Passive seat belt system having lap belt lifter

Claim 2

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising: a shoulder belt having an outboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the occupant shoulder and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said shoulder belt ends for extending and retracting the shoulder belt; a lap belt having an outboard end mounted on the door generally adjacent the outboard occupant hip and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said lap belt ends for extending and retracting the lap belt; a track mounted on the vehicle body and extending longitudinally forward from the outboard shoulder belt end mounted on the vehicle body; a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof and being movable along the track between a rearward position disposing the shoulder belt in a diagonal restraining position adjacent the occupant and a forward position disposing the shoulder belt generally forwardly of the occupant to facilitate occupant ingress and egress; and a flexible lift element of fixed length having an upper end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the rearward position of the carriage and having a lower end connected to the lap belt, said lifter element extending slidably through the carriage whereby the lift element lifts the lap belt upwardly and forwardly of the occupant when the carriage is in the forward position and disposes the lap belt in a restraining position adjacent the occupant when the carriage is in the rearward position.

Claim 3

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening formed in part by a roof rail and selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising: a shoulder belt having an outboard end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail generally adjacent the occupant shoulder and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said shoulder belt ends for extending and retracting the shoulder belt; a lap belt having an outboard end mounted on the door generally adjacent the outboard occupant hip and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said lap belt ends for extending and retracting the lap belt; a track mounted on the vehicle body roof rail and extending longitudinally forward from the outboard shoulder belt end mounted on the roof rail; a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof and being movable along the track between a rearward position disposing the shoulder belt in a diagonal restraining position adjacent the occupant and a forward position disposing the shoulder belt generally forwardly of the occupant to facilitate occupant ingress and egress; and a flexible lift element of fixed length having an upper end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail generally adjacent the rearward position of the carriage and having a lower end connected to the lap belt, said lifter element extending slidably through the carriage whereby the lift element lifts the lap belt upwardly and forwardly of the occupant when the carriage is in the forward position and disposes the lap belt in a restraining position adjacent the occupant when the carriage is in the rearward position.

Claim 4

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening formed in part by a roof rail and selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising: a shoulder belt having an outboard end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail generally adjacent the occupant shoulder and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said shoulder belt ends for extending and retracting the shoulder belt; a lap belt having an outboard end mounted on the door generally adjacent the outboard occupant hip and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a retractor mounting one of said lap belt ends for extending and retracting the lap belt; a track mounted on the vehicle body roof rail and extending longitudinally forward from the outboard shoulder belt end mounted on the roof rail; a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof and being movable along the track between a rearward position disposing the shoulder belt in a diagonal restraining position adjacent the occupant and a forward position disposing the shoulder belt generally forwardly of the occupant to facilitate occupant ingress and egress; and a flexible lift element of fixed length having an upper end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail generally adjacent the rearward position of the carriage and having a lower end connected to the lap belt, said lifter element extending slidably through the carriage whereby the lift element lifts the lap belt upwardly and forwardly of the occupant when the carriage is in the forward position and disposes the lap belt in a restraining position adjacent the occupant when the carriage is in the rearward position.

Claim 5

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening formed in part by a roof rail and selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising: a shoulder belt having an outboard end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail by a retractor for extending and retracting the shoulder belt and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a lap belt having an outboard end mounted on the door generally adjacent the outboard occupant hip by a retractor for extending and retracting the lap belt and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a track extending longitudinally along the roof rail; a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof and being movable along the track; a flexible lift element of fixed length extending slidably through the carriage and having an upper end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the retractor and a lower end slidably associated with the lap belt; and means for moving the carriage forwardly along the track to progressively move the shoulder belt away from the occupant and lift the lifter element upwardly and forwardly to lift the lap belt away from the occupant to facilitate ingress and egress, said means also moving the carriage rearwardly to progressively return the shoulder belt to restraining position closely adjacent the occupant and lower the lifter element to lower the lap belt onto the occupant.

Claim 6

In combination with a vehicle body having an occupant compartment in which an occupant seat is accessible through a door opening formed in part by a roof rail and selectively opened and closed by a movable door, a passive occupant restraining belt arrangement comprising: a shoulder belt having an outboard end mounted on the vehicle body roof rail by a retractor for extending and retracting the shoulder belt and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a lap belt having an outboard end mounted on the door generally adjacent the outboard occupant hip by a retractor for extending and retracting the lap belt and an inboard end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the inboard occupant hip; a track extending longitudinally along the roof rail; a carriage slidably receiving the shoulder belt intermediate the inboard and outboard ends thereof and being movable along the track; a flexible lift element of fixed length extending slidably through the carriage and having an upper end mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the retractor and a lower end slidably associated with the lap belt; and means for moving the carriage forwardly along the track to progressively move the shoulder belt away from the occupant and lift the lifter element upwardly and forwardly to lift the lap belt away from the occupant to facilitate ingress and egress, said means also moving the carriage rearwardly to progressively return the shoulder belt to restraining position closely adjacent the occupant and lower the lifter element to lower the lap belt onto the occupant.