Seat belt securing device

In a vehicle body seat belt system having one end anchored at one side of the seated occupant and a loop of belt adapted for securement at the other side of the seated occupant, a securing device for releasably capturing the loop to position the belt in the occupant restraining position and comprising:

• mounting means on the vehicle body generally adjacent the hip of the seated occupant;
• a C-shaped hook member having a belt engaging leg and a mounting leg spaced apart to define a belt receiving slot having a forwardly facing open end;
• pivot means acting between the mounting means and the mounting leg to mount the hook member for pivotal movement about an axis extending generally transversely of the vehicle body for movement between a normal position wherein the belt engaging leg and the slot extend in a downwardly belt capturing direction and a rearwardly pivoted position wherein the belt engaging leg and the seat extend in an upwardly belt releasing direction;
• a gate member pivotally mounted on the mounting means adjacent the open end of the slot to selectively close the open end of the belt receiving slot and having a locking portion selectively engageable with the lower leg to block rearward pivoting movement;
• and spring means urging the gate member to close the open end of the slot and engage the locking portion with the lower leg to block rearward pivoting movement and thereby prevent release of the belt until manual movement of the gate member to disengage the locking portion from the lower leg.

In a vehicle body seat belt system having one end anchored at one side of the vehicle seat and a loop of belt adapted for securement at the other side of the seated occupant, a securing device for releasably capturing the loop to maintain the belt in the occupant restraining position and comprising:

• a C-shaped hook member having upper and lower legs spaced apart to define a belt receiving slot having a forwardly facing open end;
• a mounting bracket mounted on the vehicle body;
• pivot means acting between the mounting bracket and the lower leg to mount the hook member for pivotal movement about an axis extending generally transversely of the vehicle body;
• first spring means acting between the mounting bracket and the hook member and urging the hook member forwardly to a normal position wherein the legs and the slot extend in a downwardly belt capturing direction and being yieldable to permit rearward pivoting movement wherein the legs and slot extend in an upwardly belt releasing direction;
• a gate member pivotally mounted on the bracket adjacent the open end of the slot to selectively close the open end of the belt receiving slot and having a locking portion selectively engageable with the lower leg to block rearward pivoting movement;
• and second spring means urging the gate member to close the open end of the slot and yielding to permit movement of the gate member to a slot opening position when engaged by the belt during insertion of the belt into the belt receiving slot and over the upper leg, said second spring means returning the gate member to the slot closing position after entry of the belt into the slot to close the slot and to engage the locking portion with the lower leg to block rearward pivoting movement to prevent inadvertent release of the belt,
• said second spring means yielding to permit manual pivoting of the gate member to disengage the locking portion from the lower leg whereby the hook member may be pivoted rearwardly to a position wherein the upper leg extends in an upwardly direction to release the belt.