Energy absorbing restraint system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A restraint system includes a housing defining a cavity tapering to an end and a plug disposed in the cavity. The plug is larger than the end of the housing. A seatbelt buckle is fixed relative to one of the housing and the plug and is moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the other of the housing and the plug. The plug is moveable relative to the housing toward the end during movement from the first position to the second position. One of the housing and the plug is plastically deformable by the other of the housing and the plug during movement from the first position to the second position.
Claims20
A restraint system comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity tapering to an end;
- a plug disposed in the cavity and being larger than the end of the housing;
- a seatbelt buckle fixed relative to one of the housing and the plug and moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the other of the housing and the plug, the plug being moveable relative to the housing toward the end during movement from the first position to the second position;
- one of the housing and the plug being plastically deformable by the other of the housing and the plug during movement from the first position to the second position;
- a cable attached to the plug and extending to an end spaced from the plug;
- and
- a pretensioner spaced from the plug, the end of the cable being fixed to one of the pretensioner and the seatbelt buckle.
A restraint system comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity tapering to an end;
- a plug disposed in the cavity and being larger than the end of the housing;
- a seatbelt buckle fixed relative to one of the housing and the plug and moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the other of the housing and the plug, the plug being moveable relative to the housing toward the end during movement from the first position to the second position;
- one of the housing and the plug being plastically deformable by the other of the housing and the plug during movement from the first position to the second position;
- a cable attached to the plug extending to an end spaced from the plug, the end of the cable being external to the cavity;
- and
- a vehicle body, the seatbelt buckle being moveable from the first position to the second position relative to the vehicle body;
- wherein the end of the cable is fixed to the vehicle body.
A restraint system comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity tapering to an end;
- a plug disposed in the cavity and being larger than the end of the housing;
- a seatbelt buckle fixed relative to one of the housing and the plug and moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the other of the housing and the plug, the plug being moveable relative to the housing toward the end during movement from the first position to the second position;
- and
- one of the housing and the plug being plastically deformable by the other of the housing and the plug during movement from the first position to the second position;
- wherein the seatbelt buckle is disposable in the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.