Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

John William Melvin

James F Pywell

Jack L Jensen

Joseph D Mc Cleary

Stephen William Rouhana

Kenneth H De Saele

Raymond J Saydak

John Robert Hiben

Laura A Hawthorn

Michael John Wolanin

Hubert P Blom

Laura C Stevenson

David E Pettigrove

A four point 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 support in the vehicle body 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 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.

Four point restraint apparatus

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.

Four point seat-mounted restraint apparatus

An occupant restraint air bag assembly includes an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with an inflator and an occupant contacting face wall for contact with the occupant upon inflation of the bag. The air bag also has an internal dividing wall which divides the air bag into a first chamber communicating directly with the inflator and a second chamber defined between the dividing wall and the occupant contacting face wall. A first opening in the dividing wall between the chambers communicate inflation gas from the first chamber to the second chamber to inflate the second chamber. A second opening in the dividing wall is normally closed by a vent flap which is operably connected to the occupant contacting face wall so that the inflation of the second chamber and resultant travel of the face wall toward the occupant and away from the dividing wall will move the valve flap to an open position by which the inflation gas is communicated into the second chamber through both the first opening and the second opening during the further inflation of the bag.

Multi-chamber air bag with displacement responsive valve

An occupant restraint air bag assembly includes an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with an inflator and a face wall for contacting the occupant upon inflation of the bag. A vent opening is provided in the base wall portion of the air bag for venting a portion of the inflation gas from the air bag to the occupant compartment. A valve flap carried by the air bag is operable to a position closing the vent opening to contain the inflation gas within the air bag. A tether has a first end connected to the valve flap and a second end attached to the face wall so that the inflation of the air bag and consequent displacement of the face wall pulls the tether to close the valve flap. The vent opening is preferably a plurality of spaced apart openings and the tether progressively moves the valve flap across the openings to progressively close the vent opening in response to the progressive travel of the face wall toward the occupant. If desired, one or more additional vent openings with flap valves may be provided and operated by tethers of different operative lengths to provide selected and variable control over the venting of inflation gas from the air bag in response to displacement of the bag.

Displacement responsive air bag vent

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

John William Melvin