Seat belt system with locking guide loop assembly

A guide loop assembly anchored to a support pillar of a motor vehicle for guiding the seat belt webbing from a belt retractor, said guide loop assembly comprising:

• a frame anchored to the support pillar;
• a clamp bar supported from said frame for movement between a first position and a second position;
• first biasing means for normally biasing said clamp bar toward said first position;
• a roller supported from said clamp bar for movement relative thereto;
• second biasing means for normally biasing said roller away from said clamp bar;
• said frame including a back segment and a pair of side segments extending transversely thereto, said side segments each having an elongated slot formed therein with opposite ends of said clamp bar retained with said slots;
• and
• said first biasing means including a pair of spring assemblies acting on opposite ends of said clamp bar, each of said spring assemblies comprising a spring retainer clip mounted to said side segment of said frame, a spring attached to said retaining clip, and a bushing having an aperture formed therethrough into which an end of said clamp bar extends, said bushing including a groove formed transversely about its periphery for receiving said spring;
• wherein the belt webbing is routed between said clamp bar and said frame and then over said roller such that under excessive vehicle deceleration conditions the belt webbing forcibly urges said clamp bar toward said second position for frictionally clamping the belt webbing against said frame.

A guide loop assembly anchored to a support pillar of a motor vehicle for guiding the seat belt webbing from a belt retractor, said guide loop assembly comprising:

• a frame anchored to the support pillar;
• a clamp bar supported from said frame for movement between a first position and a second position;
• first biasing means for normally biasing said clamp bar toward said first position;
• a roller supported from said clamp bar for movement relative thereto;
• second biasing means for normally biasing said roller away from said clamp bar;
• and
• a pair of roller support members between which said roller is retained, said roller support members having a pin segment journally retained within an aperture formed in said clamp bar such that said second biasing means acts between said clamp bar and said support members for normally maintaining a predetermined clearance between said clamp bar and said roller;
• wherein the belt webbing is routed between said clamp bar and said frame and then over said roller such that under excessive vehicle deceleration conditions the belt webbing forcibly urges said clamp bar toward said second position for frictionally clamping the belt webbing against said frame.

A guide loop assembly anchored to a support pillar of a motor vehicle for guiding the seat belt webbing from a belt retractor, said guide loop assembly comprising:

• a frame anchored to the support pillar;
• a locking assembly supported on said frame for movement between an unlocked position and a locked position, said locking assembly comprising a clamp bar and a roller and first biasing means for maintaining said clamp bar and said roller in a spaced-apart relationship when said locking assembly is in said unlocked position;
• and
• second biasing means for normally biasing said locking assembly toward said unlocked position;
• wherein the belt webbing is routed between said locking assembly and said frame such that under excessive vehicle deceleration conditions the belt webbing forcibly urges said locking assembly toward said locked position for frictionally clamping the belt webbing against said frame.