Seat belt presenter

A seat belt presenter for association with a seat belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant, the seat belt system including a length of belt webbing having opposite major side surfaces, a tongue assembly slidable along the belt webbing, and a buckle with which the tongue assembly is engageable to restrain the occupant, said seat belt presenter comprising:

• a guide having surfaces which surround the opposite major side surfaces of the belt webbing;
• a lift arm having an end portion to which said guide is attached, said lift arm being movable between a stored position and a presented position in which said guide supports the tongue assembly adjacent to the vehicle occupant, said guide surfaces moving relative to the opposite major side surfaces of the belt webbing as said lift arm and said guide move between said stored position and said presented position;
• and
• means for moving said lift arm and said guide between said stored position and said presented position and for causing said guide to be maintained at a constant attitude angle as said lift arm and said guide move between said stored position and said presented position.

A seat belt presenter for a vehicle seat belt system, comprising:

• a guide which guides a seat belt having opposite major side surfaces;
• a lift arm having an end portion to which said guide is attached, said lift arm being movable between an up position in which the seat belt is away from an occupant in a seat of the vehicle and a down position in which the seat belt is adjacent the occupant, said guide having surfaces which surround the opposite major side surfaces of the seat belt and which move relative to the opposite major side surfaces of the seat belt as said lift arm and said guide move between said up and down positions;
• a spring which biases said lift arm and said guide to said up position;
• and
• an energizable motor for, when energized, moving said lift arm and said guide to said down position.

A seat belt presenter for a seat belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant, the seat belt system including a length of belt webbing having opposite major side surfaces, a tongue assembly slidable along the belt webbing, and a buckle with which the tongue assembly is engageable to restrain the occupant, said seat belt presenter comprising:

• a guide having surfaces which surround the opposite major side surfaces of the belt webbing;
• a lift arm having an end portion to which said guide is attached, said lift arm being movable between a stored position and a presented position in which said guide supports the tongue assembly adjacent to the vehicle occupant, said guide surfaces moving relative to the opposite major side surfaces of the belt webbing as said lift arm and said guide move between said stored position and said presented position;
• a spring which biases said lift arm and said guide to said presented position;
• an energizable motor for, when energized, moving said lift arm and said guide to said stored position;
• and
• means for causing said guide to be maintained at a constant attitude angle as said lift arm moves between said presented and stored positions to maintain the seat belt flat.