Outboard sill pretensioner

• US 6,238,003 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Burrow, Jon E., Norgan-Curtiss, Lynette M., Miller, H. John III
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/170,387
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 297/480, 297/483, 297/464, 297/468, 297/479, 280/806
• US Class Current: 297/480
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/023 Three-point seat belt systems comprising two side lower and one side upper anchoring devices B60R22/022, B60R22/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1951 characterised by arrangements in vehicle or relative to seat belt
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1952 Transmission of tensioning power by cable; Return motion locking means therefor

Abstract

A multi-point seat belt system (20′) for protecting an occupant seated upon a vehicle seat, the system comprising: a shoulder belt (42) and a lap belt (44) securable, with some amount of slack, about the occupant, a seat belt buckle (48) attached to one end of the lap belt (44) at an inboard location and a belt tightener secured to an opposite end (44b) of the lap belt for eliminating any slack in the lap belt, the belt tightener located at an outboard location.

Claims

1. A multi-point seat belt system (20′

) for use within a vehicle for protecting an occupant seated upon a vehicle seat, the system comprising;

a lap belt (44) securable about the occupant with a determinable amount of slack, a seat belt buckle (48) operatively attachable to the lap belt (44) at an inboard location within the vehicle and pretensioning means secured to an end (44b ) of the lap belt for eliminating slack in the lap belt;

wherein the pretensioning means includes

a tube,

a piston movable within the tube, the piston and tube cooperating to provide a one-way clutch means for permitting movement of the piston in a belt tightening direction and restricting movement in an opposite direction,

a pyrotechnic element, which when activated produces products of combustion to propel the piston down the tube,

a cable connected to the piston and to the lap belt for pulling the lap belt tight,

a bracket (110) including an end wall (112d) and side walls (112b,c) defining an opening (114) through which the cable extends, another wall (112a) of the bracket (110) adjacent the pyrotechnic element including an integrally shaped pulley element (116) about which the cable extends.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the buckle does not include an anti-g buckle.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the system includes a shoulder belt.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the lap belt is connected to the buckle via a latchable tongue.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the pulley element (116) is formed as a tubular sector.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the end wall is connectable to a mounting member.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the pretensioning means is mountable proximate an outboard location within the vehicle.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the end of the lap belt includes a pocket and wherein the cable includes an end connected to a T-shaped connecting member received in the pocket of the lap belt.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein the pocket is formed by two overlaying layers of lap belt material.