Seat belt system with dual payout retractor

A seat belt system comprising:

• a dual payout retractor including a spool rotatable about an axis;
• a length of seat belt webbing having a central portion secured to said spool and first and second portions extending from said retractor, said retractor being operable to wind said first said second portions onto said spool to retract said first and second portions, said retractor being operable to unwind said first and second portions from said spool to payout said first and second portions;
• a locking mechanism actuatable to a locked condition to lock said spool against unwinding said first and second portions, said locking mechanism resisting oppositely directed forces applied to said spool and said locking mechanism by said first and second portions of said lap belt to resist rotation of said spool in a direction for unwinding said first and second portions of said length of seat belt webbing;
• a first web grabbing device actuatable under tension of said first portion to clamp onto said first portion when said locking mechanism is in said locked condition to resist movement of said first portion in a first direction relative to the retractor and to reduce the force applied to said spool and said locking mechanism by said first portion of said length of seat belt webbing;
• and
• a second web grabbing device actuatable under tension of said second portion to clamp onto said second portion when said locking mechanism is in said locked condition to resist movement of said second portion in a second direction relative to the retractor and to reduce the force applied to said spool and said locking mechanism by said second portion of said length of seat belt webbing.

A seat belt system for helping to restrain an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system comprising:

• seat belt webbing;
• a retractor having a rotatable spool and a locking mechanism, an end of said seat belt webbing being attached to said spool end a portion of said seat belt webbing adjacent said end being wound about said spool, said spool being biased to rotate in a first rotational direction to wind said seat belt webbing onto said spool, tension in said seat belt webbing urging said spool to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite said first rotational direction to unwind said seat belt webbing from said spool, said locking mechanism being actuatable to a locked condition to lock said spool against rotation in said second rotational direction;
• and
• a web grabbing device actuatable to clamp onto said seat belt webbing when said locking mechanism is in said locked condition, said web grabbing device including a base portion having a first clamping surface and a clamp member having a second clamping surface, said seat belt webbing passing between said first and second clamping surfaces, said clamp member being actuatable between a clamped condition in which said second clamping surface is moved toward said first clamping surface to clamp said seat belt webbing between said first and second clamping surfaces and an unclamped condition in which said seat belt webbing is free to pass between said first and second clamping surfaces,
• said web grabbing device further including an actuation member that is responsive to tension in said seat belt webbing for actuating said clamping member into the clamped condition, a portion of said actuation member engaging a surface of said clamp member and sliding relative to said surface of said clamp member to actuate said clamping member into the clamped condition.

A seat belt system for helping to restrain an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system comprising:

• a lap belt portion having opposite first and second ends;
• a retractor having a rotatable spool and a locking mechanism, said first end of said lap belt portion being attached to said spool and part of said lap belt portion adjacent said first end being wound about said spool, said spool being biased to rotate in a first rotational direction to wind said lap belt portion onto said spool, tension in said lap belt portion urging said spool to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite said first rotational direction to unwind said lap belt portion from said spool, said locking mechanism being actuatable to a locked condition to lock said spool against rotation in said second rotational direction;
• a buckle assembly for securing said lap belt portion about the occupant of the vehicle seat, said second end of said lap belt portion being attached to said buckle assembly;
• and
• a web grabbing device actuatable into a clamped condition in which said lap belt portion is clamped onto and is prevented from moving relative to said web grabbing device,
• wherein said web grabbing device is actuatable into the clamped condition in response to said locking mechanism being actuated into the locked condition and tension arising in said lap belt portion, and
• wherein said web grabbing device including a base portion having a first clamping surface and a clamp member having a second clamping surface, said lap belt portion passing between said first and second clamping surfaces, said clamp member being actuatable between a clamped condition in which said second clamping surface is moved toward said first clamping surface to clamp said seat belt webbing between said first and second clamping surfaces and an unclamped condition in which said seat belt webbing is free to pass between said first and second clamping surfaces, said web grabbing device further including an actuation member that is responsive to tension in said seat belt webbing for actuating said clamping member into the clamped condition, a portion of said actuation member engaging a surface of said clamp member and sliding relative to said surface of said clamp member to actuate said clamping member into the clamped condition.