Abstract: A passive vehicle safety belt apparatus includes a diagonal shoulder belt which passes through a diverting device, mounted to the vehicle door adjacent to the vehicle seat at a level corresponding to the shoulder of a vehicle occupant, to a belt winding device mounted to the door. The belt diverting device is mounted to the vehicle door by a manually severable connection to enable safe exit from the vehicle, in the event the belt winding device is disabled by the occurrence of an accident.

Abstract: A safety device for a passenger in a vehicle, such as an automobile, comprises an energy absorbing impact element mounted on the vehicle adjacent the knees of a passenger seated in an associated vehicle seat. A surface of the impact element is presented to the passenger's knees and is configured to guide his knees, when impacting on the element, into positions in which the passenger's thighs are aligned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The guiding action of the impact element is preferably accomplished by providing at least one recess in the element to receive the passenger's knees. The safety device may also comprise a shoulder safety belt extending diagonally across the upper portion of the passenger's body to restrain the passenger against the vehicle seat. A guide member may be mounted on an adjacent door of the vehicle so as to guide the passenger's knees toward the recess in the impact element.

Abstract: The winding device for a vehicle safety belt comprises a housing, a sleeve rotatable in the housing and spring-biased to wind up the safety belt, a ratchet wheel with ratchet teeth arranged at one end of the sleeve, counter teeth disposed on the housing, a catch wheel with catch teeth arranged between the ratchet wheel and housing and being displaceable into a locking position of simultaneous engagement with the ratchet teeth and counter teeth, tension limiting means connecting the ratchet wheel for rotation with the sleeve supporting the safety belt and consisting of a torsion bar extending coaxially through the sleeve and connected at one end thereof with the sleeve and at the other end with the ratchet wheel, and means for retaining the ratchet wheel at the end of the sleeve such that the sleeve is torsionally rotatable but not axially displaceable relative to the ratchet wheel.