VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM

• US 3,847,434 A
• Filed: 05/02/1973
• Issued: 11/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allied Corp. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Per Olaf Weman
• Inventors: Weman, Per Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunberg, Casmir A.
• Application Number:
  US05/356,659
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 297/385,386,388,389 242/107.4 380/15SB
• US Class Current: 297/478
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1855 the means being sensitive to belt tension

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle occupant restraint system comprising a retractor adapted to be mounted adjacent the floor of said vehicle and having seat belting attached thereto, means for retracting said seat belting onto said retractor and for permitting said seat belting to be protracted from said retractor and bracket means adapted to be mounted in said vehicle at a location above the level of said retractor and having means therein to allow said seat belting to pass therethrough, said seat belting extending from said retractor through said bracket means and being extendible from said bracket means to a position remote therefrom such that said seat belting is adapted to extend at least across a shoulder of an occupant, said bracket means including locking means movable into a lock position after said seat belting is secured across the shoulder of the occupant to prevent extension of said seat belting from said bracket means and also preferably including means preventing movement of said locking means into said lock position when said seat belting is extended from said bracket means at an acceleration below a predetermined acceleration.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

a retractor mounted adjacent the floor of said vehicle and having seat belting attached thereto, means for retracting said seat belting onto said retractor and for permitting said seat belting to be protracted from said retractor and bracket means mounted against a surface in said vehicle at a location above the level of said retractor and having means therein to allow said seat belting to pass therethrough, said seat belting extending from said retractor through said bracket means and being extendible from said bracket means to a position remote therefrom such that said seat belting is adapted to extend at least across the shoulder of an occupant, said bracket means including, locking means movable into a lock position to prevent extension of said seat belting from said bracket means after said seat belting is secured across the shoulder of the occupant, said bracket means being pivotable in a plane which intersects the plane of said surface.

2. The restraint system of claim 1 wherein said bracket means is pivotable in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to said plane of said surface.

3. The restraint system of claim 2 wherein said surface is a side wall of said vehicle.

4. The restraint system of claim 1 wherein said bracket means includes a base having an outwardly extending portion which defines an internal opening, a mounting plate mounted against said surface in said vehicle, said mounting plate having an opening therein which interfits with said extending portion of said base, and a securing means extending through said opening of said mounting plate and said internal opening to allow pivotable motion of said bracket means with respect to said plate.

5. The restraint system of claim 1 wherein a tongue is provided on said seat belting which extends through said bracket means, said seat belting extends through said tongue and is adapted to be secured to the floor of said vehicle, and said tongue is adapted to lockably engage with a buckle provided adjacent a seat in said vehicle.

6. The restraint system of claim 5 wherein Said tongue normally rests against said bracket means and is slidable on said seat belting.

7. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

a retractor mounted adjacent the floor of said vehicle and having seat belting attached thereto, means for retracting said seat belting onto said retractor and for permitting said seat belting to be protracted from said retractor, bracket means mounted in said vehicle at a location above the level of said retractor and having means therein to allow said seat belting to pass therethrough, said seat belting extending from said retractor through said bracket means and being extendible from said bracket means to a position remote therefrom such that said seat belting is adapted to extend at least across the shoulder of an occupant, said bracket means including, locking means movable into a lock position to prevent extension of said seat belting from said bracket means after said seat belting is secured across the shoulder of the occupant, and seat belt movement delay means provided in said retractor which operates upon extension of said seat belting from said bracket means at a predetermined acceleration to retard or prevent further extension of said seat belting from said retractor, said locking means being movable into said lock position at said predetermined acceleration upon operation of said delay means.

8. The restraint system of claim 7 including means preventing movement of said locking means into said lock position when said seat belting is extended from said bracket means at an acceleration below said predetermined acceleration.

9. The restraint system of claim 8 including cam means in said bracket means, said cam means having a surface engageable by said seat belting as said seat belting is extended from said bracket means, said cam means being pulled by said seat belting at said predetermined acceleration in a direction to move said locking means into its lock position.

10. The restraint system of claim 8 wherein said locking means includes a surface which engages said seat belting when said locking means is in said lock position.

11. The restraint system of claim 9 wherein said bracket means includes a pivotally mounted lever, said cam means being provided on one end of said lever and said locking means being provided on an opposite end of said lever.

12. The restraint system of claim 9 wherein said bracket means includes a slidably mounted bar, said cam means being provided on one end of said bar and said locking means being provided on an opposite end of said bar.

13. The restraint system of claim 8 wherein said means preventing movement of said locking means comprises a spring which biases said locking means away from its lock position.

14. The restraint system of claim 8 wherein said seat belting movement delay means comprises an inertia mass which retards extension of said seat belting from said retractor.

15. The restraint system of claim 14 wherein said inertia mass comprises an inertia wheel operatively associated with a spool provided in said retractor upon which said seat belting is wound, said wheel rotating with said spool at accelerations of said seat belting below said predetermined acceleration but lagging behind said spool at said predetermined acceleration to retard extension of said seat belting from said retractor.

16. The restraint system of claim 8 wherein said seat belting movement delay means operates to prevent extension of said seat belting from said retractor and includes means to lock a spool upon which said seat belting is wound from rotation in a protracting direction when said seat belting is extended at said predetermined acceleration.

17. The restraint system of claim 8 wherein said seat belting movement delay means comprises lock means in said retractor which prevents extension of said seat belting from said retractor after said seat belting is secured across the shoulder of the occupant.