Powered retractable passenger restraint system

Abstract

A powered retractable passenger restraint system for securing the occupant of a vehicle seat, especially a seat in a high performance aircraft, in an upright sitting position against the seat, which includes an upper body harness and a retraction apparatus connected thereto, which, upon actuation, forcibly retracts the upper body. a lower body harness and a retraction apparatus which, upon actuation, forcibly retracts the lower body into the seat, and apparatus responsive to the forces of inertia for actuating the upper body and lower body harness retraction apparatus. Furthermore, a manual apparatus is included in the restraint system for selectively actuating the upper lower body harness, as well as an override actuation apparatus for actuating the upper and lower body retraction apparatus regardless of the condition of the other actuation apparatus, so that in emergency conditions such as ejection, the passenger is retracted to the seat. In a preferred embodiment, the lower body retraction apparatus and harness can be contained in a survival kit which can serve as the lower portion of the passenger seat and which, upon separation from the aircraft, continues to operate independently.