A seat belt assembly for a vehicle includes a pretensioner, and a cable connected to the pretensioner. The seat belt assembly includes a torsion bar having a plurality of teeth. The cable has slots interlocking with the teeth. During a sensed impact of the vehicle, the pretensioner is activated to retract the cable to pretension the seat belt assembly relative to an occupant of the vehicle. The interlocking of the slots with the teeth exerts torsional forces on the torsion bar, which yields to reduce forces on a chest of the occupant.

A seat belt assembly for a vehicle includes a pretensioner, and a cable connected to the pretensioner. The seat belt assembly includes a torsion bar having a plurality of teeth. The cable has slots interlocking with the teeth. During a sensed impact of the vehicle, the pretensioner is activated to retract the cable to pretension the seat belt assembly relative to an occupant of the vehicle. The interlocking of the slots with the teeth exerts torsional forces on the torsion bar, which yields to reduce forces on a chest of the occupant.

A seat belt buckle assembly includes a buckle housing; a plate extending from the buckle housing and defining a slot; and a bracket including a rivet engaged in the slot. The plate and rivet are configured such that, in response to an impact force that exceeds a threshold acting to pull the buckle housing away from the bracket, the slot plastically deforms, permitting the buckle housing and plate to translate relative to the bracket.

A seat belt buckle assembly includes a buckle housing; a plate extending from the buckle housing and defining a slot; and a bracket including a rivet engaged in the slot. The plate and rivet are configured such that, in response to an impact force that exceeds a threshold acting to pull the buckle housing away from the bracket, the slot plastically deforms, permitting the buckle housing and plate to translate relative to the bracket.

Shock absorbing seatbelt height adjusters for use with vehicle occupant restraint systems, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a shock absorbing height adjuster includes a D-loop assembly slidably coupled to a rail, and a stop assembly and a pre-loader slidably coupled to the rail on opposite sides of the D-loop assembly. The stop assembly and the pre-loader can be releasably lockable at a plurality of positions along the rail. A biasing member can be compressed between the pre-loader and the D-loop assembly to urge the D-loop assembly toward the stop assembly and allow motion of the D-loop assembly toward the pre-loader under load. The position of the pre-loader can be adjusted to vary the compression in the biasing member.

A switching mechanism (100) in a force limiter mechanism of a seat belt retractor including: a locking mechanism including a locking element (68) that locks a torque tube (64) with respect to a spindle (61) so that the torque tube (64) rotates together with the spindle (61) and a spindle ring (70); a switch ring (120) rotatable to unlock the locking mechanism; and a switch housing (101) that stores the switch ring (120), a switch piston (115) adapted to activate the switch ring (120). A switching gas generator (116) generates gas for pushing out the switch piston (115) upon activation of the switching mechanism. The switch housing (101) of the switching mechanism (100) has a protrusion (110) that protrudes in an incoming direction of an operated part (122) at an abutment part hit by the switch ring (120) rotated by the switch piston (115) to control movement of the switch ring.

A switching mechanism (100) in a force limiter mechanism of a seat belt retractor including: a locking mechanism including a locking element (68) that locks a torque tube (64) with respect to a spindle (61) so that the torque tube (64) rotates together with the spindle (61) and a spindle ring (70); a switch ring (120) rotatable to unlock the locking mechanism; and a switch housing (101) that stores the switch ring (120), a switch piston (115) adapted to activate the switch ring (120). A switching gas generator (116) generates gas for pushing out the switch piston (115) upon activation of the switching mechanism. The switch housing (101) of the switching mechanism (100) has a protrusion (110) that protrudes in an incoming direction of an operated part (122) at an abutment part hit by the switch ring (120) rotated by the switch piston (115) to control movement of the switch ring.

A seat belt device for a vehicle seat, having a seat belt, the belt tongue of which in an engaged state is releasably connected to a seat-side belt buckle. The belt buckle is guided via at least one wire rope through a sleeve-like deflection element, which defines the course of the wire rope between its connection point on the seat side and its connection point on the belt buckle side. The sleeve-like deflection element has a predetermined deformation point, at which the deflection element is deformed in the event of a head-on collision, more specifically with the belt buckle being displaced from its use position into a crash position in which the tilt or twist moments acting on the belt buckle are reduced.

A seat belt device for a vehicle seat, having a seat belt, the belt tongue of which in an engaged state is releasably connected to a seat-side belt buckle. The belt buckle is guided via at least one wire rope through a sleeve-like deflection element, which defines the course of the wire rope between its connection point on the seat side and its connection point on the belt buckle side. The sleeve-like deflection element has a predetermined deformation point, at which the deflection element is deformed in the event of a head-on collision, more specifically with the belt buckle being displaced from its use position into a crash position in which the tilt or twist moments acting on the belt buckle are reduced.

A vehicular belt tactile apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a buckle, a belt configured to be fastened to the buckle and at least one air pouch disposed at a portion of the belt that contacts the body of an occupant when the belt is fastened to the buckle. An air controller generates a control signal when the belt is fastened to the buckle. The buckle includes an air supply unit that is configured to inject air into the at least one air pouch through the belt or to discharge air from the at least one air pouch in response to the control signal.