Four point seat-mounted restraint apparatus

Abstract

A four point seat-mounted restraint apparatus for a vehicle includes in a preferred embodiment a first pair of flexible lap belts connected at laterally opposite sides of a seat cushion with inner ends transversely connectable to one another across pelvic regions of an occupant and a second pair of flexible shoulder belts connected to a seat back and extending forward of the seat back adjacent the neck and across the clavicle of the occupant. The shoulder belts extend from the clavicle essentially parallel downward across front edge portions of the occupant's rib cage to laterally spaced attachment with the lap belts adjacent pelvic regions of an occupant. Additional features of the preferred apparatus include load bearing gussets connecting cushion and back portions of the seat; a ramp sloping upward toward a forward edge of the cushion; an upwardly adjustable load carrying headrest in the seat back for guiding the shoulder belts over the clavicle of an occupant; a load-limiting retractor or laterally-spaced dual load-limiting retractors connecting the shoulder belts to the seat back; one or more dynamic pretensioners connected with the lap belts; and maintaining the spacing of the shoulder belts at a constant approximately 62.5 mm lateral offset in opposite directions from a center of the occupant's position over a distance from the clavicle of the occupant to connection with the lap belts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.