Patent ID: 7625011

Claim:
A seatbelt system for a vehicle, comprising: a retractor configured to provide tension to a seat belt; a pillar extending in the vehicle; a garnish at least partially covering the pillar and spaced from the pillar defining a space extending along a length of the pillar between the pillar and the garnish; a seat belt configured to restrain a passenger, the seat belt having a first portion extending upwardly from the retractor within the space between the pillar and the garnish toward an upper vehicle portion and a second portion extending downwardly outside the space between the pillar and the garnish toward a lower vehicle portion; a latch provided on the seat belt and operable to be connectedly engaged with a buckle to fasten the seat belt; and at least one protrusion extending outwardly from the garnish away from the space between the pillar and the garnish and configured to contact the seat belt at the second portion of the seat belt at a location remote from the retractor to locate the second portion of the seat belt away from the garnish and to provide tension to the seat belt when the seat belt is in a retracted and unfastened position such that the latch is restrained from rattling during vehicle travel.