Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Edward J Plesniarski

Richard D Loose

Juan M Capo

A seat belt buckle assembly is provided for alternate engagement by either a seat belt latch plate of a seat belt for restraining an adult occupant upon the occupant seat, or by a hook mounted on the end of an auxiliary child restraint belt to restrain a child seat upon the occupant seat. The seat belt buckle comprises a housing having a slot receiving an anchor belt passing therethrough to mount the buckle on the vehicle. The buckle has a conventional push button operated latch arrangement adapted to latchingly receive the latch plate connected to the adult restraint belt. In addition, an anchor plate having an aperture therethrough for receiving the hook of a child seat restraint belt is provided and has a slot which also receives the anchor belt passing through the slot of the buckle whereby the anchor plate is effectively coupled to the buckle by the anchor belt and the anchor belt is effective to alternately connect the seat belt latch plate or the child restraint belt with the vehicle.

Seat belt buckle for child restraint

A seat belt guide loop is comprised of a stamped metal bracket having an aperture adapted to receive a bolt for pivotally mounting the guide loop on a vehicle body pillar. The stamped metal bracket has a belt slot therein of a width somewhat greater than the width of the belt and a height greater than the thickness of the belt. A molded plastic cover is molded in situ upon the stamped metal bracket and overlies the lower wall of the belt slot to define a low friction wall over which the belt is slidable. This plastic cover has a clearance slot which underlies the low friction wall and cooperates therewith to define a plastic bridge integral with and supporting the low friction wall. The clearance slot is of a width somewhat less than the width of the belt. When the belt is loaded during the restraint of an occupant, the plastic bridge elastically yields whereby the low friction wall bows into a curvilinear sagging configuration by which the belt is induced to remain in the center of the belt slot against any tendency to migrate to a bunched up condition at one end of the belt slot.

Seat belt guide loop

A comfort clamp assembly for a vehicle occupant restraint system clamps the shoulder belt against retraction by the shoulder belt retractor so that the belt can be positioned at a nontensioned length with respect to the chest of the seat occupant. According to the invention a clamp lever is pivotally mounted on a guide member and is selectively movable between a belt clamping position and an unclamping position. A spring acts between the clamp lever and the guide member and goes overcenter upon pivotal movement of the clamp lever between the belt clamping position and the unclamping position so that the tension of the spring acts to maintain the clamp lever at its set position.

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Warren, MI, United States of America

Edward J Plesniarski