Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Theodore M Salamon

Roy S Cataldo

Clarence C Irwin

David F Manz

A passive occupant restraint system includes a shoulder belt retractor mounted inboard the occupant seat for winding the inboard end of a shoulder belt having an outboard end attached to the upper rear corner of the door. A lap belt has an outboard end mounted on the door by a lap belt retractor and an inboard end mounted on the shoulder belt by a latch plate which is slidably movable along the shoulder belt by manual effort of the occupant. The latch plate remains relatively stationary on the shoulder belt during winding and unwinding of the shoulder belt upon door movement so that the occupant may position the latch plate generally adjacent the outboard end of the shoulder belt to stow the lap belt generally parallel with the door or may position the sliding latch plate at mid-length along the shoulder belt so that the latch plate will be automatically located adjacent the shoulder belt retractor when the door is closed to establish the lap belt in restraining proximity with the lower torso. A buckle assembly is mounted inboard the seat generally adjacent the shoulder belt retractor. The latch plate is manually slidable along the shoulder belt into latching engagement with the buckle to fix the length of the lap belt and thereby provide effective restraint of the occupant lower torso.

Passive seat belt system

A passive seat belt system includes a continuous loop of seat belt having one end connected to the vehicle body generally adjacent the shoulder of the occupant and the other end attached to the vehicle floor outboard the seat. A retractor is associated with at least one end of the belt for extending and retracting the belt. A continuous tubular track has an outboard end mounted on the roof rail generally adjacent the shoulder of the seated occupant and extends longitudinally along the roof rail, vertically along the windshield pillar, transversely along the instrument panel structure, and longitudinally along the vehicle body centerline to an inboard end located generally adjacent the inboard hip of the seated occupant. A continuous flexible helical screw is rotatably supported within the tubular track and threadedly engages a belt carriage mounted within the tubular track. The belt carriage has a belt loop extending through a continuous slot of the tubular track and slidably receives the belt. A reversible motor rotates the helical screw to move the belt loop between the outboard end of the track where the belt is retracted and stowed outboard the vehicle seat and the inboard end of the track where the lap and shoulder belts are disposed in the occupant restraining positions.

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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Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Theodore M Salamon