Allied Chemical Corporation

Allied Corporation

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert L Stephenson

Yogendra Singh Loomba

Robert C Pfeiffer

Rudy V Thomas

William R Fox

James A Gavagan

Richard L Frantom

Arduino Colasanti

John W Frankila

Lloyd W Rogers

Per O Weman

Frederick C Booth

Jerome W Schotthoefer

John J Sack

A seat belt webbing guide (100) for directing seat belt webbing material (120) from a retractor to a shoulder belt (130) includes a one-piece cover and housing (10) in which a lightweight load bearing wire loop (60) is disposed in a substantially triangular shaped configuration. The bottom portion of the wire loop is maintained straight by a tubular element (75) and an idler roller (80) surrounding the tubular element (75) enables the webbing material to extend partially around the roller (80) through the loop opening with a low friction rolling engagement. The roller (80) is mounted in a recessed area (86) of the housing (10) between two upright end flanges (90) which laterally retain the webbing. The ends (62, 64) of the wire loop (60) opposite the roller (80) are introduced from opposite directions into a length of wall tubing (70) and arranged to overlap each other. When the tubing (70) is swedged, the tubing walls are deformed against the wire ends ( 62, 64) resulting in high frictional engagement between the ends (62, 64) and the tubing (70). The wall tubing (70) extends around a support collar (12) formed in the housing (10) for mounting on a load bearing area of the vehicle.

Seat belt webbing guide

An improved self-locking adjust tongue plate including a sleeve surrounding a lock bar extending in slots provided on side flanges of the tongue. The sleeve spaces the lock bar from the walls of the slots so as to avoid metal to metal contact, which may adversely affect the lock-up angles of the adjust tongue.

Adjustable self-locking tongue plate for seat belts

A seat belt retractor including a web clamp in the retractor housing to reduce the spooling effect when the retractor is locked. The webbing extends from the retractor spool about a web clamp and then outwards of the retractor housing. Extraction forces acting on the webbing in an emergency result in forcing of the web clamp against the roll of webbing to thereby prevent further withdrawal of the webbing from the spool. The web clamp is maintained in close proximity to the roll of webbing regardless of the amount of webbing left on the spool.

Seat belt retractor with reduced spooling

A mini buckle including a housing having a central opening, a push button slidably mounted in the opening and a latch member supported by the push button and movable in a direction parallel to the movement of the button.

Mini seat belt buckle

A passive seat belt system, such as for a three occupant seat, including a rotatable shaft mounted on the vehicle roof and a carriage movable on the shaft in response to rotation of a seat belt retractor as seat belt webbing is extended and retracted as a result of door movement.

Passive seat belt system

A passive seat belt system wherein the inboard upper anchor point for the seat belt of the outboard passenger and the upper anchor point for the seat belt of the center passenger are commonly located in the roof of a vehicle, and are commonly movable from a rearward position of passenger restraint to a forward position permitting easy egress and ingress to the seating positions.

Passive seat belt system for three occupant seat

A seat belt restraint system including a seat belt retractor for mounting in a vehicle, webbing stored on the retractor, a mechanism for transferring loads acting on the retractor in an emergency situation to a load-bearing part of the vehicle and a clamp associated on the load transfer mechanism which contacts the roll of webbing stored on the retractor subsequent to relative motion between the clamp and the retractor as a result of forces acting on the retractor during the emergency. The system may be a passive seat belt system.

Seat belt system with reduced spooling

A passive seat belt system including a movable rod connected to a seat belt and a hook member connected to the rod. The rod is driven by an electric motor actuated in response to opening and closing of the vehicle door. The rod is moved to a forward position when the door is opened, with the hook member being moved into contact with a rear portion of the belt so as to prevent interference of the belt with ingress to or egress from the vehicle. The rod is moved to a rearward position when the door is closed with the hook member being moved out of contact with the belt.

Motorized passive seat belt system

A dual spool retractor in which a manual lock up feature is provided in addition to an emergency locking device. A manually engageable member moves a pawl into lock position with the ratchet wheels of the spools. Such member is automatically disengaged upon unwinding of the lap belt retractor whereby the retractor is unlocked.

Seat belt retractor with manual lock up

A vehicle passive seat belt system wherein the opening of either the door adjacent to the driver, or that adjacent to a passenger, or both, automatically moves both seat belt systems from a first restraining position to a second non-restraining position. The energy required is obtained from the closing of the doors, and released to activate the mechanism for moving the seat belts to the second non-restraining position when either or both doors are opened. A flexible tape is used to transfer the energy.

A load locking junction device for coupling a continuous-loop belt having ends mounted on the door with an anchor belt retractably mounted inboard the seat includes a frame having an aperture defining spaced apart first and second load bearing walls. The continuous-loop belt is slidable over the first wall to define a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion. The anchor belt extends through the aperture and has a pin engaged in the end thereof to enlarge the end for simultaneous engagement against the second wall and the continuous-loop belt so that the belts are coupled together and maintained in engagement with the load bearing walls. A spring acts on the pin to space the anchor belt from the continuous-loop belt to permit movement of the continuous-loop belt through the frame. The imposition of oppositely directed occupant restraining loads on the continuous-loop belt and the anchor belt causes the enlarged anchor belt end to forcefully clamp the continuous-loop belt against the first wall whereby the relative restraining lengths of the lap belt and the shoulder belt portions are fixed. Disconnecting a buckle provided at one end of the continuous-loop belt terminates the occupant restraining load so that the clamping effort is terminated and the continuous-loop belt may pass freely through the junction ring to permit opening movement of the door and occupant egress.

Locking junction ring for continuous-loop passive seat belt system

An improved belt clamp apparatus for a vehicle occupant safety restraint system includes: a lever, a clamp bar, a mounting device for movably mounting the bar on the lever, a crest on the bar, and a first spring for biasing the lever to a non-clamping position. The bar is movable on the crest for applying a substantially uniform force over an area of contact on a safety belt. The belt clamp apparatus may be used in a variety of ways in an improved occupant restraint system such as to provide: a belt sensitive restraint system, a vehicle sensitive restraint system, a dual sensitive restraint system, or a force limiting restraint system. The invention also relates to a method for absorbing unwinding force and a method for reducing undesired unwinding of the belt.

Safety belt clamp apparatus, occupant restraint system and method

A dual spool seat belt retractor wherein the retraction force acting on the torso belt is reduced by connecting its rewind spring with the rewind spring of the lap belt. The connection may be made via a single shaft or a gear train.

Tension reducer for dual spool retractor

A passive seat belt system including torso and lap belts, wherein a guide clip is provided which is secured to one belt and permits the other belt to pass therethrough. The guide clip maintains communication between the belts and is especially useful with a two retractor system.

Passive seat belt system with guide clip

A passive seat belt system including a movable rod connected to a seat belt and a hook member connected to the rod. The rod is driven by an electric motor actuated in response to opening and closing of a vehicle door. The rod is moved to a forward position when the door is opened, with the hook member being moved into contact with a rear portion of the belt so as to prevent interference of the belt with ingress to or egress from the vehicle. The rod is moved to a rearward position when the door is closed, with the hook member being moved out of contact with the belt.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Robert L Stephenson