Passive shoulder belt

• US 4,186,942 A
• Filed: 09/21/1978
• Issued: 02/05/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Chimanbhai M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael
• Application Number:
  US05/944,258
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 280/744, 280/745, 280/747, 297/384, 297/385, 297/387, 297/388, 297/389
• US Class Current: 280/804
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/06 having the belt or harness connected to a member slidable in a vehicle-mounted track

Abstract

According to the invention, a shoulder belt has its inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the hip of the occupant and an outboard end mounted on the roof rail by a shoulder belt retractor. A track extends longitudinally along the roof rail and movably mounts a carriage which slidably receives the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof. A drive cable of fixed length has its rearward end attached to the upper rear corner of the door and a forward end attached to the roof rail adjacent the forward end of the track so that the drive cable assumes a position generally coincident with the track when the door is closed and assumes a position angularly divergent from the track when the door is opened. The drive cable extends slidably through the guide loop to permit rearward retraction of the carriage by the belt retractor as the drive cable converges with the track during door closing movement to establish the belt in the restraining position. During opening movement of the door, the diverging drive cable slides through the carriage to induce forward movement of the carriage and unwind the belt from the retractor to move the shoulder belt to a forward stowed position facilitating occupant ingress and egress.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle body having a roof rail defining a door opening, and a door mounted laterally adjacent an occupant compartment having a seat;

a shoulder belt having inboard and outboard ends;

means mounting the inboard shoulder belt end adjacent the inboard occupant hip;

means mounting the outboard shoulder belt end on the roof rail generally adjacent the shoulder of the occupant;

one of said mounting means including a retractor;

a carriage having a guide loop slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof;

a track mounted on the roof rail and mounting the carriage for longitudinal movement between a rearward position and a forward position;

and a drive cable of fixed length having a rearward end attached to the upper rear corner of the door and a forward end attached to the roof rail adjacent the forward end of the track so that the drive cable assumes a position generally coincident with the track when the door is closed and assumes a position angularly divergent from the track when the door is open;

said drive cable extending slidably through the guide loop to permit rearward retraction of the carriage by the retractor as the drive cable converges with the track during door closing movement to establish the belt in the restraining position and to drive the carriage forward as the cable diverges from the track during door opening movement to unwind the belt from the retractor and move the shoulder belt forwardly of the occupant to facilitate ingress and egress.