Patent ID: 7452003

Claim:
A pretensioning apparatus for tensioning a seat belt webbing of a three point seat belt that is installed in a vehicle, an end of the seat belt webbing being located in the vicinity of both a door sill and a seat base, the pretensioning apparatus comprising: a tubular member in a fixed position relative to and in the vicinity of the seat base such that the tubular member extends in a direction going from the front of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle; a piston located inside the tubular member and movable along the tubular member, the piston being connected to the seat belt webbing via an elongate member, a first end of the elongate member being connected to the piston with the elongate member also being connected to the seat belt webbing; and a means for moving the piston in a direction towards the rear of the vehicle thereby effecting in combination with a seat belt webbing guide located rearward of the tubular member a movement of the seat belt webbing in a direction toward the front of the vehicle during a crash.