US 5,441,332 AGranted

Seat integrated vehicle safety apparatus

AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

InventorLawrence J. Verellen

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Abstract

A vehicle safety apparatus (10) includes a seat (12) for an occupant of a vehicle. A length of belt webbing (42) is extensible about the occupant of the vehicle seat to restrain the occupant. The length of belt webbing has a portion (48) extending from an upper portion (24) of the seat back (20). A belt webbing engaging member (76) is mounted on the seat back (20) for guiding movement of the belt webbing (48) from the seat back. The safety apparatus includes means (120) for mounting the belt webbing engaging member (76) on the seat back (20) for movement relative to the seat back in a direction between the seat back inboard side (28) and the seat back outboard side (26). In a preferred embodiment, the belt webbing engaging member is a seat belt retractor spool (76). The retractor spool (76) is mounted in the frame (62) of a retractor (60) for rotation about an axis (82). Shoulder belt webbing (48) is wound on the spool (76). The retractor (60) is movable relative to the seat back (20) to adjust the location from which the shoulder belt (48) extends across the torso of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

a seat for an occupant of a vehicle, said seat including a seat back, a seat cover covering said seat back, and an elongate opening in said seat cover on said seat back, said opening having first and second opposite ends;
a belt webbing engaging member;
a length of belt webbing extensible from said belt webbing engaging member about the occupant of the vehicle seat to restrain the occupant, said belt webbing comprising a torso portion extending from said belt webbing engaging member out of said seat back through said opening in said seat cover, said belt webbing having a width which is less than the length of said opening, said belt webbing being movable in a first direction into and out of said seat back through said opening in said seat cover to extend said belt webbing around the vehicle occupant;
means for supporting said belt webbing engaging member for movement in said seat back inside said seat cover in a second direction along the length of said opening between said first and second opposite ends of said opening, said second direction extending generally transverse to the length of said torso portion of said belt webbing and generally transverse to said first direction;
and
manually actuatable adjusting means for driving said belt webbing engaging member for movement in said second direction to move said torso portion of said belt webbing along the length of said opening in said seat cover between a first position in which said torso portion extends through said opening at a first location adjacent to said first end of said opening in said seat cover and a second position in which said torso portion extends through said opening at a second location spaced from said first location and adjacent to said second end of said opening in said seat cover.

3 more elements

A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

a seat for an occupant of a vehicle, said seat including a seat back, a seat cover covering said seat back, and an elongate opening in said seat cover on said seat back;
a seat belt webbing retractor spool;
means for supporting said retractor spool in said seat back inside said seat cover for rotation about a first axis;
a length of seat belt webbing extensible from said retractor spool about the occupant of the vehicle seat to restrain the occupant, said belt webbing comprising a torso portion extending from said retractor spool out of said seat back through said opening in said seat cover, said belt webbing having a width which is less than the length of said opening;
said retractor spool including at its axial ends a pair of circular radially extending side flanges which are spaced apart and between which said belt webbing extends;
means for supporting said retractor spool in said seat back for movement in said seat back in a first direction parallel to said first axis and along the length of said opening;
and
manually actuatable adjusting means for driving said retractor spool for movement in said first direction to move said torso portion of said belt webbing along the length of said opening between a first position in which said torso portion extends through said opening at a first location and a second position in which said torso portion extends through said opening at a second location spaced from said first location;
said retractor spool and said flanges positioning and guiding said belt webbing laterally as it extends through said opening and exits said vehicle seat back.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.