Shoulder harness positioner

Claim 1

A shoulder harness positioner for use in a motor vehicle having body structure defining a passenger compartment and a forwardly facing passenger seat assembly mounted within the compartment, the seat assembly having a seat cushion structure a backrest structure forwardly tiltable about an axis adjacent the rear end of the seat cushion to provide an enlargeable passageway to the compartment space rearwardly of the seat assembly, and a vertically adjustable headrest supported on the upper end of the backrest structure, a first guide loop located within the passenger compartment above and rearwardly of the seat assembly, and a shoulder harness extending from the first guide loop through the second guide loop downwardly over the backrest structure to a nondetachable connection with a lap belt coupled to a rectractor mounted on the body structure at the outboard side of the seat assembly, a segment of the shoulder harness between the first and second guide loops normally extending angularly across the passageway in position to interfere with access to the latter, wherein the improvement comprises: a lift means having a lift member telescopically extending through guide means in the backrest structure and headrest, the guide means being movable with the headrest relative to the backrest structure, and extension member slidably axially projecting from the lift member and supporting the second guide loop above the headrest, interlocking means on the lift member and extension member permitting limited axial movement of the extension member relative to the lift member, the lift means in response to forward tilting movement of the backrest structure being movable in the guide means to raise the extension member and second guide loop to lift the shoulder harness out of interference with the passageway to the compartment rear space.