US 4,225,156 AGranted

Passive restraint belt system

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorRonald R. Barnett

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Abstract

A shoulder belt carriage track extends longitudinally along the door window frame. The outboard shoulder belt end is attached to the window frame adjacent the rear end of the track and the inboard shoulder belt end is retractably mounted on the vehicle body inboard the occupant. A shoulder belt carriage is movable fore and aft along the track and slidably engages the shoulder belt. A rigid link has a rearward end pivotally connected to the carriage and a forward end mounted on the vehicle body. The fixed length of the rigid link is such that when the door is closed the carriage is established at the rear end of the track adjacent the end of the shoulder belt so that the shoulder belt is disposed in the normal diagonal position across the upper torso of the occupant. During door opening movement the link forcibly pulls the carriage forwardly to establish the shoulder belt in an occupant access position forwardly of the occupant. The link forcibly pushes the carriage rearwardly when the door is closed to reestablish the occupant restraining position of the shoulder belt.

Claims1

Dependent claims

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening defined by a door opening structure of the vehicle body and selectively opened and closed by a movable door having a longitudinally extending window frame, a passive occupant shoulder belt arrangement comprising:

a shoulder belt having a outboard end fixedly mounted on the window frame and an inboard end retractably mounted on the vehicle body inboard the occupant seat to retract the belt to a diagonal restraining position across the occupant when the door is closed and to extend the belt when the door is open;
a track extending longitudinally along the window frame;
a carriage movable along the track and slidably engaging the shoulder belt;
and a rigid link of fixed length having a forward end pivotally mounted on the vehicle body door opening structure and a rearward end pivotally connected with the carriage to pull the carriage forwardly along the track during door opening movement to move the shoulder belt forward of the occupant and to push the carriage rearwardly upon closing movement of the door to establish the carriage in juxtaposition with the outboard fixed end of the shoulder belt and thereby return the belt to the diagonal restraining position.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.