GB2264080A

GB2264080A - Seatbelt cutter

Info

Publication number: GB2264080A
Application number: GB9302861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael William Fothergill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-02-12
Filing date: 1993-02-12
Publication date: 1993-08-18
Also published as: GB9202878D0; GB9302861D0

Abstract

A cutter device (10) comprises a stem portion (11) having a slot (12) with a closed end (13) and an open end (14), and two ring portions (15, 16), one on either side of the open end (14). A blade (17) mounted in the stem portion (11) bridges the slot (12) and has its cutting edge (18) facing the open end (14). The cutter device (10) would be mounted releaseably within the vehicle. In the event of a crash which traps an occupant of the vehicle in his seat, unable to release his seatbelt, that occupant may release the cutter device (10), present the open end (14) of the slot (12) to his seatbelt, engage the ring portions (15, 16) with fingers of one hand and draw the cutter device (10) across the belt to cut the belt and release himself. Alternative finger-engaging formations are disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

A METHOD OF RELEASING AN OCCUPANT OF A VEHICLE TRAPPED BY THEIR SEATBELT, AND A CUTTER DEVICE FOR CUTTING A SEATBELT STRAP DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a method of releasing an occupant of a vehicle trapped by their seatbelt, and to a cutter device for cutting a seatbelt.

Occupants of motor vehicles are required by law to use seatbelts despite the possibility they will be trapped by their seatbelt in the event of a crash and thereby be at risk from fire which they could avoid if they were free.

An object of this invention is to facilitate quick release of an occupant of a motor vehicle from a seatbelt by which he is trapped.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a method of release, especially self-release, of a trapped vehicle passenger from a seatbelt, wherein a blade holder is urged onto the seatbelt so that the belt is inserted edge first into a slot formed in the blade holder, the slot leading to the cutting edge of a blade mounted in the blade holder whereby the belt is cut by the blade as the blade holder is urged across the belt.

The blade holder may be mounted within the vehicle so as to be accessible to people seated therein even when they are trapped by their seatbelts. It may be so mounted by the action of a 'Velcro'/strip, by a double-sided adhesive tape or by the magnetic attraction of a permanent magnet, conveniently in strip form, which is embedded in the body of the blade holder which conveniently is formed of plastics material.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a cutter device for cutting a strap, comprising a blade holder forming an open ended slot which is adapted to receive the strap edge first and a handle portion by which the blade holder can be urged onto the strap so the strap is received edge first within the slot, and means operable to mount a blade in the blade holder with its cutting edge extending across the slot and facing the open end whereby the strap will be cut by a blade so mounted in the blade holder as the latter is urged onto and across the strap.

Several forms of cutter device for use in carrying out this invention will be described now by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one form of blade holder; Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1 as seen from the open end of the slot; and Figures 3-6 are views similar to Figure 1 of alternative forms of cutter devices.

Figures 1 and 2 show a cutter device 10 which comprises a stem portion 11 having a slot 12 which extends along its longitudinal axis between one closed end 13 and an open end 14. Two ring portions 15 and 16 are formed integrally with the stem portion, one on either side of the open end 14 of the slot 12. A blade 17 is mounted in the stem portion 11 so as to bridge the slot 12 at its closed end 13, the blade 17 having a cutting edge 18 which faces the open end 14.

The body of the cutter device 10, comprising the stem portion 11 and the two ring portions 15 and 16, conveniently are formed as a plastics moulding.

The cutter device 10 would be mounted within the passenger compartment of a vehicle in easy reach of a person seated in a seat of the vehicle. For example, the cutter device 10 may be releasably secured to the vehicle body within the passenger compartment by releasable fastening means such as Velcrotor a double sided adhesive tape. Alternatively a permanent magnet in strip form may be embedded in the plastics moulding that comprises the body of the cutter device 10 which would thereby be secured to the body of the vehicle by magnetic attraction.

In the event of a crash which traps an occupant of the vehicle in his seat, unable to release his seatbelt, that occupant may release the cutter device 10, present the open end 14 of the slot 12 to his seatbelt, engage the apertures formed by the ring portions 15 and 16 with two of his fingers, say his index and middle fingers of one hand, one in each aperture, and draw the cutter device 10 across the belt to bring the cutting edge 18 of the blade 17 into cutting engagement with the belt and thereby cut the belt to release himself.

Figure 3 shows that the ring portions 15 and 16 may be replaced by respective hook portions 15A and 16A.

Figure 4 shows that the pair of ring portions 15 and 16, or hook portions 15a and 16a may be replaced by a single handle element 21 formed integrally with the body of the blade holder forming one side only of the slot 12. In this embodiment, the handle element 21 may have a slightly curved elongate aperture 22 operable to receive several of the occupants fingers, the handle element 21 extending across the opening at the open end 14 of the slot 12 and beyond the portion of the cutter device 10 that forms the opposite side of the slot 12.

Figure 5 shows that the handle portion may be formed like the butt of a pistol and Figure 6 shows that the single handle portion may be a ring portion.

The cutting edge of the blade may form a notch at the closed end of the slot.

Alternatively there may be more than one blade mounted in the blade holder with their cutting edges bridging the slot. In the latter case two such blades may be arranged with their cutting edges oblique to one another so that they combine to form such a notch. Figure 7 shows a cutter device 30 which is designed to be pushed across the belt rather than be pulled across as are the cutter devices 10 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 6. Rather than be provided with one or more handle portions at the open end of the slot 32, the part of the body of the blade holder that forms the closed end of the slot 32 would be formed as a handle portion 33 with an aperture 34 therein to receive fingers of a hand by which the cutter device 30 would be held and pushed on to a belt which is received through the open end of the slot 32 as before.

Claims

1. A method of release, especially self-release, of a trapped vehicle passenger from a seatbelt, wherein a blade holder is urged onto the seatbelt so that the belt is inserted edge first into a slot formed in the blade holder, the slot leading to the cutting edge of a blade mounted in the blade holder whereby the belt is cut by the blade as the blade holder is urged across the belt.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the blade holder is pulled across the belt.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the blade holder is mounted within the vehicle so as to be accessible to people seated therein even when they are trapped by their seatbelts.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the blade holder is mounted within the vehicle by the action of r) a 'Velcro'/ strip.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the blade holder is mounted within the vehicle by a double-sided adhesive tape.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the blade holder is mounted within the vehicle by the magnetic attraction of a permanent magnet which is embedded in the body of the blade holder.

7. A cutter device for cutting a strap, comprising a blade holder forming an open ended slot which is adapted to receive the strap edge first and a handle portion by which the blade holder can be urged onto the strap so the strap is received edge first within the slot, and means operable to mount a blade in the blade holder with its cutting edge extending across the slot and facing the open end whereby the strap will be cut by a blade so mounted in the blade holder as the latter is urged onto and across ;he strap.

8. A cutter device according to claim 7, wherein the handle portion is formed at or adjacent to the open end of the slot so as to be engaged by hand to draw the cutter device across the belt to bring the cutting edge into cutting engagement with the belt.

9. A cutter device according to claim 8, wherein the handle portion comprises two ring portions formed integrally with the blade holder, one on either side of the open end of the slot.

10. A cutter device according to claim 9, wherein the handle portion comprises two hook portions formed integrally with the blade holder, one on either side of the open end of the slot.

11. A cutter device according to claim 8, wherein the handle portion comprises a single handle element formed integrally with a portion of the body of the blade holder which forms one side only of the slot.

12. A cutter device according to claim 11, wherein the handle portion has an elongate aperture formed in it to receive several fingers of a hand by which the device is pulled across the belt.

13. A cutter device according to claim 11, wherein the handle element extends across the opening at the end of the slot and beyond the portion of the cutter device that forms the opposite side of the slot.

14. A cutter device according to claim 11 or claim 13, wherein the single handle portion is a ring portion.

15. A cutter device according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein the cutting edge of the blade forms a notch at the closed end of the slot.

16. A cutter device according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein there is more than one blade mounted in the blade holder with their cutting edges bridging the slot.

17. A cutter device according to claim 16, wherein there is more than one blade mounted in the blade holder with their cutting edges bridging the slot.

18. A cutter device according to any one of claims 7 to 17, formed of plastic material and having a permanent magnet embedded in it.

19. A method of release, especially self-release, of a trapped vehicle passenger substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A cutter device substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or any one of Figures 3 to 7 of those drawings.