Passive seat belt system

• US 4,253,681 A
• Filed: 05/21/1979
• Issued: 03/03/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Barnett, Ronald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGiehan, Donn
• Application Number:
  US06/041,013
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 280/802, 280/804, 280/808, 297/469, 297/475, 297/479, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/804
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/04 Passive restraint systems, i.e. systems both applied and removed automatically, e.g. by movement of the vehicle door

Abstract

A passive occupant restraint system includes a continuous loop restraint belt having an upper end mounted on the vehicle roof rearward and outboard of the seat and a lower end connected to the lower rear corner of the door. A junction ring is slidable along the restraint belt and is attached to one end of a control belt whose other end is mounted inboard the occupant seat by a retractor. The retractor normally retracts the control belt to pull the junction ring adjacent the inboard occupant hip so that the restraint belt is divided into lap and shoulder belt portions positioned across the seated occupant when the door is closed. A track extends longitudinally along the roof rail above the door opening and mounts a belt carriage which slidably receives the shoulder belt. A drive mechanism moves the carriage forwardly when the door opens to stow the shoulder belt portion generally along the roof rail while the lower end of the lap belt is simultaneously moved forwardly and outwardly by the swing geometry the door. The control belt is unwound from the retractor to accommodate the generally outward and forward movement of the lap and shoulder belts to the stowed positions. A catch member is attached to the lap belt portion of the restraint belt and is engageable by the junction ring to limit sliding movement of the junction ring in the direction toward the lower corner of the door so that the opening movement of the door and forward movement of the shoulder belt carriage lift the junction ring and the control belt substantially further upwardly and forwardly away from seated occupant than would otherwise occur.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraint system comprising:

a fixed length restraint belt having an upper outboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the occupant shoulder and a lower outboard end mounted on the lower rear corner of the door;

a junction ring slidably encircling the restraint belt and dividing the belt into a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion;

a control belt having an outboard end attached to the junction ring and an inboard end;

a control belt retractor mounted on the vehicle body inboard the occupant for retracting and extending the control belt;

a track mounted on the vehicle body and extending longitudinally forward from the outboard shoulder belt end;

a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt portion of the restraint belt and being movable along the track between a rearward position disposing the lap belt portion and shoulder belt portion in restraining positions adjacent the occupant and a forward position disposing the shoulder belt portion forwardly of the occupant and lifting the lap belt portion upwardly and outwardly as permitted by extension of the control belt from the control belt retractor;

and a catch element fixedly attached to the restraint belt lap belt portion at a point thereon always spaced from the junction ring when the lap and shoulder belts are in restraining position, whereby the catch element is engaged by and limits downward sliding movement of the junction ring upon upward and outward movement of the lap belt portion during forward movement of the carriage and lifts the junction ring and the control belt substantially upwardly and forwardly away from the seated occupant.