Occupant restraint belt with inflatable presenter

An occupant restraint belt presenter assembly for use in combination with a seat of a motor vehicle, the belt presenter assembly comprising:

• a lower anchor disposed adjacent a lower side portion of the seat;
• an upper anchor disposed adjacent an upper side portion of the seat;
• a belt having a lower end attached to the lower anchor, an upper end attached to the upper anchor and an inflatable section adjacent the lower end, the inflatable section having a deflated condition wherein the belt assumes a stowed position characterized by the belt extending substantially directly between the upper anchor and the lower anchor and the belt being unfastened, and an inflated condition wherein the belt assumes a deployed condition characterized by the inflatable section extending upwardly and forwardly from the lower end and the belt being unfastened;
• and
• a control system operative to inflate the inflatable section after an occupant has occupied the seat and before the belt is fastened around the occupant.

A method of moving an occupant restraint belt associated with a seat of a motor vehicle from a stowed position wherein the belt is unfastened and offers relatively little interference with a seat occupant entering or exiting the vehicle to a deployed position wherein the belt is unfastened and is relatively easily grasped by the seat occupant, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an inflatable section disposed on the belt and having a deflated condition wherein the inflatable section allows the restraint belt to assume the stowed position;
• connecting a source of gas pressure to the inflatable section, the source of gas pressure operable to selectively inflate and deflate the inflatable section;
• and
• causing the source of gas pressure to inflate the inflatable section after the seat occupant has occupied the seat and before the belt is fastened about the seat occupant thereby moving the belt to the deployed condition.