Device to Address the Competing Needs of Ensuring Lockability of Seat Belts and Mitigating Entrapment Risk

Federal regulations require a seat belt assembly with a locking lap belt to be available in passenger seating positions to securely accommodate a child restraint system. More recently, federal regulations have been updated to improve the quality of the child restraint system and the mechanisms by which it is secured. However, there are restrictions on total weight capacities for new restraint systems, which would then require using the seat belt. Consequently, it is critical for the safety of those passengers to continue to improve on the design of the locking mechanisms that secure those systems in those cars. Building on its previous work, Tool, Inc. will design, develop, and evaluate potential countermeasures in preparation for future commercialization.