circuit including the first normally closed position of the single pole, dual position switch, an electrically activated signal device, a source of electric energy, and at least one additional switch for opening or closing the circuit; g. said signal device as a consequence of the circuit being completed, being activated when said additional switch is placed in closed position, and the single pole, dual position switch has not been opened by engaging the tongue in the buckle; h. a second electric circuit including the second closed circuit position of the single pole, dual position switch, an electric device and the source of electric energy, whereby when the tongue is manually inserted all the way into the buckle, it moves the single pole, common to both circuit positions, against its bias, into the second closed circuit position, and by permitting a momentary flow of current, activates the electric device of the second circuit, and when the tongue is latched into place and the manual inwardly-applied pressure on the tongue and buckle is relaxed and removed, the single pole, dual position switch is maintained by the tip of the tongue in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions, and both the electric signal device of the first circuit and the electric device of the second circuit are deactivated, indicating to the driver that the tongue is latched with the buckle, and the passeNger has buckled up.

Claim 3

The vehicle safety belt warning system of claim 1 wherein a pressure sensitive switch is embedded in each safety belt-equipped seat within the vehicle, and a first set of integrated circuits are provided, one for the first closed circuit position of each single pole, dual position switch and each sensitive switch, with the electric signal device and the source of electrical energy common to all these circuits, and a second set of integrated circuits, one for the second closed circuit position of each single pole, dual position switch and each electric device, with the source of electrical energy common to all these circuits.

Claim 4

The vehicle safety seat belt system of claim 2 wherein the first position of the single pole, dual position switch disposed within the buckle is connected in series with the pressure sensitive switch in the seat cushion of the corresponding seat, but said sets of serially connected switches are connected in parallel with each other and with any buckle switches which are not paired with pressure sensitive switches, whereby if at least one seat belt has not been buckled in an occupied seat and the ignition switch and any other additional switches are closed, the electrically activated signal device will continue to respond.

Claim 5

The vehicle safety seat belt warning system of claim 2 wherein the flexible electrical conductors incorporated with the seat belt attached to the buckle, are three in number and are embedded in the seat belt.

Claim 6

The vehicle safety seat belt warning system of claim 2 wherein the electric device is an electric light mounted on the dashboard of the vehicle for alerting the driver.

Claim 7

the vehicle safety seat belt warning system of claim 2 wherein the electric device is a digital indicator which flashes the number of the seat corresponding to that in which the seat belt is being buckled by the passenger.

Claim 8

The vehicle seat belt warning system of claim 2 wherein the electric device is a timer which is activated to its set position by the momentary flow of current, whereupon the timer will short circuit the first position of the single pole switch, after the expiration of the time cycle of the timer, to then activate the signal device.

Claim 9

The vehicle safety seat belt warning system of claim 1 wherein an electric current interrupting device is included in the first circuit to render the signal intermittant.

Claim 10

A vehicle safety seat belt warning system comprising: a. a seat belt buckle having an opening for receiving a tongue at one end and with the other end attached to a seat belt; b. a tongue configured for insertion in the buckle and attached to another seat belt; c. latching means within the buckle for engaging the tongue and means for manually releasing the latching means; d. a single pole, dual position, electric switch disposed within the buckle, biased to a first normally closed circuit position, and movable momentarily to a second closed circuit position by the tip of the inserted tongue and thereafter maintained in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions by the tip of the latched tongue; e. said seat belt attached to the buckle having incorporated therewith flexible electric conductors for including the single pole, dual position switch in electric circuits; f. a first electric circuit including the first normally closed position of the single pole, dual position switch, an electrically activated signal device, a source of electrical energy, and at least one additional switch for opening or closing the circuit; g. said signal device as a consequence of the circuit being completed, being activated when said additional switch is placed in the closed position, and the single pole, dual position switch has not been opened by engaging the tongue in the buckle; h. an electric timing device having a cycle-setting electric mechanism which provides a cycle-setting circuit; i. a second electric circuit including the second Closed circuit position of the single pole, dual position switch, the cycle-setting circuit of the electric timing device and the source of electric energy, whereby when the tongue is inserted all the way into the buckle, it moves the single pole, common to both circuit positions, against its bias into the second closed circuit position, and by permitting a momentary flow of current, activates the cycle-setting electric mechanism of the timing device in the second circuit, and when the tongue is latched into place and the manual inwardly-applied pressure on the tongue and buckle is relaxed and removed, the single pole, dual position switch is maintained by the tip of the tongue in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions so that no more current is impressed on the cycle-setting circuit of the timing device and the electric signal device of the first circuit is deactivated; j. after a period of time established by the time cycle of the electric timing device, said timing device will short circuit the first position of the single pole switch to thereby activate the signal device.

Claim 11

A vehicle safety seat belt warning system comprising: a. a seat belt buckle having an opening for receiving a tongue at one end and with the other end attached to a seat belt; b. a tongue configured for insertion in the buckle and attached to another seat belt; c. latching means within the buckle for engaging the tongue and means for manually releasing the latching means; d. a single pole, dual position, electric switch disposed within the buckle, biased to a first normally closed circuit position, and movable momentarily to a second closed circuit position by the tip of the inserted tongue and thereafter maintained in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions by the tip of the latched tongue; e. said seat belt attached to the buckle having incorporated therewith flexible electric conductors for including the single pole, dual position switch in electric circuits; f. a first electric circuit including the first normally closed position of the single pole, dual position switch, an electrically activated signal device, a source of electrical energy, and at least one additional switch for opening or closing the circuit; g. said signal device as a consequence of the circuit being completed, being activated when said additional switch is placed in the closed position, and the single pole, dual position switch has not been opened by engaging the tongue in the buckle; h. an electric timing device having a cycle-setting electric mechanism which provides a cycle-setting circuit; i. a second electric circuit including the second Closed circuit position of the single pole, dual position switch, the cycle-setting circuit of the electric timing device and the source of electric energy, whereby when the tongue is inserted all the way into the buckle, it moves the single pole, common to both circuit positions, against its bias into the second closed circuit position, and by permitting a momentary flow of current, activates the cycle-setting electric mechanism of the timing device in the second circuit, and when the tongue is latched into place and the manual inwardly-applied pressure on the tongue and buckle is relaxed and removed, the single pole, dual position switch is maintained by the tip of the tongue in an open circuit condition between the first and second positions so that no more current is impressed on the cycle-setting circuit of the timing device and the electric signal device of the first circuit is deactivated; j. after a period of time established by the time cycle of the electric timing device, said timing device will short circuit the first position of the single pole switch to thereby activate the signal device.

Claim 12

The vehicle safety belt warning system of claim 9 wherein electrical resistances are placed in the second circuit with the timer, and a secondary electric signalling device requiring an electrical potential substantially equal to the potential drop of the resistance, is placed across the resistance, whereby when a passenger inserts the tongue into the buckle, the driver of the vehicle will receive a signal corresponding to the seat position of the passenger buckling his seat belt.

Claim 13

The vehicle safety belt warning system of claim 1 wherein a pressure sensitive switch is included in each safety belt-equipped passenger seat within the vehicle, said pressure sensitive switch being connected in series with said single pole, dual position electric switch corresponding to said passenger seat and being adapted to be actuated when said passenger seat is occupied.