Various embodiments of vehicle occupant safety systems having extendable restraints for use with, for example, airbags are described herein. In one embodiment, for example, the disclosed technology includes a 2-point occupant restraint that secures an occupant in an aircraft seat. In this embodiment, the aircraft seat is positioned in a seating area that includes a forward monument housing a stowed airbag. In the event of a crash or other significant dynamic event that causes, for example, a rapid deceleration of the aircraft above a preset magnitude, the airbag deploys between the occupant and the monument as the dynamic forces cause the occupant to pitch forward. The forward momentum of the occupant's body creates a significant tension load in the 2-point restraint, which causes the restraint to extend by a preset amount, thereby allowing the occupant to move forward in the seat more than the occupant would have moved had the occupant been wearing a conventional, non-extending 2-point restraint. Although the occupant is allowed to move forward, the occupant remains secured to the extended restraint by means of non-extending webbing that is secured around the waist of the occupant. Allowing the occupant to move forward in this manner enables the occupant's upper torso to impact the airbag at a reduced or otherwise more favorable angle. This can reduce both the speed and the angle at which the occupant's head impacts the airbag, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury.

A guiding device for a seat belt system has a guiding ring, a moving seat, and an elastic member. The moving seat is slidably mounted on the guiding ring and is moveable upward and downward. The elastic member is connected between the guiding ring and the moving seat for providing an elastic force to the moving seat. When a webbing of the seat belt system is pulled, the moving seat is pulled by the webbing and moves downwardly. The elastic member is stretched to generate a cushioning resilience to reduce the pulling force. The structure of the guiding device is compact, so the guiding device is low-cost in manufacture and small in volume without occupying much space.

In a buckle device, displacement of a buckle cover in a width direction with respect to a buckle guide is restricted by restricting grooves of the buckle cover and restricting ribs of the buckle guide that enter the restricting grooves. This enables a space to be secured between a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle cover and a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle guide.

A sliding mechanism includes a first part and a second part adapted for sliding translation within the first part. A bracket attached to the first part includes a bracket guide rib structure for constraining a lateral motion of the second part, including a rib defining an unbroken interface surface for the second part. The bracket guide rib structure may include a continuous rib member defining a continuous a continuous planar slider interface surface, a sinusoidal wave pattern, or a trapezoidal wave pattern. The sinusoidal wave pattern and the trapezoidal wave pattern may include a plurality of waves having a same or a different wave frequency.

A seat assembly includes a seat back and a headrest adjustably coupled to the seat back. The headrest defines a first guide passage and a second guide passage, each extending through the headrest. The seat assembly includes a retractor and a belt. The belt extends continuously from a first end to a second end. The first end is engaged with the retractor. The belt has a looped portion from the first guide passage to the second guide passage. The belt extends from the looped portion through the first guide passage to the first end, and extends from the looped portion through the second guide passage to the second end.

A webbing guide for a vehicle seat includes a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining first and second spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof. The webbing guide further includes a guide body coupled with the base and defining a guide channel extending through the guide body in a direction generally normal to the length of the base and normal to the posts.

A seat belt energy management loop to reduce off-axis loading is disclosed. The seat belt energy management loop includes a substantially flat bracket welded to the chassis of a vehicle and including a plurality of openings for mounting a roll hoop and a seat belt retractor to the bracket. An integral loop is formed as an integral part of the bracket and extends from the bracket in substantially perpendicular relation to the bracket. The integral loop includes a seat belt guide segment extending from the bracket, a pair of curved end segments extending from the seat belt guide segment, and a straight segment extending between the pair of curved end segments, together forming a seat belt opening through which a retractable seat belt of the retractor extends.

A seatbelt web guide assembly is adapted to be fixed to a seat back and comprises a web guide in the shape of a loop and a track base adapted to be fixed to a seat back. The track base has a housing and a sliding element. The housing is adapted to be fixed to the seat back and defines a sliding axis. A sliding element is slideably disposed in a guide feature of the housing defining the sliding axis. The web guide is connected to the sliding element for movement therewith along the sliding axis. A spring is disposed between the housing and the sliding element, biasing the sliding element relative to the housing.

There is provided a vehicle seat including: a seat main body including a seating portion, a seat back that supports an upper body of the vehicle occupant seated on the seating portion, and a headrest that is provided at an upper side of the seat back and supports a head portion of the vehicle occupant; a seatbelt that restrains the upper body of the vehicle occupant with respect to the seat back; a belt guide portion that is provided at an upper portion of the seat back or at the headrest, and through which the seatbelt is inserted, and that guides the seatbelt; and a rotating portion that, following movement of a shoulder portion of the vehicle occupant, changes a direction of guiding the seatbelt by rotating the belt guide portion by external force applied due to tension of the seatbelt.

A seatbelt web guide assembly is adapted to be fixed to a seat back and comprises a web guide in the shape of a loop and a track base adapted to be fixed to a seat back. The track base has a housing and a sliding element. The housing is adapted to be fixed to the seat back and defines a sliding axis. A sliding element is slideably disposed in a guide feature of the housing defining the sliding axis. The web guide is connected to the sliding element for movement therewith along the sliding axis. A spring is disposed between the housing and the sliding element, biasing the sliding element relative to the housing.