Slidable seatbelt assembly for a wheelchair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017605-B2
Application number	US-202217932406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2022
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

An assembly includes a vehicle roof and a vehicle floor spaced from the vehicle roof. The assembly includes a seatbelt assembly for accommodating a wheelchair. The seatbelt assembly is slidably supported by the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor. The seatbelt assembly is slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. The seatbelt assembly has a seatbelt webbing elongated in a direction from the vehicle roof to the vehicle floor. The assembly includes a seatbelt buckle slidably supported by the vehicle floor. The seatbelt buckle is slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a vehicle roof and a vehicle floor spaced from the vehicle roof;
a seatbelt assembly slidably supported by the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor, the seatbelt assembly being slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor along a vehicle-longitudinal axis;
the seatbelt assembly having a seatbelt webbing elongated in a direction from the vehicle roof to the vehicle floor; and
a seatbelt buckle slidably supported by the vehicle floor, the seatbelt buckle being slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the vehicle-longitudinal axis;
the seatbelt assembly including a seatbelt retractor and the seatbelt webbing being retractably extendable from the seatbelt retractor, the seatbelt retractor being slidably supported by the vehicle roof and slidable relative to the vehicle roof along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatbelt assembly includes an anchor fixed to the seatbelt webbing, the anchor being slidably supported by the vehicle floor and slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the seatbelt assembly includes a clip supported on the seatbelt webbing between the anchor and the seatbelt retractor, the clip being engageable with the seatbelt buckle.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a wheelchair-seating area between the seatbelt buckle and the seatbelt retractor, the seatbelt webbing extending across the wheelchair-seating area when the clip is engaged with the seatbelt buckle.

5. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the anchor.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle roof includes a first track and the vehicle floor includes a second track, the seatbelt assembly being slidable along the first track and the second track.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle floor includes a third track spaced cross-vehicle from the second track, the seatbelt buckle being slidable along the third track.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a wheelchair-seating area between the second track and the third track.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle roof includes a first track and the vehicle floor includes a second track;
the seatbelt retractor is slidably supported by the first track and slidable relative to the vehicle roof along the first track along the vehicle-longitudinal axis; and
the seatbelt buckle is slidably supported by the second track and slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the second track along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein:
the vehicle floor includes a third track spaced cross-vehicle from the second track; and
the seatbelt assembly includes an anchor fixed to the seatbelt webbing, the anchor being slidably supported by the third track and slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the third track along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the third track is vehicle-outboard of the second track.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatbelt assembly is slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor to a position corresponding to a position of a wheelchair along the vehicle-longitudinal axis.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatbelt buckle is spaced cross-vehicle from the seatbelt assembly.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lock engageable with the seatbelt assembly and a second lock engageable with the seatbelt buckle.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the seatbelt buckle.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second seatbelt assembly slidably supported by the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor, the second seatbelt assembly being spaced cross-vehicle from the seatbelt assembly and the second seatbelt assembly being slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor along a vehicle-longitudinal axis; and
the second seatbelt assembly having a second seatbelt webbing elongated from the vehicle roof to the vehicle floor.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify a position of a wheelchair along the vehicle-longitudinal axis;
slide the seatbelt assembly along the vehicle-longitudinal axis to a position corresponding to the position of the wheelchair; and
slide the seatbelt buckle along the vehicle-longitudinal axis to the position corresponding to the position of the seatbelt assembly.

18. An assembly comprising:
a vehicle roof and a vehicle floor spaced from the vehicle roof;
a seatbelt assembly slidably supported by the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor, the seatbelt assembly being slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor along a vehicle-longitudinal axis;
the seatbelt assembly having a seatbelt webbing elongated in a direction from the vehicle roof to the vehicle floor;
a seatbelt buckle slidably supported by the vehicle floor, the seatbelt buckle being slidable relative to the vehicle floor along the vehicle-longitudinal axis; and
a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify a position of a wheelchair along the vehicle-longitudinal axis;
slide the seatbelt assembly along the vehicle-longitudinal axis to a position corresponding to the position of the wheelchair; and
slide the seatbelt buckle along the vehicle-longitudinal axis to the position corresponding to the position of the seatbelt assembly.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , further comprising instructions to lock the seatbelt assembly in the position corresponding to the position of the wheelchair.

20. The assembly of claim 18 , further comprising instructions to lock the seatbelt buckle in the position corresponding to the position of the seatbelt assembly.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jaradi Dean M
• Faruque Mohammad Omar
• Farooq S M Iskander

Classifications

• A61G3/0808

  Accommodating or securing wheelchairs · CPC title

• B60R22/06 Primary

  having the belt or harness connected to a member slidable in a vehicle-mounted track · CPC title

• B60R2022/207

  Horizontally or transversally adjustable · CPC title

• B60R22/20

  adjustable in position, e.g. in height · CPC title

• B60R22/22

  secured to the vehicle floor · CPC title