Field of invention

The present invention relates to an improved restraining belt. More specifically it relates to an improved seat belt for a vehicle that provides increased impact protection in the event of a crash or sudden impact.

Background to the invention

The wearing of seat belts for vehicles is a legal requirement in many countries across the world and saves countless lives every year. Sealt belts are designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduces the likelihood and severity of injury in a traffic collision by stopping the vehicle occupant from hitting hard against interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers (the so-called second impact), by keeping occupants positioned correctly for maximum benefit from the airbag, if the vehicle is so equipped, and by preventing occupants being ejected from the vehicle.

Seat belts or restraining harnesses are also a vital component in military vehicles, particularly those that might be susceptible to a sudden large scale impact such as a landmine or other improvised explosive device.

Seat belts are generally made from a nylon or polyester webbing that extends across the person seated and which is then locked in place. Whilst there is no doubt that seat belts save countless lives across the world every year, the impact of a crash can still cause injury to the wearer. In the event of a crash, it is common for the wearer to suffer severe bruising along the points of restraint and in some cases internal injuries and broken bones, for example the collar bone.

The present invention seeks to alleviate the aforementioned problems associated with present seat belt designs by providing a restraining belt that includes a layer of high impact flexible material attached directly or indirectly to the webbing material.

The term restraining belt is intended to cover a wide variety of material restraints and harnesses including, for example, seat belts for personal, work and commerical vehicles, harnesses and restraining belts used by the emergency services, disabled restraints, harnesses for activities such as rock climbing, work harnesses for jobs such as tree surgeons and the like, rally, racing and off road harnesses used within sport.

The term restraining belt also encompasses child restraints for child seats.

Statement of invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided, a belt for restraining a person seated within a vehicle during use, the belt comprising a webbing material and an impact absorption material attached thereto. Preferably the impact absorption material is flexible.

Preferably the impact absorption material has a physical state that hardens on impact to absorb and disperse the force of the impact before returning to a flexible state after impact.

Preferably the impact absorption material is a D30 material.

Preferably the webbing material is a nylon or polyester webbing .

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only.

The present invention provides a restraining belt or seat belt that comprises a layer of webbing and a layer of material that is capable of absorbing and dissipating impact forces.

The webbing is preferably a nylon or polyester webbing commonly used in current seat belt technologies and which meets all current legislations governing vehicle seat belts.

The "impact absorption material" is capable of absorbing and dissipating impact forces. The material preferably has a physical state that changes under an impact before returning to its initial state immediately after the impact .

Preferably the material is flexible.

One such material having these characteristics is marketed under the brand name D30 ^® .

Materials such as D30 ^® in their raw state flow freely when moved slowly. On shock, however, the materials lock together to absorb and disperse energy, before instantly returning to their flexible state. As the molecules of the D30 material lock, the force of impact is dispersed, drastically reducing the effect of the impact and minimising the risk of injury of equipment damage.

Other examples of impact absorption materials include impact gels (such as that marketed under the name iGel™) , impact foams, shock absorbing polymers or visco-elastic .

The impact absorption material may be attached directly to the webbing, for example through stitching or similar means. Alternatively intermediate attachment means may be used, such a Velcro™. The impact absorption material may alternatively be adhered to the webbing using a suitable adhesive .

The impact absorption material may be attached along the entire length of the webbing material or may be provided as pad-like elements that are strategically positioned at various places along the webbing where impact is more likely to cause damage to the wearer, for example around the shoulder area or the waist area of the user. Preferably the layer of impact absorption material has a thickness of around 3 to 10mm. Preferably still the thickness is around 6mm for optimum performance and comfort to the wearer.

It will be understood, that the various embodiments described herein have been described by way of example only and that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.