Abstract: A pretensioner for a three point vehicle safety restraint seat belt has a mounting for one end of the seat belt. The mounting has a first member fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle and a second member attached to the end of the seat belt. A force reservoir, such as a pyrotechnic unit, moves the second member relative to the first member in a pretensioning direction in response to activation by a crash sensor.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a three point seat belt has a cylinder adapted to be attached to a structural member of a vehicle and a piston disposed within the cylinder. A pyrotechnic means moves the piston in a direction that is longitudinal relative to the cylinder in a pretensioning direction. A slider bar is oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder. A seat belt webbing is looped around the slider bar such that the seat belt webbing can freely move along a portion of the slider bar that is oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder so long as the pyrotechnic means for moving the piston has not been activated. A cable extends from the piston and loops around the seat belt webbing to cause the seat belt webbing to move along the slider bar in a pretensioning direction when the pyrotechnic means for moving the piston is activated.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a three point seat belt has a cylinder adapted to be attached to a structural member of the vehicle and a piston disposed within the cylinder. The piston can move translationally relative to the cylinder in a pretensioning direction. A flexible member is arranged in a curved profile with a seat belt webbing being attached to the flexible member. The flexible member has a first end that can be pulled by the piston and a second end releasably connected to an exterior of the cylinder such that when the piston moves translationally relative to the cylinder the second end of the flexible member moves translationally relative to the cylinder along the exterior of the cylinder.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a three point vehicle safety restraint seat belt, has a mounting for one end of the seat belt. The mounting is a first member fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle. A second member is attached to the end of the seat belt. A means is provided for moving the second member relative to the first member in a pretensioning direction in response to activation of a crash sensor. The mounting may be a flexible cable that functions as a slider bar. A piston-cylinder force reservoir may be used either to pull the slider bar via a carriage mounted on a rail, or to pull the cable directly. Return motion is preferably inhibited. The arrangement provides a space saving pretensioner suitable for two-door vehicles while allowing access to the vehicle rear.

Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner acts upon the sill end of a three point seat belt. A fixed member of the pretensioner is adapted to be fixed to a load bearing part of the vehicle. A movable member is connected to the sill end of the seat belt and is slideable with respect to the fixed member. The movable member is moved in a direction that is longitudinal relative to the fixed member to move the sill end of the seat belt in a pretensioning direction in response to a signal from a crash sensor. In this way the sill end of the seat belt is free to move along a connecting member when the seat belt is not under tension either from use in restraining a seat occupant and/or from a pretensioning operation.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a spool mounted for rotation on the retractor, for retraction or payout of seat-belt webbing depending upon the rotation direction of the spool. The spool is locked against rotation when a crash condition is sensed. A force limiter allows further payout of the seat belt webbing after the spool shaft has locked, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum. The force limiter has a first resilient component attached in the force path between the spool and the locking component. A second resilient component is a wire releasably held in the force path between the spool and the locking component by a locking plate engaged with the locking component. The wire is released from the force path by disengagement between the locking plate and the locking component.