Patent ID: 7571934
Filing Date: 2009-08-11
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A seat belt system comprising: (a) a seat belt retractor attached to a component of a vehicle, the seat belt retractor having a rotatable spool to which a first end of a seat belt webbing is anchored, a second end of the seat belt webbing being anchored to a component of the vehicle, the seat belt webbing extending from the rotatable spool such that the seat belt webbing can be wound onto or protracted from the rotatable spool and the length of the seat belt webbing between the rotatable spool and the second end of the seat belt webbing can be varied; (b) a stationary seat belt webbing guide attached to a component of the vehicle and having a stationary seat belt webbing passageway through which the seat belt webbing passes; (c) a strap that extends substantially vertically; and (d) a movable seat belt webbing guide that is movable along the strap, an upper end portion of the strap being attached to the stationary seat belt webbing guide at a first anchor and a lower end portion of the strap attached to a component of the vehicle at a second anchor such that a central portion of the strap is taut and the length of the central portion of the strap cannot be adjusted; and the movable seat belt webbing guide having a backing plate a movable clamping member, and a guide element at the top of the movable seat belt webbing guide, the guide element having a seat belt webbing passageway through which the seat belt webbing passes, the seat belt webbing extending from the rotatable spool and passing over the strap above the highest vertical extent of the strap then through the seat belt webbing passageway of the guide element, the strap extending through the movable seat belt webbing guide and interposed between the backing plate and the movable clamping member, the movable seat belt webbing guide being movable along the strap, the movable clamping member being movable between a first position where the strap is not clamped between the movable clamping member and the backing plate and a second position where the strap is clamped between the movable clamping member and the backing plate, the movable seat belt webbing guide being movable along the strap when the movable clamping member is in the first position to such an extent that the seat belt webbing passageway of the movable seat belt webbing guide can be vertically aligned with the stationary seat belt webbing passageway of the stationary seat belt webbing guide and the seat belt webbing passageway of the movable seat belt webbing guide can be vertically spaced from the seat belt webbing passageway of the stationary seat belt webbing guide.