Abstract: A seat belt system comprises a seat belt, a tongue, and a buckle. The seat belt includes webbing with a lap portion and a shoulder portion. The buckle receives and latches the tongue. The tongue includes a slot to receive the webbing. The webbing slides within the slot to connect the webbing to the tongue. The tongue further includes a cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot. The system also includes a cinching control module that initiates the cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot when a load of about 3.0 kN or more is exerted on the seat belt. The cinching mechanism prevents translation of the seat belt from the lap portion to the shoulder portion.

Abstract: A seat belt apparatus is disclosed that includes a rotatable spool connected to the seat belt webbing and at least one variable energy absorbing mechanism connected to an end of the rotatable spool. The variable energy absorbing mechanism may include a chamber configured to be filled with a fluid and a flexible member attached to an outer circumference of the rotatable spool within the chamber.

Abstract: An occupant protection system for a vehicle includes a vehicle seat, a seat moving mechanism configured to move the vehicle seat in a substantially vertical direction, and a vehicle rollover sensor signaling a safety controller. The safety controller determines if a rollover situation is imminent or is occurring. The seat moving mechanism may include a motor and a linkage system. When the safety controller determines a rollover situation, the seat moving mechanism moves the seat in a substantially downward direction from an initial position to increase a head clearance for a vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

Abstract: An occupant protection system for a vehicle includes a vehicle seat, a seat moving mechanism configured to move the vehicle seat in a substantially vertical direction, and a vehicle rollover sensor signaling a safety controller. The safety controller determines if a rollover situation is imminent or is occurring. The seat moving mechanism may include a motor and a linkage system. When the safety controller determines a rollover situation, the seat moving mechanism moves the seat in a substantially downward direction from an initial position to increase a head clearance for a vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

Abstract: A seat belt system comprises a seat belt, a tongue, and a buckle. The seat belt includes webbing with a lap portion and a shoulder portion. The buckle receives and latches the tongue. The tongue includes a slot to receive the webbing. The webbing slides within the slot to connect the webbing to the tongue. The tongue further includes a cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot. The system also includes a cinching control module that initiates the cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot when a load of about 3.0 kN or more is exerted on the seat belt. The cinching mechanism prevents translation of the seat belt from the lap portion to the shoulder portion.

Abstract: A seat belt system, in one form, includes a buckle anchored along the side of the seat, a tongue slidably mounted on the seat belt for being latched in the buckle to define the shoulder and lap belt portions, and a retractor for pay in and pay out of the seat belt into and out from the retractor. The airbag is fixed to the tongue and configured for sliding along the seat belt so that with the tongue latched in the buckle the airbag extends along the same position irrespective of the size of the occupant. Alternatively, the airbag is fixed to a guide loop adjacent to the shoulder of the occupant and configured to allow for sliding of the seat belt relative thereto so that with the tongue latched in the buckle the airbag extends from the same position and across the occupant's torso irrespective of the size of the occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt webbing retractor (10) includes a belt webbing spool (50) and a length of belt webbing (16) wound on the belt webbing spool. A spring (82) biases the belt webbing spool (50) for rotation in a belt retraction direction. A pair of rotatable cable spools (90, 100) and a cable (110) transmit the biasing force of the spring (82) to the belt webbing spool (50) to apply a retraction force to the belt webbing (116). Each of the cable spools (90, 100) has a predetermined configuration to provide a desired retraction force curve (230).