Pretensioner with guide loop or anchor

• US 9,623,836 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kujawa, Peter P., Strnad, George J., Gohlke, Matt R., Thomas, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US14/529,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1952 Transmission of tensioning power by cable; Return motion locking means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/201 with the belt anchor connected to a slider movable in a vehicle-mounted track for passive restraint systems B60R22/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A number of variations may include a product comprising: a pretensioner that moves from a first position to a second position, several with a with guide loop assembly comprising: a guide loop; a pretensioner, wherein the pretensioner is attached to the guide loop; and wherein the pretensioner moves a guide loop from a first position to a second position upon deployment. A number of variations may also include a slot in the pretensioner body through which motion is communicated to a seatbelt anchor or guide loop to move it from a first position to a second position.

Claims

1. A product comprising:

a shoulder belt guide loop;

a pretensioner, wherein the pretensioner is attached to the shoulder belt guide loop; and

wherein the pretensioner moves the shoulder belt guide loop from a first lower position to a second fully upward position upon deployment during an impact event.

2. The product of claim 1 further comprising a seatbelt which is connected to the shoulder belt guide loop;

wherein the seatbelt, the pretensioner, and the shoulder belt guide loop are attached to a vehicle; and

wherein when the seatbelt is worn by an occupant, the seatbelt tightens when the guide loop moves from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

3. The product of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a travel stop, a wedge anti-reversal travel feature, or a pre-deployment holding feature.

4. The product of claim 2 further comprising a pillar trim attached to the shoulder belt guide loop.

5. The product of claim 2 wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle structure which includes a recess, and wherein the pretensioner is attached in at least a portion of the recess.

6. The product of claim 5 wherein the recess is located in at least one of an inboard surface, a rearward surface, or a frontal surface of a vehicle pillar.

7. The product of claim 2 wherein the vehicle includes a holding feature which is constructed and arranged to hold the pretensioner in place in the vehicle.

8. The product of claim 1 further comprising:

a slide, wherein the shoulder belt guide loop is attached to the slide;

a rail, wherein the slide is constructed and arranged to move along the rail; and

wherein the pretensioner is attached to the slide.

9. The product of claim 8 wherein the pretensioner further comprises a pretensioner body and a piston, and wherein the piston is attached to the slide, and wherein when the pretensioner is deployed, the piston is moved relative to the pretensioner body driving the slide and the shoulder belt guide loop from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

10. The product of claim 8 wherein the pretensioner further comprises a pretensioner body, a piston located inside of the pretensioner body, and a cable operatively connected to the piston, a cable guide, wherein the cable is operatively connected to the cable guide, and wherein when the pretensioner is deployed, the cable is pulled into the pretensioner body which causes the slide and the guide loop to move from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

11. The product of claim 1 further comprising a pretensioner slide, wherein the pretensioner slide is slideably attached to the pretensioner and wherein the guide loop is attached to the pretensioner slide;

wherein the pretensioner further comprises a pretensioner body and a piston, wherein the pretensioner slide is slideably attached to the pretensioner body and the piston is attached to the pretensioner slide, and wherein when the pretensioner is deployed the piston moves relative to the pretensioner body which causes the pretensioner slide and guide loop to move from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

12. The product of claim 1 wherein the pretensioner further comprises a pretensioner body and a pretensioner slide tube, wherein the pretensioner slide tube is slideably mounted over the pretensioner body, wherein the pretensioner slide tube includes at least two opposing slots, wherein the guide loop is attached to the pretensioner slide tube, and wherein when the pretensioner is deployed, the pretensioner slide tube moves the guide loop from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

13. The product of claim 1 wherein the pretensioner further comprises a pretensioner body and an inner cylindrical tube, wherein the inner cylindrical tube is slideably attached to the inside of the pretensioner body, wherein the guide loop is attached to the inner cylindrical tube, and wherein when the pretensioner is deployed, the inner cylindrical tube moves the guide loop from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

14. The product of claim 1 wherein the shoulder belt guide loop is at least one of a rotating style or a non-rotating style and is attached to a piston through a slot in a pretensioner housing.

15. A method comprising:

tightening a worn seatbelt during an impact event comprising;

deploying a pretensioner during the impact event causing a shoulder belt guide loop to move from a first lower position to a second fully upward position; and

tightening the worn seatbelt assembly when the shoulder belt guide loop moves from the first lower position to the second fully upward position.

16. A method for protecting an occupant during an impact event comprising:

providing an adjustable shoulder belt guide loop with a pretension; and

deploying the pretensioner during an impact event causing the adjustable shoulder belt guide loop to move from a first lower position to a second fully upward position so that a shoulder belt is configured to lay across a clavicle of the occupant during the impact event.

17. A safety restraint comprising:

an adjustable shoulder belt guide loop, wherein the adjustable shoulder belt guide loop is constructed and arranged to be adjusted vertically between a fully upward position and a lower position on a vehicle pillar; and

a pretensioner attached to the adjustable shoulder belt guide loop, wherein the pretensioner is constructed and arranged to move the adjustable shoulder belt guide loop vertically upward from the lower position to the fully upward position during an impact event.