Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David F Manz

Clarence C Irwin

John T Auman

Theodore M Salamon

William R Frank

Mechanism for retracting a vehicle seat belt and locking the belt against extension includes a track mounted on the vehicle body and a belt carriage mounted on the track for movement in the belt extending and retracting directions. A locking pawl is mounted on the belt carriage and is selectively actuatable to a locked position engaging teeth on the track to lock the belt carriage against belt extending movement. A spring biased reel mounted on the vehicle body winds a cable having its end attached to the locking pawl so that winding of the cable urges the carriage in the belt retracting direction. A reel locking means selectively locks the reel against rotation in the cable unwinding direction so that the cable is tensioned upon attempted extension of the belt to actuate the pawl to the locked position. The reel locking means may be responsive to the rate of belt unwinding or a condition of vehicle deceleration.

Linear locking seat belt retractor

A locking differential having a speed-sensitive actuator for initiating clutch engagement to provide differential lock-up. A latching bracket member for the actuator is responsive to the direction of torque transmission to ensure that the differential is in an unlocked condition during vehicle coasting.

Locking differential for a four-wheel drive system having a

A fixed length of belt has an outboard end attached to the door and an inboard end attached to the vehicle body forwardly of the seat. A track extends longitudinally inboard the seat and mounts a belt carriage which slidably receives the belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends. Opening movement of the door causes the outboard end of the belt to be moved outwardly and forwardly so that sliding movement of the belt through the belt carriage causes forward movement of the belt carriage to stow the belt forwardly of the seat. A spring retracts the carriage toward the seat to establish the belt in a rearward restraining position when the door is closed. In the preferred embodiment, the belt having its inboard end mounted on the vehicle body forwardly of the seat has its outboard end attached high on the vehicle door to provide a diagonal shoulder belt. A lap belt has an outboard end attached low on the vehicle door and an inboard end mounted inboard the seat. A retractor is associated with at least one end of the lap belt to extend the length of the lap belt during door opening movement. The lap belt is slidably received by the belt carriage so that forward movement of the carriage by the shoulder belt during door opening movement also unwinds lap belt from the retractor and moves the inboard portion of the lap belt to a stowed position forwardly of the occupant.

Passive occupant restraint system

Mechanism for retracting a vehicle seat belt and locking the belt against extension includes a track mounted on the vehicle body and a belt carriage mounted on the track for movement in the belt extending and retracting directions. A return spring biases the carriage in the belt retracting direction. The belt carriage has a locking knife edge engageable with a knife edge on the track to lock the belt carriage against belt extending movement when the carriage is pivoted bodily relative the track. A spring mounted on the carriage slidably bears upon the track to urge the carriage to a normal position wherein the locking edge is spaced from engagement with the track. The seat belt is attached to the carriage by a yoke which bodily pivots the carriage to engage the locking edge with the track upon attempted rapid extension of the belt.

Mechanism for retracting a vehicle seat belt and locking the belt against extension includes a track mounted on the vehicle body and a belt carriage mounted on the track for movement in the belt extending and retracting directions. A locking pawl is mounted on the belt carriage and is selectively actuatable to a locked position engaging teeth on the track to lock the belt carriage against belt extending movement. A spring biases the carriage in the belt retracting direction. An actuating element extends alongside the track and is mounted for rotary movement into engagement with the locking pawl to move the locking pawl to the locked position. A pendulum supports the actuating element in a normal position and rotates the actuating element in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration to actuate the locking means and thereby lock the carriage against belt extending movement along the track.

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Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

David F Manz