Occupant restraint system

An occupant restraint system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a body comprising a floor, a pillar connected to the floor and a roof supported by the pillar, the restraint system comprising:

• a seat belt anchorable to the vehicle body;
• a D-ring mountable adjacent the roof of the vehicle and receiving said seat belt in slidable engagement therewith;
• and,
• an energy absorbing device attached to said seat belt, said device comprising:
• a cylindrical spool defining a longitudinal axis and having first and second ends positioned along said axis for rotatably mounting said spool to the pillar;
• an elongate wire member having first and second ends, said first end of said wire member being fixed to said spool and said second end of said wire member being fixed to said D-ring, said wire member being wound about said spool;
• and,
• tear resistant media at least partially encasing said spool and said wire member such that when a predetermined load is applied to said seat belt, said wire member cuts through said tear resistant media and unwinds from said spool.

An occupant restraint system comprising:

• a vehicle body having a floor, a pillar connected to the floor, and a roof supported by the pillar;
• a seat belt anchored to said vehicle body;
• a D-ring mounted to said pillar adjacent said roof and receiving said seat belt in slidable engagement therewith;
• and,
• an energy absorbing device attached to said seat belt, said device comprising:
• a cylindrical spool defining a longitudinal axis and having first and second ends positioned along said axis for rotatably mounting said spool to said pillar, said spool being formed with a helical groove extending along said longitudinal axis from said first end to said second end of said spool;
• an elongate wire member having first and second ends, said first end of said wire member being fixed to said spool and said second end of said wire member being fixed to said D-ring, with said wire member being wound about said spool in said helical groove;
• a fiber filled composite shell being substantially coaxial with said spool and at least partially encasing said spool and said wire member;
• and,
• said D-ring including a mounting assembly attached to said wire member at said second end thereof, said mounting assembly mounting said D-ring to said pillar such that when a predetermined load is applied to said seat belt, said mounting assembly disengages from said pillar thereby activating said energy absorbing device.