Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Wendy M Schoof

Joseph J Magyar

Lawrence A Gloomis

A belt clamping guide loop includes a frame mounted on the vehicle body and a bracket mounted for limited vertical movement relative the frame. A belt deflecting loop is carried by the frame. A spring acts between the frame and the bracket to establish a normal position of the bracket and yields in response to the imposition of an occupant restraint load on the belt to permit movement of the bracket. A first clamping jaws is fixedly mounted on the frame below the guide loop and a second clamping jaw is movably mounted on the frame in spaced relation from the first clamping jaw to define a belt passage therebetween. A toggle linkage acts between the bracket and the second clamping jaw to forcibly move the second clamping jaw into belt clamping proximity with the first clamping jaw in response to the downward movement of the bracket. A pin and slot acts between the second clamping jaw and the frame to define a path of angularly converging movement of the second jaw toward the first jaw so that the second jaw is self-energized into clamping action with the belt.

Belt clamping guide loop

A seat belt buckle includes a body having a latch lever pivotally mounted thereon and including a tang struck therefrom. The latch lever has a pushbutton portion which registers with an opening in a cover attached to the body. A spring biases the latch lever to a latching position in which the tang engages into an aperture of a latch plate inserted into the buckle. A locking member, preferably of molded plastic, is slidably mounted on the underside of the buckle body and manually movable between a locking condition in which a locking abutment of the locking member blocks depression of the latch lever by the pushbutton and unlocking position enabling the pivoting of the latch lever to withdraw the tang from the aperture of the latch plate. The locking member includes an integral spring arm carrying a detent tab which engages the buckle body to retain the locking member in either its locking or unlocking positions.

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Utica, MI, United States of America

Wendy M Schoof