US3700258A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangement
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
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Filing: 1971-06-25
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Granted: 1972-10-24
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Expires: 1991-06-25
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangement includes a generally flexible cable with one end attached to the vehicle body generally adjacent the lower end of a windshield pillar laterally of the hinge axis of the adjacent door, a door mounted guide receiving the other end of the cable which extends to within the door for attachment to one end of a helical spring whose other end is fixed to the door, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the cable and connected to lap and shoulder belt portions of a first belt, and a second belt with one end fixedly attached to the apertured member and the other end received by a belt retractor mounted on the door adjacent the other end of the cable. During door opening movement, the cable is moved to a generally outwardly extending orientation and due to the lateral positioning of the one end with respect to the door hinge axis, the effective length of the cable is increased to tension the spring. As the spring and cable are thus tensioned, the retractor extends the second belt while the apertured member slides forwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to easy-enter positions. During door closing movement, the retractor retracts the second belt and the apertured member slides rearwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions while the cable slackens and moves to a generally longitudinally extending orientation adjacent the lower door edge and generally out of sight. In another embodiment, the one end of the cable slides through a guide mounted on the vehicle body adjacent the lower end of the windshield pillar and is attached to the forward edge of the door laterally of the hinge axis. In this embodiment, the effective change in length of the cable during door movement is increased by the corresponding change in distance between the guide and the end of the cable attached to the forward door edge. When the door is moved to closed position, a resilient member pulls the cable back through the guide and the cable assumes a slackened condition adjacent the vehicle body floor and generally out of sight.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary A Wize
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 03:14
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
281 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the occupant compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of The door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, and a generally flexible elongated member extending between an upper forward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door and a lower rearward position on the door generally adjacent the retractor, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member, the elongated member moving to an outwardly extending orientation during door opening movement and the apertured member sliding forwardly along the elongated member to an upper forward position as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the elongated member moving to a longitudinally extending orientation and the retractor retracting the second belt during door closing movement to slide the apertured member rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position and move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
281 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the occupant compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of The door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, and a generally flexible elongated member extending between an upper forward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door and a lower rearward position on the door generally adjacent the retractor, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member, the elongated member moving to an outwardly extending orientation during door opening movement and the apertured member sliding forwardly along the elongated member to an upper forward position as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the elongated member moving to a longitudinally extending orientation and the retractor retracting the second belt during door closing movement to slide the apertured member rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position and move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
314 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, a generally flexible elongated member having one end fixed at an upper forward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door and laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, and means for adjustably securing the other end of the elongated member to the door generally adjacent to the retractor to support the elongated member for movement between a slackened generally longitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed position and a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the door is in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member and sliding forwardly therealong during door opening movement to an upper forward position as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting the second belt and the apertured member sliding rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position during door closing movement to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
314 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, a generally flexible elongated member having one end fixed at an upper forward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door and laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, and means for adjustably securing the other end of the elongated member to the door generally adjacent to the retractor to support the elongated member for movement between a slackened generally longitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed position and a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the door is in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member and sliding forwardly therealong during door opening movement to an upper forward position as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting the second belt and the apertured member sliding rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position during door closing movement to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
344 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, a generally flexible elongated member having one end slidably mounted on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, means securing the one end of the cable to a portion of the door laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, and resilient means securing the other end of the elongated member to the door generally adjacent to the retractor, the elongated member moving between a generally slackened longitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed position and a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the door is in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member generally between the body and the retractor to mount the apertured member for forward sliding movement to an upper forward position during door opening movement as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting the second belt during door closing movement and sliding the apertured member rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
344 words
In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of the seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door to receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, a generally flexible elongated member having one end slidably mounted on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, means securing the one end of the cable to a portion of the door laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, and resilient means securing the other end of the elongated member to the door generally adjacent to the retractor, the elongated member moving between a generally slackened longitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed position and a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the door is in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongated member generally between the body and the retractor to mount the apertured member for forward sliding movement to an upper forward position during door opening movement as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting the second belt during door closing movement and sliding the apertured member rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rearward position to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-24 | 1976-04-24 | 1976-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-24 | 1980-04-24 | 1980-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-24 | 1984-04-24 | 1984-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |