WO2007026034A1

WO2007026034A1 - Device for the external detection of the non-use of vehicle seat belts

Info

Publication number: WO2007026034A1
Application number: PCT/ES2006/000486
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benito MARTÍNEZ-FORTÚN FABREGA
Original assignee: Benguria Calera, Beatriz
Priority date: 2005-08-29
Filing date: 2006-08-25
Publication date: 2007-03-08
Also published as: ES1061016U; ES1061016Y

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the external detection of the non-use of vehicle seat belts. In accordance with the law, motor vehicles are fitted with seat belts. According to the invention, a seat (7) is equipped with a sensor comprising a switch (1s) which is actuated by the weight of the occupant and the belt for said seat is associated with another sensor comprising a switch (1c) which is actuated when the belt is secured in the corresponding base. The aforementioned switches (1s, 1c) form part of a circuit that is powered by the vehicle battery (20). The invention is characterised in that the circuit is equipped with at least one warning element (10d, 10t) which is fixed to the exterior of the body (15) and which is activated upon closure of the switches (1s, 1c) when there is an occupant on the seat (7) but the corresponding belt has not been secured in the base thereof, which can be detected by traffic officers.

Description

DEVICE FOR THE EXTERNAL DETECTION OF THE NON-USE OF SAFETY BELTS IN

VEHICLES

The object of the present invention relates to a device for external detection of non-use, or use. incorrect, of the seat belts in vehicles, especially indicated for motor vehicles, both for the type called tourism as for vans and trucks.

The legal obligation, on the part of an occupant or occupants of a vehicle of the aforementioned type, of the correct use of harnesses is well known. or safety belts that are incorporated therein next to each seat of the vehicle in question. All this for the sake of the security of said occupant or occupants of the referred vehicle.

Also noteworthy is the existence, for a long time, of electrical or electromechanical devices that detect the placement or not of said belt in each occupied seat of the vehicle, notifying the driver of the vehicle by means of some light or acoustic system installed inside the vehicle. (eg on the board, on board) of such circumstance, that is, if any or some occupants of the vehicle are correctly wearing the corresponding belt who, if not, will be required to comply with such obligation, mainly for ^' their own safety.

On the other hand, the fulfillment of the aforementioned obligation to correctly use the corresponding seat belt is seriously monitored by the traffic agents who, if not, can impose the fine or penalty established on the offender or offenders.

In any case, however, it is not easy to detect, from the outside, compliance with the mentioned legal obligation, especially with the vehicle running and even more in foggy or nocturnal conditions. In their case, the agents must proceed to the arrest of the vehicle in question to verify the correct use of the seat belt / s and, even so, the occupants would have a short time to anchor the corresponding belts giving way to the consequent controversy over if they were wearing them when the vehicle was in circulation. Consequently, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a device that makes it possible to detect, from the outside, the correct use or not of the safety belt / s, both in conditions of good and poor visibility (rain, fog, nocturnality). The present device, which will be described below, will undoubtedly facilitate - the work of the agents avoiding innumerable losses of time, for the sake of passenger safety and contributing to the mentalization of the benefits of the use of repeated seat belts .

As already noted above, some devices, or ^ΛN sneaks "are known to detect the use or not of seat belts in the seats. Basically, such detecting devices are constituted by at least one powered electrical circuit, by for example, by the electric battery of the vehicle itself and in which a series of switches activated directly or by means of sensors attached to each belt and corresponding seat of the vehicle itself are inserted.

Thus, each circuit, one per seat, is ^" equipped with two ^• sensors that activate ^• two switches: one installed in the seat and activated by pressure or weight of the occupant and the other in the seat belt anchorage system activated by contact, such switches allow or not the flow of current, opening or closing, the first depending on whether the seat is occupied or not, and the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) second, depending on whether the seat belt is correctly anchored or not, and finally activating the corresponding warning device.

In the car market there are already certain devices that have certain analogies with the one defined here, but none of them allows

• external detection of legal breach and physical risk of non-use of seat belts in vehicles. In contrast to the preceding paragraph, it is noteworthy in the present invention the fact of having provided at least one warning, preferably luminous, installed outside the vehicle, attached to the body by the most appropriate system, but always in a manner that is permanently fixed. Said warning lights or not according to the ^{circumstances'} in which belts are. safety and the respective seats.

To facilitate understanding of the above and particularly of the operation of the present device, attached -two sheets of drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates an electrical schematic of the device ^'of the invention, Figure 2 shows schematically a case in which a seat is unoccupied and the seat belt is not on,

-. Figure .3 schematically illustrates another case in which the seat is occupied and - its occupant is wearing ^' . the safety belt, and figure 4 schematically represents a case in which ^" -the seat ^" is ^• occupied, but the safety belt is not attached. "

Assuming a very common model of tourism type vehicle equipped with five seats ^• and according to the scheme in Figure 1, the present device consists of several 1,2,3,4,5 circuits (one for each seat) each of which is connected to a

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) power supply 20 common to all, which can be the battery of the vehicle itself, and is formed by: a first switch element ls-5s installed under a corresponding seat 7,. activated by pressure through a sensor of known type, and open when there is no load; a second lc-5c switch element installed in the belt anchor base of

.security 9 of a corresponding seat 7, activatable through a sensor of known type with the ^• insertion of the terminal of said belt 9 into said base, and closed when there is no such introduction; and at least one warning device 10 located outside the body of the vehicle 15 and capable of being activated when the circumstances of being closed both switches ls-5s and lc-5c.

The aforementioned warning body will, in general, be a light or luminous element 10 which may be of intermittent or constant activation, but in any case its light hue and / or alternation of flash, - will be differentiated from the rest of the luminous elements already existing and known function that carries a vehicle.

Obviously there may be more than one light-emitting organ 10, such as two: one on the front outside 1Od and another 1Ot on the outside

- rear of the vehicle 15. The connections of the rear light 1Ot have been omitted so as not to overload the drawings ^' .

In the case (not illustrated) of carrying. Towing the vehicle in question, a third luminous organ (not visible) may be placed at the rear of said trailer, using an extension for ^• the relevant conventional connection and fixed to said rear part of the trailer by means of fasteners itself known.

Optionally, the device can be completed with an audible alarm 17.

The set of circuits described may be

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) equipped with a general switch 19 that can be activated by the vehicle's own ignition key. The corresponding connection to

^• said general switch 19 for not reloading the drawings and, furthermore, because it does not constitute the essence of the present invention.

In practice, three possibilities may occur:

A) That the seat is unoccupied and the seat belt is not on, (figure 2) ^•

In this case, the seat sensor 7 will keep the Is switch open (it will not let the current through) and the belt anchor sensor 9 will keep its Ic switch closed, that is, ^{• it will} allow the current to pass through; but this will not reach the 1Od, 1Ot alarms, because the first Is switch is open.

B) That - the seat is occupied and its occupant has the seat belt on, (figure 3).

- In this "case, the sensor ^• of the ^' seat 7 will activate the ^" Is switch and it will close (it will let the current through), and the belt anchor sensor 9 will open its Ic switch (it will interrupt the flow of current), or either, current will not reach the 1Od, 1Ot.

^• C) That the seat is occupied and not - the seat belt is on '; - ,, (figure 4). . In .this ^"case, -. The seat sensor 7 closes' his

* Is switch, that is, - will let the "current ^" stop, and the sensor. belt anchorage ^'• Security 9, -. to .su> .vez, cer-rara • your switch. ^' Ic- ^' by., ^" Which will close the circuit, allowing the passage of current and, therefore, the alarms 1Od, 1Ot will be activated or illuminated.

Even if in said figures 2, 3 and 4 only one seat has been represented, it will be understood that each of

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) the five seats (according to the present example) will be provided with the corresponding seat switches ls-5s and seat belt anchor switches lc-5c, as discussed above and as illustrated in the scheme of Figure 1.

Since all the described circuits 1-5 are powered by the same electrical source 20 (battery) and come together to activate the external warning lights 1Od, 1Ot, it is enough that only one of the circuits mentioned has both switches activated (seat and for anchoring the belt) so that said external warning lights 1Od, 10t are turned on, making it obvious that in this vehicle 15 some of its occupants are not making the mandatory use of the seat belt 9.

It is understood that the description and drawings cited above are only illustrative in nature and that changes may be made in the configuration, materials, components and relative arrangement as required by the particular case. Thus, it could be the case, for example, that the vehicle in question was of the minivan type (not shown) and that its rear seats were foldable or removable. In such a case, electrical contacts could be provided in the guide or base of such a seat or removable seats so that, when removing said seat or seats, the corresponding circuit / s would be disconnected.

It could also happen, that in one of the seats 7 of the vehicle, a lump sufficiently heavy was deposited to actuate the corresponding switch 2s ~ 5s, which could lead to the activation of the alarms 1Od, 1Ot. The solution of this case would be very simple: directly anchor the corresponding belt 9, which would prevent the activation of said warning devices.

Finally, another case would be the provision, in one of the seats 7, of a chair with a corresponding child or baby (not illustrated). The solution

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) it would be to tare the corresponding sensor and switch 2s-5s so that it closes with the weight of the said chair with the child or baby.

In any case, the person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs will apply the corresponding solution, with the most appropriate means and without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims

1.- Device for the external detection of the non-use of seat belts in vehicles, particularly motor vehicles of the tourism type, van or truck, without or with a trailer, which are provided with at least one seat (7) with a corresponding safety belt (9), in which at least one seat (7) is incorporated a first sensor with switch (Is) operable by the weight of its occupant, and in which the corresponding safety belt (9) is related with a second sensor with switch (Ic) operable by anchoring said belt (9) in the corresponding base, said first and second switch (Is, Lc) being part of a circuit (1) fed by a power source, such as the battery (20) of the vehicle itself, characterized in that said circuit is interspersed with at least one warning element permanently fixed outside the body of said vehicle (15) and capable of activating the aforementioned switches (Is, Ic) are closed due to the circumstances of having an occupant on said at least one seat (7) and of not being anchored in its base the corresponding safety belt (9).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in - that said ^• to the least un- element- warning --- consists of a luminous element (10).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that there are more _. of an element ^'buzzer (1Od, 1ot) fixed outside of the vehicle body (15). ,

4. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that, in the case of carrying the vehicle some type of trailer, said trailer will carry at least one warning element (10) on the rear exterior part of said trailer.

5. Device according to claims 2 to the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 4, characterized in that said at least one light warning element (10) will be of continuous light.

6. Device according to claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said at least one light warning element (10) will be of intermittent light.

7. Device according to claims 2 to the

6, characterized in that said at least one warning light (10) will be of a light tone and intermittency frequency differentiated from the conventional lights normally carried by the vehicle.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said warning element is of acoustic type.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)