Abstract: A coupling arrangement for connecting the outboard end of a passive seat or shoulder belt to a fixed or movable anchor on the vehicle door or the body near the door comprises a plate connected to the anchor, a plate connected to the belt, a pin on one of the plates, a key-type hole on the other plate and a resilient retainer which retains the pin in a smaller part of the slot and prevents manual release of the coupling.

Abstract: A belt clamp for use in a vehicle passenger restraint belt system comprises a pair of jaws, one of which is movable relative to the other, such as by a lever, is normally held away from the other by a spring, and is moved toward the other in response to an abnormally high pull-out force on the belt to engage a restraint belt guided between the jaws. A multiplicity of spaced-apart, elongated straight teeth oriented widthwise of the belt and of uniform, smoothly curved cross section frictionally clamp the belt against pulling out by tucking loops of the belt into complementary recesses in the other jaw. Preferably, both jaws have substantially identical teeth and substantially identical recesses which are generally complementary to the teeth, the shapes of the teeth and recesses being such as to produce a smoothly corrugated clamping section in which several loops of the belt are formed and by which frictional holding forces are developed without any cutting or abrading of the belt.

Abstract: A passive belt system comprises a shoulder belt leading from a retractor inboard of the seat to an anchor on the upper rear corner of the door and a waist belt leading from a retractor outboard of the seat to a buckle affixed to the shoulder belt at an intermediate point which is inboard of the occupant when the door is closed.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor includes a system for locking the belt reel against rewinding by an otherwise continuously operating rewind spring. The system locks in response to rotation of the belt reel with a time delay interposed between a cycle consisting of a small rotation in the unwinding direction followed by a small rotation in the winding direction which cycles a retractor switch via a clutched operating lever on the reel shaft.

Abstract: A passive vehicle occupant shoulder belt of the type in which the belt leads from a retractor on the door through a guide ring affixed near the upper rear corner of the door and then leads down and in across the seat to an inboard location near the lower rear part of the seat comprises a control tape that is fastened to the belt and slidably connected to a guide bar that extends along the upper part of the door. The free end of the control tape is fastened to a control ring through which the belt freely passes. The tape is thus formed into a loop, and when the fastened end of the loop moves away from the guide bar, the control ring is pulled toward the guide bar and pulls the belt closer to the door.

Abstract: An inertia responsive actuating device for safety belt retractors comprises a support having a substantially circular hole and an upwardly facing conical surface surrounding the hole and sloping upwardly in all directions from the hole. An inertia mass supported on the support has a locating projection that is received in the hole and a spherical surface surrounding the projection and adapted to roll up the surface of the support in response to an inertial force on the mass. A portion of an actuator engages an upwardly facing surface on the mass and is displaceable generally upwardly in response to rolling motion of the mass. A cam surface on the upper portion of the mass cooperates with a cam follower element on the actuator such that the vertical displacement of such portion of the actuator is substantially greater than the vertical displacement of the mass itself when the mass rolls up the conical surface of the support.

Abstract: A belt guide for use in a vehicle occupant restraint belt system of the type which has a belt retractor that exerts a generally constant retracting force on the belt. The belt guide includes a frame having a passage for the belt, a guide roller located on the frame at a point adjacent to the passage and a belt clamping member mounted on the frame for movement between a release position out of engagement with the belt and a stop position in which the belt is clamped between the clamping member and either the belt guide roller or a portion of the passage in the frame. When the clamping member engages the belt in the stop position, the belt is prevented from being retracted.

Abstract: A passive occupant restraint belt system for a vehicle which includes a restraining belt and apparatus for moving the belt from an occupant restraint to an occupant releasing position in response to opening of a door of a vehicle. A belt transfer device engages the seat or shoulder belt for moving the belt between the restraining to releasing positions and is actuated by a motion transmission mechanism which transmits and amplifies opening motions of the door to the belt transfer device. The transmission includes a motion amplifier mounted on either the vehicle body or door, and a linkage having one end attached to the other of the body and door and its other end coupled to an input component of the motion amplifier. The linkage is coupled to the other of the vehicle body or door during normal door operation when the door is between closed and partway open to transmit door opening movement to the amplifier but released when the door is between partway open and fully open.

Abstract: The sheath of a drive wire that moves a moving belt anchor of a passive seat belt system along a guide rail consists of two sections joined by a resilient telescopic coupling that allows the sheath to shorten and absorb the energy when the anchor stops at the restraint position.

Abstract: A passive vehicle passenger restraint belt system includes a single continuous drive wire driven by the output of a mechanical motion amplifier to pull a shoulder belt transfer ring forwardly along a guide rail above the door and push a lap belt transfer ring upwardly along the door upon opening motion of the door.

Abstract: A double-safety emergency locking belt retractor for vehicle safety belt systems comprises an improved automatic-locking mechanism in which an axially movable latch disc locks the reel to the retractor frame upon rotation of the reel relative to an inertia wheel in the belt-unwinding direction. Such relative motion occurs when an inertia-sensitive device stops rotation of the inertia wheel in response to acceleration of the vehicle at from about 0.3 g to about 0.7 g or the inertia of the wheel causes it to lag the reel when the belt is accelerated at about 0.7 g or higher. The latch and inertia wheel are cammed axially apart upon such relative rotation, the inertia wheel being locked to a cover for certainty of cam function and the latch disc thereupon being locked to the frame.

Abstract: The lap and shoulder seat belts of a passive vehicle occupant restraint belt system are moved from their restraining to their releasing positions in response to opening of the vehicle door. The apparatus includes a lap belt transfer device engaging the lap belt and a shoulder belt transfer device engaging the shoulder belt, each for moving the respective lap and shoulder belt from their restraining to their releasing positions. A rotary drive has a single output shaft and first and second output drive elements on the shaft coupled to the lap and shoulder belt transfer devices for actuating the first and second belt transfer devices simultaneously. A linkage is provided for operating the rotary drive responsive to opening of the vehicle door.

Abstract: A passive seat belt system for use in a vehicle with a seat belt displacing device, in which the seat belt can be fully displaced to passenger releasing position in response to only partial opening of the vehicle door.

Abstract: An inertia-responsive actuating device for emergency locking vehicle seat belt retractors comprises a ball which normally nests stably in an annular seat but which rolls out of the seat and pushes down on a detecting portion of a pivotable lever. A hole in the lever detecting portion defines a circular detecting edge which matches and engages a lower portion of the ball located above, but proximate to, the ball seat and substantially below the center of gravity of the ball.

Abstract: A passive vehicle occupant restraint belt system includes a restraining belt and apparatus for moving the belt between an occupant-restraining and an occupant-releasing position in response to the closing and opening of the door of the vehicle. A belt transfer device engages the lap or shoulder belt, moves the belt between the restraining and the releasing positions and is actuated by a motion transmission mechanism which transmits and amplifies opening and closing motions of the door to the belt transfer device. The transmission includes a motion amplifier mounted on either the vehicle body or door and a linkage having one end attached to the other of the body and door and the other end coupled to an input component of the motion amplifier so that opening and closing movement of the door is transmitted through the linkage to the motion amplifier.

Abstract: A passive vehicle occupant restraint system for use with a vehicle seat which has a foldable back includes an inboard movable belt guide through which a portion of the belt intermediate an inboard and an outboard portion freely passes. The belt guide includes a guide member having a ring portion receiving the belt and mounted on the inboard side of the seat for generally backward and forward movement of the ring portion. A drive device is coupled between the belt guide member and an element associated with the back of the seat such that the belt guide ring portion is moved forwardly in response to forward folding of the seat back and is moved rearwardly in response to restoration of the seat back to the normal upright position.

Abstract: A passive occupant restraint belt system for a vehicle which includes a restraining belt and apparatus for moving the belt between occupant-restraining and occupant-releasing positions in response to partial opening of a door of the vehicle. A belt transfer device engages the seat or shoulder belt for moving the belt from the retraining to the releasing position and is actuated by a motion transmission mechanism which transmits and amplifies door opening motions to the belt transfer device. The transmission includes a motion amplifier mounted on either the vehicle body or door, and a force transmitting input rod having one end coupled to an input component of the motion amplifier.

Abstract: A passive vehicle occupant shoulder restraint belt is transferred between a restraint configuration and a release configuration by a guide ring which is moved by a driven transfer wire along a guide rail extending up from a restraint location partway down the vehicle center post and then forward along the edge of the roof above the door to a release location near the front post. A stop-anchor fastened to the post at the restraint location engages either the guide ring or the belt and holds the belt against pulling forces generated by a restrained occupant upon an abrupt change in the velocity of the vehicle.

Abstract: A passive occupant restraint belt system for a vehicle which includes a restraining belt and apparatus for moving the belt from an occupant-restraining to an occupant-releasing position in response to opening of a door of the vehicle. A belt transfer device engages the seat or shoulder belt for moving the belt from the restraining to the releasing position and is actuated by a motion transmission mechanism which transmits and amplifies opening motions of the door to the belt transfer device. The transmission includes a motion amplifier mounted on either the vehicle body or door, and an extendable linkage having one end attached to the other of the body and door and its other end coupled to an input component of the motion amplifier. The linkage has a first link provided with an indentation partway along its length, a second link carrying a lever adjacent one end and coupled adjacent its other end to the door amplifier.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor having a main locking pawl for engaging the ratchet wheel on the reel to prevent the belt from being pulled out and a second pawl and ratchet responsive to either acceleration of the sensing pendulum or the inertia of an inertia assembly which senses acceleration of the reel when the belt is pulled out is disabled from being locked, thereby permitting the belt to be pulled out freely, by a blocking member which engages the second pawl to keep it from engaging the second ratchet and a device or system for moving the blocking member into and out of engagement with the second pawl. The invention is especially useful for door-mounted retractors used in connection with a passive seat belt restraint system.