SEAT BELT WEBBING ENERGY MANAGEMENT DEVICE

摘要

A vehicle safety apparatus (11) includes a length of belt webbing (34) for restraining a vehicle occupant. The belt webbing includes a plurality of folded portions (130, 132, 134) overlying each other and unstitched to each other. The safety apparatus (11) includes means (10) for controlling unfolding of the unstitched folded portions of belt webbing. The length of belt webbing (34) has end portions (136, 138) extending from opposite ends of the means for controlling unfolding. The means (10) for controlling unfolding includes means (32) for applying force to the unstitched folded portions of belt webbing for resisting unfolding. The unstitched folded portions (130, 132, 134) are movable relative to each other against the force applied to the unstitched folded portions in response to the application of a tensile force greater than a predetermined force to the belt webbing end portions (136, 138). The length of belt webbing (34) unfolds over a controlled period of time, reducing the abruptness of the load on the vehicle occupant during a vehicle collision.