Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.

Niels Dybro

Allan R Lortz

James T Anthony

Ronald F Homeier

Jeffrey E Peterson

A seat belt system includes a first mounting bracket and a belt buckle, and a first connecting member connectable with the belt buckle and the first mounting bracket. The first connecting member is coupled with the first mounting bracket and is movable relative the first mounting bracket between retracted and extended positions. A first biasing device is provided for biasing the first connecting member in the retracted position. A corresponding retractor assembly coupled with a second mounting bracket and movably biased relative the second mounting bracket between like retracted and extended positions is also disclosed for use in conjunction with the seat buckle assembly to cause the seat belt to move upwardly rather than laterally relative the occupant, thereby preventing chafing of the occupant by the seat belt and reducing lateral accelerations applied to the upper torso of the occupant by the seat belt system.

Anti-cinch and anti-chafe seat belt system

A seat belt assembly includes a tongue, a buckle, a frame mountable to a vehicle seat, linking articles for linking the tongue and buckle to the frame, a retractor assembly operable to pay out and retract linking articles connected with said tongue, the tongue thereby extendable from a retracted position to an extended position lockingly engaged with said buckle. The tongue, buckle, linking articles and retractor assembly are all mounted in operable combination to the frame, the resulting frame means combination being mountable as a unit to a vehicle seat. The seat belt assembly also includes tongue and buckle sleeve assemblies which are mountable to the frame and which cover the linking articles in the retracted position, and which support the tongue and the buckle in a desired user access position.

Seat belt module assembly

A seat belt system includes a first mounting bracket and a belt buckle, and a first connecting member connectable with the belt buckle and the first mounting bracket. The first connecting member is coupled with the first mounting bracket and is movable relative the first mounting bracket between retracted and extended positions. A first biasing device is provided for biasing the first connecting member in the retracted position. A corresponding retractor assembly coupled with a second mounting bracket and movably biased relative the second mounting bracket between like retracted and extended positions is for use in conjunction with the seat buckle assembly to cause the seat belt to move upwardly rather than laterally relative the occupant, thereby preventing chafing of the occupant by the seat belt and reducing lateral accelerations applied to the upper torso of the occupant by the seat belt system.

A retractable tie-down assembly that enables a transportable item to be secured on a trailer. The retractable tie-down assembly is assembled about a frame that is permanently attached to the trailer. Webbing or other strap material has one end which is attached to a spool that is rotatably mounted to the frame. The spool includes a pair of side walls which are formed in the shape of ratchet wheels. A handle is movably mounted on the frame and includes a pawl that is engageable with the ratchet wheels and capable of rotating the ratchet wheels and spool in its retracting direction to take up webbing onto the spool and tighten the same. The retractable tie-down assembly also includes a lock that is capable of locking the spool against rotation in its pay out direction.

Growing community of inventors

Carmel, IN, United States of America

Niels Dybro