Jorge Enrique Torres

US Patent:

20230048271, Feb 16, 2023

Filed:

Aug 10, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/885324

Inventors:

- Oakland Park FL, US
Paul Slevinsky - Brockville, CA
Ovidius Turcanu - Delray Beach FL, US
Jorge Torres - Boca Raton FL, US
William Ott - Fort Lauderdale FL, US
Edgardo Cardona - Pompano Beach FL, US

International Classification:

A61G 3/08

Abstract:

A thin profile retractor allows for a wheelchair securement system to be installed in-floor without the need for large holes to be cut into the OEM vehicle flooring. A plurality of thin profile retractors may be combined in a single housing to define a drop-in, in-floor system. The thickness of the in-floor system is approximately equal to or slightly thicker than the thickness of the type of aftermarket flooring that is typically placed on top of the OEM flooring or vehicle frame—for example, plywood. In that regard, a large hole corresponding to the outline of the in-floor system need only be cut in the aftermarket flooring, and only small holes need to be drilled to secure the in-floor system to the vehicle frame. The thin profile retractor includes specialized components and component configurations that permit the thin profile and/or allow the retractor to perform better during accident scenarios.