SEAT BELT MANAGER FOR MIDSIZE CHILDREN

MIDSIZE CHILDREN (AGED 5-7) DO NOT PROPERLY FIT AVIALABLE ADULT SEAT BELT SYSTEMS AND OFTEN RESIST USING SCALED-UP TODDLER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A SIMPLE LOW COST DEVICE TO REROUTE THE PATHWAYS OF THE STANDARD TWO AND THREE POINT BELT RESTRAINTS TO ACCOMMODATE THE SKELETAL SIZE OF THE MIDSIZE CHILD. THIS DEVICE WILL POSITION THE LAP BELT FORCES ACROSS THE ILIAC CREST TO PREVENT "SUBMARINING" AND LOADING THROUGH SOFT TISSUE AREAS.IT WILL COMPENSATE FOR VARIATIONS FIRMNESS OF VEHICLE SEAT SUBSTRATES, THE RANGE OF SEAT BELT ANCHORING LOCATIONS, AND NORMAL HEIGHT VARIATIONS. THE DEVICE WILL ENCOURAGE CHILDREN'S ACCEPTANCE AND USE BY EASILY ACCOMMODATING A VARIETY OF OVERLAYS AND ATTACHMENTS INCORPORATING IMAGES FROM POPULAR CULTURE. THE DEVICE'S LOW COST AND CHILD APPEAL WILL RESULT IN ITS BROAD AVAILABILITY AND CONSISTENCYOF USE, THE TWO CRITICAL DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESS OF ANY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THE PROJECT'S FIRST PHASE WILL INCLUDE AN EXPLORATION OF STRUCTURAL ALTERNATIVES, A MATERIALS ANALYSIS, AND PRELIMINARY TESTING AND MARKETING ANALYSIS. WE ANTICIPATE A GENERIC SOLUTION, CONSISTING OF A LOW COST DEVICE OF VERY FEW PARTS WHICH CAN BE LICENSED TO A VARIETY OF MANUFACTURERS. WE WILL SUGGEST A VARIETY OF DISTINCTIVE OVERLAYS AND ATTACHMENTS.