Passive seat belt system

• US 4,256,330 A
• Filed: 12/20/1979
• Issued: 03/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Geoffrey, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/105,825
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 280/802, 280/803, 280/808
• US Class Current: 280/802
• 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 seat belt system having a belt anchored to a hinged vehicle door at upper and lower anchorage points and a strap extending from an inboard retractor mechanism to a slip ring slidably on the belt. In door closed position, the portions of the belt between the slip ring and the lower anchorage point and the slip ring and the upper anchorage point forming a lap belt segment and a torso belt segment, respectively, for restraining a seat occupant on a vehicle seat. A fixed web stop located on the lap belt is sized to prevent its passage through the slip ring as the door is opened. The effective length of the torso segment becomes fixed upon engagement of the web stop with the slip ring causing the torso segment and retractor strap to be placed under linear tension and the retractor strap and belt segments to be lifted upwardly and forwardly of a seat occupant.

Claims

1. A passive seat belt system having a belt anchored to a hinged vehicle door at upper and lower anchorage points and a strap extending from an inboard retractor mechanism to a slip ring slidable along the belt.

in door closed position, the portions of the belt between the slip ring and the lower anchorage point and the slip ring and the upper anchorage point forming a lap belt segment and a torso belt segment, respectively, for restraining a seat occupant on a vehicle seat,

wherein the improvement comprises a fixed web stop located on the lap belt segment and sized to prevent its passage through the slip ring,

upon engagement of the web stop with the slip ring after predetermined opening movement of the door, the effective length of the torso belt segment becoming fixed and causing the torso segment and retractor strap to be placed under tension as additional strap is drawn from the retractor mechanism as the door is moved to fully opened position,

the tension on the retractor strap and torso segment causing the two to seek a straight line relationship and the retractor strap and belt segments to be lifted upwardly and forwardly of the occupant seating position.

2. A passive seat belt system according to claim 1, in which:

the web stop positioned on the lap belt segment permits the latter is fully opened position of the door to droop between the slip ring and its lower anchorage point to provide an enlarged reach zone to a door pull handle.

3. A passive seat belt system according to claim 1 or 2, in which:

the relationship of the slip ring and web stop allows the lap belt segment to increase in effective length as the door is moved to a closed position to accommodate the webbing requirements across the lap of a seated occupant in the seating position.

4. A passive seat belt system for a vehicle occupant seating position,

the seat belt system having a fixed length belt coupled at opposite ends to anchorage points on upper and lower portions, respectively, of a vehicle door that is hinged at one of its edges on a vehicle body for swinging movement about a sustantially vertical hinge axis in opening and closing directions,

the belt anchorage points being adjacent an edge of the door opposite its hinged edge,

a slip ring slidable on the belt intermediate the ends of the latter,

the slip ring being fixedly coupled to one end of a strap extending from a retractor mechanism located inboard of the occupant seating position,

the strap being retractable to pull the belt across the occupant seating position as the door is moved from open to closed position and protractable to permit the belt to move away from the occupant seating position when the door is opened,

in a door closed position, the portion of the belt between the slip ring and the lower anchorage point forming a lap belt segment and the portion between the slip ring and the upper anchorage point forming a torso belt segment,

wherein the improvement comprises a fixed web stop located on the lap belt segment,

the web stop being sized to prevent its passage through the slip ring as the latter attempts to slip down the belt towards the lower anchorage point as the vehicle door is swung from a closed position toward an opened position,

upon engagement of the web stop with the slip ring after predetermined opening movement of the door, the effective length of the torso segment becoming fixed and causing additional strap to be drawn from the retractor mechanism as the door is moved to a fully opened position,

tension between the retractor and upper door anchorage point cuasing the retractor strap and torso segment to seek a straight line relationship and the retractor strap and belt segments to be lifted upwardly and forwardly of the occupant seating position.