Device to Address the Competing Needs of Ensuring Lockability of Seat Belts and Mitigating Entrapment Risk in Mis-Use Conditions

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. Some approaches to addressing this problem could focus on leveraging technology trends in automobile design and manufacturing and, for example, incorporate new sensors into seat belt retractors that communicate with the most current systems. However, because manufacturers have typically preferred mechanical solutions for this particular device, Tool, Inc. proposes to design and develop a mechanical solution to address this problem..