Seat integrated seat belt system

• US 5,015,010 A
• Filed: 03/12/1990
• Issued: 05/14/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Jeffrey L., Clifton, William L. III, Homeier, Ronald F., Lortz, Allan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/491,537
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/808, 297/486
• US Class Current: 280/808
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/00 Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles railway seats B61D33/00; cycle seats B62J1/00; aircraft seats B64D11/06, B64D25/04, B64D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A seat integrated seat belt system. A three point seat belt system includes a belt having one end affixed to the seat and an opposite end mounted to a retractor secured to the seat. A seat belt tongue is mounted to the belt intermediate the belt ends and is releasably lockable with a belt buckle on the opposite side of the seat thereby pulling one portion of the belt across the passenger lap and another portion of the belt across the passenger upper torso. The belt extends through a guide located at the top of the seat. A seat tether includes a second belt having one end attached to the seat at the location of the guide and a second end mounted to a second retractor located beneath the seat. The second retractor is operable to limit motion of the seat thereby minimizing the impact of vehicle motion on the first belt securing the passenger to the seat.

Claims

1. A tether for holding a vehicle passenger seat with a back portion comprising:

a tether assembly mountable to a vehicle and a passenger seat therein, said tether assembly including an extendable and retractable web extending between said passenger seat in said vehicle with said tether assembly being operable via said web to allow relative motion between said passenger seat in said vehicle during passenger adjustment but limiting relative motion during emergency stops, said tether assembly including an emergency locking retractor mounted to said vehicle with said web extendable and retractable from said emergency locking retractor, said web including an outer end portion secured to said back portion of said passenger seat, said tether assembly including web guide means positioned above said emergency locking retractor and behind said back portion, said web guide means operable to guide said web upwardly from said emergency locking retractor and forwardly toward said back portion.

2. A vehicle passenger restraint system comprising:

a passenger seat movable mounted in a vehicle with said passenger seat having a upwardly extending back support;

passenger belt means releasably extending across the passenger operable to secure the passenger in the seat; and

,

web means mounted to the vehicle and passenger seat and having a web releasably extending therefrom with said web including a first portion secured to said back support and a second portion secured to said vehicle, said web means operable to allow said web to extend and retract therefrom as said seat controllably moves relative to said vehicle but further operable to limit movement of said web and said back support relative to said vehicle during emergency stops; and

wherein;

said web means includes a web retractor mounted to said vehicle having said web wound therein; and

,

said passenger belt means includes a belt retractor mounted to said seat having a belt wound therein, said belt means with said belt retractor located on said seat to move with said seat maintaining constant pressure on said passenger as said seat moves relative to said vehicle whereas said web retractor is located on said vehicle limiting movement of said seat relative to said vehicle.

3. The restraint system of claim 2 and further comprising:

web guide means mounted to said vehicle above said web retractor and behind said back support, said web guide means operable when said web is connected to said back support to guide said web upwardly from said web retractor and then forwardly toward said back support.

4. The restraint system of claim 3 wherein:

said web guide means is movably mounted to said vehicle to allow vertical adjustment thereof relative to said back support.

5. The restraint system of claim 3 wherein:

said passenger belt means includes a belt guide means mounted at an upper location on said back support, said belt extends upwardly from said belt retractor freely through said belt guide means and then downwardly cross the chest of the passenger; and

,

said web is mounted to said back support at said upper location.

6. The restraint system of claim 5 wherein:

said belt includes an outer end portion fixed on one side of said seat, said passenger belt means includes a first locking means mounted on the opposite side of said seat and a second locking means mounted to said belt which is releasably matable with said first locking means, said belt extends from said one side across the lap of the passenger to said opposite side, then upwardly across the upper torso of the passenger to said belt guide means, then downwardly to said belt retractor which is operable to maintain pressure on the lap and the upper torso while said web retractor maintains pressure on the back support.

7. A vehicle passenger restraint system comprising:

a passenger seat movable mounted in a vehicle with said passenger seat having a upwardly extending back support;

passenger belt means releasably extending across the passenger operable to secure the passenger in the seat;

web means mounted to the vehicle and passenger seat and having a web releasably extending therefrom with said web including a first portion secured to said back support and a second portion secured to said vehicle, said web means operable to allow said web to extend and retract therefrom as said seat controllably moves relative to said vehicle but further operable to limit movement of said web and said back support relative to said vehicle during emergency stops; and

,

seat mounting means secured to and between said vehicle and said seat and operable to allow vertical and horizontal movement of said seat relative to said vehicle with said passenger belt means isolated from said movement maintaining constant pressure on the passenger whereas said web means extending between said seat and vehicle independent of directly applying pressure to said passenger while being operable to limit movement of said seat during emergency stops.

8. The restraint system of claim 7 wherein:

said seat mounting means includes a support channel mounted to and beneath said seat, said channel includes a pair of lower mutually opposed and inwardly extending flanges, said seat mounting means further includes a base mounted to said vehicle and located within said channel immediately above said flanges which cooperatively with said base to limit vertical relative motion between said seat and said vehicle.

9. The restraint system of claim 7 wherein:

said seat mounting means includes a rearwardly extending plate affixed to said seat, said seat mounting means further includes a post and slot combination provided on said plate and said base allowing limited horizontal motion therebetween but securing said seat to said vehicle during an emergency stop.

10. A seat integrated three point seat belt system comprising:

a passenger seat movably mountable in a vehicle and including a seat portion and a back portion, said seat being normally movable during passenger adjustment;

a three point belt assembly including a belt retractor mounted to said passenger seat and further including a belt extendable therefrom, said assembly includes an upper belt guide provided on said back portion and a releasable lock mounted to said passenger seat on one side thereof, said belt extending from said belt retractor through said belt guide downwardly across the passenger to said lock and then back across the passenger being affixed to and on a side opposite to said one side; and

,

tether means mountable to said vehicle and said passenger seat, said tether means including an extendable and retractable web extending between said passenger seat and said vehicle with said tether means being operable via said web to allow relative motion between said passenger seat and said vehicle during said passenger adjustment but limiting relative motion during emergency stops.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

said tether means includes an emergency locking retractor mounted to said vehicle with said web extendable and retractable from said emergency locking retractor, said web includes an outer end portion secured to said back portion of said passenger seat.

12. The system of claim 11 and further comprising:

support means provided on an upper location on said back portion with said belt guide provided thereon and said outer end portion of said web secured thereto.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

said emergency locking retractor is mounted lower than said belt retractor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

said tether means includes web guide means mounted to said vehicle above said emergency locking retractor and behind said back portion, said web guide means operable to guide said web upwardly from said emergency locking retractor and then forwardly toward said back portion.

15. A tether for holding a vehicle passenger seat with a back portion comprising:

a tether assembly mountable to a vehicle and a passenger seat therein, said tether assembly including an extendable and retractable web extending between said passenger seat and said vehicle with said tether assembly being operable via said web to allow relative motion between said passenger seat and said vehicle during passenger adjustment but limiting relative motion during emergency stops; and

wherein;

said tether assembly includes an emergency locking retractor mounted to said vehicle with said web extendable and retractable from said emergency locking retractor, said web includes an outer end portion secured to said back portion of said passenger seat, said emergency locking retractor is mounted lower than said passenger seat, said tether assembly includes web guide means mounted to said vehicle above said emergency locking retractor and behind said back portion, said web guide means operable to guide said web upwardly from said emergency locking retractor and then forwardly toward said back portion.

16. The tether of claim 15 wherein:

said web guide means is movably mounted to said vehicle to allow for adjustment relative to said back portion of said passenger seat.