Force absorbing shoulder belt assemblies especially useful for aircraft occupant seats

An aircraft seat comprising:

• an aircraft seat assembly adapted to support a seated occupant therein;
• and
• a force absorbing should belt assembly rigidly connected to adjacent aircraft structure;
• wherein the force absorbing shoulder belt assembly comprises:
• (i) a box structure adapted to being fixed to adjacent vehicle structure which defines an interior space having a forward side wall having an elongate slot and an open rear end opposite the forward side wall;
• (ii) a block of a compressible material positioned within the interior space of the box structure defining an elongate channel therethrough which is aligned with the elongate slot of the forward side wall of the box structure;
• (iii) a rear plate in contact with a rear face of the block of compressible material at the open end of the box structure and defining an elongate passageway therethrough;
• and
• (iv) an inertial reel assembly carried by the rear plate and including a shoulder web strap extending through the elongate passageway of the rear plate, the elongate channel of the block of compressible material and the elongate slot of the forward side wall of the box structure, wherein
• a deceleration force of predetermined magnitude exerted on the shoulder web strap along a force vector causes the inertial reel to forcibly move the rear plate forwardly against the block of compressible material to compressively crush the compressible material within the box structure to thereby absorb shock force of the shoulder web strap against a torso of an occupant of the vehicle seat.